Jaguar at the Portal

by Aimee Easterling

  "Possessive, aren't you?" Fernando answered. "Not that you have the right to ask, since as best I can tell you've only been in our little sister's life for less than a week and somehow managed to sink her neck deep in trouble during that short time period. But, no, Ixchel isn't with us under duress. My brothers and I are helping her deal with a little problem that I understand you're responsible for."

  There was a pause, and Ixchel could almost see Finn trying to decide which scent trail to follow. So she made it easy for him. "I trust Fernando," the vet said simply, willing Finn to believe her words.

  And that was the wonderful thing about felines. Even the common house cat was usually able to read emotions without needing to understand the words, and Finn's were-cat senses likely made empathy doubly easy for him. So he accepted that Ixchel didn't require a knight in shining armor to ride to her rescue, although his sigh suggested that he'd vastly prefer to be her hero rather than leaving Ixchel to the tender mercies of her brothers.

  And I'd prefer that too, the vet thought. But Finn had enough on his plate without piling a stalking archaeologist on top of the heap. She definitely didn't want to be the fatal distraction that knocked him off his game at a critical moment. Just believe me, she willed.

  "Okay," Finn said simply. "But I assume your problem is Mirabelle, and that's actually why I called."

  And just like that, her mood shifted. Ixchel tried to tell her stomach not to drop at his words, to be glad that Finn had initiated the conversation with honest concern about her well-being. She told herself that she needed to accept the fact that the were-jaguar had more on his mind than her personal safety. It didn't matter if the purpose of his call had really been business rather than passion.

  Okay, so it did matter. The little "oh" that drifted from her lips was (she hoped) too quiet for her brother to hear. But Finn clearly picked up on both the sound and the subtext.

  "No, Ixchel. I didn't mean it like that." The were-jaguar's voice dropped into a purr. "You are my first priority, but I assume you don't want to talk about that with big brother on the line."

  Fernando huffed out a laugh, then interjected. "No, please, go ahead and murmur sweet nothings into her ear. It'll give us something to tease our little sis about for the next twenty years."

  "Yeah, I changed my mind," Ixchel said, their banter giving her time to remove the emotion from her voice. Now, if I can only remove it from my mind. "Let's talk business. You called about Mirabelle?"

  "Right," Finn agreed, following her lead but picking his words with care. "It turns out he's...um...like me. Which means that Tezzie can use him."

  "Really." For a split second, Ixchel saw red. "Does that mean our uninvited companion had considered choosing you instead of Ixxie to stab in the back? Because, if so, it's probably a good thing I can't talk to Tezzie right now or I'd give him a piece of my mind...."

  Finn's chuckle was richer than her brother's and so much more enticing. "He's actually been pretty thoughtful lately, so save your wrath for someone who deserves it. Like Mirabelle. He's out hunting...um...jaguars."

  "Jaguars." Ixchel knew exactly what Finn was trying to tell her without cluing in her older brother to facts that might blow his mind. "Any particular type of jaguar?"

  "Yeah, female jaguars. Listen, he deserves what's coming to him."

  "You've got that right," Fernando interjected. "I know you two are talking in code and I have no clue what you're telling each other. But my research suggests that this Mirabelle you somehow turned onto my sister's tail is a serial killer. Of human beings. He's been murdering people right and left, although nobody's been able to gather enough evidence to nail his...um...conviction."

  "I'm not surprised," Finn replied. "Anyway, I know it's a long shot, Ixchel, but I'm hoping you picked up my backpack before you left El Azuzul. And I'm also hoping you won't mind me walking you through using the laptop inside to pinpoint Mirabelle's current location. I think that if we..."

  "Way ahead of you, bro," Fernando answered. "We know exactly where the target is located, and we can lead you directly to his door. Or him to yours. Just say the word and my brothers and I will meet you there."

  Ixchel could almost hear the wheels turning in Finn's head. He wanted to keep Ixchel safe, but at the same time, he could definitely use some help. And the shifter likely realized—unlike Fernando—that Ixchel would never allow herself to be left behind. So it was also a good thing that Nando's presence on the line had prevented the vet from spilling her secrets. Because if Finn knew everything that had happened after they parted, then he'd never allow her to join this party.

