Okay, so simply imagining not imagining that was making Ixchel a little hot around the collar.
Only after her companion's fingers paused in their ministrations did Ixchel jolt back to reality. Over so soon? she thought regretfully, missing the sensation already. And, as if he sensed her qualms, Finn resumed his rubbing at the same time he asked: "You've still got the were-jaguar sculpture I threw you, right?"
When Ixchel nodded slightly, her eyes remaining closed to shut out the world, she felt one of Finn's hands leave her head and slip down into the pocket of her lab coat. He could easily have copped a feel and covered up the touch as an accidental gesture, but her companion instead seemed to be doing his level best not to brush up against any personal bits.
Although, actually, at the moment, Ixchel wasn't entirely sure that a caress of her breast would be unwelcome.
Do you humans ever think about anything except sex? Back in my day....
"You walked to school uphill both ways?"
The voice in her head was gone as abruptly as it had appeared, and Ixchel knew she shouldn't have felt so relieved to realize that Finn had heard the last couple of sentences as well. After all, despite proving her lack of mental illness, the words also clued her companion in to the embarrassingly salacious inner dialogue that had been peppering Ixchel's thoughts for the last twenty-four hours.
Time to face the music. She opened her eyes at last, expecting to find a smirk on the shifter's lips. But, instead, Finn was frowning as he shook the figurine angrily.
"What, you'll speak to her and not to me?" her companion grumbled. "Okay, then, let's try it this way."
Finn raised one eyebrow at Ixchel, then reached out toward her with the same hand that enclosed the figurine. And when the vet didn't pull away, Finn dropped the little statue into her open hand, then curled his fingers closed around her own.
Chapter 15
And now the humans are holding hands as they bow down in fear of the almighty god.
The voice sounded smug this time around, and Finn decided to go with the opening being presented. "Is that what you are? A god?"
Are you serious? Sure, I've been MIA for a while, but every were-jaguar should recognize the honor when his deity takes the time to pay a personal call. There should be chants and feasting. Sacrifice a goat at least, why don't ya?
Affronted dignity. That's what the self-proclaimed god was broadcasting now, and Finn spared a moment to see how Ixchel was handling this internal conversation.
He was glad to see that, despite being thrown headfirst into the paranormal world only a few hours earlier, the color was coming back into his companion's cheeks as Finn and the god bantered. The shifter was sure he wouldn't be doing nearly as well if he hadn't been studying and searching in hope of this very outcome for the last five years. So he had to admit that the vet rose yet another few notches in his estimation as she continued to maintain her cool.
Not that he'd ever thought Ixchel was anything less than amazing.
"What's your name, oh mighty god?" the vet said now, surprising Finn even more by not only engaging their brain worm, but also by playing to the deity's weakness. The shifter suspected that Ixchel could tell just as he had that stroking the god's ego warmed the deity's humors as he danced within both of their minds. Good job, Finn thought, then squashed the words, hoping that their listener hadn't caught the sentiment floating around within his noggin.
The shifter shouldn't have been concerned, though, because his internal parasite was far too excited by Ixchel's subservience to pay attention to anyone except himself. I am the Smoking Mirror, the Black Tezcatlipoca, the Enemy of Both Sides! the god proclaimed, and Finn could have sworn a sudden gust of wind picked up and buffeted the car. Or maybe that was simply a passing tractor trailer?
I am the epitome of change through conflict, the god of the night winds and of temptation. I am a jaguar who turned into a man and a man who turns into jaguar. Then, a pause as the god came down off his clearly long-cherished soapbox, followed by: But my friends call me Tez.
Finn could hardly believe that this stuck-up, egotistical deity was offering a pair of unworthy humans his nickname. But then he chanced a look over at Ixchel's glowing face. Yep, even a deity would crave Ixchel's regard.
The shifter was abruptly glad that he'd allowed his selfishness to overrule his good sense, preventing him from dropping Ixchel off at that secluded cabin as he'd originally planned. The vet was as skilled as she was enticing, and he enjoyed having her along for the ride. The fact that she could now write "adept god handler" on her resume was just an added bonus, although the skill might come in handy during their current adventure.
