Prodigy

by Natasha Brown

  Lifen nodded solemnly and looked up into the trees where a cluster of birds began to chirp and rustle the leaves. She returned her gaze to Ana and said, “When your mate healed you, he gave himself to you. He planted his seed of power within you, giving you his shapeshifting ability and awakening your feminine healing energies. It was only a matter of time before the seed took root and bloomed. I felt that happen for you yesterday. That is when I chose to come back for you. I knew you would need me. I sensed you were in trouble but am thankful to find you safe now.”

  Ana shuffled her shoes and stared at the impressions in the mud. She didn’t want to talk about this. Talking about it would make it real and she still couldn’t accept it. “Chance’s cousin Markus tracked us down and attacked him and Balam, Chance’s shifting teacher and great-grandfather. I tried to help—to stop it—but Markus killed Balam. And Chance was only trying to save my life. He shouldn’t have—again. Chance killed Markus and then he just…flew off.”

  “You and I both live a tragedy. I am sorry for your loss, young one.” Lifen pinched her lips and bowed her head. Then she stood, moved forward two steps with her hand outstretched and said, “We must get you away from here in case he changes his mind and comes back for you. You cannot trust him if he is infected.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The one you love is still there, but if what you say is true, he has been infected by the poison that is the downfall of all shifters. You must not be near him as young and weak as you are. His temptation—the voices will be too strong.”

  She couldn’t help it. Tears streamed down her face as she thought about Chance suffering—all for her. How could she sit back and let him self-destruct? There had to be something she could do. Anything.

  “But what about Chance?” She sniffled as she wiped her tears away.

  “Nothing now. You must help yourself before you can help him.”

  “So, there’s a way?” Ana asked hopefully.

  Lifen nodded but doubt filled her eyes. “It is time you came to meet your new family. There are other youngsters there. A place for learning.”

  The snow-tipped mountains and the picturesque lake— “Is it in the mountains? I think I’ve dreamt about it,” Ana said.

  “It is. And it is waiting for you now.”

  Ana hesitated, stepped forward and grasped Lifen’s hand. Her new mentor gave it a squeeze and led her through the misty jungle.

  She didn’t know if she was making the right choice and she wasn’t entirely sure if she should trust Lifen, but she decided to trust her instincts, which were telling her it was the right choice for now.

  Anything that could bring her back to Chance and into his arms. She had only one purpose now. To save him, even if it was from himself.

  * * *

  The End

  Chapter 1 of Emergent

  {Book 3 of The Shapeshifter Chronicles}

  Ana stared at the cream-colored wall through the murky light and felt every second pass like pebbles dropped onto her back. The mattress beneath her was hard and uncomfortable. It caused her to toss and turn all night long. Or maybe it was the memories of yesterday that kept her up. How could she even think to dream at night when Chance, the person her heart beat for, was gone? Had left. Dreams were for people with hope.

  Ana readjusted under the sheets for the millionth time that morning, turned over to see that Lifen, her new mentor, wasn’t in the neighboring bed. She hadn’t heard her leave, but Ana supposed that wasn’t very surprising, especially for a woman who was both a shapeshifter and a healer. Stealth clearly wasn’t an issue for Lifen, considering she’d been checking in on Ana over the last four months without her knowledge.

  “Are you awake, Ana?”

  A beam of light poured into the room and Ana looked over at the sliding glass door that led to their hotel balcony. Lifen peered at her from between the thick curtains. Her long black hair was twisted into a bun on top of her head and she blinked her narrow, dark eyes in Ana’s direction.

  “Yeah.” Ana’s dry throat made her voice scratchy.

  “You did not sleep, did you? I hoped you would get some rest…”

  Ana shook her head, pulled out the overstuffed pillow she was lying on and pressed it against her face to muffle her weeping. Tears soaked into the fabric and cooled her swollen eyes. She thought she had cried herself dry, but the pain wouldn’t go away.

  “Maybe if you talk about it, it will make you feel better.” Lifen’s fingers touched her shoulder. The torrential emotion dwindled away so she could breathe again.

  Ana threw the pillow aside and rubbed her temples. When Lifen joined her on the edge of the bed, she rested her hand on Ana’s back. The skin under her nightshirt tingled and the heaviness she had just experienced lifted momentarily.

  “I keep seeing Balam’s death.” Nothing could stop Ana’s tears from pouring out again as the words formed at her lips and hung in the air. She could still envision Markus, Chance’s cousin, poised on top of the man who’d taught them both so much over the last two months, and the last moments of his life. Balam, Chance’s great-grandfather, had lived through the Spanish invasion, only to die a senseless death at the hands of a boy suffering from the shifter sickness.

  Ana brushed away her tears and held her palms to her eyes. She wished the sickness didn’t exist. It was the root of their problems. Too many had died because of it, and now Chance was infected, poisoned with the voices of unbalanced shifters.

