by Smith, S. E.
“They are unnatural beasts who must be cursed,” he muttered as he scooted backwards and up onto his knees before pushing off the ground.
His mind swirled with the images he had just witnessed as he walked back to the truck. His gaze narrowed on the dead tiger in the back. He lifted the tailgate and secured the canvas to make sure no one could see what he had in the back. The Siberian tiger’s pelt would bring him a small fortune on the black market, but he was now thinking of something that could bring him much, much more.
A grim smile curved his lips. A child who could change into a tiger would bring him great wealth. There were buyers all over the world that would pay a fortune to own someone as rare as she was. He would return once he had unloaded his cargo and had his face stitched up. That would give him time to do research on the identity of the blond-haired man and recruit the help he would need to capture the child.
2
Present day:
Deep in the Shrouded Forest of Sarafin
Walkyr moved through the rebel encampment with confidence. Dressed as a mercenary, he kept all but his eyes covered, which did not reflect their true color thanks to Arrow Ha’darra’s new invention. His older brothers had been right when they said the Curizan were masters of technology.
Prince Jazar ‘Arrow’ Ha’darra had worked closely with Walkyr’s younger brother, Pallu, to develop the special contact lenses that allowed him to see in the harshest conditions, no matter which form he took, while also covering the telltale color of his eyes. Now instead of silver eyes that would have revealed his royal lineage, they were dull, gunmetal gray.
Walkyr watched a tall man step out of the shadows between two skimmers. The man didn’t slow down as he neared Walkyr; instead, he veered to the left, away from a group of men who were complaining about their living conditions. On silent feet, Walkyr moved away from the men, too, pulling his small disruptor from the belt at his waist. He depressed a button on its side, and the security shield in front of him opened, allowing him to pass through it into the thick forest on the other side.
The day after their small group arrived, they had erected the shield. It had not been soon enough however. Several men had been attacked by some of the more savage native beasts. Walkyr had witnessed one of the attacks. He’d never seen such creatures on Sarafin before. These beasts must have evolved in this forest only.
Walkyr briefly looked over his shoulder and shook his head. He knew that he was being followed. Once out of sight of the perimeter of the compound, he shape-shifted into his leopard form and took to the trees. He used the branches to move above the ground. Several yards into the forest, he heard the snap of a branch breaking. He crouched on the thick tree limb and waited.
He swept his gaze over the shadows below him. The tall ferns almost concealed the person, but his contact lenses helped him see the man’s outline. He silently snorted and shook his head again—amateur. He tensed his muscles for a moment before he jumped down, landing on the creature behind the familiar man who had been following him.
“Cat’s balls, Walkyr. Don’t sneak up on me like that,” Pallu hissed, twisting around and lowering the weapon in his hand.
Walkyr released the large lizard that had been about to attack his brother. With a deft swat of his massive paw, he sent the creature flying through the air and into the high ferns. A single bite from the creature would have paralyzed his brother in his two-legged form. Since they preferred fresh meat, the large lizard would have eaten Pallu while he was still alive. With a thought, Walkyr shifted to human form and looked at his brother with a raised eyebrow.
“How you’ve managed to live this long is beyond me,” Walkyr dryly retorted.
Pallu grinned at his brother. “I always was the smartest and luckiest out of all of us. Besides, remember what Riley said. We have nine lives, so I have many more before I am in true danger of dying,” he replied.
“She also said the taser wouldn’t hurt. How did that go for you?” Walkyr asked with a raised eyebrow.
Pallu grimaced and rubbed his chest at the memory of his new sister’s tiny weapon. He had made the mistake of teasing Riley about the tiny toy shortly after the ceremony of marriage between Riley and his oldest brother. He really should have listened to Viper’s warning. After all, his big brother wasn’t known for a sense of humor or a tendency to over-exaggerate. Riley’s little toy had given him a deeper appreciation of the danger in taunting his two new sisters.
“Not good. I’m just thankful that Vox refused to give Pearl her weapon back. Viper said it is ten times more painful,” he admitted with a wry grin.
