Shocked at my own thoughts, I just sat there. Did my growing powers have anything to do with my sudden aggression? Never would I have had such violent thoughts before. Okay, maybe a little, but not like this.
"Doing okay? I mean from the attack?"
"Yeah, I think so.” I leaned my head against the window and sighed.
"Okay, what's wrong? Please tell me you didn't let Val get to you?"
I didn't say anything. I had allowed Val to get to me. But, how could I not?
"Do you feel like going anywhere? Or do you want me to take you home?"
I lifted my head. “I don't want to go home, yet. And I'm hungry."
"How about Chuy's?"
Since Chuy's ranked as my number one Tex-Mex restaurant, Mandy knew I wouldn't refuse. “Sure."
As usual, Chuy's had a long wait. I didn't care. We got lucky and found a table in the bar area. Mandy grabbed some chips and salsa from the back end of the Cadillac sticking out from the wall. We ordered drinks, but when I grabbed my purse to pay, I realized I'd left it in the car.
"Can I have the keys? I have to go to the car and get my purse.” I must have been in bad shape to forget it. I had several expensive things in there, not to mention the purse itself.
Mandy dug in her purse, then slid the keys across the table.
"Thanks. I'll be right back."
As soon as I walked outside, every one of my senses screamed a warning. I glanced around, trying to pinpoint the source. Everything seemed normal, but the hairs on the back of my neck told me different. In my current mood, I dared whatever lurked out there to bring it on.
I didn't have to wait long.
"'Ello, sweetheart. You left the cave so suddenly I thought I should make an effort to check up on you."
Well, of course—night, a parking lot, and I was alone. Why wouldn't Constantine make an appearance? It seemed to be his signature calling card.
"What do you want this time?” No fear or anger coursed through me. He had no intention of harming me, so I paid him little heed. I didn't even attempt to make eye contact with him. A slight vibration ran along my body, which told me he occupied his humanoid form.
"I told you. I just wanted to make sure you were well. I was concerned.” He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close to his body. “Do you find that so hard to believe?"
I jerked out of his embrace and said between clenched teeth, “Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Get lost. I'm not in the mood for your games. Tell me what you want, then move on."
He must have been stunned by my reaction because he had no witty retort. I kept walking toward Mandy's car, giving him my back. When curiosity got the best of me due to the unnatural silence, I turned. He had disappeared. Well, at least one thing had gone right in this less than spectacular day. I grabbed my purse out of the car and headed back toward the entrance of the restaurant, my steps a bit lighter now.
No sooner had I entered, when my uplifted mood plummeted clear down into the pits of hell. In front of the hostess stand stood Val, Kimee, Rachel, Whitney, and ... Ryan.
I blinked several times. I had to be hallucinating. Surely, life couldn't be this cruel. Red glazed over my eyes when I realized the vision before me happened to be real. The bones in my back started to twist and crunch. My fangs dropped and black fur replaced the hair on my arms. Oh, my God! I ran straight for the bathroom, making sure not to alert Ryan of my presence or anyone else for that matter.
Please let there be an open stall with a door that locks.
Thank God no one else occupied the bathroom. I rushed into the handicapped stall and slammed the door shut, sliding the bolt in place. I took deep breaths, fighting the change that held my body hostage.
No. No. No. No.
I counted to ten while staring at the ‘Susan was here’ message on the stall door written in red lipstick. One ... two ... three ... four. The fur stopped sprouting. Five ... six ... seven ... eight. The crackling in my bones ceased. Nine ... ten. My gums quit itching and burning. I let out a long slow breath.
"Cheyenne? I saw you run in here.” Mandy paused. “I also saw Ryan."
Here we go with one of Mandy's lectures on how Val is the bad one, not Ryan. Whatever.
"Do you wanna leave?” she asked.
No lectures? “Yeah. Do you mind?” No way would I trust my reactions at this point. Anger rested just below the surface, but at least I wasn't a sobbing mess.