  “Are you sure Chance has the sickness?” Ana whispered, feeling foolish for asking the question. She avoided Lifen’s eyes as she awaited the answer.

  “You said Chance killed the boy who was stalking you, correct? That boy, Markus, had the sickness and ended the lives of many other shifters. If Chance was beside him as the energy wave was released, then he could not have avoided it. He is infected.”

  Ana nodded and her cheek quivered while she recalled the darkness that crept into his handsome face moments after the death of his cousin. His penetrating gaze had moved over her body with violent hunger and his icy stare had chilled her heart. The softness behind the excited gleam in his eyes was gone. Just that lurid glare remained, and then he had vanished.

  What if he was just upset about Balam’s death and that’s why he left? In her heart she knew the truth. His protective nature would never allow him to abandon her unless it was in her best interest. And being around her would be too great a temptation for a shifter who couldn’t control his hunger for power.

  Now that her abilities were awakened, she would be too enticing. Without their knowledge, when Chance saved her life so many months ago, he’d planted a seed of power within her, awakening both the ability to shapeshift and to heal. She’d only discovered that fact yesterday when she’d shifted into a horse on her way to help Chance.

  “When I said I’d go with you, you promised to teach me how to save him so I can cure him of the sickness, but I still don’t understand why we have to leave here.” Ana sat up and her voice rose with every word. Her lip trembled as she thought about leaving Mexico and the last place she saw Chance.

  “Calm yourself,” Lifen said through pursed lips, but then her face softened and she continued. “I must return home to Canada to my other students—it isn’t safe for me to leave them alone. I have already been away from them too long. There I can teach you what you need to know about healing. Sadly, you are not able to help Chance yet, since you truly just came into your powers yesterday. It is not something a beginner can do. It will take practice and time, but I sense so much potential in you. I see you becoming truly great.”

  “But what about Chance? It feels wrong abandoning him here. I can’t leave him. I won’t. What if he comes back looking for me?” Ana’s throat tightened again.

  Lifen adjusted on the bed to face her. “What if he does? He killed the power-hungry shifter. You tell me Chance was a kindhearted person. But even the most peaceful shifter would be poisoned by the voices and memories from j
ust one unbalanced shapeshifter. If he comes back for you, he will not be the same person you grew to love. It would be safer if you remained hidden from him.”

  Ana stood up and brushed past Lifen. She stomped over to her bag and pulled out a set of clothes. A bra dangled from her hand as she pointed at Lifen. “Well, what about you then? If I’m not ready, why can’t you help him?”

  Lifen rose gracefully from the edge of the bed and pulled open the drapes, letting in the morning light. “When trying to free the mind of a shifter who’s been imprinted with another’s personality and memories, that shifter must be willing to let the healer in. It is not as simple as healing a wound or soothing an achy belly. It involves the psyche and removing foreign energy. You must be careful because many things can go wrong. Chance does not know me. He will naturally be distrustful, which will make it a challenge. If he resists me, then I cannot help him, because it will only cause harm.”

  “But what if he wants to be healed? I know he would, if I could just find him and talk to him.” Ana’s throat tightened again and she took a deep breath, trying to force her airway open. She was desperate for the opportunity to put things right. Her fear of leaving the area without at least trying to find him and help him was overwhelming.

  It was all because of his instinct to protect her. Although she’d threatened never to forgive Chance if he sacrificed himself for her again, it wasn’t anger that poisoned her heart, it was guilt. If it weren’t for her, he may not have been forced to make a choice that put his life in danger again. Maybe she could have done something differently. When she ran into the jungle to find Chance, she’d intended to help him, but in the end she’d been his downfall.

  Lifen waited in silence as Ana remained trapped in her tortured thoughts. Finally, her mentor spoke. “Even though I do not think this will yield the result you seek, I will help you track him so you may try to convince him. But I do not wish to see you hurt. I did not wait patiently by only to lose you now.”

  “Oh, thank you, Lifen! He wouldn’t hurt me, I’m sure of it. He’ll listen to me and you’ll be able to help him so we can all go back to your place together. It’ll work out, I know it will.” But she didn’t know it. Ana’s confidence went only as far as her words.

  Lifen gave Ana a sympathetic smile. Ana wasn’t the only one who knew her words were empty. “Alright, young one. We must collect our things so that we may revisit the last place you saw him. The longer we take, the harder it will be to catch his scent.”

  Ana darted around the room and crammed her things into her travel backpack. It was hard for her not to fold everything neatly and do a proper job of it, but she didn’t care if her clothes got wrinkled. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was finding Chance as quickly as possible.

  “What about your stuff?” Ana asked Lifen after she accounted for all of her things.

  Lifen tucked a stray hair into her bun and slipped an elegant silk purse over her shoulder. “I have all of my belongings on me. Shifters must learn to travel light.” She paused, glanced at Ana with her lips upturned. “You may be going a little lighter than I recommend, Ana.”

