Prodigy

by Natasha Brown

  Ana couldn’t believe she didn’t remember anything. She hadn’t been that tired since her heart condition. Her stomach gurgled and she bit her lip uncomfortably. “Did we eat dinner? I am starved.”

  Chance seemed relieved at her response and strode across the room to kiss her nose. “I ate three protein bars from my pack. I didn’t want to leave you, so yeah, I’m with you there. Starved. Get a whiff of those pancakes.” His nose lifted and his eyes sparked. She couldn’t detect anything past the musty potpourri odor but she knew all too well that his sense of smell was far more elevated than the average man’s.

  “Go ahead eat and without me. I’m hungry, but I need a quick shower. After that long drive yesterday, I’m not feeling myself. I’ll just catch up with you after.” She picked some clothing out of her bag and shut herself into the bright yellow bathroom. After grimacing at her own reflection, she turned on the shower and dropped her dirty jeans and shirt to the floor. She stepped in and the hot water ran down her body, taking with it the grime and aches of the previous day.

  Chance stared at the closed bathroom door for a minute before he flopped onto the stripped surface of his bed. He figured he’d go ahead and wait for Ana and go down to eat with her when she was done. Impatient to a fault, he stared at the ceiling and followed the cracks from one side to the other. When he finished studying the contours of the room, he jumped upright and wandered over to the window. A couple was loading their luggage into their car outside.

  He felt strange. But he couldn’t identify exactly what he was feeling. He let his senses open up and was saturated with various noises and smells. An orchestra of sound rushed in and threatened his balance. To steady himself, he dropped to one knee and rested his hand on the sill.

  Desperate for fresh air, he opened the window and took a deep breath in an attempt to clear his head. He closed his eyes. The couple was bickering about the route they were going to take. There was a whiff of coffee in the air. A squirrel chattered in a nearby pine tree. Its nails scratched the trunk and sent tiny pieces of bark down to the street below.

  There was nothing to cause alarm. He opened his eyes and scratched his head. Maybe it was nothing. He turned his thoughts to something else that was troubling him.

  He had found little sleep or rest during the night. His grandfather’s death—all their deaths—filled his dreams. Dread filled his soul like a poisoned well. Niyol’s voice was urgent and insistent. Chance, remember…remember.

  Remember what? He had no idea what the dreams meant. It felt like he was missing something, he just didn’t know what.

  He was sure he was on the right path. But Niyol wasn’t here to advise him now. Had he done the right thing taking Ana with him? Maybe Melissa had been right about driving to Mexico. What if it wasn’t safe? The biggest question of all, the one that kept him up at night: what if there were other shifters out there hunting for more power? What if he wasn’t strong enough to protect them from harm? He hoped his grandfather was leading him in the right direction. If he couldn’t find his great-grandfather, Balam, what would he do next? Shapeshifting was in his blood. It was a part of him. He couldn’t imagine giving it up. However, for love, maybe.

  He realized the water from the shower had shut off and he prepared himself for the discussion at breakfast. No matter what Ana thought, he knew it was in his best interest to map some new animals if he could. After the challenging shift into the owl at his grandfather’s ranch, he feared he was losing his powers.

  The bathroom door opened and a billow of steam poured into the room. Ana was brushing some knots from her hair and said, “Oh, you waited for me? I’ll hurry up. I have just one more tangle to get through.”

  “No problem. I can wait.”

  She snickered and shook her head. Maybe it hadn’t been the best choice of words. She knew him too well.

  Chapter 10

  Ana switched off her phone and slipped it into her jacket pocket. Chance sat across from her, stuffing pancakes into his mouth without any sign of slowing. The entire time she had been on the phone, he had crammed one after another into his bottomless stomach.

  “Bleck. Mom just won’t give up. Can you believe she actually tried making me an appointment with my old cardiologist? Thankfully they didn’t have the time to fit me in.”

  “Really?” Chance said with his mouth full.

