Twin Souls

by DelSheree Gladden

  ***

   

  “You can’t just defend, Uriah,” Dad said. “You’ve got to be more aggressive or you’ll never win.”

  “Dad, we’re just fooling around. I’m not going to try and hurt you,” I argued. Whether it was fighting, shooting, or wilderness survival, I loved that my dad wanted to spend time with me and teach me what he knew. Lately, though, he had been getting more and more intense about the lessons. Today was worse than usual.

  “Someone attacking you isn’t going to let you get away with just defending. If you don’t attack, you give them the edge and you lose. Let’s go again.” Squaring up, my dad settled into his stance and waited for me to do the same.

  I shook my head and stepped up. My fists were barely raised before my dad’s attack began. Throwing up my elbow at the right time sent his blow glancing to the side. He came again from the other side, faster than usual. I barely got a block up in time to stop him. Next came his foot, trying to sweep my legs out from under me. He’d taught me too well for that to work. My wide stance kept me grounded.

  It was a heavy round of attack for him. Expecting him to ease off and give me a few pointers like he usually did, I relaxed and waited to hear what I could have done better. That was a big mistake. Off my guard, my dad’s fist barreled right into my chin. It was nowhere near as hard as he could hit, but it still knocked me back. I shook my head and looked up to ask him what he was doing only to see another punch coming straight at me.

  My honed reflexes kept him at bay, but he just pushed harder, yelling at me to attack. I had never seen him act like this before. I knocked away blow after blow. Why was he acting like this? Confusion clouded my ability to think. Eventually the blows started making it through, scoring on me hard enough to leave bruises. Another hit connected with my jaw. This time it was at his full strength. I stumbled to my backside, looking into my dad’s fiery eyes as I scrambled back up.

  Anger started roiling around inside of me. He never fought this hard. It was a lesson, for crying out loud, not a barroom brawl. What was he thinking? If he wanted me to punch him, then he would get it. Stalking across the patchy grass, I was intent on my dad. Taller and more built than him, he should have reconsidered what he was asking. He just grinned fiercely and waved me on.

  I went on the attack, just like he wanted me to, landing hits to his gut and shoulder in the first few seconds. He managed to block a few before I caught him again. He grunted with the pain I caused him, even though I had reigned in my anger enough to keep from really hurting him. Back and forth we went. Every time I went back on the defensive my dad kicked his attack up, forcing me to push harder, as well.

  His breathing was heavy and his movements slower than normal. He still wouldn’t give up. I realized he wanted me to beat him. This wouldn’t end in a relative draw with insightful pointers. For once there would be a clear winner to our fight. Ready to put this ridiculousness to an end, I kicked my leg out as I turned and knocked him to the ground. He landed in a puff of dust, and the air blasted out of his lungs.

  For a moment I stood there watching him. What was next? Would he explain himself? Apologize for getting out of control? He reached a hand out to me and I pulled him up. I wanted my explanation now. Clapping his hand against my shoulder, my dad nodded.

  “You did good, even if you were pulling your punches some,” Dad said. He started to walk away, but I grabbed his arm and held him back.

  “Aren’t you going to explain what that was all about?” I asked. “I could have really hurt you, Dad.”

  Taking a moment to dust himself off, my dad didn’t answer right away. Satisfied that he was clean enough, he regarded me seriously. “Yes, you could have, Uriah, and it’s about time you realized that. You have power inside you. I know you think these lessons are just fun and games, but one day you’ll have to use what I’m teaching you. And when that day comes, you better be ready to put all your effort into it or you won’t be the one walking away at the end of the fight.”

  What was he talking about? He was acting like people were getting attacked in San Juan every day. “Dad, this is stupid. Even if I did have to fend somebody off, all I would need to do was get one good punch in and they’d be out. I would never try to really hurt someone, let alone kill them.”

  “You don’t know what the future holds,” he said quietly.

  “This isn’t one of your stories, Dad. People don’t go around saving whole towns or battling gods in real life. I wouldn’t want to be that person, anyway. I want to be here on the ranch with you guys and Claire. I have no desire to be some kind of hero,” I said. “I hope I never have to use any of what you’ve taught me. Nothing would make me happier than to live on the ranch for the rest of my life never having to shoot or punch anyone, so drop this, okay?”

  He didn’t agree, but he didn’t push it either. Shaking his head sadly, he walked back into the house. I watched him go, wondering what on earth had prompted all of that.

   

   

   

  36: Attack

   

   

  A flood of images slammed into my mind with such force that I nearly lost control of my bike. It was a warning. The tumbling pictures were difficult to understand, but one thing was definite. The creature was coming for us. Fast. It had to be getting desperate to prevent Daniel and Claire from meeting each other by now. The images flowed from multiple minds, screaming of danger, confirming my worst suspicions.

  “Cole, it’s coming!” Immediately, his bike sped up. I had a feeling that speed wouldn’t save us. Images from a pack of coyotes confirmed that the creature was increasing its pace as well. Speaking to the coyotes, I begged them for help. Much smaller than the grey wolves who had rescued us that morning, coyotes were still formidable hunters. Hatred for the creature assaulted my mind.

  I didn’t doubt they would fight the beast, but I couldn’t see them winning against the massive creature. I called out frantically, searching for mountain lions, wolves, anything that would heed my call. Sensing my needs, the animals relayed my message further out than I was able to on my own. Only a few seconds passed before answering calls sounded vocally as well as through my thoughts.

  Glancing up at Daniel, I realized he had picked up on the increased level of anxiety enveloping us. His head whipped from side to side as he clutched Cole tightly. An image sprang into my thoughts, showing me a small stand of piñon trees at the base of a small hill. Surrounding the trees were the animals that had answered my call. Pushing the images and feelings away, I scanned the horizon for the grove.

  About half a mile ahead, a dirt road peeled away from the highway and wound past a clump of piñons. “Go right on the dirt road,” I ordered Cole. “Head for those trees. The animals will stand with us there.”

  There was no need to spend time talking. Cole kicked the motorcycle up to a more dangerous speed, weaving through the slower traffic. Drivers blared their horns as we darted between two trucks. The yellow dividing lines ticked by so quickly they blurred into a solid strip. Riding the line past several more cars, we swung across the right lane with barely enough shoulder left to slow down.

  I was able to handle the turn with ease, but Cole was forced to drag his foot through the dirt just to keep the bike from toppling over. Dirt and gravel flew behind the bikes. I sped up to Cole’s side to avoid the spray. Focused on the stand of scrubby trees, Cole barely noticed my presence. Daniel, however, stared at me, his eyes wild with fear. His excitement had finally disappeared.

  “Cole,” I said, turning my head so Daniel couldn’t see my mouth, “keep Daniel close. He may run if he gets the chance.”

  The tight bob of Cole’s helmet was barely noticeable through the jarring ride along the dirt path. The stand of trees drew closer. Slowing down just enough to keep from smashing into a tree, I swerved to the right and darted to the back of the grove. Leaping from the bike, I realized we weren’t alone. Three coyotes stood at
the base of the hill, flanked by a large pack of grey wolves. Daniel’s frightened scream drew my attention. The tawny mountain lion brushed past his leg, which sent him scurrying behind Cole.

  The familiar calm that spread over me as the mountain lion approached brought a sigh of relief. My old friend. We had only met the day before, but that seemed like a lifetime ago. I welcomed the great cat and thanked him for coming. Bounding over to me in two short leaps, the mountain lion rubbed his head against my leg. The connection with the animal still amazed me. His presence felt so natural. I trusted the mountain lion with my life, though I had no idea where the confidence came from. I had no time to contemplate the connection. My hand automatically reached down to scratch his head, while my eyes searched the scene before me.

  Cole tossed me one of the guns from his pack and kept the other for himself. Daniel’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

  “What the hell is going on here?” Daniel demanded.

  “Just stay behind Cole. There’s no time to explain,” I said. Images flashed through my mind. The creature was approaching slowly, gauging his chances. Sending my thoughts to our allies, I pictured Daniel, forming the animals around him. Confusion tinged their responses. They were drawn to my aid, not to the others. They were bound to protect me.

  I considered their messages, equally confused. Earlier, I thought the animals were warning me that the creature was coming for Daniel, not me. Why would it be coming after me? A patient explanation formed in the animals’ minds. The animals only said the creature was coming. They never said it was coming after Daniel. The reason they were there had nothing to do with him. I was more confused than ever.

