As they took up their positions, the Matwau was left alone. One by one he took hold of his extraordinary senses. He knew her face. His probing eyes searched the land for her visage. He knew her voice. His trained ears picked up the subtle sounds of the surrounding miles. He knew her scent. His sensitive nostrils sampled every minute aroma. The line would report to One if they found anything, but the Matwau became incensed at the idea of one of them finding the girl first.
Slowly he pressed ahead, moving away from the twelve. He pushed his senses to their limits. Arid plains changed to green valleys and towering peaks. The sand and dust thankfully disappeared as the plush vegetation of the forest floor grew thicker. The clustered trees weakened his hearing and ability to see by a small degree, but his sense of smell was as strong as ever.
The scent he was searching for came suddenly, faint and weak, and it stopped him mid-stride. It was clean, and smelled of honeysuckle and green tea. He could also pick up faint signs of excitement in the scent. The Matwau savored the aroma, letting it seep into every cell of his dark body. The twelve allies slipped out of his mind completely. He would not share the moment with them. The girl was the most integral part of his plan, and he would trust her capture to none but himself.
Carefully, he crept forward, each step drawing him closer to the girl. Every mile strengthened the scent, urging him to move faster. As the Matwau moved toward his target, the scent revealed even more. Along with the excitement, there was fear and uneasiness. Something was troubling her. The Matwau slowed, wondering if the girl could sense his approach. With everything else he had encountered since meeting Uriah, he would take nothing for granted.
His bone contorting display was silent. His human form shriveled in on itself, crumbling into the tiny body of a sparrow. He was close. The girl’s scent was overpowering. Lifting into the air, he soared through the trees. One, two, three seconds passed before he heard her voice. Soft and radiant, her words cut through the forest. His speed increased beyond what any normal sparrow could muster. The Matwau swiftly darted into a clearing, just as the girl unlocked the front door of her rough stone-built cabin.
Landing without disturbing a single blade of grass, his body reacted, choosing a more capable form.
“Could you help me with this?”
The Matwau froze at the sound of a second voice. He had been so focused on the girl he had blocked out everything else. A middle aged woman stood near the trunk of a magenta four door sedan. She was trying to unload the trunk’s contents, but needed the young woman’s help to finish her task.
“Sure, Mom,” the girl said as she bounded down the cracked concrete steps.
Calmly, the little sparrow hopped across the natural growth in front of the house, right up to the blooming columbine flowers next to the front steps. Patience, he told himself in an effort to calm the seething anger that had erupted inside of him. He had almost approached the girl with another human present. Mistakes. He could not afford even the smallest of them if his plan was to reach its end. Patience. He would have his chance all too soon. Patience, he thought as the pair carried their items into the house.
25: First Choice
The night lasted longer than it should have. I couldn’t stop dreaming about the little girl. All night I watched her run across the old wood floors laughing and playing. Which choice would bring her into my life? Which choice would leave me praying for death? Which choice would leave Talon broken and soaked in his own blood? Every dream replayed the scenes from Kaya’s vision. Every choice led to the worst outcome. Over and over again.
Remembering that Claire was in my bed, I woke up reaching for her, and cursed everything I could think of when I realized that I wasn’t there with her. Talon was lying next to my bed watching me closely. He kept his thoughts to himself, though, no doubt trying to shut out mine. No one would want to see what was inside my head.
The only relief was that I would be going home that day. Bittersweet with the knowledge that it would not last, I still felt relieved. I wouldn’t give up even a second with Claire. I would need every precious memory, every touch, every kiss to get me through the battle ahead. The battles. Not one, maybe not even two. The nightmares had clouded my sense of what might happen. I longed for the quiet, work-filled days of the ranch.
The sky was still dark as I threw off my blankets. The potion for Claire was waiting to be finished. Grabbing my clothes off the floor, I peeked into the hallway before dashing across and into the bathroom. Hot steam filled the small room as I reached for my toothbrush. Closing my hand around it woke my aching fingers. Stained, scratched, and stiff, I forced them to function properly.
