by M. Street
“Nothing,” I said, opening my eyes after making a full revolution in my mind. “They must be masked.” I took in a deep breath. Lowering, I put my hands against the ground. Clenching my muscles, I unleashed the copper in my pearl. Wild impulses tore along my nerves. My head twitched, my teeth extended, and my hair turned pearly white, spreading and coarsening down my back. Holding my brightness in, I generated high-voltage vibrations. I was close to formulating fully Canite.
Dev growled, asking me to let up, but I had broken gait. I bordered on feral, fighting powerful instincts and wills without limits. The radically foreign urges took over what little rationale remained. I sniffed uncontrollably, skimming the globe for my wolf pack.
“Haruz,” I said in a foreign, low growl, freaking me out. His trace was going in and out of my touch in Tasmania, off the coast of Australia. Something besides his mask was obscuring his exact location. My heart tanked, counting only three unique, friendly signatures with him. The raid on the Canite camp in Canada was more deadly than I had feared. My head flicked back and forth, shifting through the sensations for Raven and Jeremiah.
From what I could feel through the distortion, neither the princess nor the king were with Haruz and his tattered pack. My spirit rode the globe, making refined passes for any blip of Raven and Jeremiah when a shocking surprise sent me screeching. Faint traces of the Canite royalty registered, slamming my attention.
Raven and Jeremiah were at the Palace of Pena, the same place where Safe was being tortured and held. Spouts of my blended light ejected far into the sky. The murkiness of our situation thickened, removing any sense from what was unfolding. Unlocking, I snapped out of my trance. I knew I set off our position with my shouting aura. I stood and resumed human, sequestering my swirling pearl and copper. Roaring full tilt, the striped black-and-white tiger shrieked for us to leap.
Spots in the air around us became superheated, indicating incoming Arbitri. I slung Dev in swaths of light. As I slit a leap point, multitudes of Guardians materialized, carrying a multitude of Vampacoti and Equuians. We zipped up into an escape before any light could be discharged. Thirsting for answers, our next step was automatic.
I placed us back into physicality as if we were arriving inside a cottage. It required extra effort, but the tall eucalyptus trees of Tasmania, with their dazzling, fuzzy orange auras, were preventing an accurate placement. Maybe Haruz knew why Raven and Jeremiah were at the Palace of Pena. Dev stayed beastly, primed by wild, dangerous fight.
My senses launched the instant we became solid. Feeling the crescendo of vibrations and the incoming spells, I flung into action. I blasted away the leap mists, polarized my shell, and raised a thick shield. Incapacitating fear spells reflected off my cranked-up pearl. Five masked Canites smacked into layers of my congealed light. The wolves hung frozen, less than a second away from deadly contact. Daggers, fangs, and jaws were aimed and cocked. Dev hunched in front of me, hyperextending his teeth and claws. Deadly silver swirled around him, gearing up to fire. Recognizing the copper in my pearl, the Canites reversed their aggression into submission, yipping. I dismissed my hold.
The tall eucalyptus leaves draped the sky, swaying sweetly and scenting the sultry air. Their cloudy, ripe auras blended with the mid-morning sun, obscuring her face, but not her concentric metallic halos. Haruz formulated, creaking bones running over. The others lowered their heads, weirdly quiet, with eyes nailed to my belly. Dev was the last one to back off, formulating human but staying between me and the pack.
“My lady, I’m very sorry,” Haruz said, bowing. “We thought you were the Arbitri.”
“Please, no worries,” I said putting my mask around my neck. Haruz watched my stomach as the baby lights went under the cover of my infant cloak.
“You are with child,” Haruz said, his face etched with worry.
“Yes, we are,” Dev answered for me.
“That explains the attacks. Eli is slaughtering us,” Haruz said, distressed. The helplessness echoing in the ancient warrior’s heart set off something inside me. Their cause was inherently mine, dispelling lingering fears from the comfort of unity. “We’ve lost almost half of our pack. The Black Forest den has been destroyed, incinerated to the ground. Raven and Jeremiah are nowhere to be found.”
“They are at the Palace of Pena,” I said confidently.
“What?” Haruz asked, astonished. “That is Theia’s residence.”