"No. I can't blame you. What are the odds they would show up at the same place as us?"
Yeah, something sure felt wrong about the whole situation. First, Constantine shows up, then disappears. Minutes later, Ryan shows up? There had to be some connection. I found it hard to believe that every time I had an encounter with Constantine, Ryan appeared either before or after. Well, except at Starbucks. No, that wasn't true. Ryan had called as soon as I walked in the door after the Starbuck's incident. Too many coincidences.
"You can come out now.” Mandy tapped on the door.
"Give me a minute.” I had to make sure my body had stopped changing and returned back to normal. No more claws—check. No fur on arms—check. I pressed the pad of my finger against each eye tooth. No fangs—check. I twisted side to side. Body working okay—check.
"Is something wrong? Something you need to tell me?” Mandy fished for information, but her voice held an underlying note of seriousness like she knew more than she let on.
"No."
"I think you do. Something has been going on with you—ever since Halloween. Something has changed. You've changed."
"I don't know what you mean.” Barracuda Mandy wouldn't let up. What did she know exactly?
"Oh, I think you do. But if you're not ready to talk about it, fine. I can wait.” She tapped on the door again. “You coming out or what?"
I took a deep breath and unbolted the door.
"About time. What were you doing in there?"
"Trying to calm down. Hello."
"You calm now?” She looked me up and down. I got the sense she scanned me for some specific reason, making me feel kind of naked. She knew something. Had she seen more in the cave than I gave her credit for? I shuddered at the thought.
"You cold or something?"
"No, I just got a chill."
"Okaaay!"
I brushed past her and headed out the door. Mandy's footsteps sounded right behind me. On the way out, I grabbed our pager from the table and tossed it onto the one where Ryan and his concubines sat. “Thought you might want that. You seem to want everything else you think I have,” I said to Val, not bothering to glance in Ryan's direction.
"Wow, that was harsh,” Mandy said as we walked out the door. “I'm sure Ryan got sucked into going with the viper club."
"How about you quit making excuses for him? It's not like we're dating or anything. If he wants to be with Val, then I guess it's his business."
"Okay, fine. Just one thing. He doesn't like Val. I don't know why he's with her, but I do know that much.” I gave her a look of pure disbelief. “Okay, okay.” She raised her hands in surrender.
My phone rang before we even made it to the car—Ryan's ring tone.
Mandy frowned. “Aren't you going to answer that?"
"Nope."
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12
Vampire Kryptonite
I paced my room, waiting for Nicoleta to arrive. Since she insisted I let her know every detail, I called her last night to inform her of the strange new things going on inside my body. I decided not to tell her about going into the cave again, especially since I had no business going in there at night to begin with. But, I figured I should tell her about Constantine physically appearing at Starbucks and actually introducing himself to me. Rather important information I would think. My parents probably wouldn't allow me to go anywhere now, so I really dreaded telling her about it.
The doorbell rang and I raced down the stairs to get the door. I pulled it open and gasped, expecting to se
e Nicoleta but receiving a shock instead.
Ryan stood there with his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels, a sheepish grin on his face.
When I regained a semblance of control, I demanded, “What are you doing here?"
He sucked in air between clenched teeth. “You wouldn't return my calls."
"And you expected me to because...?” I rolled my hand in front of my body, letting him know I expected him to fill in the blank.
"Because you didn't give me a chance to say anything last night when you ran out without any explanation.” He lifted his chin, daring me to contradict his statement.
"Well, you looked rather busy to me, so I didn't want to bother you.” I raised his challenge.
"You were jealous.” He leaned against the brick wall and crossed his arms in front of his chest, the muscles in his upper arms stretching the fabric of his t-shirt.
My mouth dropped open. I had just been trumped.
"So, you're not going to deny it?” The corners of his lips lifted into a smug smile.
"Jealous? Of Val? Ha! Not hardly. It's just that I have no desire to go out with a player."
