Prodigy

by Natasha Brown

  Ready for his next move, he phased again. The squirrel expanded and distorted into a cougar. His weight was clearly unexpected and too much for the gorilla, who stumbled forward onto its fists. Before his cousin could react, he sank his claws into flesh and his canine teeth penetrated muscle as blood washed into his mouth. His instinct was to let go and retch, however he resisted the impulse and held on. Markus started flinging his fists back, impacting Chance’s head so he let go and used the skills Balam taught him to shift again into a finch.

  Chance flapped around in front of the gorilla’s face and saw the confusion etched there. He darted through the air and hid in the branches of a nearby tree as he watched Markus stumble around in the clearing. While his opponent was disoriented, he noiselessly swooped down behind him and shifted back into cougar form. Chance surged forward and sunk his claws into the silverback’s flesh as he clamped his jaw around his cousin’s neck and shoulder once more.

  Markus howled in pain and started to shake, but not from anger. His coarse black fur changed color and augmented into that of a golden cat with an abundant mane. Chance tumbled onto the ground as the lion whipped around and its eyes narrowed. Markus radiated anger.

  Oh, no.

  Without hesitation, the king of the jungle leapt through the air as if he had springs strapped to his feet, landed on Chance’s chest, sending him skidding a couple feet. For a moment, he was unable to take a fresh breath. His lungs felt like they had been cast in clay and were unwilling to absorb any oxygen.

  Markus swatted his claws across Chance’s muzzle. Blood began to drip down his face. A series of blows pounded his ears and temple, making him lightheaded.

  Stay awake, Chance. Keep it together. You need to protect Balam.

  His head lolled to the side and he sought out his great-grandfather. He spotted Balam thirty feet away, sitting and clutching his side. His hand was stained dark red. It appeared he had lost a lot of blood, but it wasn’t over yet. Balam met his gaze, rose to his feet in silence and walked a few steps and reached down.

  Distracted by his great-grandfather’s actions, he didn’t see Markus lean in with his mouth open but he felt the pain when his jaws clamped on his shoulder. Chance howled in surprise.

  Just then, the bearded cat released its hold and Markus’s head knocked forward unnaturally. He growled when it happened again. The lion stumbled to the side and off Chance, revealing Balam holding a large rock in one hand and a branch in the other.

  Chance was too surprised to do anything but watch his cousin round on the descendent of Mayan royalty. Although clearly hurt, Balam held himself tall and strong. Crimson blood streaked down his abdomen and leg from his wound yet Balam still seemed ready for a fight.

  As the lion edged forward, Balam struck him on the snout with his branch. Markus shook his head, bared his teeth at his opponent and advanced again. This time, he was smacked by the rock and roared so loudly a spray of spittle dropped from his jaw. Balam danced to the side, light on his feet, but Chance knew it had to be costing him a lot to move like this. The grimace on his face was evidence enough.

  Chance realized suddenly he should be helping and stumbled to his feet. As he stepped forward, Balam swung his branch at the African cat, who grabbed at it, clamped it firmly in its jaws and ripped it from his great-grandfather’s grasp. The branch unexpectedly whipped back and cracked Chance upside the head. A small limb punctured his forehead and he dropped to the ground. Shapes swirled in his vision and a wave of nausea made him grab the earth for support.

  Balam skirted back and away from the lion, swooped down and located another branch. The stick in Markus’s mouth fell to the ground and splashed in a puddle. He gave Chance a glance before skulking toward Balam, ready to hunt.

  Chance watched, entranced, as his great-grandfather leapt through the air, swinging his weapon at the oncoming cat. When the wood connected with Markus’s head, a loud crack echoed through the jungle. As Balam descended, the lion’s paw flew out and hooked him in its claws and threw him to the ground.

  Chance tried righting himself on his feet but another wave of vertigo hit him and it was all he could do to stay upright. A strange noise rumbled from his chest as he watched in horror as the lion stood on his great-grandfather like a doormat. He took a step but tipped over, helpless.