  And it wasn't a party that Ixchel was willing to miss.

  "No, here's what we're going to do," Ixchel said, breaking into the guys' conversation at last. "If I'm guessing right, Tezzie needs this to happen at a specific location. Am I right?"

  "Yeah." Finn's voice was guarded, then he clearly decided that it was better to share what he knew rather than continuing to handle a psychopathic were-jaguar and a grumpy god all on his own. "Tezzie's hoping to get some help from his friends. And that means the best spot is this big water-filled sinkhole—Tez calls it a cenote—up in the Yucatan. I'll text you the exact location."

  "So we'll lead our mark there," Ixchel said. "And Mirabelle won't know what hit him."

  Chapter 40

  Finn waited until he heard the click signifying that Ixchel had hung up, he waited another second for safety, and then he spoke. "Still there, Nando?"

  The voice that came through from the other end of the line was a growl as territorial as any he'd heard emerging from a jaguar's mouth. "The name is Fernando," Ixchel's brother answered. But he'd clearly waited to speak to Finn alone, so the shifter had to assume Fernando would listen to reason. "Talk fast," the brother added. "Because Ixchel will come looking for me any minute now."

  "Okay," Finn agreed, trying to keep his tone pleasant. The huge feline inside his human body wanted to rip its way free and hunt down this other male who thought he had a say over the were-jaguar's mate. But it was time to protect Ixchel in a more human fashion, so Finn tamped down his inner predatory nature and kept his voice calm. "I'll cut to the chase," the shifter said simply. "Ixchel can't show up at that sinkhole tomorrow. She won't want to be left behind, so you'll need to find a way to head her off at the last minute while still sending Mirabelle on to be neutralized."

  "Have you even met my sister?" Fernando countered. "Maybe if you'd give me a few more details, I'd be able to talk her into staying somewhere safe. But I doubt it. Are you saying that there's a particular reason why Ixchel would be in more danger around Mirabelle than if she were, say, some other woman?"

  "Yes." Maybe. If Finn's guess was correct, then Ixchel would be both the perfect bait...and in the most peril of anyone else involved in the operation to vanquish Mirabelle. Even if his guess was wrong, there was no way Finn wanted his mate to end up in the middle of a struggle with a psychopathic demigod. Too bad Fernando would think Finn was crazy if he even hinted at his reasoning.

  "That's it? 'Yes'?" The barely contained rage beneath the other man's voice made it unlikely that Finn would ever find himself invited over for a friendly family barbecue. But Ixchel's safety was far more important than kissing up to potential in-laws.

  In-laws? Was that really what Finn planned with regards to Ixchel?

  He guessed it really was.

  So he did his best to at least simulate congeniality. "I'm sorry," Finn said simply. "There are things I can't tell you."

  "I figured that out," Fernando replied coldly. Then: "Ixchel is about to come in, so I've gotta go. Are there any other vague threats you'd like to toss in my general direction?"

  "No." Finn sighed. "Just keep Ixchel away from the cenote tomorrow. Please."

  "I'll do my best," the other man responded. "And if she slips through my net, you'd better keep my little sister from getting hurt. Or else, so help me God, I'll hunt you down...."

  Then, before Finn could c
ome up with a reply, the line went dead.

  ***

  I guess growing up with five older brothers really does prepare one for a life of crime, Ixchel thought.

  She'd kept her phone on, of course. Faked the click, then lingered until Nando and Finn had finished their male posturing and their equally masculine scheming. Because the vet needed to know the full details of what both had planned if she wanted to be able to include herself in the next day's events.

  Sorry, not going to be left out of the end game this time around, she'd thought as she waited for her older brother and Finn to hang up their phones in reality. Then she'd begged use of Antonio's laptop under the guise of checking her email, which allowed her to map out routes to two different cenotes. One was the actual meeting place that Finn had texted her. The other was located along the way and was the perfect spot to ditch her brothers.