Walkyr chuckled. Pearl St. Claire was the grandmother of Riley and Tina. The fiery woman wore as much leather as a Sarafin warrior and had the heart of one as well.
For a brief moment, a wave of envy swept through Walkyr before he pushed it away with a shudder. Out of six brothers, two had already fallen for human women. Perhaps the term fallen was too harsh. Vox and Viper had found their mates, something that Walkyr had never thought would happen—especially for Vox. Vox might have grumpily lived out his whole life mated to the Valdier princess his parents had chosen if Riley hadn’t swept him off his feet first—or more accurately, saved his life, then tasered him to the ground. Vox and Viper’s mates were quite unusual, most likely because their planet was so distant and isolated.
“Have you discovered any new information?” Walkyr asked, pulling his mind away from mates and his brothers.
Pallu shook his head in frustration. “Nothing. I’m beginning to think coming here was a waste of time. I think we should kill the lot of them and return home,” he replied with a disgusted shake of his head. “If this is the best the traitors can recruit, then we shouldn’t have anything to fear.”
Walkyr looked back toward the encampment. He reached up and rubbed his chest. His cat was pacing within their shared mind. He was surprised that Pallu didn’t have the same intense feeling that something important was about to happen. Of course, Pallu didn’t have the field experience that he and Viper had. Pallu’s passion had always been for technology, research, and weapons. That was one reason Walkyr had been reluctant for Pallu to join him on this mission.
“There is something we are missing. My cat is anxious,” Walkyr murmured.
Pallu frowned and looked at him with concern. “What do you think it is?” he quietly asked.
Walkyr turned and looked deep into the forest. There was something there. He needed to go farther into the forest. He could sense its pull on his cat. His gaze narrowed when he noticed a shimmer of golden light—a floating ball of light. It felt like it was beckoning to him.
“Notify Vox about the encampment,” Walkyr murmured, his eyes still focused on the forest and the orb.
“What are you going to do?” Pallu asked in concern.
Walkyr looked at his brother. “The scroll Viper found said there was a palace in this forest that held the secrets to the Heart of the Cat. I’m going to find it,” he quietly replied.
Pallu looked at the dense barrier of swirling fog. Walkyr could feel his brother’s concern. Even with the special lenses, finding his way would be nearly impossible. He could easily become disoriented and lost—or worse, become food for one of the creatures that lived within the fog.
“I can relay a message to Vox and join you,” Pallu countered.
Walkyr hesitated. He looked at the forest again before he nodded his head. The others at the camp would assume that they had been attacked and eaten or that they had deserted the group. At least they would if any of the others even noticed they were gone. They had drawn little attention from the disgruntled band so far. With a sharp nod of his head, Walkyr reluctantly agreed.
“Notify Vox,” he quietly instructed.
Walkyr waited as Pallu contacted their brother. He could hear Vox’s quiet inquiries as Pallu told him that Eldora, Vox’s former lover, had spoken the truth. Walkyr felt little sympathy for his brother’s former lover. She had betrayed her people.
She’d said she had done it to protect her family. In the end, someone had poisoned Eldora to silence her, but before she died, she tried to repair a small part of the damage she had done by sharing her knowledge of this hidden camp, and warning them that the threat to their family and people was still very much alive.
“Watch your backs. I’ve ordered the attack team to take the encampment,” Vox stated.
“The men said they were waiting for the High Lord. I overheard several of the men talking. They said he should have been here days ago. They are concerned that he has not arrived,” Pallu replied.
“Bragnar must have warned the High Lord that we were closing in on him before he attacked Viper. I want this finished, Pallu. The Heart of the Cat must be found and secured,” Vox ordered.
Walkyr snorted and looked over at the screen. “Your wish is easier said than done, brother. Even with the Curizan’s technology, we can barely see more than a few feet in front of our faces,” he retorted.
Pallu nodded in agreement. “IF we don’t get lost… or eaten… and those are two big IFs, we still have to find this forgotten palace and decipher the message that was left behind in the scroll,” he added in a dry tone.