  “Yeah. I think she’s starting to get how important it is to me to see the world. Now that she understands I won’t just turn around and come home, she asked me to book a flight to Mexico instead of driving there. Man, she just won’t give up.”

  Chance’s brow wrinkled as he said carefully, “She just cares…”

  “Oh that’s right, she reminded me to call Beth.”

  Ana pulled her phone out and dialed the number she had written on her paper napkin. After a quick conversation she filled Chance in on the plans. “Beth said she’s around tomorrow and that we can stop by anytime.”

  Chance nodded and gulped down a big swig of orange juice. “Perfect. That leaves today open. What should we do? Are there any cultural points of interest you can show me?”

  “Well, I guess we could go to the zoo today. Maybe we can ride the carousel.”

  Chance’s eyes widened and he smiled excitedly. He grasped her hand in his and said, “Anything you want.”

  He lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed them one by one. Warmth spread from her hand up to her cheeks until she noticed the owner of the bed and breakfast watching them from the kitchen doorway. Hastily, she adjusted the collar of her shirt and blushed.

  “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get going.” Chance jumped up, his breakfast long forgotten.

  Ana’s hand felt sticky after Chance let go so she dipped a cloth napkin in her water glass and cleaned it off. He stood and watched her as he fidgeted with his phone. After giving him a warning glare, Ana pushed her chair away from the table and joined him as he eagerly led her to the front door.

  “You are too much, Chance.” She sighed and pulled her keys out from her back pocket. As she walked into the morning sunlight, his warm breath tickled her neck and sent chills down her spine. His soft words soaked into her skin. “I’m sorry. You know how impatient I get.”

  A pair of finches fluttered around the yard in what seemed like a game of tag. Their excited chirps made Ana laugh as she continued on to the van.

  Before she could climb in, Chance was there looking at her from the passenger seat.

  “You should be more careful, Chance. What if someone saw you move like that?”

  His expression grew serious and he nodded in agreement but remained silent.

  He knew she was right. His grandfather had been the voice of reason for so long. Patience, Chance. He could still hear the words in his head because Niyol had said them so many times. When they pulled into the parking lot, an array of smells saturated his nose. It was mid-week, but the zoo was surprisingly full.

  “Man, busy place.”

  “Oh, yeah. They started renovating years ago, and have gone from one improvement to another. I can’t wait to see what’s new.” She slipped out of the van.

  Chance sauntered around the vehicle to meet her. His hand found hers and they snapped together like two magnets as they started through the wooded lot.

  As they approached the entrance, Chance’s breathing quickened and he involuntarily squeezed Ana’s fingers. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, gave him a strained smile, then shook her head and chuckled. “I get it, you’re excited. Behave yourself, though.”

  “I wouldn’t do anything in public.” With that, he pulled her to the ticket counter.

  Calls, chirps and hollers came from all corners of the grounds. He could smell each and every animal, various forms of species from around the world. His senses began to overload.

  A large peacock stood just past the entrance and stared at him, posed with its impressive array of eyes fanned out in full display. It cocked its head and ventured
closer, then caught sight of Ana and shook its plume.

  Chance smirked and said, “He likes you.”

  He handed their tickets to the man at the turnstile and they walked in through a crowd of families. The faces of little children around him perfectly reflected what he was feeling: excitement and joy.

  They walked down a series of steps just as a little girl squealed with glee. She clung onto her stroller for support with one hand and planted her free hand on the glass of the mongoose enclosure. The small mammals were scurrying about, protectively clutching food in their tiny claws and spinning in circles.

  A deep rumble up ahead caught Chance’s attention and he practically dragged Ana to the lion enclosure. She mumbled an apology to a couple they cut off as they brushed by.

  A large male lion lay out on a rock sunning itself, making a vain attempt to ignore the crowd. The tip of his tail flicked, then his mouth opened and a pink tongue curled out in a big toothy yawn. A dark, shaggy fringe surrounded its huge head and Chance was entranced. It was hard not to reach out with his mind to map the animal, but he stopped himself.