  Ana frowned and looked down. She only had on her sleeping shirt and underwear. “Right.”

  Lifen wandered gracefully to the door, her pale blue sarong curled out behind her as she moved. Ana unzipped her bag and pulled out a pair of jean shorts and a fresh T-shirt. She shoved her jammies back into her pack and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She hadn’t even seen herself in a mirror yet, but it would have to do.

  Morning light poured in through the open door and Ana rushed to catch up to her mentor. While they wandered through the hotel hallway, Ana thought of something and cursed under her breath. She wasn’t sure which would be more challenging—catching up with Chance, or telling her mom she wasn’t coming home just yet.

  Buy the book

  Also by Natasha Brown

  More from The Shapeshifter Chronicles

  Fledgling: The Shapeshifter Chronicles Book 1

  Emergent: The Shapeshifter Chronicles, Book 3

  Ascension: The Shapeshifter Chronicles, Book 4

  * * *

  Time of Myths: Shapeshifter Sagas

  Five STRONG women. Five Mythical beasts.

  Five EPIC love stories.

  This series is for anyone who loves:

  Ancient mythology and legends, fantasy romance with mythical creatures, historical fantasy & paranormal and shapeshifter romance

  * * *

  Widow {13th c. | Black Shuck | England}

  Scars {10th c. | Fenrir | Iceland}

  Tides {10th c. | Kraken | Great Britain/Ireland}

  Outsider {14th c. | Selkie | Scotland}

  Spark {16th c. | Dragon | Austria} *available in Sirens & Scales Anthology

  * * *

  Go to www.natashasbrown.com to join her newsletter

  * * *

  The Novel Adventures of Nimrod Vale

  Middle Grade Adventure Series

  An Unfortunate Beginning, Book 1

  The Stone Key, Book 2

  * * *

  Kindle World: The Remingtons

  Adult Contemporary Romance

  Give In to Love {A novella}

  Research Notes

  Maya Civilization-

  Traces of the first Mayans have been found in Belize, dating back to 2600 BC. They lived throughout Mesoamerica (which is now Mexico and Central America), creating settlements where they cultivated produce and fired clay figures. Although, at some point in the first century CE, their cities were abandoned.

  The following seven hundred years for the Maya were a cultural boom. They built in large-scale, created urban city-states and relied on an intricate trading network. In the tenth century, politics got violent, and they suffered another cultural collapse.

  The Maya adapted, although never reached the same size and success as they did in the classic period. Then during the sixteenth century, the Spaniards conquered their land, stripping away much of what they had left.

  You can still find Mayans living in the same areas they populated over the last two thousand years. They are credited with the most complex system of writing of their territory and age, as well as their use of the calendar, mathematics (the early use of zero), architecture and art.

  Ek’ Balam (Black Jaguar)-

  This Mayan city is located in the Yucatán, Mexico. It reached its height around eight hundred CE. The cite was abandoned suddenly during the Postclassic period. There is beautifully detailed jaguar altar that includes winged Maya warriors.

  Jaguars and the Maya (Sp. yaguar)-

  The jaguar was a top predator in Mesoamerica and is highly suited for jungle survival. This is one of the reasons they were revered. It was believed they could cross between the living and the spirit world. Many jaguar gods and demigods were present in Mayan culture. The ruling class would wear their pelt, and even name themselves after the great creature.

  The Olmecs, another culture from Mesoamerica, have stories of shapeshifting connected with jaguars. A nagual is a person who has the ability to shift into an animal, most often a jaguar or puma. Their powers could be used for good or evil, depending on that person’s personality.

  Mayan Hot Chocolate Recipe

  Ingredients:

  3 cups boiling water

  1 to 2 cinnamon sticks

  8 ounces bittersweet Maya Kakaw or Xocoalt (chocolate paste) OR 3 tablets Mexican unsweetened chocolate, cut into small pieces

  2 tablespoons of wild honey, or to taste

  1 pinch of dried red chili (start with a pinch and increase to taste)

  * * *

  Directions:

  In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the cinnamon sticks to boiling water. Cook until liquid is reduced to 2 1/2 cups. Remove cinnamon sticks. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate pieces, chili, and wild pure honey. Make sure water isn't so hot that it causes the chocolate to seize up. Mix well and whisk constantly until chocolate is mel
ted. Return to very low heat if needed to melt chocolate thoroughly. Remove from heat. Whisk vigorously to create a light foam effect.

  * * *

  *My thanks to Michaelene McElroy for her recipe contribution

  About the Author

  USA Today bestselling author, Natasha Brown has always been distracted by her imagination. The books she read in the dark past bedtime created her excitement for fantasy worlds. Once she started writing and discovered she could create her own, there was no stopping her. By day, Natasha’s an assistant teacher at an elementary school, and by night she’s a book cover designer. Her weekends are spent writing and spending time with family.

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  www.natashasbrown.com