  Nudging my leg, the mountain lion brought my attention solely to him. I blocked out everyone else and listened. The creature was after Daniel, he explained, but only for the moment. I was his true enemy. Daniel was only a momentary distraction. When the creature was done with Daniel, he would come after me. I tried to ask the cougar what the creature wanted with me, but he was finished talking and refocused on the creature’s approach. Time was running out.

  I reinforced the image of the animals protecting Daniel, stressing that this was the best way to protect me right now. A murmur ran through their thoughts, but the mountain lion silenced them immediately. My own plea was sent back to me, a promise that I would be obeyed. Slowly the others animals agreed. Man and animal tensed as a sweeping fear filled the area.

  I glanced at Cole, wondering how he would react to the creature’s presence. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but he was withstanding the creature’s lure. For now. Daniel was faring much worse. He was pulling against Cole’s strong grip, his hands reaching out to his death bringer. Terror and adoration fought for control of his face. Realizing Cole and I still wore our motorcycle helmets I said, “Knock him out if he gets out of control.”

  “No problem,” Cole said through clenched teeth. Removing the helmet, I tossed it aside.

  Growling erupted throughout our protective circle. A dark form walked on two legs through the first line of trees and stopped. He was no longer Darren Johnson, but his new human appearance seemed vaguely familiar to me, as if I should know him no matter what form he took.

  “Uriah, Cole, how nice to see you again.” His voice was silky and alluring. Neither I, nor the animals were affected, which made me curious, but Cole seemed to be barely holding against his urge to run to the man with open arms. Daniel flailed wildly against Cole’s restraining hands. The struggle to control his charge was likely the only thing keeping Cole in check.

  I may have to punch them both.

  “Daniel,” the creature oozed. Daniel stopped struggling and watched the man adoringly. “What a pleasant surprise to come across you. I had thought at first that Uriah’s harried flight was to reach his own Twin Soul, but then I found out you were his target instead. That has made this much easier than I expected.” Taking a confident step forward, the creature smiled. My mountain lion friend snarled, edging closer to Daniel.

  “Really, Uriah, our fight can wait. There’s no reason for you to come against me yet. Tell your friends to back off and turn the boy over to me. Then we can simply go our separate ways, for now,” the creature said. “I would much prefer to postpone our battle until I have finished my business with Daniel.”

  For some reason, the confusing fight with my dad came to my mind. I felt similar to what I had felt then, confused, angry, scared even. It made no sense that my dad would have been preparing me for this day, but he had done his job well. If the creature wanted me, he would take me. My guess was that he was still feeling the wolves’ claws from earlier today. The smile forming on my face was nothing close to friendly. Taking a step forward, I studied the man’s face, trying to gauge just how hurt he still was. His sneering mask gave away no clues.

  I was sure he was hurt by the way he was trying to talk me out of facing him, but that didn’t mean I was eager to test my strength against his. Maybe I could get a little information out of him first. “Why are you trying to hurt Claire?” I asked him. “And why do you want Daniel?”

  A strange look of annoyance and confusion screwed the man’s face into a grimace. “Claire? Daniel’s Twin Soul? I am not concerned about what happens to Claire in the least now that I have Daniel. As for Daniel, I just want to kill him. Let me have him and you can go for now, Uriah. Our time to battle will come soon enough.”

  It was my turn to be confused. He wanted Daniel, but he acted like that was just something he had to do. His main interest really did seem to be focused on me. Why was he really here? I must have been projecting my thoughts, because the mountain lion answered them. Images of Claire, Daniel, and myself standing in a row. Claire began to fade, as Daniel fell dead.

  I grew larger and brighter, my light overpowering everything else. The creature stood in the shadows, fearful of me but hungry for my blood. Whatever small fascination Claire and Daniel held for this being, it wanted me more than anything else. A lifetime of my parents’, Quaile’s, and Thomas’s cryptic hints and warnings flooded my mind. As much as I wanted the quiet life of a rancher, the world around me seemed to be trying to tell me that there was something more in store for me.

  “You want to kill Daniel, but once he’s dead you’ll come after me? Why?” I asked.

  The creature smiled wickedly, baring razor sharp teeth more animal than human. “Now that is the question, isn’t it?”

   Brazen in his confidence, the creature began writhing, although his face remained pleased. The rearrangement of his bones was stomach churning. I could hear Daniel gagging behind me. Even the animals were disturbed by his display.

  “Get ready,” I said and thought. The grey wolves strode to the front of the motley pack. The animals tightened around me and I reminded them of Daniel.

  When the creature’s shifting finally ceased, an enormous wolf stood before us. Stretching to its full, towering height, the creature snarled. It watched me, waiting, though it surely needed no provocation. Its eyes flitted to Daniel, then back to me. It was weighing its chances of getting to Daniel before the animals, or I, would be able to beat it back. It was going to be a tough fight no matter what, and he knew it.

  “Why are you trying to stop me!” the creature snarled angrily.

  I was only faintly surprised it could still speak while in its animal form.

  “I am only fulfilling my purpose. Do not stand in my way!”

  I wasn’t sure what to make of that announcement. It hardly mattered at the moment. Its purpose or not, I wouldn’t let him take Daniel. Without speaking, I launched our attack. The gun in my hand rose even with the creature’s head. The shot was soundless next to the growling cacophony of my strange army. Speeding through the desert, it took a fraction of a second. I watched the bullet carve its path straight to the creature’s skull, then ricochet into a tree.

  The wolves and coyotes pushed forward, oblivious of my actions, but the mountain lion had watched as careful
ly as I had. Certainly, I hadn’t expected the shot to really harm the creature, but it had simply bounced off. I’d felt the creature’s body in human form, and through the wolves’ thoughts, seen the damage done to his animal form, but I couldn’t explain what had happened. The bullet should have pierced the animal’s hide. The mountain lion replayed the scene in my head over and over in rapid succession, telling me that the results would be the same each time. Human weapons would not harm the creature.

  I pulled my attention back to the fight, fearing for my companions, and was surprised to find them holding their own. Hurriedly, I posed a question to the mountain lion, showing myself fighting the creature then replaying the scene with the bullet. Answering immediately, the mountain lion allayed my fears. Without claws or razor sharp teeth I didn’t understand how I could harm the creature, but the coyotes and wolves were beginning to lose ground.

  As I moved forward, I saw the mountain lion step back to protect Daniel and Cole. A coyote was swept off its feet and slammed into the trunk of a tree. Its whimper cut off quickly and the young animal’s thoughts faded from my mind. Anger rose in my throat, tearing a feral scream from me as I leapt at my enemy. I swung my well trained fist and connected with its shoulder, missing its head only because it was pulled to the side by one of the gray wolf’s terrible jaws.

  Fire roared through my arm, but it was gone almost instantly. Stumbling, the creature backed away from me, its leg unable to support any weight. Somehow I had crushed its shoulder. I stared at my fist. Completely unharmed, I couldn’t feel even a flicker of pain. A vengeful smile crept across my face. This would end here. Glancing up, I saw that the creature was writhing again, changing its shape to accommodate its disabled arm.

  The matted fur smoothed into shimmering scales as the arms melded with the rest of the mass. Its winding serpent body ended in two dripping fangs. I wasted no time. Jumping low to avoid his head, I wrapped my arms around the snake’s body and let my body’s momentum carry me and the snake further away from the pack. Landing hard, I held my grip on the smooth body, squeezing relentlessly. Searing pain raced up and down my body. I shifted my hands to keep my bare skin from touching the creature’s skin and the agonizing pain diminished slightly.

  Its writhing tried desperately to escape my grasp, but only succeeded in shifting me further down on its body. The serpent’s head swung back at me. I couldn’t block his attack without letting go. Acting in an instant, I released the snake and swung my fist, backing it with every ounce of fury in my body. Its head snapped around at my touch, twisting until the serpent’s whole body had to follow. The burning pain rushed away, a small relief.

  Lurching up from the sand, I leapt on the creature’s back, prepared for the pain I knew would come. Punching from every angle, my short blows were definitely doing damage, but not enough. I grabbed just below the creature’s head, snarling as the skin to skin contact begged me to let go. I pulled back and attempted to tear the muscles. The creature continued to squirm. Frustration that I couldn’t inflict any real damage made my focus slip, only for a split second, but it was enough.