The wolves growled like rusted mufflers, shifting and scraping shovel-sized grooves in the earth with their copper nails.
“That’s why I lost concentration,” I explained to Dev about losing my control, tripping our location. “Why would they be at the same place as Olo?”
“They must have been captured.” Haruz rubbed his battered face. The old Canite looked back at his brethren, growing younger than I had ever seen him. His kinky white hair curled into waves of brown. Skin melted smooth but stayed scarred. His frame grew wider, taller, and thicker. The strikingly handsome transformation suspended my predicament for a passing glimpse.
“The Avians are the leak to Eli,” Dev said heatedly to Haruz.
“We think,” I added before anyone could formulate a thought. “Spells were used on Olo to call out to me, looking for our position. One of them was owned by Ozwald.”
Haruz retreated into thought. Thinking bees zoomed exaggerated loops around his head. “Sad to hear this. Is this all we know?” Haruz asked, dropping his eyes down to the ground.
“Yes.” I grabbed his hand, conveying my truth. “But it doesn’t make sense.”
“We will consider the Avians hostile if encountered,” Haruz stuttered, forcing the acceptance. “My lady, you are my first concern. Especially now,” he said respectfully of my pregnancy. “Do I have your permission to leave your guard and travel to the Palace of Pena with the pack?” The thirst in his voice made the request ridiculous.
“The king and,” he opened his young eyes wide, “my princess, I must go to them.” The earnest devotion in his purpose moved me.
Looking at Dev and thinking about our long history gave me an idea.
“Yes, of course. I’ll take you there myself.” I said, knowing I spilled a full glass of upset.
36
Into Something Different
S
ilence resulting from my statement of participation in probing the Palace of Pena was so solid it cast shadows on all souls present. Dev restrained himself, but internally balked at my involvement to investigate where so many answers lurked and lives hung in balance. I easily felt his fear, frothing into frustration and fury behind our masks.
“My lady, with all due respect, you would endanger the mission. Even masked, the Arbitri would be able to detect you near the palace, especially if Theia is there,” a spry Haruz spoke gingerly.
Dev raised his eyebrows, seconding the Canite guard’s polite opposition.
“Yes, they would.” I kept my drive on Dev, crafting a smart smile. Walking under the orange blankets of cover rising from the giant eucalyptus trees, I floated my lifesaver to Dev. Haruz, the pack of four wolves, and especially Dev watched me with blank stares, uncertain of what I was up to. “But I won’t be me.” I quickened my aura, multiplying the silver in my pearl. “At least, not in present form.”
Jazz, having been my baby boy for my entire life, sparked the idea. The dire straits of our situation weighed forcefully on the virginal tipping point, elevating my confidence. Faint rings of silver infused my pearl, cocooning me in pulsating strands. My breathing labored and my heart pounded, goose bumps erupting with skydiving abandonment. Using the power from the many lives that I loved, I boosted my light and mass, liquefying my human form into the basic building blocks of life. My DNA, RNA, and chromatic strands shifted, recombining my cells into something different.
Time suspended as waves of silver energy vortexed from far inside me. I had consciousness but no identity. I shifted into all light. The babies inside me reformulated first into feline embr
yos. The transformation imprinted on both their developing forms, especially my princess daughter. My inner Vampacoti took control. Surges of silver organized my bones and tissues into a big cat, gifting me with wildly different perspectives and senses. Once again, I was rebirthed into something new, architected by something ancient and much larger than me. My spirit was merely along for the ride.
In an elongated camera flash, my perception was forever enlarged. I stood sturdy and tall on all fours. My powerful tail demanded constant motion, acting very mindful. I was confused at not being human for the first time. Even my scent shifted into sweet-pea blossoms. My hypersenses were boosted, making me dizzy. My sight could follow the speed of light, curving my peripheral vision a murmur into the future. I could move before thought.
Every insect, big and small, buzzing through the air called out like a B-52 bomber. Like blood to a shark, a vast radius of critters’ pitter-patter beckoned my attention. I was naturally slinky, poised, and more deliberate than a seasoned ballerina. Burning inside was a dangerous beast with lethal and lightning-quick impulses.