Tossing my toothbrush into my backpack when I finished, I hurried through my shower. The water was hot enough to turn my skin a splotchy red, but it cleared my mind of the horrible images. When I stepped out of the bathroom, Talon was waiting for me. “Is Kaya awake yet?” I asked him.
“No, she is still asleep,” he replied. He seemed to have something else on his mind. “You’re worried about me.”
I should have been used to him knowing my thoughts, but it still startled me when he picked thoughts from my mind and threw them back at me. I was concerned about seeing the harm done to Talon in Kaya’s vision. One choice would bring it on him, one would not. But would I know which one?
“Yes, I’m worried,” I said. “I don’t want to see you hurt, but I don’t know how to stop it from happening either. I don’t know which choice is the right one.”
“There is no choice for you to make,” Talon said. “It is my choice whether I follow you or not, not yours. I will follow you to the end, whatever that may bring.”
“Talon, I won’t get you killed, not if I can help it. I’m happy to have you with me now, but when the Matwau makes his move, I think you should stay behind.”
Talon bared his teeth, in what might have been a vicious smile. His thoughts were tinged with violent anger. “I will not back down from that creature. Even if it causes my death, I will see the Matwau defeated,” Talon snarled. As if his outburst had startled him, Talon shook off the intense feelings. “Besides, you do not know that leaving me behind will protect me. Leaving me behind may be the reason I am injured.”
“How would refusing to let you fight the Matwau with me get you killed?” I asked.
“You would ask me to stay behind and protect Claire, right?”
“Yes. I don’t want to leave her unprotected,” I said.
“The Matwau cannot harm her. She is not your Twin Soul, Uriah,” Talon said.
“If he can break one rule, he can break another. I want you to stay with her.”
“Suppose he expects that and sends some of his creatures to San Juan. There is most likely no law against them killing random desert animals. I could be killed there just as easily,” Talon said. “I think that situation is unlikely, however. When it comes to you, Qaletaqa, he is allowed to hunt your Twin Soul only. Claire will be fine. The Matwau has no more interest in her.”
I knew Talon was right. I didn’t believe that the Matwau would attack Claire, but I had to protect Talon. Despite what Kaya and Samantha had said about how the end of Bhawana’s vision could have been her interpretation, not fact, I wasn’t sure the same could be said for how she saw me facing the Matwau alone. I wanted Talon to stay as far away from him as possible, but I would have to come up with a better reason.
“You assert your free will by going against the Twin Soul bond,” Talon said, “do not try to deny me the same right.”
I had no argument for that.
Deciding to drop the subject for the time being, I started toward the kitchen. Talon followed me, but remained quiet. Most likely, he already had more reasons to come with me than to listen to reason and stay away. I wished I could think of something he would listen to. Thoughts of breakfast slipped into my mind as I stood staring at the empty kitchen. I searched the cupboards and found several boxes of cereal. I had the feeling Kaya would want to make me breakfas
t when she woke up. I didn’t want to waste any time this morning.
Pouring some milk into my bowl, I gulped down the cereal, finishing just as Kaya wandered into the living room toweling her wet hair. “Oh, you’re already up. I was just about to make some breakfast,” she said as she set the towel aside and twisted her hair into a bun.
“Just finished some cereal,” I said. I smiled in a false apology.
“Okay, well I guess we can head back to Samantha’s then. Let me get the keys.” Kaya rummaged through the stack of books and paper she had dropped on the counter the night before. “Found them,” she said, “let’s go.”
I held up my own keys. “I’ll take my motorcycle. I want to be on my way home as soon as the potion is finished.”
“Oh, of course. Just follow me then,” Kaya said.
The drive over to Samantha’s house was quiet and slow, slower than I would have liked, at least. I stared at the horizon, watching the sun climb its way up to the bluffs. The top edge of the brilliant circle became visible as we pulled up to Samantha’s house. My motorcycle rolled up next to Kaya’s sedan and I cut the engine. The thin line of sunlight doused the front of the house in shadow.