  Convulsing its whole body, the serpent flung me away. I fell hard against a tree. My breath caught in my lungs. My terrified hands scratched at the sand, pulling me forward. Finally catching my breath, I staggered to my feet. Springing from its coil, the serpent was out of my reach before I could even react. It was heading straight for Daniel. I ran for him, Claire’s only hope of survival.

  Agony filled the air. I was too slow. The mountain lion was on the serpent, raking it with his claws, but it had reached Daniel regardless of the mountain lion’s efforts. The serpent’s razor fangs sliced through Daniel’s calf. Cole pulled Daniel back with all his strength as the serpent did the same. Blood streaming from his calf, the howling pain was undoubtedly the only thing keeping Daniel from passing out.

  One more step.

  I gripped the cold body, barely feeling the fire at all. My hands that had sheared dozens of sheep lovingly, clamped down, crushing the snake with impossible strength. An inhuman scream from the creature echoed his pain and forced it to release its grip on Daniel’s leg. Cole wrenched Daniel backwards. The bloodied mountain lion jumped in front of them. Using strength I had no explanation for, I hurled the serpent against the sandstone boulder behind me.

  A sickening crack resounded as flesh met rock. My chest heaved. Surely that was enough. My quaking knees dropped me to the ground but my eyes never left the creature. Watching in amazement, I saw the slithering mass convulse, changing once again. Orange and black spotted fur sprouted quickly, legs, tail, and teeth followed. Its spine jagged oddly, and its legs were twisted at strange angles, but the animal kept itself together as it raced awkwardly away. Wolf and coyote sprang after it, but were quickly outdistanced by the stunning cheetah.

  Daniel screamed again and I quickly called the animals back. The fight was over, for now. I turned to Daniel and saw that Cole was already helping him. Dropping to the ground beside him, I stared at the wound. The serpent’s large fangs had stabbed clear through Daniel's leg. Cole’s hands held his leg above the wound in a rough attempt at a tourniquet as the crimson blood pulsed out, pooling on the ground.

  “I need a bandage,” Cole said, his voice shaking so badly I could hardly understand him. “There’s a first aid kit in my pack.”

  I hurried to the motorcycle and ripped the pack from its bindings, my hands searching it as I rushed back to Daniel. The small case was buried beneath Cole’s clothing. I worried it wouldn’t be enough to help Daniel. Tossing the first aid kit to Cole, he threw his shirt back at me.

  “Put pressure on the wound,” Cole ordered.

  I pressed the shirt against Daniel’s leg. Hissing through his teeth, Daniel turned his head away from the blood. Cole’s hands were back, pushing away the blood soaked shirt. Pouring water over the wound, Cole sighed in relief. The blood flow was slowing. Cole wiped the wound with a clean cloth and quickly applied treated squares of gauze.

  Carefully wrapping Daniel’s leg with a bandage, Cole looked over at me. “It bled a lot, so if there was any venom it should hopefully be gone now. I don’t know if freaky magic snakes even have venom.” Cole shook his head at how idiotic that should have sounded. “But all we have for the pain is some extra strength aspirin.”

  “He’s a tough kid,” I said, hoping Daniel would believe it himself. “He’ll be okay until we get back to Sophia.”

  Cole grimaced. Leaning closer, I turned my body to shield Daniel from Cole’s voice. “He’s going to be in a lot of pain when the adrenaline rush wears off. He’s not going to be able to ride very well. Not without tying him to the bike. I think we’re going to have to stop for the night.”

  Searching the horizon, my chest tightened at the thought of staying in the grove much longer. “We can’t stay here.”

  “No,” Cole said quietly, “of course not. Let’s get him on the bike and ride as far as we can before the pain sets in.”

  I nodded and wondered how long Daniel would last. Small spots of red were already starting to soak through the bandages. The pain would come quickly. “Let’s hurry,” I said.

  “Daniel,” Cole began, “we have to move. I’m going to help you onto the bike.”

  Daniel came up to his elbows, wincing with the small movement. He steeled his face and lifted a hand. Grabbing it, I pulled him to his feet in one swift movement. Daniel stood gingerly with his injured leg barely touching the dirt. His faced paled and he grabbed for my arm. Cole may have been a little too optimistic. I wasn’t sure he would even make it out of the piñon grove.

  “I’m going to pick you up, okay?” I said. Daniel nodded. I slipped my arm under his legs and hefted him over to the bike. Cole was right behind us, carrying his backpack in his teeth as he quickly pulled on a spare shirt.

  “Wait for me to get on, Uriah,” Cole said. He stuffed his pack through the straps on the back of the bike and settled onto the motorcycle’s wide
seat. It was awkward trying to lower Daniel onto the bike, but after a few painful moments, he had his arms wrapped tightly around Cole. The mountain lion approached silently, speaking to me without words. The creature was gone. He and the others would follow us, though. Just in case it came back.

  There was no “just in case” about it. It was definitely coming back.

   

   

   

  37: Bleak Desperation

   

   

  I had no way of keeping track of time in such a strange state, but I had been able to fall asleep, somehow. The dreams hadn’t been restful. Dreams of Uriah were constantly interrupted by the face of the stranger. I had been sitting on the bank of the river with Uriah again, our favorite spot, when a stabbing pain dispelled the dream.

  I woke, still trapped in my body, watching the most bizarre scene swirl in the blackness around me. Desert animals attacked a man made of writhing shadows. Uriah fought beside them. Cole held the stranger from my dreams. The stranger. I wanted to see Uriah, to know that he was safe, but the images centered on the stranger instead. I saw blood pouring from his leg.

  As I stood watching the young man screaming in pain, I felt a strange compulsion come over me. I wanted to help him. No, I needed to help him, to go to him and comfort his pain. Fear washed over me. I was suddenly terrified he would die and leave me alone. I couldn’t control the strange thoughts. I tried to push them away, to force them back to Uriah, but I couldn’t. Panic for Uriah fought with my desire to find the stranger.

  Cool hands touched my face and wrists. I could feel their calming nature on my unconscious body, but my mind was still racing. I focused on the hands, trying to escape the images in my mind. The murmur of voices surrounded me. Another set of hands began stroking my forehead. Uriah. Uriah. I repeated his name again and again, praying that he would hear me. I didn’t know why I was seeing this, but all I wanted was to have Uriah by my side again. I wanted to cry, but my body wouldn’t respond. Ephemeral tears that dissipated as soon as they dropped from my skin were the only relief this strange place offered me. Uriah, I begged, please come back to me.

  Daniel. The name crept into my mind. I knew in an instant that it belonged to the boy from my dreams. It was his face that haunted me. This boy, Daniel, was badly injured and I yearned to be with him. No! I screamed it, though no one could hear me. I didn’t care about Daniel anymore. I made my choice. I wanted Uriah. Only Uriah. My pulse raced in fear that I would never see him again.

  I tried to push the images of the strange dream away entirely, but they had taken over. No matter how hard I tried to move back toward Uriah, something was pulling me closer to Daniel, willing me to ease his pain. Suddenly, I was running. The images faded from my view, but the feelings remained. I ran faster.

  The battle between my heart and mind made it hard to think of anything for too long, but I fought to keep bringing Uriah back to me. I remembered every kiss he had given me, the passion behind them that he let out so rarely. As soon as I pulled a memory into my mind, it flitted away. Where had Uriah gone? He might be strong enough to do whatever it was that took him away from me, but I wasn’t. I needed him near me, holding me in his strong arms.

  The room quieted around me. The hum of voices I couldn’t quite hear had dissipated. I wondered how long it had been since drinking the tea. The tea. In my earlier panic, I hadn’t even considered the problem of tea. What had been in it and who had put it there? Replaying the scene in my head, once again, I remembered my dad bringing the tea tray into the room. I had barely glanced at him, but now I focused intently on his face.

  In my mind, I could see his smile. I found a new emotion to stave off panic. Anger. Uriah had left me because of my dad. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what he had done, where he had gotten the tea, but I was sure of one thing. I would never forgive him for this. Uriah was my life. My dad would not keep us apart.