Yes, let's get back to the point, shall we? The god said, causing the shifter to jerk in surprise. I'm reading your mind, obviously. It's what gods do. So keep those thoughts clean, why don't we?
This time, Ixchel was the one to react, a blush coloring the skin of her cheeks. Well, wasn't that interesting? Finn thought, and found his own face flushing a little in sympathy.
You two can work on your understanding of the human mating ritual later—and, by the way, you both need a refresher course, if you don't mind me saying so.
Finn did mind, but he kept his complaints to himself. "So, what's on your mind, oh mighty Tezcatli...whatever."
Tezcatlipoca!
Ah, grumpy god was back. Good to know that Finn would be able to yank the deity's chain at will.
And that thought, the shifter was pretty sure, had flown beneath the wind god's radar. Thank goodness I'll be able to keep most of my musings to myself even while touching the figurine.
"You'll have to forgive us, Tez," Ixchel said, her husky voice making the car abruptly appear cramped. "We're not used to speaking with gods."
Yes, her voice made the vehicle feel smaller, but Finn didn't want to escape so much as to reach across the center console with his other hand and take Ixchel into his arms. Instead of giving in to his baser desires, though, the shifter merely allowed himself to rub his thumb across his companion's fisted fingers. And he was absurdly thrilled to be granted a shy smile in return.
"What can we do for you today?" Finn spoke up at last, continuing the vet's line of reasoning. Not that he particularly wanted to please the self-proclaimed god, but the shifter figured the best option was to move Tezcatli-whatever along as quickly as possible so he and Ixchel would be able to fully focus on each other.
You can focus on getting me out of this stupid figurine, the deity demanded. It's wet and it's cramped and I'm sick and tired of it!
Aha. And the real reason a mighty god was taking the time to chat with humans finally became clear. Plus, was that an incipient temper tantrum in the making?
"And how can we do that?" Ixchel asked, continuing to draw the god out.
You can use your necklace and my mirror to get in touch with my sister god, the deity elaborated. Then, seeming to realize that modern-day humans wouldn't jump simply because a god showed up in their heads and began to make demands, Tezcatlipoca sweetened the pot. And once I'm free and have my powers restored, I'll grant your deepest wishes.
"Wishes? Like a genie?"
Ixchel's innocent question had clearly been the wrong thing to ask because Finn's mind abruptly filled with spillover rage. For an instant, the shifter truly thought that he was so angry with the vet that he wanted to bash her head into the wall. He'd push her down onto the pavement and strangle the life out of her, toss her body into the weeds before continuing on his merry way....
The shifter's hand slid away from the figurine and his head cleared in an instant. Tez is more powerful than I thought, Finn realized as he struggled to slow his breathing. Shudders wracked the shifter's frame at the mere notion of what the god had nearly forced him to do.
The god. Who was currently messing with Ixchel while Finn was off licking his wounds.
As quickly as he could, Finn reached back out to the vet and slid his fingers once more atop her suddenly clammy hand
.
...your family, Tezcatlipoca was saying. And, as for you, shifter-who-named-yourself-Finn, I'll resolve your deepest fear as well. I'll put you in touch with another were-jaguar so you'll know you're not entirely alone on this earth. Maybe you'll even end up with a non-homemade name.
IXCHEL HAD BEEN AROUND enough shysters to know when she was being played. First, there was that burst of manufactured rage that forced Finn to jerk his hand off the figurine at just the right moment so Tez could promise to reunite Ixchel with her family without the shifter listening in. And then the deity drew out his promise to the vet long enough to ensure the were-jaguar caught a tantalizing glimpse of the tail end of his vow.
Next, the god had reeled in his male prey with what seemed to be a similar arrow aimed straight at the shifter's soul. After that series of manipulations, Ixchel was pretty sure Finn was feeling exactly what she was at this moment—a deep-seated yearning to consume the god's proffered carrot, plus an abiding curiosity to know more about the hole in her companion's heart.
