by Beth Caudill
Her smile lit her face. “Hey, Dad?”
She deliberately closed the pad of paper and placed it in her backpack. The pencils were less elegantly gathered and stuffed into a side pocket. Standing, she slipped the straps over her shoulders, pulled her shoulder-length blonde hair from under the fabric and then leaned around the counter. Dragging a pastel green duffel bag and large black rolling suitcase, her smile disappeared. “Mom said I had to stay with you for awhile. She needed a vacation.”
That contemptuous tone was not one he wanted his daughter to perfect. Even if she copied her mother. “Zoe. Be nice, especially in reference to your mother.”
“Yes, sir.” She mumbled.
He would always see her as the cute, chubby little girl running into his arms. Yet she was becoming a young woman. He wasn’t ready.
He suppressed a growl. Why didn’t Rachel talk to him about this if she needed a break? At least Zoe was homeschooled and this disruption wouldn’t interfere with her studies. “How are your classes?”
Her nose wrinkled. “Science is fun. I like learning about animals and researching the projects.”
“What about English and math?”
“I don’t like most of required readings or the papers.” Her expression turned mulish. “Do I have to keep reading The Legend of Sleepy Hollow?” A bit of a rebellious whine colored her voice.
“Yes. I’ll discuss the story with you. But you have to write your own answers to your teacher’s questions.”
“Whatever. It’s just a silly tale. Not like there are real supernatural creatures haunting the forests.”
“No, probably not.” He’d never seen anything related to the supernatural, but every year a few reports of pixies or floating lights were filed. “But some people still want to believe. And math?”
She shrugged. “Math’s okay. I don’t understand multiplying polynomials, but I’ll get it.” Her voice filled with dogged determination.
He slammed the tonneau cover over the cargo bed and stared at her. Not for the first time, he couldn’t believe how grown up his little girl had become. “Zoe, you can do anything you want. And when you need it, I’ll be here to help.”
Everything loaded in the back of the truck, he pulled back onto the cabin road. This time he concentrated on where he went. The dark clouds blocked the fading sunlight and the wind had picked up.
“Lawke… Campground One…report.”
“Billy, can you repeat? The storm’s interfering.”
“We have a report of a downed bird at Campground One. Can you check it out?”
He cursed under his breath. The storm, Zoe, and now an injured animal. What else could happen tonight?
“Roger. Heading to Campground One.”
At least he hadn’t passed that road yet. Ten minutes later, he pulled into the wooded clearing. There was an F150 with a trailer setup. A woman and a boy of about fifteen anxiously watched him.
“Can I come?” Zoe stared longingly from her seat.
He sighed. “You have to stay back until I know it’s safe.”
“Sure.” She hopped out of the truck.
“Don’t forget your coat. It’s going to rain soon.”
He shook his head, watching her run. She could go from still to full speed ahead in under fifteen seconds. He stepped out and straightened his shoulders and hat. He had to present a capable image for the park visitors despite the winds whipping around them.
After grabbing a blanket, rope and some bottled water, he approached the visitors. “Hi. I’m Ranger Morgan. I understand you reported finding an injured animal?”
“Yeah,” the boy answered without looking up from mobile phone. His thumbs moving quickly across the device.
Lawke glanced to the sky. He didn’t have time or patience for bored teens at the moment. “Can you show me where?”
“Back that way.” The kid tilted his head to the left.
“Henry. Stop texting that girl and show the ranger where we saw the bird.” She had the frustrated mother tone down.
The kid huffed. Zoe copied the sound. Just what he needed—for his daughter to learn to be a hostile teenager.
After an eye roll at his mother’s glare, the boy trudged toward the trail.
About ten minutes later, he left the path and turned into some thick trees.
“What made you come along here?” Where no one else traveled.
The kid shrugged, drug his feet and refused to look at Lawke. He couldn’t be sure the kid wasn’t on something; he didn’t think it was drugs, but who knew these days. They stopped under a thick canopy of trees.