  Ana watched the large feline and asked him quietly, “Are you going to map him?”

  In response, he led her away and up the path toward the zebra habitat. “It takes a lot of energy to map an animal. I may only have enough to do one today and I want to be sure of what I choose.”

  Ana squeezed his hand and said, “Niyol would be proud of you, being so patient.”

  Chance nodded, but he wasn’t entirely sure that was why he was holding back. What if he tried to learn an animal’s energy mapping and couldn’t? The memory of the last time he’d phased into the owl stuck in his mind. He didn’t know what was up with his powers but they weren’t behaving like they did before his grandfather died.

  “Well then, let’s go window shopping,” Ana joked.

  She led him down a nearby path. A large building was just ahead and a wooden sign read, ‘Felines’.

  Chance’s tan cheeks lifted into a grin. “Perfect.”

  “Come on. They’ve got a Snow Leopard. It’s so beautiful.” Ana tugged open the heavy glass door.

  “I thought your favorites were birds?”

  She stuck her tongue out at him playfully. “They are. But cats are starting to grow on me.”

  They wandered through the darkened corridor and stopped to gaze at the pale leopard, its fur milky white, with dark spots patterned across its lanky body. Chance marveled at its long tail and thick undercoat. An animal built for cold weather, its natural home was the impressive peaks of Tibet, the Himalayas. The wild cat skulked up to the glass and stared at Chance, then Ana. A group of children came running in front of them and called out, “Mommy! Look at the tiger!”

  Their mother came up, pulling a wagon behind her. “That’s a Snow Leopard. Isn’t it pretty?”

  Chance and Ana continued to walk through the building. The other enclosures were empty so they decided to look for their occupants outside. As they rounded the brick wall, Chance sensed movement and stopped to allow his eyes to focus. A dark shape leapt to a large branch behind the metal fence. Yellow eyes traced over him, and rested on his throat.

  As shocked as he would have been getting plunged into ice water, Chance’s vision blurred. The familiar feeling of a memory washed over him . . .

  His grandfather’s thoughts and voice echoed in his mind. “I’m not ready—it’s too hard.”

  Chance realized that he was standing in the dark and enveloped by dense jungle. The night was still, and he could smell moist groundcover and other unfamiliar flora.

  He saw through Niyol’s eyes, which were fixed on a high point in the trees. Chance noticed two reflective orbs staring back at him. Having the keen senses of a shapeshifter, he made out the form of a huge onyx feline. Suddenly, the jaguar leapt down to his grandfather’s feet.

  He was nose to nose with the beast, which curled its lips into a sneer. The large brown saucer eyes stared into his own, unblinking. Chance felt his grandfather’s fear bubble up and he started to shake.

  The large cat turned and shifted into a man. He began to walk away from Niyol as he said into the darkness, “Your fear poisons you.”

  The memory dissolved as quickly as it had come and he was surprised to find Ana planted in front of him, her brow wrinkled in a frown.

  “Chance? Are you okay? Were you mapping the jaguar?” she asked uncertainly.

  Chance rubbed his eyes and blinked hard. “No. It was another memory of Grandfather’s,” he said and glanced up at the cat, who had since stretched out onto the branch in its cage and shut its eyes for a nap. “Before I only suspected Balam’s special form, but now I know for sure.”

  “A jaguar?”

  He pinched his lips together. “Yeah.”

  Chance was nervous. Balam didn’t have the same quiet, accepting aura as Niyol’s. He seemed far more serious and stern. He was probably just missing his grandfather and anxious about having a new teacher. But he wished he hadn’t seen that Mayan apocalyptic movie before they left Idaho. Scenes filled with violent warfare contradicted the research he found on the Maya that said they were a relatively peaceful and intelligent people, although he was still worried Balam would be stern and intense.

  “Ready to go on?” Ana rubbed his arm, then let her hand drop down to meet his.

  “I think I’m done with the cats. I already know cougar form.” Chance answered.