  Balam suddenly spoke, but it was directed to the opposite corner of the clearing. Balam gave a sudden shout as green light radiated from the lion’s paws. Blood flowed from new wounds on his great-grandfather’s chest just as Chance heard an eerie crack.

  Chapter 34

  What was going on? Ana didn’t understand.

  She was now standing on four brown furry legs. She gathered from the image that had seared into her thoughts a moment earlier and from her hooves that she was now a horse. How on earth had that happened?

  It didn’t matter. Not now. She needed to get to Chance and Balam. She knew something was wrong and she needed to help them.

  Her skin quivered and erupted in waves all over her new body. The long muzzle that stretched from her face was a strange new addition, and it took a few snorts for her to get comfortable with it. Ana stepped forward tentatively. Her round hooves supported her as she trotted on the trail. Drops of water from the wet canopy above slapped her back and forehead and she blinked at the world through a fresh set of eyes. Although it was all strange and new, it was almost…normal.

  Her need to find and save her love had triggered this, she was almost certain. She hoped it would help deliver her to him. Her snout lifted in the air and she breathed in deeply. So many scents were all around her. So many more than she had ever experienced. In the tangle of aromas, she identified two she was familiar with.

  As she propelled herself forward, her hooves caught in the mud, almost sending her to the ground but she caught herself and slowed down for a few strides until she was more confident. Speeding up again, she trotted into the wilderness after the scents that she hoped would lead her to Chance and Balam.

  Eventually, the scent trail grew stronger and so did something else. Intuition. Instincts. One of them or maybe both.

  Ana recognized the area. They had come out this way to train a few times. It was near Balam’s home. The sound of movement distracted her and she stopped. Her new and much more sensitive ears lifted of their own accord. Sounds of wet footsteps and shuffling urged Ana forward. Then she saw them.

  A tawny cougar stumbled to its feet as a huge African cat rounded on something she couldn’t see. As it moved aside, Balam, in human form, came into view. He leapt through the air, a large branch in his grasp, and smacked the lion with it. Then, to her surprise, Balam was caught and pressed into the clay by the powerful claws of the feline.

  No!

  Everything moved so fast she felt powerless. If she could have screamed, she would have. Instead, a snort escaped her muzzle. Balam looked up and they locked gazes. His lips moved and he spoke in a trace of a whisper but her erect ears caught his words perfectly. “Ana.” He said her name in the way she always thought was so pretty: ‘Ah-nah’. “It has happened. I knew you were special. Protect each other…”

  The lion’s bloodied paws glowed green as the vicious beast sneered from its perch on top of its prey, its head hovering inches over Balam’s. Why wasn’t Balam shifting? She didn’t understand. He was strong enough to take Markus, right?

  Balam shouted in pain. Everything moved in slow motion as she tried to understand the nightmare playing out before her.

  A burst of bright blue light coursed out of Balam like a supernova. The yellow cat seemed to glow green as it arched its head back into a yowl. The cougar, which had staggered and collapsed on the ground, dragged itself toward the two. In the blink of an eye, the puma shifted into Chance and he dove to his great-grandfather’s side calling out. “Balam!!”

  The lion focused on its next target and roared. Even from where Ana was, she could see the fear in Chance’s eyes. She may have been too late to save Balam but she wouldn
’t allow Markus to take anything else from her.

  Ana raced into the clearing, reared up on her hind legs and let her front hooves drop down on Balam’s murderer.

  Chance stared into his cousin’s eyes. They were glowing amber from the power he had just absorbed and filled with madness. Markus hunched down and reared on his haunches.

  Chance’s mind was racing. He had no time to dwell on the fact his mentor and great-grandfather had just been murdered before his eyes. He would be dead himself soon if he didn’t think of something quickly. It was then he noticed Balam’s pendant. Just as he reached for it, a blur of movement behind Markus made him stop short.

