Jasmira’s heart pounded, and she thought her breathing was the loudest sound around. Moving closer to the Goddess made her feel safer. Amber touched Jasmira’s back, smiling reassuringly. The figures floating in front of them turned their faces to look at Jasmira. Their large eyes had the look of a smooth stone sculpture.
“This is our Race’s first Royal couple, Hêtshepsu and Banafrit.” The Goddess gestured at the male, and then at the female. She glanced at Jasmira and continued, “And this is our Princess, Jasmira, soon to become the Race’s Queen.”
The ghostly couple remained unmoved, their stone-like eyes fixed on Jasmira. They didn’t speak, only stared at her. Jasmira felt a trickle of sweat rolling down her neck and back, and her legs trembled. The light emanating from the water became thicker and brighter, completely enveloping Hêtshepsu and Banafrit. It started to form a dazzling column of a liquid fire around them. With a burst of scorching air, it shot up straight to the cloudless sky.
Jasmira shrieked and covered her face, instinctively taking two steps back. She heard the Goddess’s tranquil voice in her mind telling her to calm down. Jasmira looked at Amber incredulously, her mouth open. Two huge ghostly leopards jumped out of the light, and disappeared into the woods.
“What was that?” Jasmira screeched.
Amber raised one brow, her eyes following the vanishing leopards. “That was the first Royal couple. I’m sorry, they aren’t very friendly.”
“I’ll say! Why did they ignore me like that?”
“I wouldn’t worry too much. Spirits in the Summer Realm don’t follow any conventions or socially accepted rules of behavior,” Amber said evenly, not a hint of apology in her voice.
“They didn’t say a single word. Why did you even want me to meet them?”
The Goddess studied her for a moment, before saying, “As the future Queen of the Summer Race you need to know your ancestry. You are a direct descendant of the first Royal couple. On your father’s side, that is. Your mother was not Royalty.”
“Yes, I know. I grew up with this knowledge. I just wish I could remember her… and my dad too.” Jasmira frowned, looking away.
The Goddess watched Jasmira, her eyes narrowing. “Tell me more about that boy, Jatred. You really like him?”
Jasmira tensed. She felt her cheeks burning. “You already know?”
“Of course. Do you think something like that would escape me?” Amber laughed.
Jasmira looked at the Goddess, startled. She slowly exhaled through her mouth, the tension in her muscles receding. “And you’re not angry with me? He’s a Winter Shifter.”
“Not only a Winter Shifter, but their Race’s Prince. And no, I’m not angry.”
Jasmira bit her lip, her eyes troubled.
“Love is the most wonderful human feeling. You know how much I like the human side of my Shifters. I’m happy you’re in love,” Amber said, opening her hands wide. “I don’t like using clichés, but treasure your love. Make it grow and don’t let go, since it sounds like he’s worth the effort.”
Jasmira could hardly believe her ears. She felt a huge weight sliding off her shoulders.
The Goddess smiled, her head tilted to the side. Jasmira took a step closer and hugged her.
“Come, I’ll send you back to the Human World. I’m sure your grandma is waiting,” the Goddess said softly. Her brows were drawn together in a deep frown, her eyes narrowed. But at this moment Jasmira couldn’t see her face.
CHAPTER 7
Human World, August 14.
Jatred turned the chair around and straddled it. Jasmira shook her head, listening to Penelope arguing on the phone with her mother.
“What’s that about?” he asked.
“Money, what else? Penelope wants to go shopping, but her mom says she’s already run the credit card balance through the roof.”
“Hey, we should go chasing in the woods,” Jatred said, his face animated.
“Sure. Grandma shouldn’t be back until late, so that gives me plenty of time to kick your butt. As always.”
Jatred hooted, getting up from the chair. He put his hands on Jasmira’s waist and, with no effort, lifted her off the floor. She squealed with delight and steadied herself by placing her hands on his shoulders. Slowly he let her slide down until her feet almost touched the floor. Jasmira kissed his lips, her feet in black Prada flats dangling in the air.
