Diaries of an Urban Panther

by Amanda Arista

  “Funny,” I snarled as I adjusted the jacket a bit more. It was the dead of December and we were facing down what the forecasters were saying was going to be the coldest winter in years. And I was wearing a thin velour suit. No Kevlar, no combat gear. Just me.

  I took in a deep breath of the cool night air and slipped my keys and cell in his jacket pockets. In this very close proximity, I had to force the blush out of my cheeks as I matched his hazel gaze. Had to force myself not to take one long, possibly last breath of him to remember.

  “This is a crap plan.” His hand caught mine as I pulled my hands back to my sides. “You can’t sacrifice yourself,” he whispered as his forefinger began to caress my knuckles.

  I could feel my heart race in my throat, taste the beat of his in the hot air between us. In that moment, I could have fallen into his arms and let him take the lead, let him be the big hero. But it was sentimentalities like this I couldn’t have romping around in my brain if I was going to pull this off. I needed calm, I needed focus, and Chaz did neither of those for me.

  Slipping my hand from his, I rocked back on my heels to take in a deep cool, un-Chaz-filled breath and explained what he needed to do. “Got a small knife?”

  He quickly pulled a folding knife out of his jean pocket.

  “I’m going to shift. When I do, hand me that,” I said glancing down at the little knife in his palm, still frozen between us. “Give me about three minutes to get their attention and then you focus on getting Jessa out of there. That’s your objective.”

  I tugged at the edge of my jacket and pushed the sleeves up a little. Energy danced across my skin; nervous, anxious energy that I couldn’t control, didn’t want to control. I ripped out my ponytail holder and pulled my hair back again, catching some of the wispies that had escaped in the cool breeze.

  “Violet, I . . .” Chaz tried to say but I didn’t let him. I didn’t need a confession right now.

  “I’m going to distract them.” I slipped off my shoes and set them on a wooden stack of pallets. “Take out the mirror if you can. I don’t know how hairy it’s going to get in there.”

  I took another step away from him and his warmth faded quickly from my skin.

  “Can you do it?” his voice wavered. “Can you shift and stay Violet?”

  “Jessa’s my best friend, Chaz. I’ll do what I need to do. Besides, this is bigger than just me, remember?”

  He looked away, down the long dark street. The silence between us was worse than anything those men in there could do to me.

  And I was pretty sure I could do this. If not, I could rely on the cat to get the job done. She hated Spencer as much as I did. It was all about timing. All I needed was five minutes to distract them. I had faith in Chaz to get job done.

  I turned and stared at the path to the front door. “And if all else fails, you know what a well-placed silver slug can do.”

  “Now who’s starting to talk like who?” he remarked.

  I fought a smile. Look who became Action girl after all. But I didn’t let him see my amusement. Didn’t let him know that I was doing this for him. For Iris. For Devin. For everyone who wouldn’t have a chance against whatever beastie Spencer could pull from that mirror.

  Rolling my shoulders, I took in a breath and felt for the static-like power in everything around me. I reached out and scooped it all to me, gathered the power that allowed me to change form, like gathering in a blanket to your chest.

  “Ready?” I said as I looked over at him.

  He was already loading his gun, checking the bullets in the chamber. “Always.”

  I rolled my eyes. God, that was cheesy.

  I closed my eyes and found the center of power within me and slid down into the inky blackness.

  When I opened them again, my vantage point has shifted. I turned my head to see the gun in Chaz’s hand. I was me at panther height. I looked down at the large strong paws, the blue-black fur. I was me. As a Cat. No more than just a cat, a panther, a metaphysical beast only told of in legend.

  I rock.

  I sauntered in the front door of the warehouse and immediately saw the men Chaz described. Lit by the few electric lamps in the antique shop, they really were in a circle around the girl. The men smelled like stale creek water and chewed pig hoof. Good ole mongrels. Knew I hadn’t seen the last of them.

