“What?” I asked, opening a can of diet Coke (aka, my elixir of life).
“You look like crap, that’s what,” Lyssa said.
“What, are you scouting for Vogue? I just haven’t been sleeping well lately,” I said, as I checked out some moron walking by our table with his jeans hanging below his butt. (Speaking of fashion, should anyone really accessorize with underwear? I mean, besides like, Madonna?)
“Are you still having those weird animal dreams?” Damian asked.
All the time. “Yeah, sometimes,” I said. I carefully omitted that as of two hours ago, they were hunting me during waking hours as well.
“Is it the same animal every time?”
One thing about Damian, he was nothing if not persistent. And smart as hell. Absolutely nothing got by the kid. But I was not in the mood. I looked straight at my best friend’s beautiful almost-black eyes, and said, “Give it a rest, will ya?”
“Are you losing your damn mind? The boy is just trying to help,” Lyssa said, tucking one side of her brown, blond-streaked bob behind one ear. She was a very petite girl, just barely five feet tall, much shorter than me at five foot eight. I’d be surprised if she weighed a hundred pounds. But, man, she had enough attitude for someone twice her size!
“Yeah, I know,” I said. Jeez, I was a crappy friend. The Vasquez twins had been my best friends since the third grade, and here I was being a huge grump. Of course I had plenty to be grumpy about, but they didn’t know that. And I wasn’t so sure about talking to them about it. I mean, what would I say? Hey, guys, guess what? A shadow thingy is after me and I’m scared shitless. They would probably decide I was certifiable, immediately dial 911, and have me carted away. Sounds about right. One thing was sure; I was going to have to talk to someone about this or I really would lose my damn mind.
“Hello, earth to Maya.” Damian waved his hand in front of my face.
“Sorry, Damian,” I said.
“It’s okay, honey. We just don’t know what’s going on with you.”
They both looked concerned, and that made me more upset than I already was. I decided right then that, after last bell, I was driving to my Grandma Rosa’s. It was quite a hike. She lived in a cabin about an hour outside of town where she could work on her photography. Grandma’s beautiful nature photography was very well known. She said that living close to nature inspired her. She wanted to let people see the earth through the eyes of the Mayan people so that they would honor it. Go, Grandma!
As last bell rang, I stopped by my locker to pick up my things and noticed I had three new text messages. They were all from Matt. He wanted to know what our status was. Seriously, I felt like telling him that we had no status as long as he insisted on behaving like an ass. We’d been together “officially” for six months, but we’d been interested in each other long before that. And the truth was, I was still into him. He was Matt Caldwell—a six foot one sexy senior with light brown hair, beautiful brown eyes, a tanned, athletic body, and above average intelligence. Who wouldn’t be into him?
And we did have a lot in common. We both lived with single parents. But since he made the varsity football team, he was changing. We used to spend lots of quiet time alone. (Not for that. You know, for cuddling and whatnot.) Sadly, since he made varsity, we hadn’t spent any time alone. All he wanted to do when he wasn’t playing football was party. I mean, I was proud of him. He worked incredibly hard to make the team. And he had goals, like an athletic scholarship. I just wasn’t so sure I was cut out to be the star quarterback’s girlfriend. It just wasn’t what I’d signed up for. He was also a year older than me, so I wasn’t actually sure what we were doing, anyway. He was already eighteen and would graduate in the spring, leaving me deserted at El Desierto. (Ha! Deserted at “Deserted” High.)
I glanced at my watch. If I left right away, I could make it to Grandma’s and back before my dad got home. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Grandma personally. I think he appreciated that she was a positive female influence. But all the Mayan traditions reminded him of my loser-mom and how she’d skipped town. But that was like a gazillion years ago. Sometimes I just wished that he could move on.
I headed for my Wrangler that my dad bought secondhand for my sixteenth birthday. It was perfect for New Mexico weather and I couldn’t wait to get on the highway and ride to Grandma’s with the top down. I was particularly careful to avoid the far side of the school parking lot where I could run into the twins or Matt. I didn’t have time for socializing. If I was going to pull this off, I was going to have to make very good time.