But the vet didn't trust Tez as far as she could throw him. Although, come to think of it, in his current form, she could throw him pretty far.
Don't you dare!
"Don't you dare what?" Finn asked, reminding Ixchel that the two humans needed to talk, and soon, without a god twisting their every word. But she wanted a bit more information before taking her hand off the figurine and removing Tezcatlipoca's interference from her mind.
"I was thinking about tossing him out the window," Ixchel answered with a false show of serenity. "And I'll do it too, Tezzie, if you mess around with us again. We may not be gods, but we've got the upper hand at the moment, and you'd best remember that."
Ooh, the dreaded run-on sentence. I'm shaking....
The god hadn't argued with Ixchel's use of a diminutive form of address, though, and the vet had to hide a smile. Really, handling this deity was no worse than babysitting her niece and nephew, which she used to do a lot back when she and her brothers were on speaking terms.
And Tez clearly didn't hear that, Ixchel thought as quietly as she could, or he would have been raging at being compared to a couple of seven-year-olds.
Not that her relatives were seven years old any longer. As much as the vet was trying to focus on the issue at hand, she couldn't resist wondering how her oldest brother Fernando's twins were faring in her absence. Did Rosie and Ricky remember their aunt at all? Were the duo growing into a fine young man and woman...or had the children been dragged down the dark criminal path that their family had blazed before them?
Not for the first time, Ixchel wondered if she'd made the right decision by leaving the familial seat without a backward glance. Were her brothers better off without the vet in their lives? Or was Ixchel just too much of a scaredy cat to face the repercussions of her own actions?
And is it too late now to make any difference even if I do change my mind?
With all of those bittersweet memories running through her head, Ixchel was actually glad when Tezcatlipoca broke into her thoughts. So, what d'ya wanna know? the god demanded, and the vet pulled her mind out of the past with an effort.
First order of business—refrain from falling into Tez's trap by asking how a Mexican god had accumulated a Jersey accent. As intriguing as the conundrum was, the issue was really beside the point. So Ixchel kept her voice even despite the way Ricky's and Rosie's fading memory always made her feel more than a little bit sad. "I want to know about this mirror you mentioned," she said. "Is it any old mirror, or...."
What is the world coming to? Tezcatlipoca groused. Of course it's not "any old mirror." His voice jerked up into a sarcastic falsetto as he mimicked the vet's words before continuing on. And, no, before you ask, it won't show you the fairest one of all.
Disney movies? Seriously? The god was quoting Snow White's wicked queen? Or maybe just Grimm's fairy tales. But either way, Tez had clearly found a way to keep his finger on the pulse of current world events despite his incarceration.
You have to find the mirror I used when I last walked the earth, Tez finished. The one at El Azuzul, near San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán. Then, when both Ixchel's and Finn's faces continued to display their complete lack of comprehension, the god elaborated. In Mexico, you dimwits. It's time to take yourselves to the Olmec heartland.
And if you want your reward, you'll both travel there together.
Chapter 16
"Are you sure he can't hear us now?" Ixchel asked.
No, Finn wasn't entirely sure that the argumentative god wouldn't be able to eavesdrop on their thoughts as the deity—and his figurine—rode in the luggage compartment of the plane. But it was the best the shifter could do to keep the irascible god out of their brains for a little while. And whether or not the wind god could currently tell what the shifter was thinking, at least he and Ixchel would both enjoy a breather from Tez's snarky remarks until they landed in Villahermosa.
"He's not all that powerful," Finn said instead of admitting his own ignorance. Then, figuring he might as well test the issue, the shifter continued: "Wind god or not, Tezcatlipoca can't do diddly squat while we're in an airplane."
Given past events, the shifter was pretty confident that the god in question wouldn't let that dig ride. So he gripped the armrest in preparation for the serious gust of air he halfway expected to buffet the plane during the next few seconds.