  I recognized Spencer even in the dim lights; his blonde hair and his tailored clothes a striking contrast to the dingy wardrobe of the mongrels who stood patiently awaiting orders. Spencer was the target, the one who called out to me above all the others—even Jessa, who I tried desperately not to look at.

  Jessa was bleeding and her borders were gone. I felt her roses and raindrops prickle across my skin. She sat limp in a high back chair. Her forearm was cut from elbow to wrist and bleeding freely into a silver basin on the floor by the chair.

  There was one surprise that I didn’t expect. Cristina the psychic was standing next to Spencer with a thick black volume open in her petite hands. Her blood red skirt swished the floor as she turned around to greet the newcomer. Her eyes focused and then jumped wide with fear. Anger chilled my skin and I snarled at her. That bitch.

  “Well, who’s this?” Spencer questioned, relaxed as I padded into their circle.

  Two of the men immediately pulled guns and I could smell the gun powder on their greasy hands. They had pulled the trigger once already this evening and their energy danced around then like they were willing to do it again.

  “I think the little kitty wants to play,” Spencer laughed, reaching out his hand to me.

  I slinked under his long fingers and he ran his hand gingerly down my back. I slithered in and out of his legs for a moment and stopped next to him, leaning in against his leg.

  “Spencer, no,” Christina warned as she put her hand on his arm.

  Spencer pushed her hand away with a snarl. Cristina squeezed the book against her chest and backed away.

  “Aren’t you beautiful,” he whispered as he ran his fingers down my head, around my ears and neck. It felt natural, him touching me like this, the strength of his panther interacting with mine.

  “Why is she here?” one of the thugs growled.

  Spencer snarled and the man dropped his eyes. To me, it was clear that if Spencer wasn’t there, these men were not strong enough to rip a whole in the Veil. So it was me and Spencer. Two men enter, one man leaves.

  I left his side and crossed over to Jessa. I flattened my ears back and made a low throaty noise as I stalked around her, nibbling at her fingers long enough to drop the knife into them. She caught it quickly and curled her fingers around the blade. Stealthy is as stealthy does.

  Then I was back at Spencer’s side, wrapping my body around his legs. In an instant, a simple thought, I was running my hand up his chest in one smooth movement that brought me around to his back, my lips in his ear. And thank you god, the suit was still in place.

  His men flinched but Spencer was too wrapped up in the energy of my shift to be on the defensive. His head leaned back for a moment and his eyes fluttered shut, putting us cheek to cheek. Within his borders, his power played against mine. It wasn’t like on the dance floor where he was forceful; this was more relaxed, playful almost. I let my energy roll around him and let his exotic smell fill my nostrils.

  “Why are you here, Violet?” he asked.

  “I needed to see you again,” I whispered in his ear. “Feel your fur against mine. You did something to me and I can’t stop thinking about it.”

  Spencer smiled and with barely a flexed muscle, quickly pulled me to his side, wrapping his arms around my waist. He looked down the front of my suit but his cool blue eyes snapped up and caught mine by surprise. I managed a deep seductive smile and molded against his body, trying to ignore that my panther loved his willingness to play, that he would be strong enough to really play with.

  “Thought your answer was a resounding no.”

  I cast my eyes down and to the sid
e, the intensity of his gaze finally ruffling my calm. “Didn’t quite know what you were offering.” I flicked my eyes to Cristina who practically quaked with fear. “But it looks like you already have plenty of girls at the party.”

  “They are nothing. Means to an end, my love.” He chuckled and his lips brushed my cheek softly. “But why are you really here?”

  I swallowed hard at the edge his tone took. Time to layer on the act. “Your father sent his lackeys to attack me in broad daylight, like I was some sort of mess to be cleaned up. I didn’t appreciate it.”

  Spencer reached up and ran his fingers through my hair, taking out the tie that kept it back. The surprisingly intimate gesture caught me off guard. A little gasp escaped my throat and he smiled and nuzzled his nose into my chestnut locks, taking in a deep breath.

  “I knew you’d see I was right. I knew you’d join me. He said you would.”

  I pushed away at his chest. “Who said?”