“Over there.” The kid pointed. “I’m outta here.” He almost hit a tree paying attention to his phone more than where he walked.
Broken twigs and green pine needles littered the ground around a large bird. Walking closer, he discovered a large female Peregrine falcon with blue-gray feathers and a white chest with gray stripes and sharp yellow claws.
The falcon had taken a hard fall. The bird lay on its side with one wing under its body and the other angled into the air. Hard to tell how long the animal had been here. He gently brushed the bird’s crown, watching its claws.
If the bird’s chest hadn’t been rising, he’d have thought she was dead. Carefully wrapping the thick towel from the back of his truck around the bird’s head and controlling the claws, he carried the animal back to the truck.
He tipped his hat and thanked the family for their report.
“Zoe, can you set up the box in the backseat?”
Lawke stood with his back to the wind. Thunder rumbled in the distance. A deceptive sign. Too much moisture rode the winds. They were in for a heavy downpour.
Putting the bird into the box, he quickly got in the truck in gear and drove for the cabin again. Hopefully this time he’d make it. A shower would clear away the dirt, if not the knots in his shoulders from the unexpected events of today.
2
Evelyn heard the murmur of a male voice. She struggled, but the darkness overwhelmed her again.
The next time she awoke, her usually crisp eyesight was blurry. She struggled to stand, but a deep voice murmured and she calmed under a gentle, warm hand. Feeling marginally safe, she settled down. Her body hurt all over, but she didn’t have the sense of anything permanently damaged.
A shifter’s animal form was a lot stronger than regular birds. And if she ever got the chance to change, her wounds should heal quickly.
Slowly, light streamed into the room and her vision became less fuzzy. Not quite sharp, but improving. She stretched, or attempted to. Her wings smacked the sides of a box. After several attempts to right herself, she managed to stand and then jump from her confinement.
Imagining herself on two feet, she let the shift magic wash over her. An electric tingle spread from the orbital ridge above her eyes to the tips of her tail feathers. Her talons contracted and her body contorted. Feathers split, melted, and merged into her skin. Heat and magic infused the air. Her body expanded, turned into an orange gelatinous mass. She felt weightless, floating, stretched beyond the limits of her endurance.
Her universe snapped under the strain, electrified agony stole her breath. Her back arched until it snapped back like an over-strung bow. Pain danced along her limbs as hands and feet developed. She winced as her ears popped.
Over in mere seconds, the change always took her breath away. She wouldn’t give up the ability to shift, despite the pain. The enthrallment of flying was worth any price. Although she could do without the vulnerability that existed until her senses stabilized. After a deep, calming breath, she opened her eyes.
Wood gleamed all around her. One wall of the large room was comprised of three floor-to-ceiling windows, and the opposite wall held a computer station and lots of maps. Several bulletins boards lined the wall above the desk. Papers dangled from pins in a messy display.
A pan dropped from the next room. A male voice cursed, followed by a quieter female saying, “Language, Dad.
”
She tried to walk and stumbled into a table with a loud screech. Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor.
Hiking boots clomped against the wooden floor, and a tall man of nearly six feet rushed around the corner in a crisp, moss-green uniform. His feathered short brown hair accented his long face. Glasses gave him the air of an academic while his broad shoulders and the hint of strong muscles emphasized by the tight fabric screamed adventurer. “Who are you?” he demanded.
“Uh, hi.” She stood and winced at the sharp pain in her arm left over from the crash.
The ranger released the latch holding the gun in his holster. “Where’s the falcon?”
She tried to smile, but she was sure it was more a grimace. “If you can believe me, I’m the falcon.”
“What?” He shook his head. “How did you even get in here?”
She sighed. Yeah, no one believed shifters existed because of those silly movies Hollywood made. Like the fact that all the characters were naked when they changed. Magic could transform a human body but couldn’t take the clothes on it as well.