"A player?"
"Yeah, going out with multiple girls without having any real emotional connection."
He pulled away from the wall, dropping his hands by his sides, and studied me. My face heated from his scrutiny. “Are you saying you want an emotional connection, Sparkie?"
My jaw dropped open again. Thank goodness the bugs weren't out in full force or I'd be eating them for breakfast.
A car skidded to a halt in front of the house, snapping our attention to the front yard.
Omigod! Nicoleta. I had forgotten about her. Crap. I had to think fast. I didn't need her giving Ryan the third degree.
"I have to go."
He glanced back at Nicoleta who approached with a definite purpose, then back at me.
"No, really, I have to go.” Panic welled inside. He had to leave and fast. I bit my bottom lip.
"Agree to go out with me later, so we can discuss this emotional connection?"
"Fine. Whatever.” He sensed my urgency, no doubt, but I'd agree to just about anything to get him to leave before Nicoleta reached the porch.
"Great. I'll pick you up at six.” He turned to leave just as Nicoleta reached the porch. Crap. “Hi."
Please keep going. Don't stop. Just go. Please.
He continued on his way without another word. My shoulders slumped as I let out a sigh of relief.
Nicoleta scrunched her eyebrows and glanced at me, then back toward Ryan. She lifted her nose in the air like Roxie does when she catches a whiff of an unfamiliar scent. What the heck? “Who was that?"
"A guy from school,” I said, giving out as little information as possible, hoping she would move on to another subject.
"How long have you known him?” She placed one hand on her slender hip.
"He's new."
She cocked one eyebrow. “What did he want?"
"Nothing."
"It sure didn't look like nothing to me.” She now had both hands on her hips. Not a good sign.
"We had dessert at Chili's Friday night. He wanted to know if I could do something tonight.” Enough with the interrogation, already. Sheesh. “He's a nice guy.” Why I felt the need to add that, I had no clue.
"I see.” She motioned toward the door. “Shall we?"
She let the subject of Ryan drop? Omigod! No, she'd probably bring it up later, but at least for now I had a reprieve.
We walked into Dad's office and shut the door as had become our custom. Mom and Dad had been leaving us to our business. I plopped onto the couch, tucking one of my legs under the other.
Nicoleta sat and pushed her designer sunglasses up on her head, which served to hold her hair back from her face. “Tell me everything that has happened since we've last talked. I need to know the details."
I filled her in about the Starbuck's happening first. She stiffened her posture and bounced her crossed leg a little faster. The news appeared to disturb her, yet she patiently waited for me to finish.
"I was afraid of this. He's the new Prince of the clice Liliac. It's rumored he killed his own father to obtain his newly appointed position. He's very dangerous."
Prince? Killed his father? I had sensed the evil in Constantine from the start, but I also sensed during the past couple of times he had no intention of harming me. And the last confrontation with him, I only felt irritation, not fear. He seemed to enjoy taunting me.
"You need to be on your guard at all times, Cheyenne. Don't be taken in with his charms. His dark allure is hard to resist. Don't make that mistake,” she warned, her finger pointed in my direction to emphasize her point.
Charm? He disgusted and irritated me. No worries there. I glanced up and stared into space. Although, whenever he touched me, I felt electrical pulses similar to the ones I felt with Ryan. And his kiss didn't repel me. It was rather nice. Omigod! What the heck was I thinking? I shook my head in tiny movements, shocked by the direction of my thoughts.
"What is it?” she asked with concern. “What have you remembered?"
"Just something Constantine said about finding his dinner and that he would help me see how satisfying drinking from a human could be. And that I was too domesticated. He's disgusting.” I made a face, trying to distract her from my real thoughts.
