“Hey, uh—I hope you don’t think the bonfire is strange.”
“Huh,” I murmured furling my eyebrows. “Why would I think that? It’s just a bonfire . . . Right? I mean,” I giggled nervously. “I’ve never been to an Indian bonfire, but surely it’s the same as any other bonfire?” I smiled at him.
Tru glanced at me and shrugged, “Right. Yep. The same! Uh-huh?”
My smile quickly faded. “Hey, ya’ll aren’t planning on killing something . . . Right?” I joked, remembering an old Indian movie where they sacrificed a little deer. Pour “Bambi,” he never had a chance! Tru paled visibly. My heart seemed too sputter. Oh, my God, there was going to be some kind of weird Indian sacrifice? What . . . the heck . . . did I get myself into?
“Tru,” I squeaked. “Come on. I’m just joking,” I tittered. “I mean there isn’t—no, there’s not going to be a sacrifice?” I smiled and shrugged my shoulders. “You can stop looking at me that way.” However, to my horror Tru still looked at me bleakly. Now I was really starting to freak. “Tru? Tell me that what I am reading on your face is nothing. You’re going to say surprise, C, I’m kidding. Right, Tru?”
“Well. . .” Tru paused. My eyes went wide with shock at how seriously grim Tru looked.
I could have cried. For real, they were going to kill a deer or some other animal! Then suddenly something changed in his expression and Tru smiled reassuringly. All the breath I had been holding came out in a whoosh. Funny, I didn’t even know I had been holding my breath. I was relieved.
“It’s not a sacrifice, but it will be different. We’re not going to kill anything—well, not that I know of.” Tru laughed and I frowned. “It’s a ritual of some kind.” Tru stopped walking. I stopped and looked over my shoulder—and then I backtracked to stand beside him. He said, “It’s something that my people go through when we reach a certain age.”
“OK,” I glared up at him. “So it’s a ritual, check. You have to be a certain age, check. Gotcha.” I smiled. Tru grinned and started walking once again. “How old do you have to be?” I asked. “I mean, you’re sixteen. And well, from what you told me you’ve just turned sixteen.”
“Yeah . . . I should’ve already done it, but my grandfather was waiting for the right time.” He nudged me. “So . . . Are you cool with it?”
“Look,” I smiled. “I’m cool with it as long as there’s no killing of furry creatures or people.”
He laughed a sweet pleasant laugh that made me grin, but all too soon my grin faded when something occurred to me. Tru—that rat—tried to freak me out with all the weird looks and my sacrificial talk. I gave him my most menacing look. It didn’t really look too threatening, but I tried. Tru just smiled at me. I got mad and shoved him.
“Hey!” Tru exclaimed. “Dudette, what was that?” Tru frowned as he rubbed his chest.
“Oh,” I shook my head. “You poor, poor baby,” I grinned. “Did I hurt you?” I asked sarcastically.
“Just my ego,” Tru replied softly. “What happened? Why did you push me?”
I stuck my finger up wagging it at him. I said, “Because you were trying to freak me out, and that’s not cool.”
“Oh yeah,” Tru smiled his cute crooked grin.
“Yeah,” I shouted, shaking my head and folding my arms across my chest.
“Well, fine then,” Tru said as he gripped my waist and pulled me to his chest wrapping his arms firmly around my lower back. “I guess you deserve a proper apology.”
“What?” I asked. I was still very mad.
Tru leaned in inches away from my mouth. I could feel his breath hot on my lips. I quivered, and all the anger faded away with the anticipation of what might happen.
Tru whispered into my ear, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just having some fun. You have to admit it was kinda funny.” Tru pulled back and looked down at me. All of a sudden his voice took on a falsetto tone. “No, Tru, you’re not going to kill tiny animals.” He laughed. I rolled my eyes.
“Well,” I was like. “Maybe I overreacted, but if you could’ve seen your face.”
“So, I’m a good actor? I had you going?”
“Hah, hah! Hell yes, you’re a good actor, Tru,” I pushed at him.