“Between the two of you, you’ll figure out where it is,” Vox responded with confidence. “We are departing now and will meet you at the encampment when you get back. Out.”
Walkyr saw Pallu blink at the blank screen before he bared his teeth at it. Walkyr quietly chuckled and shook his head. Where Vox charged into things, Pallu planned everything out and used technology to resolve an issue as much as possible. Each had their special skills. However, those skills came with different attitudes. Vox was bossy and impatient. Viper tended to be short-tempered, but his actions were well thought out. Walkyr’s other two brothers, Gable and Qadir, liked to work as a team. Walkyr, on the other hand, preferred to work alone.
“You should stay here,” Walkyr quietly said.
Pallu frowned. “I thought we agreed that I should go with you? Don’t you think I can keep up?” he responded with a slight growl of frustration.
Walkyr turned and looked at his younger brother. His gaze dropped to the screen in Pallu’s hand. Lifting an eyebrow, he grinned.
“I changed my mind,” Walkyr said. “This mist is heavier than it looks. One of us needs to stay here if I’m going to find my way back. Vox would be pissed if we both got lost,” he reasoned.
The indignant look in Pallu’s eyes faded as the rationale behind his request sank in, then Pallu pulled a small black bag from one of the pouches in his utility belt. Pallu opened the bag and pulled a tiny black disk the size of a small seed from it. He balanced it on the tip of his finger before he carefully tapped his finger to the center of the screen. Once the screen changed, Pallu held the small disk out to him. Walkyr gingerly swept the black dot off of his brother’s finger and looked at it with a frown.
“What is this?” he asked, looking up at his brother.
“These are your ticket back, so don’t lose them,” Pallu replied, holding out the bag. “Arrow and I developed them. You need to create a trail of them along the way. The device I gave you is crucial. It is connected to my system. Press it to your neck.”
Walkyr gave his brother a skeptical look before he pressed the dot to his neck. He hissed when he felt a slight prick to his skin. Pallu grinned at his reaction.
“You could have warned me that it had a bite,” he dryly commented.
Pallu shrugged. “We installed micro-hooks to keep it attached to your skin, even if you shift. The device also has biometric enhancements that allow for individual user identification. I added that function. This way it won’t come loose, and you will be less likely to lose it, considering it is so small,” he explained.
“So, I take the others and scatter them as I go along? How will I know where they are?” he asked.
“They will emit a vibration. Arrow originally wanted to use heat, but I told him that wouldn’t work. The last thing I wanted was to leave any more of a heat signature than you would normally put out. It would make it too easy to track you. Plus, how would you know if it was the locator or your own body? I also didn’t want anything that made a noise. It wouldn’t be good to have it go off and alert others. Instead, I went for a pulse. The closer you get to one of the markers, the faster it will pulse,” Pallu explained.
Walkyr nodded, impressed with his brother’s creativity. “How many markers are there?” he asked, opening the bag to peer inside.
“A few thousand, but you need to make sure you place them no more than five hundred steps apart. Any further and they lose their effectiveness. Oh, and you only have two sunrises to return. Something that size has a limited power source. They will deactivate and dissolve after that to prevent anyone from finding them,” Pallu cautioned before he glanced down at the screen he was holding. “We are about to have company, and it isn’t one of ours. Go—I’ll take care of them.”
“How do you know someone’s coming?” Walkyr demanded, looking in the direction of the encampment.
“I added trackers to the liquor this morning. This way we would know if anyone tried to escape,” Pallu chuckled as he slid the small screen into his pocket and pulled out his weapon.
“It is better to observe than attack. We wouldn’t want them alerting any of the others before the security forces arrive,” Walkyr replied.
Pallu gave him a disappointed nod before he replaced his pistol and looked up. Walkyr shifted and took to the trees. A second later, Pallu did the same. They watched two of the rebels from the encampment approach. It was obvious both men were extremely nervous.
“I can’t see my hand in front of my face,” the man in front replied.