  Because none of the four was ready to see human beings turning into jaguars in front of their very eyes. And Ixchel didn't want to risk their human skins to Mirabelle's dubious mercies anyway.

  So now, after tossing and turning all night long, the Moreno siblings were ready to rumble. Aunt Maria had been left behind with thank yous and promises to come again soon, then the siblings set off in separate vehicles. Fernando's role was to drop Ixchel off at her car and pretend that he was turning her loose for a few days of solitary sightseeing. Meanwhile, her other brothers would circle around and keep an eye out for Mirabelle, whom they hoped was still focused on Ixchel's vehicle.

  "Remember," Fernando said as he enfolded his little sister in a purposefully ostentatious hug on the pavement beside her rental car. "You don't want to make it too hard for him to follow. So don't run any red lights or make any sudden turns."

  Ixchel sighed at the loss of contact as her brother pulled away then looked sternly into her eyes. It was almost as if the older sibling suspected his kid sister was planning something she hadn't owned up to yet. Well, Nando was right...but the whole purpose of being underhanded was to pull the wool over the other person's eyes. So the vet just gave her brother what she hoped was a convincing smile in return.

  "Don't stop anywhere except the designated safe spots," Fernando continued, seemingly satisfied by her nonverbal reassurance. "And when you get to the access road, be prepared for us to cut in behind you and sandwich Mirabelle between our cars. Then get the heck out of there and wait for Antonio to call with the all clear."

  The plan made perfect sense. Too bad Ixchel didn't intend to follow her brother's orders.

  To assuage her guilt at being so duplicitous, Ixchel reminded herself of all the times these same brothers had sneaked out of their family home after looking her straight in the eye and saying they were attending parties, not holding up convenience stores. They'd lied to her for years and, in the end, she'd forgiven all of her brothers anyway. So, surely, Fernando and company would similarly forgive and forget Ixchel's own deception.

  Because look how well skullduggery worked out for my brothers....

  Ignoring her own better sense, Ixchel continued to mimic evasive behavior she had learned from the experts during their shared childhood. "Don't worry, Nando," the vet said. "I know the drill." Then, to add a bit of verisimilitude to the lie, she touched his cheek and admonished: "Be careful out there."

  "Always am," Fernando answered. And he seemed satisfied enough to finally let her slip alone into the driver's seat and steer the vehicle out of the parking lot. The lot where Mirabelle had been sighted several times since Antonio had secreted the car there the day before. Hopefully the trigger-happy archaeologist was still laying in wait, ready to follow Ixchel's trail.

  He was. The flashy red rental car showed up in the rear-view mirror before Ixchel had made her way out of Veracruz, and it continued to follow for the long day's drive east and north to Quintana Roo.

  Her brothers, on the other hand, stayed well outside visual range. Fernando had been quick to reassure Ixchel that they'd be following along by tracking the GPS of her car, explaining that various brothers would veer ahead as needed to scope out the safety of pit stops and to set up the final roadblock.

  Still, even though Ixchel knew she could count on her siblings to watch her back, she felt alone as she embarked on the long drive. Alone, and exhilarated by her solitude. Almost as if she were winging her way toward her greatest adventure yet. And toward a new life.

  Not at all how I felt the first time I stabbed my brothers in the back, Ixchel recalled. So hopefully this current evasion would end better than her previous one.

  The last approved bathroom break was located along the main highway mere minutes from her designated turn, and Ixchel brought her mind out of the past as she sighted the gas station's sign coming up ahead. Her brothers had made sure to be just barely visible at each stop to calm Ixchel's nerves, and this time around she caught a glimpse of Antonio almost hidden beneath a huge red ball cap before he ducked out of sight behind the building.

  Mirabelle pulled in seconds later, but he stayed on the other side of the lot, his face averted to shield his features. True to his were-jaguar nature, the archaeologist seemed willing to stalk his prey and wait until she was far enough off the beaten path to be easy pickings for a strong man armed with claws as well as guns. That was lucky for the current stage of the plan...but might come back to bite Ixchel in the butt once she threw her protectors off the trail.