Tru leaned down. All the playfulness faded as I gazed into Tru’s eyes. My face got hot and I closed my eyes waiting. Then his lips slowly grazed the side of my face. And I smiled as my heart sped up. He pressed our bodies close together. We were so close that I couldn’t tell where Tru began and I ended. I wanted him so bad in that moment. Blood was pounding in my ears, as my body melted into his. Heat rushed up my spine, and tiny zings of sensation throbbed in my most private parts.
Tru looked into my eyes. He let out a low shaky breath and murmured, “I-li-s-go-lv-ta-nv, a-ya, s-qua-nu-s-ta, ni-hi.”
I looked up into his wonderful eyes confused at what he just said. “Tru?”
Tru was still in his own lust-filled world, looking at me with hunger, need, and want. Tru wanted me just as bad as I wanted him. Tru murmured something silly. I couldn’t help myself, it made me laugh.
“V-v!”
It was so cute and too funny. I let out a little giggle at how he was acting, and what he just said. Tru frowned down at me. I didn’t like the way he was looking. I had to wipe the frown off his face. I decided to do something spontaneous, something I wouldn’t normally do. I pressed the palms of my hands to his cheeks. I reached up on my tiptoes and gave him a playful kiss on the lips. I pulled away from the kiss smiling up at him. However, he pulled me back returning my kiss and then some. It wasn’t like the playful kiss I had just given him. It was a hot sexy kiss. Heat seemed to singe my tongue. Tru rolled his tongue around my mouth then he teased my lips. Tru slowly pulled back, kissing my bottom lip, tugging it with his teeth. He looked at me in a way I had never seen him look before. I had no words to describe the look he gave me. Tru let out a low shuttering breath and pulled me in for more. He ravaged my mouth, plunging his tongue with mine, tasting my lips with a passion that had been building up in us for weeks.
I pulled away to breathe. However, Tru wasn’t having it, he growled under his breath saying, “Si-wu.”
He moved in for another kiss, but I stopped him. I just needed to know what he was saying in his Cherokee language. Darn my curiosity. “Hang on, Tru,” I demanded, putting my palms on his massive chest. “Wait,” I laughed as he tried to kiss me again.
Tru stopped and looked at me. “Huh?”
I smiled. “I have to know what you are saying to me.” I grinned, a very girly grin.
Tru smiled. He let out a sigh. Laughing, he said, “I’m sorry, C. I guess I got carried away.” He blushed. “Well I said, I-li-s-go-lv-ta-nv, a-ya, s-qua-nu-s-ta, ni-hi: Meaning let me kiss you,” he grinned. “Then I said v-v: Meaning yes, because you said my name so I said yes. Then you did something so remarkable—something I’ve wanted you to do ever since you got into my truck. You kissed me before I had a chance to do it first. It was wonderful, but you pulled away and I was left wanting so much more. So then I said si-wu, which means more. Because I want more of you.” Tru winked. “I always want more of you.” His voice was suddenly husky.
“I see. So you want more,” I said teasingly. Tru nodded. “More of this?” I puckered up my lips and pantomimed kissing.
Tru nodded. His eyes were sinfully seductive on mine. I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck. I kissed him slow. Then I increased the kiss, thrusting our tongues together. I pulled back looking at him trying to calm my breathing. Tru stared down at me with so much hunger. His eyes were glazed, and for a second I thought they were glowing yellow. Yeah, I know crazy, right . . . but not as crazy as setting someone on fire with your own body? Now that shit’s crazy! I shook my head as Tru wrapped his strong arms around my neck and pulled me closer. He kissed me fast and hard. However, when Tru went to readjust his hold, we lost our footing and fell backwards. We crashed onto the grass. Mercifully, it was a soft landing. We pulled
away and stared at one another, and then we both burst out laughing.
“Well, I didn’t expect that,” Tru murmured. “Sorry.”
“Its fine,” I replied with a shy smile.
Tru grinned.
I looked at him. “Tru, I have to ask you something I’ve been dying to know.”
“OK, spill it.” Tru smiled.
“Um, well,” I paused and just came out with it. “Where is your dad?”
Tru glanced at me with a pained look on his face. He swallowed and said, “He’s not alive anymore.” Tru looked away. I felt bad.
God, I just wished I could take it back. Not open my stinking mouth. Curiosity sucks!