  Spencer just smiled. “Jovan.”

  I tried not to gasp as he so casually mentioned the world-eating demon the Neveranth was created to incarcerate. “Jovan?”

  Spencer nodded. “He will come and the entire country will be ours.”

  “He will come and kill us all,” I corrected sharply

  Spencer shook his head as he dropped his arm from my waist and I was able to suck in a deep breath of clean air. “He will spare whoever I want, those loyal to me. He promised.”

  The space between my shoulders went ice cold. This was what Chaz had been talking about it. The Cause knew that Spencer was going for Jovan, going for the big payday. And still they did nothing about it. So this really was up to me to save the world. The realization of it sat cold and heavy in my stomach.

  “Are you all right, my pet? You look pale.”

  “It’s a lot to take in.” I recovered as quickly as I could, thanking the gods that I had watched Jessa charm men for two years. “Being second in command to all that.”

  There was a small yelp from behind us and we turned around to see Cristina covering her mouth.

  “What?” I laughed as I approached her, slipping from Spencer’s possessive fingers. “Did he promise you power in the new regime?” I made a small pout and sent a laugh that echoed through the antique crystal around us. “Sorry honey. I’m abdicating your throne.”

  I ripped the book from her hand and grabbed her throat, shoving her hard into an armoire. Her toes danced on the floor, her anklets jingling, as she clutched at my arm. Tears flooded my eyes as I felt the betrayal run hot through my veins. I saw the tainted light in her eyes, darkened with fear and power that I hadn’t even known to look for before. The disgust curled my fingers around her small throat even tighter.

  “You have one chance to declare what side you are on, witch,” I hissed into her ear.

  “I am yours, Daughter of Jourdaine,” she gasped. “I swear it.”

  “Then I suggest you play dead if you want to survive this.”

  I dropped her to her slippered feet and held the book close to my chest. The book danced with dark energy, the slimy, cool kind that made bile rise in my throat. Cristina held her throat and took in deep shaky breaths. She looked up at me with brown eyes, clear of any persuasion that Spencer had held over her in the past. Untainted as she declared her choice.

  I nodded slightly and threw a wall of energy at her that was bigger than anything I had conjured in the past. Her petite body flew up and over a desk and crashed into a full china cabinet. The noise was deafening.

  Without flinching, I turned to Spencer with a satisfied smile and swayed back over to him. “Now, where were we?”

  Spencer smiled and held his hand out to me. Slipping my hand into his, he guided me to the mirror and the circle. Jessa’s head lulled to one side and our eyes met. It was the only time I wished that I could see into her mind, wished I were telepathic and could tell her that everything was going to be fine.

  Every fiber of me wanted to go to her, but I couldn’t break the façade. But the panther could. A small amount of energy crept forth and stroked her cheek. I could feel her soft skin on my forefinger. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment and she moaned softly.

  Spencer turned around and looked between us. “What was that?” A deep furrow formed between his eyes.

  My energy snapped back and my heart raced. Of course, he could feel that. He was as powerful as me.

  I licked my lips and lied through my teeth. “She was my friend for years, yet it took your foresight to see what her true power could be used for.”

  Spencer’s jaw loosened. “You do have a way with words, Violet.”

  “Thank you.”

  “If you would do the honors, my pet,” Spencer said as he pointed to the book. He slid his jacket off his broad shoulders and tossed it on a table. He began to unbutton his shirt.

  “What kind of a girl do you think I am?”

  Spencer laughed as he pulled out his shirttails to expose a tan, taut chest. “I need you to carve a symbol into my chest, so that when Jovan comes, he knows who the worthy one is.”

  “Worthy one?”

  Spencer retrieved an ornate silver knife from the table where his coat lay. “He cannot take human form. He must possess a vessel.”

  “But what about you?”

  Spencer smiled. “That almost sounds like concern in your voice, kitten.”

  My stomach turned on itself when he called me that. I took the knife from his hand and opened the book. “Which one?”

  He pointed to a simple rune on a page full of text that I couldn’t begin to read.