  Gaining some small understanding of what was happening, I thought I knew why Uriah had left me. There was a way to fix what my dad had done, and Uriah had left to find it for me. My anger calmed again, as I thought of Uriah. If my life was in his hands, I knew I was safe. He wouldn’t stop until I was whole again.

  I called Uriah to my mind, but was shocked to find Daniel’s face forcing him out once again. Panic seized my whole body. Right away, I began humming the lullaby Uriah sang to me when we were alone together. The song made it easier to hold Daniel off, but the urge to turn back was unbearable. My feet pounded through the blackness as I pleaded for Uriah to come back to me. The aching bond followed me wherever I went.

  My chest was heaving as tears washed my hot cheeks. I couldn’t escape. Dropping to my knees, I curled my arms around my body in bleak desperation and filled my mind with Uriah. He was the only one who could save me now.

   

   

   

  38: The Truth

   

   

  The drive only lasted half an hour before Daniel’s pain became too much for him to handle. When Cole announced that we had to pull off, a curse of irritation slipped through my teeth. He ignored the comment and signaled for a right turn. I did feel sorry for Daniel, but Claire was my biggest concern. I felt guilty that I only cared about his health because without him Claire would die, but I hated the thought of spending another day in the desert, wondering if Claire’s condition had changed.

  There was little in the way of shelter out here, just a few sandstone formations, and some piñon trees. Cole rolled to a stop near the largest boulder. He was off the bike in an instant, reaching for Daniel. Cutting my bike’s engine, I hurried over to help him. My unconcern for Daniel vanished when I saw his face twisted in agony.

  Pale and limp, Daniel hung in my arms, barely conscious. Cole searched our packs for anything soft and arranged them into a hasty bed. It would still be horribly uncomfortable, but it was all we had to offer. Carefully, I lowered Daniel onto the bed of shirts and sweaters.

  “Thanks, guys,” he croaked after downing a few more painkillers. Cole passed out the flattened sandwiches from the gas station. We ate quickly and in silence. Glancing at where the sun had disappeared behind a row of bluffs a while ago, I prayed Daniel would fall asleep.

  “Um,” Daniel began.

  I groaned. Please fall asleep.

  “What exactly happened back there?”

  Maybe I could knock him out before Cole could stop me. He needed to sleep anyway, didn’t he?

  “Uriah, you want to handle that one?” Cole said.

  I definitely did not want to answer his questions. I knew they would inevitably lead to Claire. Cole’s look told me that I had better not try to dodge Daniel this time. “I guess,” I said dejectedly.

  Daniel struggled to pull himself up enough to face me. He was eager for answers, but he stiffened just as a familiar presence brushed the edge of my thoughts. The mountain lion padded into our camp from behind me and settled itself next to my folded legs. He didn’t even need to mention that the others were nearby. They knew the creature would be back, just as I did. Our fight wasn’t over yet.

  “It’s okay, Daniel,” I said, stroking the cat’s fur. “It won’t hurt you.”

  “What is happening?” Daniel asked, his voice higher than usual. “Wild animals. Shape shifting monsters. You guys just show up at camp, and I’m stupid enough to go with you. What was I thinking?”

  “Daniel, the animals are only here to help,” I said. The rest was still a mystery to me, but I had to tell him something. “That thing that attacked you, I don’t really know what it is, but the animals will protect us from it.”

  “Why was it trying to kill me?”

  It had said that it was only fulfilling its purpose, but that gave me no better understanding of what it was or why it was hunting me or Daniel. “I don’t know for sure, but I think it has something to do with why you’re coming with us. I know it doesn’t want you to help Claire.
”

  “What does that monster have to do with your sister?” Daniel asked Cole. Daniel’s eyes were getting wilder with each half-answered question. Filled with pain, Daniel’s face begged Cole for a real answer. Cole merely shrugged. He was no help at all.

  “I think you’re going to have to tell him a little more than that, Uriah,” Cole said after a few seconds of silence.

  “Uriah, I think I deserve an explanation,” Daniel said, glancing to his leg, then back to me. The firm set of his face told me he wasn’t going to give up. Sighing, I began what I knew would be a long story, full of holes.

  “Claire isn’t sick or hurt. She was poisoned by her father.”

  “What? What kind of dad poisons their own kid?” Daniel asked, his accusing stare focusing on Cole. Cole’s jaw clenched tightly. I knew he wanted the same answer.

  “My father is a very selfish man,” Cole muttered.

  Glancing away from Cole, Daniel asked another question. “Why couldn’t you guys just take her to the hospital?”

  “The poison was from the Shaxoa, the witch of our tribe. It put Claire into a coma, where she will die unless she’s given the antidote,” I explained. “The only way to save Claire is for her Twin Soul to give her the antidote.”

  “What’s a Twin Soul?”

  “Our legends say that a soul is made up of two parts, the male half and the female half,” Cole explained. “Most people never find their Twin Soul in human form, but for the ones who do, an unbreakable bond forms between them, completing the soul.”

  “So, it’s like a soul mate,” Daniel said. “I don’t really believe in that kind of stuff.”

  I could have hit him right then if Cole’s warning look hadn’t threatened worse against me. All the sympathy I had felt for Daniel was gone. Wild animals had come to defend us against an evil giant snake that nearly bit his leg off and he didn’t believe in “soul mates.” Even if that was dumbing it down considerably, it should have been the easiest thing to swallow at this point.

  “Well, you better start believing, Daniel, because things like that shadow creature believe in it, and it will apparently stop at nothing to prevent you from reaching Claire,” I said.

  “Shadow Creature?” Cole questioned.

  “That’s what the mountain lion calls him,” I said.

  “That’s what the mountain lion calls him?” Daniel repeated. His face turned back to Cole. “Am I missing something, or is Uriah claiming he can talk to animals?”

  Cole regarded me closely. I hadn’t meant to tell Daniel about the way the animals communicated with me. It just slipped out. I was so distracted with Daniel’s idiocy that I spoke without thinking.

  “Uriah,” Cole said patiently. I had told Cole as much already, but I knew he was just as curious for details as Daniel was.

  “I can’t really talk to them, like people can,” I explained. “They put images in my mind and show me what they want me to know, and I can do the same back to them.” Daniel stared at me in confusion while he brooded silently. Cole was the first to speak.

  “Have you always been able to do this?”

  “No,” I said quickly. “Well, I don’t know, actually. I think I have, but I didn’t really know it. The way animals have always been so tame around me, I think that it might have been me making them calm. Last night when the mountain lion walked into our camp, he showed me he would keep watch while we slept. He warned me about the creature and told me other animals would protect us from it. That was the first time anything so blatant has ever happened to me, but it felt really natural, too.”

  I offered it up as a possibility to Cole, trying to make it easy to take, but at this point I was positive that this ability had always been there. It had something to do with the creature. Admitting those two things made me wonder about everything else. Was the power I had over other people, and the affect Claire had on me, related to the creature as well? Was all of this wrapped up in whatever it was the adults in my life were lying to me about?

  “The wolves that came the first time we met the creature, how did you know to call them?” Cole asked, bringing me back to the conversation.

  “I didn’t know if it would actually work,” I said, “but I tried anyway. I sent out images of the creature and begged them for help.”

  Cole nodded. I think we were both equally glad it had worked. Daniel was still staring at the mountain lion with wary eyes. “Really, Daniel, it’s not going to hurt you. It saved your life, for crying out loud,” I said.

  “It’s just a little weird, okay,” Daniel said. The mountain lion’s ear twitched, making Daniel flinch. The sudden movement brought a hiss from Daniel. His bandages were bloodier than before we left the grove.

  Finally Daniel’s gaze lifted from the sleeping mountain lion and turned back to me. “What’s your stake in all this, Uriah? I mean Claire is Cole’s sister, so of course he wants to help her, but what about you? You can barely look at me without wanting to punch me in the face.”

  My fists tightened and pressed into my knees. Cole watched me with pity in his eyes. I did not want to discuss this with him, but I couldn’t deny him the answers he deserved. “Claire is my fiancée.”

  Daniel’s eyes widened in shock. That was definitely not the answer he had been expecting. “Claire is your fiancée, but you’re not her soul mate, Twin Soul, whatever you call it. You guys are saying that I’m Claire’s Twin Soul? That’s why you told me I could help her, right?” Daniel said. I nodded. “So what exactly does that mean? What about the unbreakable bond?”