The bad thing about curiosity is you always want to know more. But I didn’t want to hurt him, so I bit down my curiosity and said, “I’m sorry.”
He grinned sadly and pulled me in for a hug. We lay there in silence, basking in the flowing river, chirping birds, wonderful moss grass, and thick trees surrounding us. As Tru was holding me in his arms, it felt right, so very right. We fit together. I smiled, but then something constricted in my chest. It was very painful and I felt a deep loss. I felt like I was giving up a part of me. And in a way, I guess I was. Because looking into Tru’s eyes I decided to pick him. Choose him. And knowing this, I understood why I was sad. I was losing Jace.
Chapter Thirty-Three
The Bonfire
Anticipation of what might happen was pulling at my insides as excitement was spilling over. I had a big goofy grin on my face. I was downright giddy. Although sadness was at the edge of my heart from the realization. I’d decided I wanted Tru, and only Tru. Jace was a wonderful guy. He made me feel things that no one had before. There was something there between us, something that felt like it had been there even before I’d met him, and I know that sounds crazy, but it did feel that way. However, it was time for me to pick, and I picked Tru. So other than this insanely giddy feeling, why was there a small part of me that felt like my heart was being ripped out? I was such a dummy. I just needed to stop throwing Jace a farewell party. We were still friends.
Tru and I walked upon a clearing in the woods. He told me to take a seat on one of the cornerstone rocks surrounding the area. I nodded. There were large rocks placed in a circle around the bonfire. Fog was flowing along the ground circling my feet in slow swirls. There was also a white circle drawing around the inner part of the bonfire. In the middle of the stone circle, wood was built up like a tepee, making the image look very eerie. A red velvet cloth was on the ground directly in front of the makeshift tepee. Meanwhile, beside the red cloth was an altar of some kind. Oh crap, why did they need an altar? I felt sick and a little out of place. I was starting to freak.
“Hey, C, you OK?” Tru asked.
I nearly jumped off the rock and knocked him over, “Huh? Oh, I’m cool,” I replied shakily.
“Are you sure about that? You don’t look so good, and you just about knocked me over.” He raised his eyebrows.
“Thanks a lot, Tru.”
Tru smiled at me as he placed his hands on my shoulders. “Sorry, but you look scared. Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to happen, OK? I promise. I’m sure there’s not going to be any killing tonight.” He laughed. I glared at him but nodded. Tru’s hands were still on my shoulders as he leaned in and brushed a soft kiss across my lips.
I smiled and whispered, “I have something to tell you.”
Tru smiled back and slowly caressed my cheek with the back of his hand and said, “What’s that?”
“I decided something today,” I said shyly.
“Yeah,” Tru purred. Purred, he actually purred like a cat, or maybe . . . gasp . . . A wolf?
I shook my head. Yeah right! “Well,” I started, but was cut off when Tru’s grandfather approached.
He clasped Tru on the shoulder. “Grandfather,” Tru said startled.
Tru’s grandfather smiled, and then he said something in Cherokee. Darn, I wish I knew what he said. Oh well, I’d just have to make Tru teach me. It was a beautiful language, and when Tru spoke it, it is all the more beautiful. Three tall Indian men approached us while Tru was talking to his grandfather. I glanced around and noticed all the men and women looked extraordinarily exotic, dressed in their native clothing. Well, all but Tru. He was still in his jeans and t-shirt. The Indian men wore what looked like brown breechclout. Well, that was what my history teacher called it.
The breechclout was pulled up between their legs, securing it at the waist with a black thong. It allowed the ends of the material to hang nearly to the knees in front and back. Upon their feet were short moccasins with flaps on either side of their ankles. Leather chaps, or maybe leggings, went all the way up from ankle to mid-thigh, and were also fastened to their side with a light-brown leather belt. All the men were bare chested, so you could see their muscles bunch and flex as they moved. I also noticed that most of the men had that same exact tattoo. The tattoo Tru had on the right hand side of his chest of a gorgeous howling wolf. Moonlight cast a silvery light over their skin, making the Indians’ wolf tattoo look amazing.