"Testing him, huh?" Ixchel asked when the shifter's muscles finally relaxed a little later. "Maybe next time you could tease Tezzie in a way that isn't likely to lead to us all plummeting to our watery deaths?" But the smile on the vet's lips took away the sting of her words, and Finn leaned closer, tempted by his companion's proximity.
The red-eye was nearly empty, and the pair had left their reading lights off in deference to nearby sleepers, which added to the illusion of privacy. Finn had wanted to get in the air sooner, but it had taken all day for him to track down someone able to create a false passport apiece on a moment's notice. After all, money could only grease the wheels so far and no further when he was in a strange place with no contacts.
Then the shifter had needed to withdraw funds from one of his offshore accounts so they could travel without leaving a paper trail, which required yet another stop before reaching the airport. In the end, all of that busywork meant that they hadn't become airborne until nearly midnight, with a few hours in a connecting airport slowing them down yet further.
Now, as they winged over the Gulf of Mexico, Finn's view out the window consisted of complete blackness, and the interior of the plane was nearly equally dim. This quarter light made Finn comfortable enough that he risked pushing up the armrest dividing his seat from his neighbor's, and the shifter was absurdly gratified when Ixchel nudged herself a little closer so she could lean her head on his arm.
"We should probably do some planning while Tezzie isn't around to hear us," Ixchel said softly, but her voice sounded so wiped out that Finn couldn't resist trying to cheer her up. Plus, if he were being entirely honest, the shifter had been itching to know what sort of promise Tezcatlipoca had made about the vet's family ever since he'd managed to miss that integral part of their three-way chat.
But, mostly, Finn said what he did in hopes of making his companion laugh. "Tezzie, eh? Let me guess—you were a pesky little sister, the kind who would never leave her older brother alone and who enjoyed getting him into trouble with the parents on a daily basis."
"Brothers, plural," Ixchel corrected, but not without a lilt of humor in her voice. "And I wasn't that much of a pest. I just figured it was my job to keep all five of them in line."
"Five?" Finn could barely imagine what it would be like growing up with one human sibling, so five brothers seemed like a surfeit of riches. "I had a sister," he admitted. "But she never shifted to human form. After I found my humanity, I followed her and my mother around for years, hoping they'd transform into were-jaguars like me. But they were just animals and my presence confused them. Eventually, m
y own mother drove me away."
The words sounded so simple, but the actual events had been a nightmare. To have a huge jaguar turn on him, intent on driving this dangerous two-legger out of her territory...all while Finn vividly recalled nursing at the same feline's teats not so many seasons before. At the time, he hadn't yet learned to control his shifts, so the young were-jaguar had been forced to flee two-footed, lacking the concentration to don feline form and protect himself with tooth and claw. Finn had barely made it back into the human world alive.
But the worst part hadn't been the danger. It was how he'd looked into his mother's eyes and seen only animal cunning. After that ill-fated visit, Finn had never returned to the forest where his family roamed.
"I'm sorry." The tips of Ixchel's fingers traced a feather-light path down the curve of Finn's jaw, but the aftermath of her touch migrated all the way down to his toes. "It must be hard to be so alone."
Her words were basic, but Finn could sense true understanding in the vet's tone. It was the first time he'd ever laid out his history aloud, and having his companion grasp the feelings behind his words without the need for further explanation was profound. In fact, the shifter's emotions now gave lie to her words—for the first time in the preceding fifteen years, Finn didn't feel entirely alone.
Wanting to share that acceptance with his companion, the shifter gathered every last ounce of his daring and requested: "Tell me about your family." His words required courage because he fully expected to be shot down by this woman who clearly cherished privacy in relation to both her current and past experiences.
But the night's darkness—more dark for a human than for a cat—must have lulled Ixchel into an unaccustomed sense of security. Or maybe the vet was just too tired to resist his interest.
"Only if you promise to shift into jaguar form once we reach Mexico and are away from prying eyes," she whispered into his ear, her breath warming his skin. "I want to touch your fur."
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