  The lion tumbled violently off Balam and into the mucky clay, where a chestnut mare stomped on it. The yellow cat lay still in the mud as Chance gawked at the animal that had saved him. Its head bobbed up and down and whinnied excitedly. It was then he noticed something about the horse. He had never seen a horse with eyes that color in his life. They were mesmerizing. Familiar.

  “Ana?” he whispered in disbelief.

  The response was immediate. The horse nodded its head furiously at him as its feet shifted in a funny dance.

  Distracted, he hardly noticed the lion stir until it was nearly too late. The beast grew and changed its shade from sun-kissed wheat to coal black. The yaguar began to stretch.

  He had to move fast. His hands fumbled to slip off Balam’s pendant just as Markus leapt to his feet and whipped around. The horse reared nervously. The sight of his cousin taking the form of Balam’s and his ancestors made him furious. How dare he steal it from Balam! He hadn’t earned it like he had.

  Markus stared back at him as he held the pendant and then tilted his head at the mare, who turned and ran into the wilderness. The yaguar bolted after the horse as it disappeared through the hazy jungle.

  Chance dropped the obsidian weapon around his neck and closed his eyes. The reservoir of energy inside him had been half depleted already but there was enough to shift into his homage to Balam. If anyone had the right to use the regal yaguar form, it was him. A screech ripped from his chest as he launched after Markus at full tilt.

  Chapter 35

  Ana felt him come after her. His footfalls, although soft, echoed in her ears. Her back twitched as she imagined his hot breath on her.

  It was only a little farther. Her hooves slipped in a muddy section of earth and she scrambled to find better footing. Vines caught around her neck but she pushed through. Her legs contained more power than she had ever experienced. Her strength was exhilarating.

  Ana’s ears tilted back and she thought she detected two sets of footfalls. Good. That meant Chance was on their tail but she wasn’t about to turn her head and check. She was new to navigating the world in this foreign body and with an unbalanced shifter right behind her, she wasn’t about to slow down.

  Many aspects of her eyesight were improved, but it was strange not being able to see the greenery around her; everything was various shades of gray. And while she ran through the jungle, she had to keep lifting and lowering her head to adjust her depth perception. She thought she caught sight of what she was looking for and raced ahead. When she got close enough, she leapt, clearing the obstacle, then slowed and waited. All she had to do was incline her head slightly to see what happened next.

  The yaguar raced toward her and then, as if snagged by an invisible rope, it tumbled forward over its head and sprawled out on the ground. Deep snarls erupted from Markus as he thrashed in the growth Ana had used to cover the line of her trap. It had been a few weeks since she’d set the snag and she gave a silent prayer of thanks that it hadn’t been touched since.

  Ana heard movement from behind her on the trail and then another black yaguar burst from between two Ceiba trees. Markus scrambled onto his feet, drew the thin line between his teeth, and began to gnaw at the cord that ensnared him. The other yaguar slowed and then phased into Chance. She didn’t want to stare at his naked body but she couldn’t look away as she watched him lift the pendant from his neck.

  Markus’s ears were flat on his head in a menacing posture. Ana immediately backed up and did the best thing she could think of—she kicked Markus in the head with her hoof and he crashed into the scrub.

  Chance didn’t hesitate. He thrust the hemlock-laced weapon into the growling yaguar’s shoulder and kept twisting, grinning in satisfaction. The growls almost doubled in volume as the poison released into Markus’s blood stream. Ana moved nervously ahead on the trail.

  When the angry beast lashed out at him, Chance let go of the pendant. The brown cord still dangled from the wound. Mad as ever, Markus jumped to his feet, teetered for a moment and yanked with all of his weight, snapping the weakened line to the trap. With a snarl, he leapt toward Ana, who sprang ahead on the trail.

  As fast as she could, she raced away from the yaguar. Her heart thrummed in her chest, sending adrenaline coursing through her veins. Wet leaves slapped against her body as she shot through undergrowth. A resonant sound made her ears prick up and she tried to locate its source.