Penelope stormed into the kitchen, fuming. She sat in the same chair that Jatred just vacated and, crossing her arms hotly over her chest, said, “I need a job.”
Jatred and Jasmira looked at each other.
“School starts soon. I suppose you could start looking, but—”
Before Jasmira finished, Penelope interrupted, “I could, but it takes time to find a suitable job. I’m not going to bag groceries, thank you very much.”
Jasmira knelt next to her best friend. “Is your mom giving you a hard time about money again?”
“Yes, what else? I mean, do I really spend so much?”
When nobody offered any comment, Penelope added, “Yeah, I guess I do. Okay, maybe Mom has a point but, the truth is, I have my needs too.”
All three of them burst out laughing.
Penelope shrugged. “I’ve been thinking about getting a job for a while. It’s just… so hard to be stuck in some job in the summer. My neighbor, Savannah works on weekends with her mom at the AT&T store, but… I don’t know. That sounds boring.”
“It might not be a bad idea. You’ll have your own cash and, if you don’t like it, you can always quit, right?” Jasmira patted Penelope on the hand, and then turned to look at Jatred for support.
He stood, leaning against the door frame, his hands in his khaki shorts pockets, ankles crossed. A tight white tank top accentuated his lean body.
“Last summer, when Erik broke his arm, I remember two Shifter girls from our school worked at Doctor Bigbee’s clinic. They were at the front desk, helping with the phones and stuff.”
“What do you think?” Jasmira sat back on her heels, looking at Penelope. “Doctor Bigbee is a Shifter. I bet he prefers us, not humans, working for him. At least three of his nurses are double-natured too.”
“He’s a Winter Shifter and so are those nurses,” Penelope muttered.
“I don’t think he cares. Everyone goes to his clinic—both Winter and Summer Shifters,” Jatred commented.
Penelope pursed her lips, considering. “Okay, I’ll start there. Maybe miraculously he’ll have an opening.”
“You were thinking about medical school anyway. I mean, are you still?” Jasmira asked.
“Yeah, yeah, I was. I don’t know what I want. I’ll be taking the AP psychology course this year, so who knows what I’ll decide.” Penelope rolled her eyes and impatiently waved her hand. “I’ll call him tomorrow.”
“No, go there today. In person,” Jasmira insisted.
“I can’t leave you two unguarded.” Penelope made quotation marks in the air with her fingers.
“Nonsense. Grandma won’t be back until late evening, and you’ve already done more than enough. You’ve been trapped here with us for two weeks.” Jasmira laughed.
“No, we don’t know when she might—” Penelope protested, but Jasmira didn’t let her finish, saying, “We’ll be fine. Go.”
“Don’t worry, Pen. We’re just gonna run in the woods for a bit, and then I need to head back anyway. Uncle gets off work early. He wants me to go kayaking with him,” said Jatred.
Penelope sighed, her brows arched. “Promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”
“Yes, Mom,” the other two teenagers said in unison.
She shook her head and walked to the front door, grabbing her small Tory Burch purse on the way. Without looking back at her friends, she raised her hand and waved. When the door closed behind Penelope, Jatred pulled Jasmira toward him and kissed her. His hands slid up to the back of her head. She encircled his neck with her arms, her eyes closed.
“J, we
should go now,” she said with her mind, no conviction in her voice.
Jatred broke the kiss and looked at her, grinning. “You don’t sound like you really want to run now.”
“No, but it’s so beautiful outside. It’s gonna rain tomorrow.”
“So let’s go.” He took her hand.
Together they walked to the back of the kitchen, where two double-doors guarded the access to the backyard, and then through a large, covered outdoor lounge area. A soaring fireplace and an industrial-type grill were built into the opposite walls. Plush furniture was arranged in the best way to take a full advantage of the view: a three-section pool and the woods behind it. The property covered over ten acres of land, most of it an old forest. It had been in Jousenne’s, Jasmira’s grandmother’s, family for three generations. The land was fully enclosed, with the warning signs “NO TRESPASSING” posted every twenty yards on the tall wood fence. The vast woods provided a safe place for the Summer Shifters to roam around in their animal forms.