Thankfully, when I arrived at Grandma’s, she was home. I was afraid she would be out scouting for shots somewhere. Grandma wasn’t just Mayan, she was a Mayan Elder, so I was pretty sure she’d be able to help me. At least, I hoped so. I opened the door to her cabin and walked in.
“Grandma,” I called as I put my bag down and headed toward the kitchen. The cabin always smelled of copal, the sweet-smelling incense that wafted through the little house. The scent of it immediately brought me back to my childhood and gave me a sense of peace.
“Oh, Maya, I’m in the darkroom. Go ahead and put the tea kettle on. I won’t be long. Some of your favorite cookies are on top of the fridge.”
Grandma’s amaranth-cinnamon cookies are seriously yummy. She grows her own amaranth, just like the Mayan people did back in the day. She uses it in lots of stuff, but my favorites are her cookies. (Oh, and toasted amaranth! It’s just like popcorn, but better.)
“I’m so glad you’re here, baby,” she said, coming out of her darkroom and giving me a big hug.
“Me too, Grandma.” It was so good to see her. As usual she wore her graying hair in a long braid down her back. She was wearing a beautiful yellow blouse that set off her dark skin and eyes and a long colorful skirt.
“On a school day, Maya, is everything all right?” She poured us each a mug of tea and sat down with me at the kitchen table.
“I… I don’t know,” I stammered. Hot tears started to pour down my face before I could stop them.
“What is it ts’unu’un? You know that you can tell me anything and I’ll understand.”
Although I could feel my throat threatening to close, hearing her call me “hummingbird,” her Mayan nickname for me, strengthened me. “Grandma, I’ve been having the most awful dreams.”
She reached over and handed me a Kleenex, which was when I realized I was snotting all over myself. “What are these dreams about, honey?” She took my hand in hers and rubbed it gently.
“Well, they aren’t always the same. But it’s like they’re real. Grandma, I’ve never had dreams like this before.”
“Tell me, ts’unu’un, what kind of animal is it?”
“It’s always this same kind of cat, I dunno, like a jaguar. How did you know?”
“I know because you are dreaming of your nagual.”
“My, my what?” I asked, wiping my nose some more.
“Your nagual is your spirit companion. We all have one. Yours just happens to be Balam, the Jaguar. Your nagual is part of you. It’s like having a double in the spirit world.”
“But why am I dreaming about it?”
“It’s easiest to meet your guiding spirit in your dreams. Think of it this way. Your dreams are where our world and the unseen world meet.”
Okay, that wouldn’t seem so bad if I wasn’t running into my nagual in broad daylight.
“Something else is troubling you. What is it, ts’unu’un?”
“Something has been happening to me. Grandma, I’m so freaked out!”
“Go on,” Grandma said, handing me another Kleenex.
“Today I saw a shadow, I mean while I was awake. It’s like…like Balam’s shadow is following me!” As soon as I managed to choke out the words, the fear and panic I had felt at school returned with a vengeance.
“Maya, you’re very special. Remember when you were younger and I used to tell you—”
“That I was spec
ial because I had a lot of k’ul. I felt so proud because I thought you were saying that I was cool.”
“Ah, you remember!” Grandma said with a little laugh. “Do you also remember that k’ul is the life force that is in all things, ts’unu’un? I think that you may be able to see your nagual when it manifests in our world because your life force is very strong.”
“So Balam wasn’t trying to attack me?” Phew.
“No, no, of course not. Your nagual is part of you. It’s like your protector. And even though it lives in the Otherworld, it is possible for it to move from one realm to another. But I am curious about something, though.”
“What’s that, Grandma?” I asked, feeling much better knowing that there wasn’t a murderous jungle cat prowling around trying to maul me to death.
“During any of your dreams, did you ever have the sensation that you were Balam?”
“Sometimes it seemed like I was seeing through its eyes,” I said. “Like maybe from its point of view?”