  That was all I could take. Standing up, I stalked away from Daniel. The mountain lion, disturbed by my sudden movement, stood as well and followed me from the meager camp.

  Cole’s quiet voice followed my retreat. “It means, Daniel, that as soon as you save Claire’s life, the Twin Soul bond will form and she’ll forget her love for Uriah completely.”

  “Oh,” was Daniel’s only response.

  Quickening my step, I walked past the motorcycles and collapsed by a small boulder. The mountain lion nuzzled my arm, pushing his head into my lap. The gentle nudge of his question startled me. Interpreting the images he sent me was getting easier. I hardly had to take the time to interpret the thoughts he sent me, anymore. I could practically hear his thoughts as simple words when he spoke, now.

  The picture of me sitting next to the rock with my head hanging was tinged with sadness.

  “What’s wrong?” he was asking.

  “Daniel,” I replied.

  The mountain lion’s answer was a feeling of indifference. He saw no obvious problem with the guy. My pain was hard to explain, even with words. With only thoughts, I didn’t know if I could make him understand. With no one else to turn to for sympathy, I needed to try. I pictured Claire, her milk chocolate eyes and brown, silky hair. Her smile was soft and kind. I pictured us at our wedding. It was the future I was still clinging to, though hope was fading fast.

  Memories of her drinking the tea and falling unconscious swept through my mind on a wave of anger. Daniel was the only one who could save her, but he would also take her away from me. The mountain lion tried to deny these thoughts, feeling my deep love for Claire, but I feared he was wrong.

  I worked to explain Twin Souls, picturing the soul together, then separated at birth, only to find each other again. I tried to show him that this was what would steal Claire away, and to my surprise the mountain lion understood. He knew of Twin Souls already. Now that he understood, he shared my misery. The great cat curled around me, lending me comfort when it seemed like no one else could.

  For a long time, I sat there stroking the animal’s thick fur. Eventually my thoughts and feelings calmed, allowing me to focus on the many other dangers we were facing. I still understood so little of what was happening. Glancing down at the mountain lion, I wondered if he knew more than I did about our situation. Already he had proved more knowledgeable than I expected.

  The
question formed slowly, but the mountain lion understood. “What is the shadow creature?”

  “Matwau.” The answer was laced with fear and anger. Enemy.

  I already knew that the creature was an enemy. I repeated the question. “But what is it?”

  The cougar huffed and shook his head. I must have misunderstood his answer. “Matwau,” he repeated, “not an enemy, the enemy.”

  I still didn’t understand.

  The mountain lion’s thoughts sharpened and his answer became more specific. “The Matwau destroys happiness. Before, I was not sure. Now, I know, because he wants to kill Daniel.  The creature is the Matwau.”

  The explanation astounded me. I had heard many stories of beings that caused misery and unhappiness for fun or selfish indulgence, but this idea of one enemy meant to destroy life and joy was completely foreign to me. I couldn’t understand why such a creature wouldn’t be mentioned in our tribal legends. Surely people should know this devil existed, for their own protection, if nothing else.

  Suddenly, I realized there was a much more important question I needed answered. “What does he want?”

  “Twin Souls are the greatest happiness. The Matwau hunts Twin Souls. He keeps them from uniting. Once the bond is formed the Matwau cannot harm them.”

  My mother had told me stories of Twin Souls reaching each other despite the odds stacked against them, but never had I heard that there was an evil being doing everything possible to keep them apart, including killing the one searching for their other half. I tried to dig deeper into my memory for answers when Quaile’s words snapped to the front of my mind. I had been told of this creature.

  Quaile tried to warn me of forces that didn’t want me to save Claire. The Matwau must have been what she was referring to. Frustration made my teeth grind together. Her riddles were driving me mad. Things could have gone much more smoothly if she had given me real information about the dangerous beast rather than a vague warning. I had a few choice words for Quaile when we finally made it home.

  “Are the animals bound to protect Twin Souls?” I asked. “At the grove you said you were only there for me.”

  “No,” the mountain lion answered. He sent memories of the fight filtering through my mind. He reaffirmed that the animals had been concerned with protecting me, not Daniel. The memories ended and the mountain lion continued his explanation. “We feel no desire to protect your friend, only you.”

  “Why? What makes me special?” I asked. Several times now someone had told me that there was something more to me than I realized. I wanted to argue, to explain that I was only a rancher from a small town, nothing more, but I was beginning to believe it myself. The Matwau himself said he wanted me specifically. I didn’t understand why anyone else thought I was important, but it was difficult to argue against so many strange events.

  Where did the strength come from when I crushed the Matwau’s shoulder, or when I threw it against the boulder? Why did this evil being seek me out and challenge my every step? Why were the animals drawn to me? Realizing that the mountain lion had never answered my question, I repeated the query. “Why are you helping me?”

  “I don’t know.” The mountain lion lifted his head, meeting my eyes. “I don’t understand why I protect you, but I know it is because the Matwau hunts you. You are his enemy and I know I cannot let him harm you.”

  “I don’t understand any of this,” I complained.

  “You will,” the mountain lion said. “I just hope it will be in time.”

  Nodding my agreement, I let myself relax next to the mountain lion. Being able to talk to him had taken away at least some of my anxiety. I was still as confused as ever, but I felt a little better. I appreciated his willingness to listen.

  Barely one day ago, the sight of the mountain lion had terrified me, but now we spoke as friends. In fact, the mountain lion was a friend, the only one who really seemed to understand what was happening to me. “Do you have a name?” I asked.

  His answer was more complicated than I had expected. Images and feelings related to his name swirled in my mind. It took a few moments to process everything he had shared with me, but eventually I understood.

  “Talon.”

  His mother had given him the name because he reminded her of an eagle. A fierce hunter, the swiftest runner of his litter, intelligent, a leader. The much simpler string of images I sent back seemed to amuse the cougar, but he was pleased I had understood.

  “Tell me of your life,” I asked. I needed the distraction and the mountain lion was happy to oblige. Thinking of my waiting Claire, I “listened” to Talon’s stories, pushing away the more painful and frightening thoughts I was harboring. The images of his life spent hunting and tracking were soothing, lulling me back into a steadier frame of mind.

  I realized how tired I was as I sat with him. Adrenaline had been pumping through my veins for so long that I hadn’t felt the natural weariness so much activity should have brought hours ago. Now, as I sat with Talon, my mind and body yearned for rest. Too tired to contemplate my strange fate any longer, I draped my arm across his back. The warmth of his body calmed me as I stared up at the stars and thought of Claire. We were so close to getting Daniel back to her. My mind centered on that, and the weight of who I really was faded into the background.

   

   

   

  39: Complications

   

   

  “Uriah.” Cole shook my shoulder. I tried to ignore him, wanting to stay in my dreams a little longer. “Uriah, wake up. I need your help.” Forcing my eyes open, I blinked in the bright sunlight. Cole held out a hand, pulling me to my feet. It was morning. I had slept through the entire night undisturbed. My muscles ached, painfully reprimanding me for my poor choice in sleeping positions.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  Cole motioned for me to follow him and turned quickly, rushing back toward the camp. The mountain lion stayed close to me as I followed Cole. As soon as I reached the pile of backpacks, I heard the moaning. Daniel was lying on the ground, sweating from fever and rigid with pain.

  “What happened? He seemed like he was going to be okay last night.”

  “I don’t know. I think his leg is infected,” Cole said. “I don’t know how we’re going to get home with him like this.”

  Daniel was obviously not going to be able to keep himself on the bike by himself, but I refused to spend another night camping in the desert. The creature could come back at any moment, not to mention Claire may not have that much time. “He can ride with me. I have some rope in my bag. We’ll just have to tie him to me and get home as fast as we can.”

  “Uriah, that doesn’t sound very safe. Maybe we should take him back to that town we passed through last night, to the hospital, and call his parents,” Cole said.

  “If we take him back, his parents will probably call the police and we’ll never get him to San Juan. I won’t risk Claire’s life on the chance that his parents will understand why we practically kidnapped their son,” I said. Daniel wasn’t so bad, but my priorities were still firmly set with Claire at the top. “Sophia will be able to help him as well as any doctor at a hospital.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Cole said reluctantly.

  The mountain lion’s low growl drew my attention. “What is it?” I asked silently.

  “The Matwau is coming closer. We must leave.”