I called to Dev. Immediately I was taken back by the guttural vibrations rolling from my fanged, panting mouth. Mentally, Dev and the Canites heard my words of ta-da, but raspy, saw-toothed roars filled their ears.
I sauntered over to Dev with more sophistication than a supermodel on stilettos. Movement on fours was fiercely fluid, like gliding on oiled tracks. The Canites whined, throwing back their ears, lowering to the ground in uncontested submission. Haruz and Dev stood with wild eyes and dangling jaws. Glancing down, I reveled in my shimmering coat. The lush fur was dense and solid jet black. Elephant-sized paws sported razor-sharp, pearlescent nails. I was massive, standing a head taller than Dev. I brushed up against my stunned love, scenting him with my wet nose and perfuming submandibular glands. Irrepressibly and repeatedly, I marked him as my own.
The soul-urging passions to roam, hunt, and be Vampacoti were incredibly hard to keep down. From the frozen faces, I knew I had made my case. Filled with dangling futures with burning fuses, I remembered myself human. Shifting the rivers of current in my brain, ribbons of silver light swirled around me. Like a cold hand slipping into a worn glove, I effortlessly shape-shifted back into my familiar form, barefoot in layers of lace.
Like leaping, formulating was fast, euphoric, and most of all, exhilarating. It drew a bite of pain at first, but it was something I wanted to do over and over again. Like shopping in a glamourous couture boutique, I wanted to try on every color in the metallic rainbow. The tangible experience of connectedness with all races affirmed my path of action. Only together could we succeed.
“Ok, now show me how to domesticate,” I asked, feeling victorious. I guess I got their tongues because Dev and Haruz looked stunned, unable to speak.
Like learning a new song, it took time, attention, and practice to formulate up and down the evolutionary tree, eventually fingering to a household cat. Holding the fringe state was unsustainable and awkward. Trying gave me even more respect for what Dev had accomplished all those years being my Jazz.
I pictured myself as a tiger, mirroring Dev. However, my Vampacoti form was a sleek, pitch-black panther, perfectly inverted from my pearly white. Dev described my eyes as brilliant emerald green with ribbons of silver, backlit like total eclipses set against total blackness.
Under the obscuring marigold umbrellas of the eucalyptus trees, we devised a plan for casing the Palace of Pena. Dev remained passively resistant, relaxing only a fraction. Not only could I feel his concern for Safe, but also a simmering curiosity on the Avian connection. Valbeth’s silence was wearing lines on his face.
I would leap Dev and Haruz miles from the palace while the Canite pack followed on foot. We would formulate to domesticated sizes and do as much reconnaissance as we could and then leap away. Both Dev and Haruz were against any engagement due to the Arbitri home-field advantage. The reason for Ozwald’s high-dose cast against Safe soared to the top of my list.
Dev and I rested in soft grasses laced in delicate light, holding each other, waiting patiently for the earth to spin until the palace would be drenched in the colors of the night. Always present and playing were the innocent desires of unquenchable passion, but the falling chances weighed wet and heavy.
Haruz and the Canites posted watch under the sunny and dry winter sky of the southern hemisphere. Under a great tree, we loved on each other without words or tender touch, relishing in the satisfaction of our joined spirits.
Interrupting my flow, my little brother popped into my head. “We’re going to see Charlie after,” I said.
“Ok.” Dev sat up, pulling out his crystal. He tapped the metallic base carefully, making sure not to give up our position. The communicator blinked and blinked for what seemed like forever.
“Sam isn’t answering.” Dev shrugged it off, tucking the crystal away. I stood up, prompted by my intuition. “Piper, it’s late in Italy, they are probably asleep,” he said, responding to my escalating unease. His chill did little to calm my concern; my insides were categorically stirring.
“It’s time,” Haruz said, resetting my attention. Behind him, the pack of four Canites blurred away northwest toward Portugal.
I removed my necklace, preparing to leap us. Taking advantage of an unleashed aura, I extended my feelers to the Italian coast. “I can’t feel Charlie,” I told Dev, raising concern.