“Are you ready?” Kaya asked.
“Yeah,” I said. It was the only thing I actually was ready for.
Kaya opened the door without knocking, and we stepped in. The living room was still dark. The curtains had not been pulled back yet. Quiet noises filtered in from the kitchen. Kaya was already disappearing around the corner. A few quick steps took me across the room and into the scent filled kitchen. I breathed in the smells, remembering each one, ready to add the last.
“Uriah, are you ready?” Samantha asked when she saw me.
“Yes. What do I need to do?” I asked.
Samantha lifted a paring knife from the counter. The blade was at least five inches long. My throat seized. Sophia had pricked Daniel’s finger with a needle. I was suddenly trying very hard to remember whether or not Samantha had said I would survive this. She must have, or why else would they have worked so hard to find out about Bhawana’s vision, right?
“Uriah,” Kaya asked, “are you okay?”
I swallowed and straightened my expression. “How much blood do we need?”
Samantha looked at the knife in her hand and blinked. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to look so threatening,” she said. She lowered the knife. “You told me about the potion used to revive Claire, and this will be similar. We’ll need a little more blood than was required of Daniel, though.”
“How much more?” I asked. Samantha held up a small measuring cup. It may have been a small cup, but it would take a lot more than a few drops to fill it. “Why?”
“Why so much?” Samantha asked. “With Daniel all he needed to do was break through to Claire and form the bond. A touch could do that normally. For Claire, all that was needed was a few drops. This is different. It’s much harder to break the bond than form it. It requires more, a larger sacrifice.”
I nodded, one hand slipping into my pocket and fingering the lock of Claire’s hair. The silken strands calmed me instantly. “Okay. Show me what to do.”
Samantha brought the knife up to the palm of her hand. Laying it across the heel of her palm, she said, “Cut straight across and let the blood run until you have enough. Once the cup is filled you can add it to the herbs.” Samantha turned to her sister. “Would you get the first aid kit? We’ll need it when he’s done.”
“I’ll be right back,” Kaya said. She hurried out of the room, and Samantha handed me the knife.
“You’ll have to do it by yourself, like yesterday,” Samantha said.
I had guessed as much. I took the knife from her hand and walked up to the counter. I was not afraid of blood, or at least I didn’t used to be. I had seen blood fairly often on the ranch when the new lambs or foals were born, when the old or sick sheep were put down, but ever since my mom was attacked by the deranged cougar, I found it much harder to stand the sight of blood. I wasn’t sure how I would do watching my own blood pour out of me.
I lifted my callused hand. Claire’s skin was so soft, so perfect. My rough hands must feel so coarse against hers. I wondered if it ever bothered her. My fingertips still had a purple tint to them from the juniper berries I had crushed the day before. A few of my knuckles were red from slipping when I was using the herb grater as well. Rough or smooth, my hands needed only one thing to soothe them. I would be home to Claire soon.
Touching the knife to my skin, I took a deep breath and clamped my jaw. I drew the blade across in one swift motion. Hot pain sliced up my arm. I would have yelled if my teeth weren’t already locked in place. Instead, I only groaned and sucked in air through my teeth. The coppery smell reached my nose and sent my stomach churning. I regretted eating breakfast.
I kept my eyes up while the warm liquid dripped into the cup. Samantha and Kaya stood to the side, discussing something that hopefully had nothing to do with me. Both sisters kept a careful eye on me. I looked down hoping to see the cup nearly filled. It wasn’t even half way to the top. I looked away quickly and thought of Claire.
As my graduation had grown closer, my mind had become filled with Claire even more than usual. I had once thought that Claire would spend her last year in high school without me, but it had never worried me. It was strange to me that the idea of staying in San Juan with her would produce the feelings it did. Maybe the idea of leaving for college had seemed safe, like I was giving her the chance to be sure about me.