  As I was looking at the page, Spencer took the basin full of Jessa’s blood and dumped it down the front of the mirror’s silver surface.

  Jessa gasped and her fight was renewed against her restraints.

  As I expected to see the blood flow down the smooth surface, the mirror seemed to absorb the blood, taking it beneath its surface, leaving only the frame still covered in the rose-scented red.

  The surface of the mirror rippled like water and I looked around to see what the next step was. That’s when I saw Chaz sneaking in the corner of the room.

  No more thinking, my three minutes were up. My brain kicked into a gear I didn’t even know was possible; an instinctual level that didn’t filter through my usual levels of cynicism and self-doubt.

  The silver in my hand felt heavy and as Spencer turned back to me to start, I rammed the knife into his ribs, all the way up to the hilt. We both gasped as blood spilled out dark and hot over my hand. I tore the knife out and kicked him farther and harder than Cristina. His surprised figure went flying into the darkness behind the ring of old lamps.

  The book, now spattered with blood, grew hot and anxious in my hands. I looked at the mirror and tossed it through the surface. The surface rippled happily with the offering. If it was active, then they must have gathered some of my blood when they cold-cocked me.

  The nearest mongrel started to pull out his gun. I could smell the oil as I turned around. I ran for him. His brown eyes widened as he raised the gun at me.

  I grabbed his arm and pulled his arm towards me. His clumsy weight fell forward and I put him in a flying arm bar that would have made my sensei pee his pants. The mongrel landed on his back with a loud oomph and his head cracked against the cement.

  The gun fell from his hand and right into mine. My plan had worked. I scooped it up, and taking shelter behind a rolltop desk out in the middle of the showroom floor, I aimed at the others before they even noticed their friend was on the ground.

  I went for the chest. I wasn’t sure how many bullets were in this model, somewhere between ten and fifteen. Didn’t know if it would be sufficient to take down a shapeshifter, but I didn’t even need to hit the bastards. I just needed to draw them away long enough for Jessa and Chaz to escape.

  They scattered like birds, not dogs. The showroom floor provided little coverage for the men. They managed to duck behind tables and china cabinets.
Didn’t stop me from shooting at them, the chaos throwing glass shards and porcelain everywhere. Taking potshots now and then, they blew chunks off of the table next to me and destroyed the desk. As they focused their sights on the crazy cat with the gun, Chaz crept in towards Jessa, a void of calm in the chaos.

  “No!” echoed out across the floor.

  Spencer launched his entire body at me, knocking the gun out of my hand. My head smacked against the cement floor as his claws dug into my shoulders. He hadn’t shifted. Yet. His hands had grown talon nails and his golden eyes flashed wildly above me.

  That’s all the invitation the panther needed to come forward. I drew more energy from the air around and from him, stealing it easily from his already charged beast. His energy left a bitter taste of disappointment on my tongue, as my human form gave way to the cat. I didn’t even know that I could do that, but the panther didn’t care where it came from, just that it made me stronger.

  My hind legs threw him off me quickly, heels over head and he landed behind me. Like lightning, he was on his feet again as I was rolling onto my four paws.

  Keeping low to the ground, I watched, easily predicting his movements. It was all in the timing. He took one step forward and I pounced with deadly aim straight for the jugular. I didn’t just go for cutting off air this time, like in the alley. I went for blood, just as he had Jessa’s. I went to steal the life that he had stolen from me.

  Lightning stabbed into my midsection as we landed. Spencer cried out as my teeth sank deep into his throat with our impact and a knife buried itself deeper into my ribs.

  I let go and rolled away, sliding off the small blade. The wound sizzled and smoke poured out like lips smoking a cigarette. I thought of the previous poison he tried to use and forced myself to shift back into the bipedal version. He’d gotten me right between the last two ribs, in the exact spot I had stuck him.

  My hand pressed against the wound, blood spilling out from my fingers. I’d always thought that was a cheesy move on the part of the special-effects guys but turns out, that’s exactly what happens.