“Zire, it isn’t your hand that you should be looking at. Something disrupted the shield. Pay attention so we can tell the commander this section is clear,” the second man retorted.
“Clear? No one can see a thing here. How would we know if it was clear or not? Anyone stupid enough to venture away from the shield deserves what they get. I say we return while we can and tell the commander that we found nothing,” Zire growled.
Walkyr watched the two men turn. They had only taken a few steps when nearby explosions rocked the ground. The squadron of Vox’s warriors had arrived.
With a powerful leap, Walkyr landed on top of Zire while Pallu took out the other warrior. He sank his teeth into Zire’s throat, and the weight of his leopard trapped the struggling male under him. He had made sure to avoid the main artery running along Zire’s neck. He wanted the man alive long enough to interrogate him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Pallu quickly shifting back to human form and leaning to the side to spit.
“Cat’s balls! Walkyr, watch out! They have poison,” Pallu warned, wiping a hand across his mouth.
Walkyr jerked his fangs out of the man as the acidic taste hit his taste buds. His cat recoiled from the poison. Shifting, he also spat on the ground. He could still feel a slight numbness on his tongue. Spitting again, he used his foot to turn the man over onto his back.
“They didn’t even try to resist,” Walkyr growled.
“Here, put this on your tongue and let it dissolve,” Pallu ordered, holding out a thin blue strip.
“What is it?” Walkyr muttered, taking the strip and placing it on his tongue.
“It is a counter-agent for the poison. It is a new technology. The strip analyzes the poison and releases the correct reagent to neutralize the poison. I’m still working on it, but it has successfully counteracted the most common poisons and the one Eldora died from,” Pallu said, looking up as dozens of troop carriers flew overhead. “It looks like Vox sent half the guards.”
Walkyr looked at his brother with an expression filled with skepticism. “You’re working on it? I can’t tell you how much confidence that gives me,” he sarcastically pronounced. “How did you know to bring a counter agent?”
Pallu chuckled. “If you had spent an afternoon with Riley and Tina,
you would understand. I swear those two had me ready to pack up my entire lab! Have you seen the bag that Riley carries? It is incredible. She has something in it for every situation. Tina was the one who said that they may try to use poison to keep from being caught. Riley said they use that in all the old-time movies. I asked them to make a list of these movies they are always talking about. Trelon Reykill may have some of them,” Pallu mused.
Walkyr shook his head. His two new sisters were from a world called Earth. Zoran Reykill, King of the Valdier, had crashed on their planet a few years ago. Valdier was home to the dragon-shifting species that the Sarafin had once fought during the Great War.
The only thing he knew about Earth was that it had somehow managed to survive without imploding, despite Trelon’s mate Cara, as well as Riley, Tina, Pearl St. Claire, and Ruby, Tina’s chicken. That was miraculous considering the chaos that the women tended to leave behind. Having met all of the above, all he could say was he felt sorry for his older brothers and Prince Trelon.
“It looks like the situation is contained here. I will return. Make sure that my skid is left behind,” Walkyr ordered.
“Two sun rotations, Walkyr. Don’t forget. I’ll wait here for you,” Pallu reminded him as another explosion rocked the ground.
Walkyr nodded. “I’ll find the Heart of the Cat and return,” he promised.
He gripped the small bag in his hand and pulled his blade out. Slicing a tiny hole close to the bottom of the bag, he gripped the top of it between his teeth. In seconds, he shifted into a large black leopard with dark blue spots that formed an intricate pattern throughout his coat.
Walkyr ignored the battle behind him. His brothers could deal with the traitors who thought they could destroy the royal family. His focus was on finding the Heart of the Cat.
Small markers fell through the small hole in the bottom of the bag and scattered along the ground as he ran through the thick mist. The lenses Pallu and Arrow had developed allowed him to see just far enough ahead to swerve around the obstacles in his path. His cat warned him when it sensed danger, and he took to the trees, never breaking his stride as he followed that small golden orb beckoning to him.