“The concentration of trees is interfering,” Dev said, referring to the layered, orange eucalyptus tapestries muting our surroundings. Although Haruz and Dev remained masked, I felt them shift into combat mode.
I stood immobile, forked by the blankness of my little brother.
“If you would rather go locate Charlie I would be more than happy to accommodate. Any of us, especially you, prancing into an Arbitri stronghold is not a good idea in any way, shape, or form.” The common adage took on an overloaded meaning.
“We’ll find him directly after this,” I repeated firmly, wrapping Haruz and Dev in straps of light. We ascended into the tangerine haze. “Here we go.”
I skipped quickly up out of the tree’s protection. Staying in the angle of afternoon sun for cover, I cut a leap point. The three of us raced upward then down, hoping to get facts on Raven, Jeremiah, Ozwald, and especially Safe. I knew the amount of force used on him put a short timer on his body.
Without expending time, I placed us down in a crescent bay. I kept us inside the shelter of the pooling, orange breath of the Atlantic Portuguese coastline. The palace was several miles west over a dense forest and mountain range. The moonless, star-filled sky drenched the Milky Way in heavy reds, reflecting back our escalating tension. Mildly winded, I held my light low, scanning for Eli, Theia, or any alerted Arbitri.
“So far, so good,” I said, not feeling Eli or any energies alerted to our presence. Sensing him would be an automatic abort. Not feeling his hot coldness thickened my nervousness into cautious excitement. “Theia is there.” I was careful to keep my traces vacant.
“Let’s get out of here,” Dev insisted, not wanting to take any chances.
“She didn’t pick up my presence,” I countered, absolutely sure of my knowledge.
Haruz formulated into the great gray wolf, snorting in every direction, searching for his princess and king. I focused my receptors on the palace, peeling away the layers.
“The palace is covered with three high-charged domes.” Using the roots of the surrounding forest as a conduit, I shifted my silent touch. “There are three patrols circling the palace equidistantly, each party consisting of a Guardian, Vampacoti, and Equuian,” I added, retracting my focus back to my body. Nerves fired in succession, testing my courage but not my resolve. With love as my cause, running away was not an option. I could only face my fears and move forward.
“Let’s go so we can leave,” Dev said grudgingly, looking up at the bleeding sky. The gray wolf kept his eyes ziplining back and forth along the coast. “We’ll go check on Charlie
,” he said, unfairly dangling a priceless carrot.
Preparing to formulate, I handed my necklace to Dev. Unlike present company, I wasn’t able to formulate while masked yet. Focusing on staying dead silent, I jumped through rings of flowing silver into a super-sized panther before driving down to a hundred-pound cat. No matter how hard I focused, it was impossible for me to hold a smaller size.
As planned, Dev looped my necklace into a harness. He placed it around my neck and back, securing it snugly. My mask transformed me into a stealthy black void with bright green eyes. Haruz reduced his girth to the size of a coyote, still quite fierce. Dev formulated to the size of a bobcat, losing some of his teeth and stripes. Memories of my tomcat Jazz temporarily washed through me, spurring my soulful determination. Communicating on our private, metallic bands, we tore off into the mountain forest toward the palace with Haruz in lead. With pitch-perfect accuracy, I bridged the deafness between Dev and Haruz, making us one. My fresh, gestational state flowed into my light, bestowing abilities, refining talents, and enlarging my bank.
We crested the final mountain, stopping cold, seeing the yellow palace in all its grandeur. Three concentric domes of light encased the grand estate. Ornate rainbow auras spilled from windows. Inspiring geometric works of light sang from the art inside, drawing me like a moth to a flame. The spectacle stood out among the trees, like the majesty was on fire with color. The layered, thick flows of the triple domes made it impregnable to my masked senses. I hissed in reflex, seeing platinum light flanked by silver and bronze, faithfully patrolling the perimeter.
Like stalking unsuspecting prey, we shifted through the scene with our telescoping eyes, cupping ears, and twitching whiskers. I dilated my eyes, further engrossing my assessment of the impossible barriers. Dev wanted to wait until the pack joined us in two hours, but Haruz and I burned for more answers. Knowing that the pack was coming to selflessly sacrifice themselves as a last resort wasn’t sitting well.