It’s magic. Anything was possible.
She closed her eyes and transformed again. She tilted her head and chirped at him standing there with his mouth open.
“That’s not possible.”
She flew over his head and into the next room. A young girl stared in wonder as Evelyn circled the kitchen before landing on the granite counter top. The man skidded to a stop. In a motion, he reached a hand toward her.
Hopping from foot to foot, she shook her feathers. Chirp. The man backed away and she retook human form. “Believe me now?”
“Wow, that is so cool,” the young girl said from her seat at the table against the wall.
Evelyn jumped at the girl’s remark. Something about this man captured her awareness, caused her to forget about everything else. Anyone else.
For a shifter, that lack of perception could be dangerous.
Lawke stared at the woman sitting on his counter. Her long, wheat-blonde hair contained streaks of silver, which glistened in the sunlight streaming in the small window. She had high cheeks, a mouth worth kissing, and brown eyes with amber flecks. Above all else, she held herself rigid, like she wanted to keep the world at bay.
All he wanted to do was wrap her in his arms and see if he could make her eyes glow. If that wasn’t an indication he was hallucinating, he didn’t know what else to make of it. Since separating from his ex-wife, he’d sworn off women.
They were complications he didn’t need. Protecting the forests of North Carolina and making sure Zoe had everything she needed were his life. There wasn’t room for anyone else.
Much less someone with unusual abilities.
His eyes narrowed. He’d brought someone into his home who could perform magic or enchantments. Could what he’d seen been an elaborate projection? A hologram? He grasped his gun. What would be the purpose? Was Zoe in danger?
“Dad, you’re going to help her, right?” Zoe’s voice held a mixture of hope and hesitancy. As if she couldn’t trust him.
He looked to his daughter and wondered how many times Rachel had promised her something and then failed to follow through. He always fulfilled whatever promise he made. Only this time he couldn’t say yes to her as much as he would’ve liked.
He didn’t trust this stranger.
The woman tilted her head toward his daughter. “Why do you think I need help?”
“You were injured.”
He saw Zoe mouth the duh. At least she wasn’t saying it out loud anymore. Sometimes Zoe was too outspoken for her own good. She didn’t grasp the nuances of speaking to people. Telling the truth, no problem, but realizing just because something was truthful didn’t mean it should be said. That was something they still worked on with a therapist.
Only one of the many small things that had ostracized her in school and eventually led to Rachel homeschooling Zoe. No matter how smart the person, public school was a place where it was a detriment to be different.
“I’ll heal quickly,” the woman said before turning away.
He shouldn’t feel drawn to her, but her prickliness intrigued him. That wasn’t an attribute he’d found appealing before.
“Well, you’re hurt now, so staying a few days won’t kill you.” His training and the pleading in Zoe’s eyes wouldn’t let him let her leave.
He walked over and held out his hand. “I’m Ranger Lawke, and the pixie over there is Zoe.”
“Dad.” His daughter screeched in teenager outrage.
“I’m Evelyn. But I need to get back to work. I shouldn’t stay.” Her fingers trembled in his hand.
Whether her nerves were from fear or stress, a supernatural being would need time to recover from a fall that knocked her out. He couldn’t let her go anywhere. Not until he knew for certain she wasn’t a threat. “Head traumas can be dangerous. Even for shapeshifters, I imagine. You should stay.”
“I don’t want to impose on you.” After hopping off the counter, her knees buckled. “Maybe I should.” Wary resignation colored her tone. “But I need my camera. I have an exhibit in a few days. I have to work.”
He released the breath he’d been holding. “Well, you can stay with us.” His lips curled into a smile at the unexpected joy at her answer. For some inexplicable reason, he wanted to be the one to watch over her.
“You take pictures? Like of models?” Zoe squealed.
“Sorry, no. I don’t do portraits. Not anymore. I like capturing the beauty of nature. It’s always changing, showing us something wonderful.”