When they passed the forest’s edge, they shifted and unhurriedly walked between the trees. They were both black, from their noses to their tails. Picking up speed, they ran together, nudging each other with their muzzles, and swishing their tails. With a rumbling growl, Jatred surged forward, quickly advancing on Jasmira. She responded with a short snarl and took after him. Jatred took a sharp turn, and Jasmira skidded headfirst, twisting her body in his direction. Her paws scrambled on the forest floor, but she regained her balance. She lurched ahead, gaining on Jatred. She rammed into him with the side of her head, sending him tumbling into the bushes. He yelped, but swiftly got up, and rushed after her, his sharp canines flashing.
A small squirrel raced up a tree trunk, letting out its high-pitched chatter. Several birds hurriedly took to the wing, shrieking in fright. A pair of deer raised their heads in alarm and shot to the side. The wolf and the leopard paid them no attention.
Jatred snarled. He caught the end of Jasmira’s tail between his teeth and pulled lightly. She whirled with a low rumble and snapped her teeth around the loose skin at the back of his neck, then shook her head fast from side to side. He let go of her tail and fell. Jasmira tumbled on top of him, kicking her legs in an attempt to get up.
She rolled off him to the other side and leaped up. The wolf dashed after her, almost colliding with a tree. She ran fast, dodging the trees and bushes. She jumped over vines that covered the forest floor and the twisted roots protruding from the ground. Jatred was right behind her when she stopped abruptly, her paws skidding on the damp surface.
The wolf bumped into her and yelped, pushing her forward. She regained her balance, turned her head and glared at him.
“Sorry.” She heard his voice in her mind. He was laughing.
Jatred prodded her with his nose, attempting to make her move forward.
“Be still. Quiet,” the leopard responded. She turned her head, catching a scent on the wind, her muzzle raised.
He stood in a similar position, smelling the air. His keen ears swiveled to the sides, trying to catch a noise different from the usual forest sounds. They swore at the same time, turning their heads. The sound of pouncing paws came from the side. A few moments later the noise subsided, and they saw a pale leopard, slowly walking toward them. Even in the animal form Jousenne was visibly frowning. Her upper lip was slightly pulled back from her long sharp teeth.
Jasmira lowered her head between her shoulder blades, watching her grandmother. The fur on Jasmira’s neck and back stood up, her tail low between her hind legs.
Jatred’s lips curled in a silent growl. Backing up two steps, he fixed his eyes on Jousenne. A sudden breeze ruffled his thick black fur.
“Jasmira,” Jousenne’s sharp voice sounded in their minds. “You disobeyed me.”
Neither of the teenagers said anything. They stood almost motionless, looking miserable.
“There will be consequences,” the grandmother added, glaring at Jasmira. Then she turned her head toward the wolf. “You are trespassing, Prince Jatred. This territory is not opened to the public.”
“I invited him—” Jasmira cut in.
“You have some explaining to do,” Jousenne hissed with her mind, her eyes flashing angrily. “Go inside.”
“But, Grannie—”
“Jasmira.” Speaking in their minds, Jousenne drew the girl’s name out in a sharp whisper.
“This is my fault, please—” Jatred tried to explain, but Jousenne wouldn’t listen to him.
“Go back the way you came in, wherever it was. I trust you are careful enough not to reveal yourself to any human passerby, or you might risk getting hunted and shot,” she said dispassionately.
Jatred hung his head low and took a few tentative steps toward Jasmira. He nudged the side of her head with his nose. She turned to look at him, her eyes filled with sadness.
The old trees around them creaked and groaned under a gust of wind. There were splashes of sunlight on the forest floor and one of them fell over the teenagers.
“I’m sorry. This shouldn’t have happened,” Jatred whispered with his mind to Jasmira. “Are you gonna be okay? I have to see you again… soon.”
Before she could respond, her grandmother commented, “I can hear everything you say, and I don’t think you will be seeing each other anytime soon.”