  I hope this wasn't a stupid idea, the vet thought as she settled back into her car for the final leg of the journey. She'd barely missed making eye contact with her stalker, her gaze lingering just a little too long as she scanned the lot after leaving the bathroom. But Mirabelle hadn't been spooked, and he continued to follow when she turned off the highway and onto a smaller country lane.

  Then, utilizing just the type of evasive maneuvers her brothers had warned her against, Ixchel turned abruptly onto a side road, watching Mirabelle screech after in hot pursuit. Fernando and company would be waiting not far ahead, their roadblock poised to reel the archaeologist in. But neither Ixchel nor Mirabelle would be breezing into that trap. Not today.

  "Here goes nothing." Since she lacked the skills to disable the GPS in the car and in her phone, Ixchel simply ripped the former instrument out of its socket, turned off the latter, and tossed both devices out her open window. She hoped the evasion would prove sufficient to keep her brothers off her trail for long enough to get the job done.

  "I'll see you shortly, Finn," the vet murmured under her breath as Mirabelle's car grew larger in her rear-view mirror. "Ready or not, here we come."

  Chapter 41

  Finn was used to hunting alone. So it irked him to wait and assume Ixchel and her brothers were being successful at channeling Mirabelle toward the planned snare. It annoyed him to be counting on Fernando to rein in his mate's enthusiasm and keep her safe. And it just plain pissed him off to sit twiddling his thumbs while others were exposed to danger on his behalf.

  And yet, despite wishing that he'd been able to manage this entire operation without calling in outside help, Finn had a hard time forcing himself to put their plan into motion by throwing his current companion into the pool.

  Head still up your butt about your precious mate? Tezzie asked abrasively.

  Okay, so, maybe a little peace and quiet within his own brain might actually be nice. Still, Finn stayed his hand and didn't initiate the first phase of the trap—dropping the troublesome figurine into a sinkhole that led straight down into oceanic caves.

  "Are you sure you want to do this, Tezzie?" he asked instead. "Ixchel was reading about cenotes in her guidebook, and she says this one is likely to be a couple of hundred feet deep. It would take some doing to drag you back to the surface if Mirabelle doesn't show."

  The were-jaguar was currently standing on a rickety wooden platform that extended out over the middle of what appeared at the surface to simply be a medium-sized pool. However, gazing down into the greenish water proved that the cenote walls were steep and that th
e body of water was far from shallow.

  Meanwhile, the historical description that Ixchel had read over the phone that morning was still quite vivid in the shifter's mind. Apparently, Mexicans had once dropped all sorts of offerings down cenotes in an attempt to appease their gods. Offerings up to and including human sacrifices. The ancient people of the Yucatan had believed that these sinkholes were portals to the underworld, and Tezzie confirmed that his followers' supposition had a basis in reality.

  Which was a key part of their plan, in fact. Finn was to plunge the were-jaguar figurine into a sinkhole that had been devoted to Ixxie since ancient times, then the goddess would open the portal to the underworld as soon as Tezzie was submerged. Meanwhile, Quetzalcoatl had vowed to use his own energy to suspend his brother god's prison just above the dividing line between human and godly realms. The trap would be baited and set.

  Finn's job was simple—to ensure that Mirabelle came in contact with the figurine, allowing Tezzie to swap their corporeal forms. After that, the god in the body of a were-jaguar would swim back up to the surface and enjoy his new skin, while the incarcerated demigod would drop through the portal and away from any possibility of release back into the human sphere.

  Of course, that depends on everything going exactly as planned. Having spent the better part of a week tied to the wind god's whims, Finn wasn't entirely sure that either of the two deities playing supporting roles would adhere to their word. After all, sometimes even he thought the world would be better off without Tezcatlipoca in it, so why not let the grumpy god drop through to the underworld where he'd be out of their hair forever?

  Okay, so I don't really feel that way. I'd miss the argumentative bastard if he were gone...which is why I'm giving Tezzie the chance to back out now.

  "So, what do you think?" Finn asked, trying to get a feel for his companion's emotions. If Tezzie was afraid, then they'd find some other way to trap Mirabelle and to give the god a new body.