Her passion radiated from her. Enticed him. He wanted to see Evelyn’s reaction to his favorite spots. “I can show you around the park. No one knows the best places quite like a ranger.”
“I don’t know.” She looked around, as if trapped. “I’m used to working alone, and I’m sure you’re very busy.”
“Please say yes. I’d like to watch you work.” Zoe gave Evelyn a heartbreaking smile.
He didn’t know anyone who could resist his daughter when she wanted something. “It’s my job to show people around.”
A cloud hid the sun and in that moment, his chest constricted, cut off his breath, and enveloped him in a foreboding chill. A twinge of unease caused him to frown. Why was Zoe so interested in this woman?
His eyes locked with hers. A jolt of heat dissolved the gloom around him. She was dangerous to his peace of mind.
“All right, but we still need to retrieve my equipment.”
“Yeah!” His daughter slammed her book shut and then shoved away from the table.
“Have you finished your lessons?” he asked in his strictest voice.
Zoe’s smile disappeared. “No.”
“Finish your lessons. I need to check on some things after the storm, and I can take Evelyn to get her camera.” He wouldn’t let Zoe miss school even if this was an adventure for her.
She reopened the textbook. “Okay. But can I pick our first stop?”
He glanced at Evelyn. She shrugged. Guess it didn’t matter to her. “As long as your work is done.”
“Yeah!” Zoe scribbled across her worksheet.
He hoped there wasn’t a lot of storm damage this time, because he would bet Zoe would finish quickly. He’d hate to have to disappoint her.
3
Ichtaca watched the woman and man leave the cabin. The girl they’d left inside provided him the means to coerce the woman to do his bidding. Knocking the woman out of the sky had been a means to an end.
To force her into her human form. Alone.
Too bad he hadn’t been able to find the body. It would have been easier to wrest her help. But now, there would be a sacrifice to the gods when his wife, Tiegan, and King Tlalanec were returned to him.
He’d seen enough of the man to know he would be a marvelous pawn. To save his daughter, the man would achieve the impossible.
Steal from someone in Willow’s Haven.
The small town
was protected by powerful magic. Strong enough to keep Ichtaca from retrieving the photograph himself. It was said the boundary kept out evil.
He wasn’t evil, but he was an instrument of the Aztec Gods. Everyday people had forgotten about magic, about the power of celestial beings, and the dominion that comes from service. The gods may have weakened but they never left this world. He would bring them back with blood freely given in this modern time.
He would reward a select few with the honor of being the living sacrifice. The ones whose beating hearts he ripped from their chests. Those who had dormant power within them. Only then could his soul rest.
Once his king had returned and a connection to the gods was complete, he would be with his wife and live the life long denied them. Full of ritual and servants. Devotion and worship.
It had been too long since a true sacrifice had been delivered and power returned to his kin. The girl in the cabin would be the first of many. But only after her father had done Ichtaca’s bidding and retrieved the photograph.
At the turn of the twentieth century, technology had seized the attention of the world. It had been a slow build, but those who embraced the enchantments provided by the natural world retreated. Metal and the insidious creations developed from it provided the masses with new concepts to worship.
One of those contraptions that was more insidious than it seemed was the camera. For some, it simply copied an image onto a plate or film. But those who believed in Transcendence—the belief of soul energy to travel beyond our plane of existence—found themselves trapped. Their bodies empty shells that disintegrated without the host’s spirit.
In 1906, the Goddess Tlaltecuhtli split the earth in California. A small contingent of his people traveled to San Francisco to take advantage of the death and despair. They could renew their bonds with the gods by providing release to the affected populous.
No one would know of his clan’s work except the gods.
Reveling in the chaos of the event, he hadn’t noticed the change in Tiegan or his king. Not until it was too late. They’d returned home. The journey drained their lives too soon. Their people strayed without a ruler. Too many lost hope, abandoned their refuge.