“I don’t want to worry you, Maya. And there is no way to be sure of these kinds of things, but—”
My stomach gave a nasty lurch. “What things, Grandma?”
“I think that you might be becoming a mestaclocán.”
I swear I could feel the vomit threatening to come up my throat. Mestaclocán was an ancient Spanish word, but you didn’t have to be Mayan to know what it meant. Shape-shifter.
“I’m, I’m becoming a shifter?”
“I’m not sure, honey. But no matter what anyone else says, you know that shape-shifters are revered in Mayan culture for their powerful connection to their nagual.”
“I know, Grandma, but it’s different here. It’s just so scary and… I dunno, complicated.”
“I know, honey, but we aren’t even sure of it yet. Most shape-shifters don’t phase for the first time until they are at least eighteen. All we can do is wait. I know that’s hard and probably not what you want to hear right now. But everything is going to be okay, whether you ever phase or not.”
“Okay, Grandma. If you’re not worried then I’ll try not to.”
“That’s my brave girl. I love you, ts’unu’un, and I’m proud of you. Nothing is ever going to change that.”
“I love you too, Grandma.” I looked up at the kitchen clock. “I guess I’d better get going. I have to make it home before Dad gets back.” At that moment, I would have done anything to stay. But I was only allowed to visit Grandma on weekends. If he found out that I’d broken the rules, he’d ground me for sure. That would mean no Grandma at all.
“Take care,” she said, pulling me close. “Tonight I will burn copal and pray for guidance and protection for you.”
All too soon, I was back in my car on the highway, alone with my worries and fears. I felt like crap. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized what my Grandma said was true. I had always felt different, but more like freakishly strange, not different in a good way. I guess going out with Matt had eased that a bit, but now I was supposed to tell him and the twins that I might be a shifter? No frickin’ way.
Shifters weren’t well accepted for the most part, even though we all knew they existed. People were maybe a bit intrigued by the magic of it all, but no one wanted to be one, did they? Most shifters just buried it and moved on with their lives, kinda like gays that are still in the closet. Nope, I was definitely not overly excited about the idea. But since I didn’t have much to worry about for another year, I couldn’t see how telling my friends would make it any better. Then again, how could I not tell them? They had been so worried about me lately. I wasn’t sure of anything anymore. No, actually I was sure of one thing. This really, really sucked.
Chapter Two
I was peering through the darkness, suddenly aware of how easy it was to see. The cool chill of the night air was nothing to me. As I watched and waited, I stretched out my neck and smelled the air. I knew where my prey would be and I knew when. My powerful body was completely still. I became one with silence, allowing the night to swallow me into its infinite darkness. It was then that the mule deer dared to step out of the gloom. It stood motionless, bathed in moonlight. But it sensed something and I could not wait another moment. I bared my teeth and sprang forward with amazing force, hitting him from the side, my legs never touching the ground. I opened my powerful jaws and bit into the animal’s skull, crushing its brain…
I awoke with a start. My hair, boxers, and T-shirt were soaked with sweat. Damn, another nightmare. And this one had been so raw, so… Oh. My. God! I could still taste blood in my mouth! I ran into my bathroom and began to brush and rinse. Then I turned on the shower and waited for the water to warm up.
“Maya?” It was Dad calling up the stairs. “Are you up? It’s 6:45 already.”
“I’m up!”
“Okay, honey. There’s some bagels in the fridge if you want a quick breakfast. I need to head out.”
“Bye!” I slipped into the shower and let the hot water wake me up even as it eased my sore muscles. Wait—what could I have done to have sore muscles? My body ached like our crazy PE teacher, Ms. Lewicki, had made us run a zillion laps after doing a hundred push-ups. Of course I stayed in the shower way too long, not wanting to leave the awesome, soothing heat of the water. I really needed to sleep for like a week straight. On my way out the door, I grabbed a bagel and a diet Coke and practically flew to school. By the time I made it to homeroom, I was panting.