Jasmira formed a mental shield and quickly said to Jatred, “J, I will call you… you know, the same way as before. Now please go.”
Unhurriedly the wolf turned around. He stood for a moment, looking at Jasmira over his shoulder, then faced forward and walked away. Both leopards watched him disappear into the woods. He ran through the shadowed and the sun-lightened spots, his black fur contrasting with the greenery around him.
“You lied to me,” Jousenne’s voice sounded clearly in Jasmira’s mind. It was definitely reproachful, although the pale leopard’s eyes were sad, with no trace of anger.
“No, I didn’t lie. I disobeyed you, but never lied. I don’t recall you asking if I have seen Jatred lately. So I didn’t lie,” Jasmira said, a note of challenge in her voice.
The air around Jousenne rippled in small visible waves, momentarily distorting the clear edges of the tree trunk behind her. She shifted into her human form. She was tall and although intimidating, her eyes were pinched with concern.
Jasmira shifted too, turning away from her grandmother, her jaw muscles clenched.
A small bird sat in the near-by tree, chirping a sweet serenade. Both women turned their faces up toward the soothing sound.
Jousenne sighed heavily. “I am not against you dating, but you are the Summer Race’s Princess. You and Jatred don’t belong together. It’s just too complicated. We’ve talked about that; I thought you understood.” A golden pin in her hair winked the light when she shook her head. Her long heavy earrings quivered from the movement.
“I love him, I can’t help it. He…” the girl broke off, her eyes stinging.
Jousenne took a few steps toward Jasmira and touched her elbow. “I know, child. I know. I wish it was possible for you and him.” Her voice was soft. “But the Goddess won’t allow it—”
“Amber has nothing against this. She actually told me to stay with Jatred.”
“What?” Jousenne asked in a whisper, her face set in a mask of surprise. “Wait a minute, our Goddess said this?”
“Yes. So you have nothing to worry about,” Jasmira said in a level voice, lifting one eyebrow, her hands on her hips.
“That’s odd. The Goddess doesn’t like when we get too close with the Winter Race. You know that.”
“Maybe she finally realized there’s nothing wrong with our Races mixing,” Jasmira said stubbornly.
Jousenne frowned. “When did you see her?”
“She summoned me to the Summer Realm this morning.”
“To the Realm? That’s pretty unusual. She normally summons us within the Human World.” Jousenne was taken aback.
“I think she just wanted
me to meet the first Royal couple,” Jasmira said.
“That explains it. The Spirits of the past can’t leave the Realm.”
“I didn’t like them. Mean freaks.” Jasmira made a face.
Jousenne said in a soft voice, “I know. They disregard everyone. I suppose Amber decided it’s time for you to learn who they are. There are many things you need to know about our Race and the Goddess. Amber wanted to wait until your seventeenth birthday, that’s why I haven’t introduced you to any of these facts. Anyway, let’s go inside.” She smoothed her Alexander Wang skirt. “I want to hear exactly what the Goddess said to you about Jatred. I’m very concerned about her sudden approval of your relationship with the Winter Prince.”
CHAPTER 8
Human World, August 13.
“At least you’re not grounded anymore. So what did she say?” Penelope asked. She sat on the bed, crossing her legs.
“She doesn’t like the idea of me and Jatred together. Even if Amber says otherwise.” Jasmira paced around the room, clutching a cordless phone in her hand.
“Because you guys belong to the rival Races?”
“That too. But mostly because she’s suspicious of Amber’s sudden change of heart. Amber’s fine with me and Jatred dating, but Grandma sees it as something alarming.”
“She might have a point.” Penelope frowned. “The Goddess doesn’t want us to mix with the Winter Race, never had in the past. That much I know for sure.”
“Ugh. It’s okay. She said so herself.” Jasmira stopped pacing. She clenched her fist around the phone, breaking it in half. When pieces of metal and plastic fell to the floor, she looked at her bleeding hand.
“Was this a display of your Shifter’s strength? I’m not impressed.” Penelope’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Your housekeeper will have a fit when she sees this phone.”
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