I looked at all the female Indians. They were dressed in brown leather strapless dresses, and barefoot. While all the men had their hair pulled back in a braid, the women had theirs flowing freely in the light. Topping off their look were special head ornaments with feathers and shells. Bracelets were wrapped around their ankles and wrists. The bracelets were unnerving. When one of the women would move, the bracelets would make a snake-like rattling sound. It was very alarming. I don’t like snakes.
Tru, his grandfather, and the Indian men exchanged words, than Tru leaned down and kissed me on the cheek and said, “It is time for me to get ready. I will return soon. Don’t worry, OK?”
I nodded and watched him walk away. I was feeling alone all of a sudden and a little scared. I shouldn’t have been scared. Besides, Tru was there. His mother was there. His sister and P-J were there as well. So why did I feel uneasy? Like something bad was going to happen? I shook it off and glanced over at Paco. He was looking straight forward with a serene look on his face. It was very unnerving to see him without a smile. But now that I thought about it, he was sixteen. So maybe it was time for him to do the ritual? Or maybe he had already done it? I felt a little paranoid about this whole ritual thing. It was fine if you were into that . . . but I’ was not.
So I was so wigging out pretty hard. I clenched my teeth and dug my fingernails into the palms of my hands. I felt a sharp pain where my nails had penetrated my flesh. I gazed down and saw half-moons slowly filling up with blood. All the same, that was fine with me. All this concentrating was too much. I would rather feel pain right now. That way I wouldn’t have to think about tonight’s ritual. Pain was the only thing keeping me from making a complete fool of myself and getting up and running home screaming, “You’ll never take me alive!” Yeah, so that was a bit melodramatic. Hello, don’t you remember my head’s screwed up. So the pain was the only thing keeping me grounded. Besides, I was kinda getting used to pain, what with me getting kidnaped, stabbed, hit, and strangled. I was coming to know pain as my friend. Whatever! Yet that would be funny, me running away screaming. I would never live it down. So no, I’d just sit there like a good girl.
Everyone sat around the fire, all looking very calm and chanting something. Jolon looked over at me. He smiled and then started waving his hands like he was flagging down an airplane. I kid you not. One of his hands went straight up, while the other went straight across—it was funny. I waved back grinning. He made me feel so much better I almost laughed. I assumed from the goofy grin on his face that he hadn’t done this yet. Jolon told me that he was fifteen, and Tru said when you’re sixteen you’re basically initiated into whatever this was. I groaned audibly.
If I thought too long about what might go down that night, it would start to feel like some kind of satanic/cult worship. I really didn’t want to go there. I was freaked out enough. I sighed and looked around, feeling out of
place. I was so not wearing the appropriate outfit. And, man, I hated to think it, or even say it out loud but well. . . I was white. I was the only white person there! Sitting around people who had mocha brown, dark brown colored skin was making me feel awkward. My white-as-ghost skin stood out big time. Yeah, you could have used me as a flash light and spotted just about anything. That was how white my skin was. No seriously, I was that freaking white.
Let’s just say I stuck out like a sore thumb. I cringed at that. Shrugging the thought away, I watched Tru’s grandfather approach me, smiling a charming, wise old man smile. With grace and power pouring off him, he moved with such smoothness. It was like watching an elegant dancer. He also had this stalking presence. And again I had that nagging thought that he, just like Tru, reminded me of a cat, or maybe just maybe . . . what Avani told me . . . A wolf. He had on a white cloak that was pinned to his neck. It flowed outward showing off his bare skin. Underneath the cloak he was wearing white pants. He had long flowing silver hair. And oh, my God the man stood around six and a half feet tall. I couldn’t believe I didn’t notice how tall he was before. I guess I was too freaked with the bonfire to notice his height. But hell, he was enormous.
“Hello,” his voice rumbled like lightning just before a storm. “You are the young lady my grandson spoke of.” He smiled as Tru’s name crossed his lips. All of a sudden, his face went from smiling to a serious expression. I glanced down. With that same wonderful commanding rumbling voice, he said, “Take heed. You are very privileged to sit here among our warriors and witness the dance. It is our young ones’ rite of passage and you have been chosen by my grandson to witness this glories occasion.”
A Spark Of Magic: Chosen Saga Book One Page 24