  “Don’t I know it.” Ana snickered. “Let’s find something new.”

  They continued on and nothing appealed to him. Polar Bears were interesting and dangerous, but he already knew grizzly bear form. Otters and seals were cool but they weren’t on his short list.

  “I think you’ll like Tropical Discovery.”

  “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”

  In response, Ana pointed ahead to a large building and sped up. They passed through the heavy doors and into a misty, humid environment. A large tank was just ahead of them, filled with stingrays, turtles and tropical fish. Next to the tank, a young boy hung upside down from a bronze snake statue and giggled as his parents snapped a photograph.

  Plants hung from the walls, which appeared to be made of stone, and the sound of running water and children’s voices echoed all around. He noticed openings in the walls covered with glass. Movement inside drew him closer. Eyes stared back at him unblinkingly, set into dark scales camouflaged by the wood chips and lichen.

  “It’s cool, but . . .”

  Ana’s brow wrinkled and she ducked in close to whisper, “What?”

  Chance scratched the side of his head and said, “I’ve never shifted into anything other than a mammal or bird. I’m not sure about reptiles, amphibians or fish. I may not be able to. I don’t know.”

  Ana wrapped her arms around him and gave him a squeeze. She was always there for him, ready to comfort and encourage him. Thankful to have someone accept him for who he was, he also felt the weight of the responsibility to protect her.

  “Well, you may not be able to now, but who says you won’t? So, the question is, what do you want to learn? What animal’s abilities are important to have?”

  She always knew how to cut to the point. What would be of benefit to him? He had a few large and powerful animals in his repertoire but he could use some more.

  Chance nodded and offered Ana a dark smile. He caught her scent, something that always stirred his senses. She turned and walked into a dark cavern. His eyes lingered on her body, moving lithely into the shadows. When had she become so graceful?

  After he ensured no one was near, he flitted to her side as she watched bats cling to the rocky, cavernous ceiling. Eager to find an animal to map, they walked on, moving from exhibit to exhibit. They were nearly at the end when he saw a large group of kids huddled up against a large glass tank. He almost passed it by because he thought it was just more fish until he noticed a large stone at the bottom of the tank. Little fingers danced around in front of it; the children were tryin
g to entice the inhabitant to move. Standing closer, he realized the stone had a face. Lumpy and knotted with a wide beak-like mouth, its round eyes peered out at him.

  He looked down through the water and saw only an obscured shape below. Bored and with little response from the snapping turtle, the children ran off into the next room. Chance squatted down and inspected the still creature. Three rows of spikes lined the muddy shell and led up to the curved, open jaw.

  “I wouldn’t want my hand to be his snack,” Ana said with a shudder as she joined him.

  Chance shook his head in disgust and stood bolt upright. He tightened his hands into fists, and clenched his jaw until his teeth protested under the pressure. “Am I going to find anything worth my time?”

  His frustration was getting the better of him. All his anxiety twisted into a knot and radiated out from the center of his chest. Ana took his outburst in stride, slowly rose from the floor and laid her hands just below his collarbone. His body reacted almost instantly, growing calm at her touch. His tightened tendons and muscles released their fiery stance. He let his chin settle on the top of her head and he pulled her into a tight embrace that blocked out everything around them.

  “I love you,” Chance said into her dark brown tresses.

  “I love you, too. Now, come on. Let’s just have some fun looking around. The Komodo Dragons are just around the corner.” She grabbed his hand and led him away.

  Determined not to be a killjoy, he took a deep breath and allowed himself to get dragged through the rest of the humid building. When they walked out the double doors, the moisture that settled on his exposed arms evaporated almost immediately in the dry air. His eyes took a moment adjusting to the light before they followed a trail of people up to the picnic area.

  Even though Ana was trying to be inconspicuous, his predatory senses were alerted. She was monitoring him. She held onto him tightly and he could tell she was worried. There was no reason for her distress - he was fine.

  “So, can I get that carousel ride?” she asked softly.