  “What’s wrong, Uriah?” Cole asked.

  “It’s coming back. We’ve got to go, now,” I said. “Get the rope. I’ll get Daniel on my bike.”

  Cole dug through my backpack, finding the rope quickly. Reaching down, I shoved my arms under Daniel’s legs and shoulders and lifted him from the ground. His face contorted with the pain of moving, but he only moaned deliriously. Setting Daniel on the bike, I turned to Cole. “Hold him up so I can get on.”

  “He’s not going to come too close with the wolves and coyotes still
here, but he’s not turning away either. He’ll follow us,” Talon communicated. I nodded and mounted the bike. It was an awkward few moments while Cole tried to secure Daniel to my torso with the rope. His limp body refused to cooperate, with even his feet hanging loosely to the ground. By the time Cole was finished, though, Daniel wouldn’t fall off unless I did.

  The closeness to him was more than just uncomfortable. I could hardly move my own body because of the bindings, but that wasn’t really what was bothering me the most. “Claire needs him,” I whispered to myself. I was doing this for her.

  After strapping the backpacks onto the motorcycles, Cole jumped on his own bike, the engine roaring under his touch. “Will you follow?” I asked Talon.

  “We all will.” Talon stepped closer, his muzzle touching my leg. “I’ll try to stay in your sight. You may need to go slower than usual so we can keep up. The Matwau should still be badly wounded, but even wounds will not slow him down. He will attack if you get too far away from us.”

  “Thank you for the warning,” I replied. The idea of slowing our pace grated on my patience, but there was no way I would have been able to go full speed with Daniel strapped to me anyway. “Stay in contact with me.” Talon nodded his head.

  “Let me set the pace, Cole,” I said.

  Cole nodded. “Sure, Uriah. The headsets are on, so just keep me updated on what’s happening with Daniel, and everything else,” he said, the last part trailing off a little.

  The first few minutes of driving with Daniel were frustrating as I struggled to keep the unusual weight balanced. Talon backed away when we reached the interstate, but I could still see his sleek body darting along next to us. Cole and I stayed close to the shoulder, letting the other drivers fly past us.

  The mile markers ticked by too slowly. Cole checked in periodically with questions about Daniel and our pursuer. Daniel’s body was hot against mine. His fever burned my back. I started to worry when I was reminded of the searing heat of the creature’s touch. What if there had been some kind of poison in the Matwau’s bite? Would Sophia be able to help him? A strange emotion suddenly filled me.

  In my heart, I was praying that I would be able to keep Claire and Daniel from forming the Twin Soul bond, but in my mind I knew how unlikely that was. When I thought Daniel could die, sadness washed over me, for Daniel, and for Claire. Daniel’s parents would be devastated, and I would be largely to blame for his death. Exchanging his life for Claire’s…I had no right to make that choice. And for Claire, what would that do to her, to find her Twin Soul, only to lose him soon after? I pushed the thoughts away, lost in that precarious balance between right and wrong.

  Daniel would be fine, I told myself, begging for it to be true.

  As if knowing I was thinking about him, Daniel shifted violently. His sudden lurch pitched the bike sideways. I pulled hard on the bike to right it, but Daniel struggled again. “Daniel, what’s wrong?” I yelled at him over my shoulder. Had the infection proved fatal? I panicked. I didn’t want him to die. The twitching continued and I searched the road ahead for a place to pull off. “Cole, we need to stop. Daniel’s convulsing!”

  “There should be a rest stop just ahead,” Cole said.

  I didn’t know how Cole paid attention to any of the road signs. My mind was so consumed with fear for both Daniel and Claire that most of the trip was a beige colored blur. Cole proved to be right, fortunately. A green and white highway sign announced a rest stop one quarter mile away. Daniel’s hands clutched my waist, his whole body shaking now. I pushed the speedometer higher and turned into the rest stop lane. As soon as I pulled to a stop, Talon rushed out from behind some rocks and hurried over to me. I hoped there was no one else around to see him.

  “What’s wrong?” He had felt my distress.

  I showed him how Daniel had been behaving. I tried turning around to look at him, but Daniel’s head had sunk low on my back. Glancing around for Cole, who had just pulled up behind me, I said, “Hurry up and get him down so we can see what’s wrong.”

  Cole leaned the bike against a picnic table, not bothering with the kickstand, and rushed to my side. Untying the knots seemed to take forever, but Cole was hauling Daniel off the bike after only a few seconds. Daniel grunted harshly when his injured leg smacked into the pavement.

  “Sorry,” Cole said.

  I hopped off my bike and helped Cole lift the twitching Daniel onto the wooden table. “Daniel,” I said, tapping his cheek, “can you hear me?” A whining sound was the only response. “Daniel.” My touch was almost striking him now. “Daniel, wake up.”

  “Uriah, I don’t think he can hear you. He’s still unconscious,” Cole said. “What was happening?”

  “He kept moving, like he was having convulsions. He almost knocked us over a couple of times. I can’t keep going. I’m afraid he’s gotten worse.” Daniel laid on the table calmly, now, but I still feared for his life.

  “Daniel,” Cole said softly. “Can you hear me?” Not waiting for a response, Cole felt his forehead and listened to Daniel’s breathing. Gingerly, Cole lifted the bandage. He sucked in a breath and motioned for me to come closer.

  I didn’t really want to see it, but I went anyway. I remembered my mother’s leg, ravaged by the starving mountain lion. Usually I was more than willing to help an injured person or animal, but since my mother’s attack I found myself more squeamish than before. I hesitated before looking over Cole’s shoulder. Surprised by the wound, I took a closer look. My mother’s leg would be covered with scars when she finally healed, but Daniel’s wound was simply two red spots, which were very swollen and had red lines of infection snaking out from each puncture.

  “The infection is spreading,” Cole said. “I thought we’d be able to make it to Sophia in time. Do you know what Sophia gave your mother? Some of her herbs grow naturally in this area. Maybe we could find something to help him.”

  “I’m not sure. I know she used chamomile and goldenseal in the poultices she put on my mom’s leg, but I don’t know what they look like. Sophia only had the dried powders,” I said.

  “I think I know what they look like,” Cole said thoughtfully, no doubt something else he had read about while bored at his dad’s store. “It’s pretty late in the year to find them, but I’ll try looking.” Cole stared at Daniel, appraising his condition. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll see if I can find anything.”

  “Okay,” I said, “just try to hurry. If you can’t find anything we’ll have to get him to the hospital as fast as we can. And Claire…” I shook my head. “We can’t give anyone the chance to catch up to us, either.”

  Cole nodded and hurried away. He was disappearing into the scrub brush when Daniel stirred on the table. I looked away, struggling with the idea of saving Daniel even if it meant Claire died. Even if I save them both, I had no plan to keep Daniel and Claire apart. I had thought at one point that if Daniel could give her the antidote without ever touching her, the bond would never form, but just them being in the same room with the intensity of bond pulling them toward each other, it would be impossible for them not to touch each other.

  As much as I would want to haul Claire away and never let her touch him, I knew I couldn’t do that to her. If she really wanted Daniel, I would have to find the strength to let her go. Fighting off the truth of the situation, I pressed the palms of my hands into my eyes, using the pain to distract my thoughts.

  “Cole?” Daniel’s voice was low and wheezy.

  I stared at my shoes. “Cole will be back in a minute,” I said.

  Daniel struggled to lift his head. “Uriah?”

  “Yeah,” I said, not looking at him, “don’t try to move, okay?”

   “I saw her,” Daniel said. “I saw Claire.”

  I turned to face Daniel. “What do you mean you saw her?” I didn’t want to ask, but I had to. I was drowning, not knowing how Claire was doing. I was terrified we would return to my mother’s house only to find that
Claire had already slipped away.

  “When I was dreaming,” he said. “It was really strange. I was kind of locked away with the pain. I couldn’t tell where I was. I just felt the pain. Then all of the sudden Claire was next to me, comforting me. The pain went away, and so did my fever. I think it was because of her.”

  “What did she look like?” I whispered. My eyes were burning, but I wouldn’t let Daniel see me cry.

  “She had dark hair and these incredible brown eyes. They were the color of…”

  “Milk chocolate,” I whispered.