"Yes, his clice revels in the old ways. As I've told you before, they consider humans mere cattle—put on earth to serve their needs. They aren't concerned about coexisting with them and only keep a low profile due to their reduced numbers.” She uncrossed her legs and leaned closer to me. “And this is where you fit in. They need your blood and will stop at nothing to get it. Once their numbers are back to a respectable amount, they will try to wipe out our clice so they can do as they please without any repercussions. Don't think you are safe from harm."
"I know. I get it.” Why do adults always think teens are so stupid? We are capable of using our heads. Hello.
She narrowed her eyes to make sure I did get the point. “Okay, tell me the rest."
I explained what had started to happen with my body—claws, fur, popping bones, twisting muscles, pain.
Nicoleta's face drained of color. “Oh, dear God!"
My pulse quickened. Her expression freaked me out. “What? What's wrong with me? Am I going to die?” Tears sprung in my eyes. “I don't want to do this anymore. I just want to be normal. A regular human. I—"
"No, no. no. You don't understand. This is amazing. You are a panther shifter. Only the strongest and oldest of our clice have that ability. You are indeed special. No Vanator has ever been able to shift. The elders will be so pleased to hear this news.” She smiled and patted my back, obviously thrilled with the new turn of events.
I still didn't like the idea of turning into an animal, but at least I wasn't dying.
"By the way, what caused the shift?"
"What do you mean?” I couldn't tell her about going into the cave, and I sure didn't want to discuss Ryan.
"Since you didn't even understand the shifting, you couldn't have possibly willed it. Something had to have forced the change like fear, anger, or a sudden surge of adrenaline."
"I guess you could say I was rather angry.” I hoped she wouldn't dig any deeper. I really wanted to leave Ryan out of it. “Oh, and when I had a claustrophobic attack."
"More than once? How did you control the shift? And did anyone witness it?"
I had thought Mandy might have, but she hadn't said a word about it. No sense in telling Nicoleta about it. “No, no one saw. I calmed myself down in private. I felt it starting and knew I didn't want anyone else to see."
"Very good. Your instincts kicked in. It will be more important than ever for you to remain calm unless you have a good reason to allow the shift. Do not put yourself into volatile situations. Prevention is the key word. Do you understand?” I agreed. “Avoid places you know will incite another incident
. Avoid people who make you angry. I know that's hard, but I think you can figure out the repercussions of you shifting in front of humans."
Well, at least I had a short list of people to evade. Unfortunately, the ones I needed to avoid seemed to be in my face the most.
"If you know you're in trouble, your pendant can help give you the strength you need."
"Omigod! I forgot to tell you I figured out the passwords,” I blurted out.
"You did? That's fantastic. Cheyenne, you are developing so fast it's scary. I can't help but think you will be the most powerful of our kind."
I didn't want to be part of our kind, much less the most powerful. I just wanted to be me, not what everyone expected me to be. But, it's not like I had a choice.
Her eyes brightened. “This is a very exciting day for us, our clice."
Yeah, real exciting. I slumped against the back of the couch. Trying to change the subject, I asked, “What were you saying about the pendant?"
Her expression once again became serious, the smile temporarily wiped from her face. “Oh yes. When you feel out of control, rely on your pendant for strength. And now that you know how to access that power, it will become invaluable to you. Again, I can't stress enough that you must not become separated from your pendant."
I reached into my shirt and pulled the pendant free, allowing it to fall against my chest within full view.
"Very good."
"How exactly do I make it work?” I knew when I said the words, the passwords, that the pendant vibrated and became warm, but what did that accomplish as far as helping me? I didn't really get that part.
"Let me see ... how can I explain it so you will understand?” She pulled at her lower lip, deep in thought. “Okay, you know how Superman is affected by kryptonite?” She held up her hand to stop my sarcastic remark. “I know, I know. It's silly. Just bear with me. We have a certain rock that affects us but in a positive way. It centers us. We draw power from it. It's called a lodestone."
I knew a little about lodestones from my freshman IPC science class. They have a magnetic quality and have been used in compasses, but what did that have to do with anything?
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