I never doubted Claire’s love for me, but I never really understood what drew her to me, especially when there was so much pushing us apart. There was nothing I had that she didn’t already have. I had so little to offer her. The truth was, it would have been a much bigger test for me. I felt lost without Claire. If I could have survived the year without her, I would have proved to myself that I at least somewhat deserved her.
Facing graduation had made me think about the next year with Claire. Staying in San Juan meant being with her every day for another year. I had planned to propose to her after she graduated, and get married in the fall. It wasn’t until my dad brought up going to the Elders for permission that my plans changed. He didn’t insist, but asked. Waiting to propose until Claire graduated would have meant not marrying Claire until the next summer. That would have been okay before, but not after everything that had changed. I didn’t want to wait two more years, not when every day her glowing smiles and warm embraces would beg me to break the promises I had made. Plus, my dad dying hours after his request that I follow tradition and ask the elders was hard to refuse.
Surrendering to my deepest desires, I found myself driving to Santa Fe two weeks before graduation. My dad had told me many times how nervous he was to buy my mom’s ring. I knew the story well and I followed his example, heading straight to the same store he had gone to, Sandoval Jewelers. The same man still owned the store, but the young man at the counter was only a few years older than me.
I walked into Sandoval Jewelers, my palms itching furiously. The salesman greeted me courteously. “Hello, sir,” he said, “how can I help you today?”
I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my slacks. I had worn my best clothes, not wanting anyone to take me for a kid playing around. The clothes and my height and build helped sell the image. The clerk eyed me as a serious customer. “I’m looking for an engagement ring,” I said.
The salesman didn’t even blink. He merely gestured to a case on his left. “We have a very fine selection of engagement rings, sir. May I ask your girlfriend’s name?”
“Her name is Claire.”
“Claire. That is a beautiful name. Do you have a type of ring or setting style in mind already?” he asked.
“Nothing too flashy. Claire likes simplicity,” I said.
The salesman nodded as if he had expected exactly that answer. “These three here are very popular and very tasteful.”
They were also the most expensive. I
nodded and settled my gaze on the rows of rings. Claire almost never wore jewelry anymore. She would love anything I gave her, but I knew her tastes well. I immediately ruled out the largest diamonds. Claire would look at them and call them gaudy no matter how beautiful the setting was.
Another sweep ruled out several more with elaborate settings or multiple jewels. Claire had described the ring she wanted once, and I knew it would be in the case somewhere. I scanned the third row of rings and saw it. The white gold band was smooth until just before it reached the diamond. At the last moment the band twisted twice before melding seamlessly into the raised setting, holding a perfect princess cut diamond.
“May I see this one?” I asked the salesman.
He unlocked the case and slipped the ring onto a velvet tray. Holding the tray out to me, he said, “A very good choice, sir. Your bride will love it, I’m sure. All of our diamonds are the highest quality.”
I held the ring up and imagined giving it to Claire. I could see the smile on her face, and I knew it was the right one. The salesman made a few more comments about how Claire would love the detail or the coloring of the diamond, or the pure white gold of the band, as he rang up the purchase and placed the ring in a black velvet box. As a final touch, the salesman wrapped the box with Sandoval’s signature turquoise ribbon.
I walked out of the store trying to talk myself out of giving it to Claire the moment I got back to San Juan. I spent the drive home planning exactly how I would propose to Claire. When the ranch came into view, I knew exactly how I would present the ring.
“Uriah,” a voice called out, bringing me back to the present. Kaya and Samantha were crowding around me. I looked down at my left hand, remembering the stinging pain.
“Uriah, you’re done now. Let me have your hand,” Kaya said.
I was slow to react. Kaya grabbed my hand and began washing it with antiseptic wipes. I barely noticed when she squeezed ointment onto the cut and started wrapping my hand with gauze. I couldn’t take my eyes off the blood. It sat on the counter, a scarlet lake with bloody raindrops surrounding it. The strong smell had filled the room now. I tried breathing through my mouth, but that was even worse. I settled for looking away and taking very shallow breaths.
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