  “Yeah,” Daniel said. “She sat by me and told me everything would be okay. I’ve never felt anything like what I felt when she was near me. Even before…”

  Daniel’s voice trailed off, but not quickly enough. “Before?” I demanded.

  “I’ve seen her in dreams before. For years,” Daniel admitted. “I didn’t think she was real.”

  I knew it was Claire, real as could be, but I refused to acknowledge that to Daniel. How had she been able to comfort him while he was dreaming? Was there even more to the Twin Soul connection than anyone knew? Had she really been able to heal him?

  “She knew my name,” Daniel said quietly. “She’s never said my name before.”

  Unable to bear the possibility that I was too late, I turned away again, my heart on the verge of destruction.

  “Uriah,” Daniel said, painfully pushing himself up further to face me squarely, “is there a way to keep the bond from forming between me and Claire?”

  I was dumbfounded by his question. Hadn’t he just been saying how much she had comforted him, how he had never felt anything like her presence before? I couldn’t understand the reason behind his question. I didn’t have an answer for him either.

  Turning back to him, I said, “I don’t know, Daniel.”

  “I don’t want to take her away from you.”

  “What?” I couldn’t believe he really meant it. “Why wouldn’t you want her? You just said…”

  “I know what I said, and I meant it. I’ve never felt such a powerful connection to any person before. Just being near her, even in my dream, I felt so happy it was hard to keep from exploding. But,” he said, “I could never take that away from someone else. I can see how much you love her. I mean you must love her more than I could understand to be doing this, to be willing to lose her to…another guy, in order to save her life. I don’t know if I could do that.”

  “You could if you knew her,” I said quietly. Anyone who had experienced Claire’s beautiful spirit, so full of love and understanding, would do anything to make her happy.

  “Still, I don’t want to be the one to come between you and Claire. I would hate myself for destroying something as special as that,” Daniel said.

  Daniel must have thought that Claire and I shared the same connection he had felt when Claire’s spirit stepped into his dreams. He didn’t understand that it was the bond he was feeling, not just Claire’s goodness. I knew I loved Claire more than my own life, but I also knew Claire and I would never feel the overwhelming joy Daniel had described. That was reserved for Twin Souls alone. I couldn’t bring myself to correct his assumption.

  “If there is anything I can do to keep the bond from forming, I’ll do it,” Daniel said firmly. Saying what he needed to say, Daniel sunk back down to the table. Pain still streaked his features, but the awful heat emanating from him had faded completely. A peace seemed to come over him as he closed his eyes.

  Guilt washed over me for every unkind thought I had harbored for Daniel. He had seemed so immature and carefree just the day before, but I had judged him badly. Underneath his young exterior, he was a better man than me. I could see Claire loving him. “Thank you,” I said as a tear escaped my careful control and rolled off my cheek. 

  The soft sound of his breathing was deep and regular within seconds. I buried my face in my hands and let the tears fall. Daniel was willing to deny himself the joy of being Claire’s true Twin Soul, just to preserve my love for her, which must be so insignificant, compared to what she could have with him. As grateful as I was to Daniel, I doubted his offer would help in the end. I had no idea how to stop the bond. I realized in that moment, though, that if Claire asked it of me, I would make the same offer to her. Her happiness was the most important thing.

  The truth was hard to face. If at all possible, I would take Daniel’s offer and do everything in my power to keep Claire’s heart from reaching Daniel’s. Talon quietly padded over to me and placed his head in my lap. I had forgotten he was even there.

  Silently he tried to reassure me. “Have faith in your love, Uriah. Do not give up yet.”

  I realized that I must have been projecting every thought and feeling to him during my conversation with Daniel, because he understood my anguish perfectly. “I have to give her up,” I said, “if I can’t stop the bond from forming. I don’t want to do it, though. I want to keep her for myself regardless of the bond. I don’t want to do the right thing. I don’t deserve her, do I?”

  “You will make the right choice. I am sure of that. Don’t let anything else cloud your mind, Uriah. Trust in yourself,” Talon said. “You have been taught well.”

  “I just can’t see things working out anymore,” I admitted.

  “You will survive this. You are much more than you know.”

  “Uriah,” Cole said, running back to the picnic table, “is everything okay?” His gaze went to Daniel immediately, his fingers checking for a pulse. Reassured, he looked at Talon. My animal friend told me the wolves and coyotes were keeping the creature at bay, but it was getting harder for them to keep track of him.

  “Daniel’s fine,” I said. Thanks to Claire, apparently. “Better than before. I think his fever finally broke. He’ll be okay until we get to Sophia. We’re fine with everything else too, for now. But we better keep moving.”

  “Is something else wrong?” Cole asked. I couldn’t help but sniff again and brush at my eyes. I was sure they were red and puffy. Turning away from Cole, I stared at the ground.

  “Everything’s fine. Did you find those herbs?” I asked, not really caring. Daniel would be fine, I was sure of it now.

  “No, I didn’t. It’s too late in the year, I guess,” Cole said. I could feel his eyes watching me, trying to decipher what had happened while he was gone. “Do you want me to take Daniel?”

  “No,” I said quickly. I wanted to protect him. I felt even more responsible for him than before. “I don’t think he’ll be squirming around too much anymore. I’ll be fine with him.”

  “All right,” Cole said, his expression quizzical.

  “Just get him back on the bike.”

  “Sure,” Cole said.

  Reaching for Daniel, we gently pushed him upright. His eyes opened a little. “Oh, you’re back,” he said to Cole before letting his eyes fall closed again. “Uriah said you would be.”

  Cole looked at me with a sharp expression. “He was awake?”

  I shrugged. Just get him on the bike so we can leave, I pleaded silently.

  “You didn’t think that was worth mentioning, Uriah?” Cole said.

  “It was just for a few seconds. Let’s just go, okay?”

  Cole’s gaze flitted between me and Daniel. His expression relaxed. Whatever he was assuming, it was probably wrong, but once again, I felt no need to correct him. Cole gathered the unconscious Daniel into his arms and I climbed back on the bike. The rope was still necessary, but Daniel was at least holding himself up a little more this time. Four more hours. Talon bounded away and I instantly missed his calming presence.

   

   

   

  40: Silent Desert

   

   

  The disturbing experience woke me from my strange half sleep. I had no idea how I had reached my dream man, the one I knew to be Daniel, but somehow I found myself at his side watching him suffer. The pull to go to him was unbear
able.

  I didn’t know who this person was, but I didn’t want to have him in my mind. Uriah was the one I loved and would always love, no matter what Quaile tried to tell me. I told myself that over and over again. But I still found myself walking over to him. His body burned with fever. I spotted the bandages on his leg and remembered seeing the animal attack him in a previous dream. It was shocking to realize that the dreams were in some way linear, progressing. But to what end? I had been desperately hoping that these dreams were just a bad effect from whatever my dad had drugged me with. The possibility that it was more than that terrified me.

  Kneeling beside him, I reached out to touch his forehead, pulling back at the surprising heat. He muttered words I couldn’t understand. His face clenched in pain as he writhed back and forth. My soul yearned to help him. His pain enveloped me, begging me to free him from his prison. Tears ran down my cheeks as I watched him. 

  Quietly, I told him it would be all right, and I prayed I wasn’t lying. The thought of him dying was enough to bring uncontrollable tears to break free. I was so confused by these emotions. I didn’t love Daniel. He should have meant nothing to me. Feeling like my own emotions were beyond my control, I struggled to understand what was happening. I couldn’t control these feelings, and I was frightened of their source.

  He was in so much pain, though. He needed me. Uriah would have wanted me to help him. Sitting next to him, I whispered that everything was going to be fine.

  “Daniel,” I whispered without meaning to say the name aloud. My fingers brushed against his burning skin.

  His eyes opened, bright and clear. Daniel’s fever left him instantly. At first he stared at me, his eyes full of gratitude and love. Suddenly his voice took on a throaty tone, fearful, but I didn’t know why. “Claire?” he asked.

  My soul leapt when he said my name, but my heart reared against the implications. I ran from him, back into the darkness. My soul was begging me to go back, but I shook my head violently. I searched the darkness for Uriah. Perhaps he was here, too. I needed him. I didn’t know how much longer I would be able to resist the feelings that had surrounded me when I’d touched Daniel’s fevered skin.

