Serena

Not part of Riordanverse The following article/section is from the Storm Runner/Shadow Bruja continuity under Rick Riordan Presents and not the Riordanverse canon.

Serena
Biographical information
Status	Alive
Gender	Female
Family	Ixchel (mother) Itzamna (step-father)
Affiliation	Cinco
Physical description
Species	Godborn
Hair	Honey Blonde (The Fire Keeper) Black (The Shadow Crosser)
Behind the scenes
Appearances	The Fire Keeper The Shadow Crosser Lords of Night Dawn of the Jaguar

“	We never asked for this, Zane. The gods are the ones who abandoned us, never cared in the first place, they wanted us dead! Why should we care about them now?	”
–Serena to Zane after he revealed the truth of the situation to the godborns in The Shadow Crosser.

Serena is a Maya godborn, daughter of Ixchel.

Storm Runner Trilogy

The Fire Keeper

Serena is abducted from her bedroom by Gee and conscripted into joining Jordan and Bird.

A few days later after Zane Obispo is captured, she calls him a thief and demonstrates her powers by summoning a snake that slithers towards the son of Hurakan, but backs away when it reaches his godborn leg. After the twins leave and it is revealed the godborns are in cages, she forms a red smoke snake trying to escape. She and the other godborns are freed when Ren Santiago, who arrives with Ah-Puch and Rosie, uses her Mexica magic to unlock her cage, however there escape is halted when Marco awakens Camazotz. After Ah-Puch sides with the bat god, Camazotz explains how to twins plan to use the blood of Hurakan and the hearts of the godborns to resurrect the Mexica Gods and creative a world order with themselves on top. She and the other godborns hide behind old cars and throw whatever they can find at the bats, after Ah-Puch stabs Camazotz and opens a gateway, the godborns run towards it but it closes when Ah-Puch is killed. After the death god is revived she and the other escape through the gateway into an unknown jungle as he fends of Camazotz. When Zane tells the godborns to hide, she and the others convince him to let them stay and fight and the son of Hurakan let’s them be an auxiliary unit.

After the failed execution she stands with the godborns in front of the shocked gods. They go to Xib’alb’a and wait outside as Zane explains everything to the gods and, when he’s done, she and the others express their desires to be claimed. She is revealed to be a daughter of Ixchel, the moon goddess, and given a gold jaguar tooth to contact her mother and sent home.

The Shadow Crosser

Serena is seen at the claiming ceremony at the Shaman Institute of Higher-Order Magic looking nervous. After SHIHOM comes under attack, she evacuates with the others to a ranch in Montana. When Zane reveals the truth to the godborns, she feels betrayed and abandoned and sides with the mutineers.

Between the Series

Some time after leaving Montana, Serena learns of a prophecy where the Aztec Lords of Night will be resurrected and rally behind their queen. Upon hearing this, Serena believes she is the fabled queen and conducts a plan to resurrect the lords.

Shadow Bruja Duology

Lords of Night

Serena and the rest of the Cinco journey to a farm in Kansas where they awaken Xiuhtecuhtli, one of the Lords of Night.

She and two other members of the Cinco, Kenji and Diamante evacuate a wax museum before she creates an illusion to full others. Once the illusion is complete, Serena, Kenji, and Diamemte perform a ritual, unknown that Ren Santiago and Montero are watching them. Serena creates an illusion of a desert and the symbol burned onto Serena’s palm glows. Another teenager, Ezra, appears with an azure stone partially painted like an eye, into a disk and the illusion dissipates. The illusion vanishes and the Cinco spot Ren and Monty. Ren tries to create cover, but fails and Monty is taken. The Cinco vanish. After trapping Ren and Edison in a suspended net, Serena, Ezra, and Kenji come forward with an unconscious Monty. Serena says they are leaving with Monty and Ren and Edison will not follow. Ren agrees but Edison, speaking in an authoritarian tone, says they have to minutes to hand over Monty and leave before he attacks and Ren tries to get him to back off, fearing for Monty’s safety. Edison counts down as Ren tries to reason with her. As Ezra threatens to curse Monty, Ren manages to encase the unconscious girl in shadows as Edison breaks free of the net and attacks the Cinco. Edison fights her and Kenji as Ren runs towards Ezra to save Monty. As Ren runs after Ezra, Kenji unleashes countless bees from his mouth that attack Ren and her friends. Edison holds them off as his skin rips open from the stings to reveal a diseased complexion underneath. Ren gets Monty back just as she passes out from the pain.

After resurrecting Chalchihtlicue at Lake Zirahuén, the Cinco are attacked by Ren's friends. After the battle, Serena is devastated to learn she is not the queen and she, the rest of the Cinco, and Marco are taken captive by the lords.

Dawn of the Jaguar

She and the others are placed in Cuauhcalli and have their magic drained, weakening them. A month after being taken prisoner they learn that Ren is nearby.

When Ren reaches Cuauhcalli, she and the other godborns use the last of their magic to help Zyanya put the prison to sleep. Ren and Zyanya are placed in a cell and Diamante, Kenji, Ezra, and Serena beg Ren to free them as they used the last of their magic to put Death Row to sleep. However Ren is reluctant as she views the four as the cause of this whole thing. Marco manages to convince her to help and Ren uses her jaguar magic to destroy the bars. Everyone steps out and quickly regains their strength. However Cuauhcalli awakens and sends countless demons after them. Ezra tries to make a bridge while the others fend off the enemy. Once the bridge is made, everyone races across and the group manages to escape. After making their way through a series of unknown tunnels, they reach the river and meet up with Zulema who has been helping the imprisoned godborns. The woman also reveals it is time for Ren's wedding.