  A familiar ravine came into view. What was once a tranquil stream had now engorged into a violent river. It was too wide for her to jump and she was confident she would break her neck or drown trying to swim across. Ana slowed at the edge and spotted a downed tree that made a perfect bridge. She placed one foot down to test it and it slipped off.

  I can’t do this. What do I do?

  If she were back in human form, she would be able to scale it, no problem. She needed better balance and toes that could grip.

  That was when the tingling started. The strange sensation washed through her like a gentle wave. No longer weighed down, she felt light, almost weightless. She had the warm sensation of being home. Ana lifted her hands up to touch her face. She was human again—she had shifted back.

  Her moment of relief was cut short. An onyx yaguar stood thirty feet away and licked its lips. Ana scurried onto the fallen log and began inching herself toward the other bank. The slippery wood prevented her from running across it. As she moved sideways, careful to keep her balance, Ana remained aware of the cat skulking toward her. The way it stared made her conscious of how naked and vulnerable she was out in the middle of the log, without any means of protection.

  Was this it? The moment of her death?

  Chapter 36

  Chance raced behind Markus, not letting him out of his sight. He didn’t want to shift needlessly just yet. He wanted to save all the energy he had left and make it count. Chance’s energy was low. He just couldn’t compete with Markus. His only consolation was the fact he had poisoned him with hemlock. No more shifting or healing for his cousin. At least for now.

  The yaguar had stopped just ahead and started to purr. The sound frightened Chance and he wasn’t sure why. As he moved closer, he saw the ravine engorged with rainwater, rushing past a fallen tree that braced each bank. There, teetering on the trunk was Ana, her eyes wide with fright.

  God, no. Not again. How dare that freak even think about touching her. Never again.

  It was then he recognized their location. This was where Ana’s trap had caught him unawares and stabbed his leg. He searched for what he was looking for and saw it. The remains of the trap were near Markus’s feet.

  He had to move fast. Markus wouldn’t wait long. The yaguar could leap across the log and kill her in mere seconds. Chance phased quickly into a small finch.

  Wings spread, he flew the short distance, allowing the wind that cut through the canopy to carry him. Markus stepped forward, his foot inches from the fallen tree, and growled again. Ana backed away and slipped. She squatted down and saved herself from falling into the sweeping current of brown water below her.

  Chance landed on the leaf-strewn ground, folded his wings back and shifted back to his human form. In one motion, he snatched up the stake that had his dried, blackened blood on it, leapt on top of the unworthy yaguar and drove it into the base of its skull. The screams that filled the air
morphed and changed into that of a man’s as the mighty beast fell forward with its head on the trunk. The large black jaguar stopped writhing just as Chance remembered an important detail.

  I’ve got to get away from him.

  “Ana, back away!” he shouted as he scrambled back.

  But it was too late. A wave of light arched out of his cousin and soaked into Chance, knocking him over.

  For a brief moment, everything was still.

  “Chance, are you okay?!” Ana’s voice barely permeated his mind.

  Energy coursed through his body, touching everything, leaving nothing unmolested. Strength like he had never known was awakened.

  Then, the voices and the memories started.

  Tears poured down his cheeks as vivid images of pain and death pressed on his mind. He couldn’t get away from it. There was no stopping it.

  Take her. She may not be worth much, but she has energy.

  The voice in his head was not his; in fact he had never heard it before. But its power of suggestion was too great to fight. Hunger possessed him. Ana clung to the tree trunk on her hands and knees—so helpless. It would be nothing for him to pluck her life away like a grape off the vine. He sat up, his focus entirely on her.

  Stop, Chance. Protect her from yourself. Protect your love.

  He shook his head. Too many thoughts and emotions were swirling around for him to focus on anything clearly. All except one. Protect Ana.

  Chance stood, gave one last glance to the beautiful girl on the log and closed his eyes. Power surged through him as he took to the ashen skies as an eagle. He arched up and above the dark canopy of trees and away from the one he loved.

  Chapter 37

  “Chance! Where are you going?” Ana said with a shout, “Come back!”