And it only got worse from there. I actually fell asleep during first period English. Luckily, Ms. Mendoza didn’t call on me. Thank God, Lyssa noticed and woke me up before I could have an embarrassing drool episode. (There’s nothing worse than picking your head up with a string of drool still attaching your chin to the desk. Yikes.) The bell rang, but as we headed out of class, I heard Ms. Mendoza say, “Maya? Could I see you for a sec?” Damn, so close.
I went over to her desk. “Maya, are you okay? You seem…well, not yourself lately. You’re falling asleep in class, handing in sloppy assignments. I hope you don’t think I’m prying, but are you having problems here at school or maybe at home?”
“Oh no, Ms. Mendoza,” I said. “I’ve just been having some trouble sleeping.”
“Well… Get some rest then.”
“I’ll try,” I said.
“Take care of yourself, Maya. And if there’s anything I can help you with, anything at all…”
“Okay, thanks,” I said. But, unfortunately, my ass-kicking didn’t end there. Alyssa was waiting for me outside the door.
“Okay, look, enough is enough,” she said, giving me her most threatening look. “Are you coming to Damian’s game tonight?” (Did I mention that the twins are awesome soccer players? Like, in that Keira Knightly movie, Bend It like Beckham, or whatever? Lyssa would totally be Keira Knightly in that movie. I don’t know who Damian would be. Actually, I guess he’d be Keira Knightly, too.)
“Of course!” I grinned, hoping it would help get me off Lyssa’s shit list. (That is one list you do not want to be on. Trust me.)
“Good. After the game, you, Damian, and I are going to have a discussion about whatever’s going on with you.” She turned and headed toward her next class. I watched her walk away.
I went in the other direction, aggravated that I was about to walk by the wing where most of the seniors had their lockers. I looked to my right and nearly jumped through the ceiling when I realized that Balam was moving in perfect step along the wall beside me. A wave of nausea hit me so hard I had to bend over.
“Maya?” Oh, my dear sweet Lord. “Hey, are you okay?” Matt reached down and picked up my books that I just now realized I’d dumped on the floor.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” I muttered. I couldn’t look at him. “I think I’ve got a touch of that flu that’s been going around. I’m just a little dizzy or something.”
“Do you want me to walk you to the nurse?” I looked up into his beautiful, soft brown eyes and just for an instant I saw the old Matt. I
n that moment, I couldn’t tell whether it was the panic or the way he was looking at me that was making my legs feel weak.
“I… I think I’m okay,” I said, fighting the urge to let him walk me to the nurse’s office just so I could keep looking at him.
“So, are you comin’ to the game on Saturday? Josh is having a party at his house afterward.”
Oh, joy.
Finally feeling like I could support my own weight, I moved away from the lockers and held my arms out to take my books back. “Um, I might have some stuff to do at home for my dad. I’ll have to wait and see, ’kay?”
“Yeah, okay.” He turned to go, but then suddenly turned back to me. “Look, My, I know that this football stuff isn’t really your thing. But it’s important to me and, um… I mean you’re important to me too. I don’t wanna lose you over this.”
Whoa. It had been so long since he’d said anything like that, I had no idea what to say back to him. Finally, “We’ll figure something out, Matt. Don’t worry.” I reached up on my tiptoes and gave him a peck on the cheek.
“I’ll call you, okay?”
“Sure,” I said, and headed off down the hall.
That night, I sat with the twins at Scoops, our favorite ice cream and all around hang-out spot. Our team had lost the soccer game, so thankfully there weren’t many students from our school there to celebrate. I felt bad that my little bit of luck had come at Damian’s expense.
“I’m really sorry about the game,” I said.
“Win some, lose some,” he said. “We’re already in the playoffs anyway.”
“That kid that kept foulin’ you was on my last nerve,” Lyssa said. Then she turned to me and raised an eyebrow expectantly.
“What?” I asked, as if I didn’t know.
“You know what. Something’s been up with you for days now.”
“Come on, Maya. We’re your BFFs. You know you can tell us anything,” Damian said.
Paradox (Travelers Series Book 2) Page 18