Ren is surprised, thinking she had more time, and begins to panic; Marco calms her down. Ren explains her plan to get the crown and Kenji, Diamante, and Ezra declare their allegiance to her, saying they will help. Serena laughs as she still feels annoyed that Ren becomes queen over her. Ren tells the other godborns to leave and hide. but has Serena stay. In Ren quarters, she is less than flattered to wear a baggy sack like shirt and matching skirt for the ceremony. Zulema explains that it is baggy because the bride and groom’s shirts must be tied in a knot in order to be officially wed. After Zulema leaves the room, Serena covers the space in illusions and Ren realizes what Ah-Puch meant. Ren tells Serena her plan as to use her illusions to trick the Lords into thinking the ceremony went off perfectly without Ren and the Prince Lord being bound. Serena agreed just as Edison appears. Zulema arrives shortly after him with cream for Ren and leaves with Serena to help her find a dress, much to Serena's disgust.

Serena, using illusions to resemble an elderly woman, and Zulema return to Ren's quarters just after Edison vanishes in pain. However they show little concern and make their way to the ceremony. When they arrive, the find the Prince Lord sitting on a mat with the Maize Lord, the Fire Lord, and Smoking Mirror. Ren sits on a mat beside the Prince Lord and, when Jade is Her Skirt arrives, the ceremony begins. After words are said, Serena moves forward to “tie the knot”. After she is finished, Smoking Mirror inspects the knot and finds it satisfactory. Serena then smiles as Zulema leaves the ceremony. She watches as Jade is Her Skirt proclaims that the Prince Lord is now the King Lord. After informing Ren that the crown will call to her that night as the moon vanishes, the Lords reveal that they are aware of Ren liberating the godborns and, since they escaped, her companions will be sentenced to death. Realizing that they planned this to break Ren's part of the agreement, Ren tries to fight, but Jade is Her Skirt reveals that the vial she gave Ren allows the goddess to control the godborn as Ren collapses to her knees. Soon Edison, now in his demon form, is brought into the chamber in chains and a blade materializes in front of him. Ren realizes this is the vision she saw of herself killing Edison in the Maze of Nightmares. Serena watches in silent, while the Lords watch in amusement, as Ren panics and begs and desperately tries to stop herself from taking hold of the blade. As the weapon and is about to deliver a fatal blow, Ren's hand starts to glow, shocking the Lords. Soon their allies storm the chamber and take on the Lords. She covers the chamber in illusions to confuse the Lords. Realizing the Lords will over power them soon, Ren rips the time thread from her ankle just as Ezra traps the Lords for a few minutes as Marco tells everyone to retreat. They do, but Ren stays behind to help Edison. They meet up with Zulema, who takes them to the meeting point. After the woman brings Ren and Edison, Monty has the feathers open a gateway to Devils Tower. Everyone goes through, except for Ren- who stays behind to have the crown come to her, and Monty- who stays to guard Ren.

The group reaches Devils Tower, which she disguises as an abandoned circus, and they make a plan. They plan to have Marco masquerade as Ren and present the Lords with a fake crown created by Serena and Diamante. Marco will then lure the Lords to the tent where Ezra traps them and Zyanya put them to sleep. Soon Ren, Monty, and Zyanya arrive and Ren tells them about her encounter with K'iin. When Serena and Marco show Edison their fake crown, he tells them about the two Rens and relies her message to them. They say they do not have time to create a new plan as learn Ren's physical body is having a blackout and Monty will guard her. The Lords arrive early and the group puts their plan into motion. As Soon as the Lords arrive, Marco, disguised as Ren, presents the crown. However, the Lords reveal themselves to be mirrors and take Marco, Monty, Diamante, Serena, and Kenji hostage just as Zyanya attempts to put the Lords to sleep. The hostages take the blow, knocking them out and the Lords imprison the five in the mirrors before stepping out. Zyanya flies away as the illusion shatters and the Lords search for the remaining adversaries. Ren, having returned to her body, remembers Zyanya telling her that the magic becomes nearly irreversible after five minutes and thinks of ways to save the others with Ezra and Edison. Ren and Ezra combine their magic to stop time to give the hostages a better chance. Zyanya manages to walk them up and they join Ren and Edison in taking on the Lords and Ren instructs everyone to combine their magic. Once they do, the Lords start to struggle, but Zyanya cannot get close. Seeing this, Ren transforms into a jaguar and grabs Zyanya, circling the Lords. Edison channels the other’s magic and strikes the Lords. The Lords fuse into a single shadow before being drawn into a suitcase. Ah-Puch and Ixtab appear and Ren fears what the goddess will do to her for not giving her the crown, but Ixtab reveals she will be taking the Lords as an alternative offering and lets Ren off the hook as she explains that she will drain the Lords of their magic and be trapped in Xib'alb'a forever. Ixtab leaves and Ah-Puch asks the others for time alone with Ren. Sitting around a fire, the members of the Cinco apologize to Ren one by one, with Serena being forced to, as Ren accepts their apologies. Ren takes out the Obsidian Blade and tells the others of her intention to free Zyanya. While they are hesitant, Monty notices an arrow and the others follow suit. They destroy the blade and Zyanya transforms into a blue jay and flies off, happy to be free. Afterwards, everyone heads home.

A week later, she and most of her companions reunite at the Shaman Institute of Higher-Order Magic to be debriefed and have a a celebratory bonfire.

Apperance

Serena has short honey colored hair, brown skin, and hooded suspicious looking eyes.

By The Shadow Crosser, her hair is black.

Personality

Serena is cruel and power hungry. However, she is willing to help her enemies if they have a common goal.

Abilities

• Hallucikinesis: Serena can summon illusions, such as summoning creatures by creating a small cloud of red mist or making large scale illustrations. Her illusions are vast enough to cover an entire room and convincing enough to fool gods.