  The rush of longing and the desire for completeness were so overwhelming. I could no longer deny who Daniel was. My entire being had confirmed that he was my Twin Soul. Even admitting that, I wanted Uriah. I was desperate for his return. I couldn’t withstand Daniel’s pull without him by my side.

  Sure that I was alone, I fell to my knees and curled my arms around my shaking body. “Uriah, where are you?” I pleaded. “Come back to me, please. I can’t hold on without you.” Tears my physical body couldn’t actually feel, flowed freely. I tried to push the fear away. I needed to be strong. With every tear that fell I could feel my will slipping away.

  Trying, once again to use my memories of Uriah to keep my heart together, I pulled the passion of our kiss the night he proposed to me. It was the last time he had kissed me so profoundly. I opened my eyes and filled the empty darkness of this place with my mind. The memory surrounded me. The sultry breeze I had felt that night pulsed against my skin and made my hair dance in it. I looked to where Uriah should have been.

  Sandy blonde hair and blue eyes stared back at me. Gasping in surprise, I scrambled away from the image. Daniel’s expression wrinkled in confusion. My eyes darted around me. Everything was the same as it had been that day. The window of the jeweler’s store was dark beside us. I was standing on the sidewalk in Santa Fe, but Uriah wasn’t here. Daniel stood in his place, reaching his hand out to me.

  My head shook as I pressed my eyes closed against the tears. Slowly, I opened them again, trying to capture the vision of the man I loved. Only Daniel stared back at me. Tears spilled down my cheeks as I turned and ran. I could hear Daniel calling after me, but I just kept running. Not even my memories were safe anymore.

  Stumbling through the brush, I screamed Uriah’s name. The silent desert echoed my own voice back to me. Slowly my feet lost their rhythm and I sunk to my knees. “Uriah, where are you?” I cried. “Where are you? I need you.” Over and over I called out to him, but he never came. I fell sobbing into the burning sand and cried as the grains bit into my skin. Was this ever going to end?

   

   

   

  41: Confrontation

   

   

  “We’re almost to Santa Fe,” Cole’s voice crackled over the headset. “How’s Daniel doing?”

  “Still out of it,” I replied.

  “We’re going to have to take the back roads, then. People are going to think it’s a little weird if we ride through town with Daniel tied to your back.”

  “Yeah, probably. The animals will be able to keep track of us better that way, anyway. The creature is getting more risky. I think he knows we’re getting close. The wolves ran it off an hour ago,” I said.

  The Matwau had come back just as quickly, unfortunately. The wolves hadn’t been able to do any damage to the creature, either. It may have only been testing their response, but the lead wolf thought he had been trying to get around the sentries and couldn’t. I could feel its presence. It was patiently biding its time, staying on the edges of our circle of protectors.

  “Do you think it knows where we’re going?” Cole asked.

  “Yeah, I think it does. I think it can feel Claire, just like it seems to be able to feel Daniel. He’ll attack before we reach San Juan,” I said with surety.

  “Great,” Cole muttered.

  Cole took the lead, guiding us through streets with less traffic as we tried to avoid rousing the residents’ interest. I barely paid attention to our surroundings, my mind too filled with Claire. This whole trip, I had been pushing for us to move more quickly, but now that we were less than an hour away, the truth of the situation began to weigh heavily on me.

  I felt sure now that I would lose Claire, and I was trying my best to handle the emotions that brought up. There was still a small grain of hope, but after Daniel’s offer I had to finally tell myself that I would give her up if she wanted me to. If there was some way to stay with her, I would of course leap at it, but if not, I could at least give her a chance to find true happiness.

  “Uriah,” Cole said when we were back on the empty highway, “do you have a plan?”

  “For the creature?” I asked, knowing he was speaking of Claire.

  “For Daniel and Claire,” Cole said. “I’ll help you if you need it.”

  “Thanks, Cole, but I don’t know if there’s anything to do. Once they’re in the same room with each other, I’m afraid it will already be too late.” I had wracked my brain the whole trip, replaying every conversation I’d had with Quaile, every story my mother had told me, but there was nothing there to help me. Claire’s strand of hair was still safely hidden in my pocket. Thankful I hadn’t needed it, I intended to keep it there. At least I would have something of her to carry with me.

   “If you did keep their souls from bonding, what would Daniel think?” Cole wondered. “When he’s right there with her, would he agree to go along with any plan you might come up with?”

  He already has, I said to myself. I wondered about Daniel’s experience with Claire in his dreams. The feelings he described seemed too intense to have been imagined. Was it really only a dream? Were Claire and Daniel already connected in some way?

  Daniel’s chivalrous offer to turn away from Claire made me reconsider my selfish desire many times. I tried to bury the impulses, but they kept creeping back into my mind, forcing me to face what was really important, Claire’s life, not my happiness. “Daniel has already agreed to help me,” I said, trying to keep any feeling from my voice.

  “Really?” Cole considered my words. “Why would he do that?”

  I knew the real reason for Daniel’s decision, but I couldn’t bring myself to explain it to Cole. “He doesn’t want to come between me and Claire. It’s as simple as that,” I sa
id.

  “As simple as that, huh?”

  “Yeah, so drop it, okay?” I knew Cole didn’t deserve the harsh words, but it was taking what little control I had left just to keep myself from dissolving into a pool of fear and hopelessness. Cole must have heard the desperation in my voice, because he didn’t press the subject.

  Talon was still out of sight, but his thoughts drifted in to mine. “You are stronger than you think, Uriah. Stay focused on your task.”  

  I nodded to myself. His words were firm and commanding. “I will.”

  However, even Talon’s order could not hold off the fear that slapped me when the little sign announcing San Juan Pueblo came into view. The Matwau wouldn’t wait much longer.

  “He’s coming,” Talon warned. “Prepare yourself!”

  “Cole, get into town,” I yelled. There was nothing he could do to help, and with Daniel strapped to me, I was practically useless as well. “Can you hold him off?” I asked Talon.

  “Yes. Leave now!”

  Putting all my trust in Talon, I raced toward Claire. Cole was well ahead of me, now, flying over the pocked dirt roads. I tried to keep pace with him, but I was afraid that with Daniel behind me, one bad move would throw us from the bike. The cluster of buildings marking our home rose before me. I swerved back and forth, darting between angry pedestrians.

  No doubt I would have a lot to explain when things calmed down. The battle had started behind me. The eager coyotes were the first to engage the Matwau. Two of their voices faded from my mind immediately. The wolves arrived then. Talon was hanging back, protecting our retreat.

  I could feel the frustration in the animals’ minds as they were slowly pushed back. The angry yelp of a wolf streaked through my mind as he fell behind, his leg too injured to continue. Talon’s thoughts were getting more nervous. He was anxious to join the fight, but wouldn’t leave us unprotected.

  Turning the last corner, my street came into view. Anger blossomed in my mind from a dozen voices. The Matwau had broken away from the wolves and coyotes. Talon roared audibly. Even as far away as we were now, I could still hear his anger as if he was next to me. “He’s coming straight for you! He knows exactly where you are,” Talon warned, sprinting towards us.

  “Cole, where are you?” I asked. If the Matwau could keep pace with us on the interstate, he would have no trouble catching up with us, now.

  “I’m almost to your mom’s. Where are you?” Cole asked.

  “I just turned onto my street. The creature got away from the wolves. Talon is trying to chase him down, but keep your eyes open,” I said.

  “Who’s Talon?” Cole asked.

  “The mountain lion, he’s chasing the creature, but I don’t think he’ll catch up in time.”

  “I’m at the house, now,” Cole said. “I don’t see anything yet. Hurry up.”

   I steered around the well-known potholes as I raced for my house. The back tire of my bike tore at the earth, spraying gravel and dirt out behind me as I throttled the engine harder.  I couldn’t stop. Claire was waiting.

  My vision blurred in and out as I tried to remain focused on the danger around me. The Matwau’s bulky grey form broke into view. No matter how hard I pushed the bike’s engine the Matwau kept pace, its long wolf stride running parallel to the bike.

  I could see the house, my house, where Claire waited, dying. I could just make out Quaile now, standing outside the door, her face twisted with worry. Time was running out. The Matwau had almost reached me. Gripping the brakes, I pulled too hard, too fast, sending the bike over in a cloud of dust in my race to reach the house before the Matwau did. The bike slid across the hard earth, but whatever wounds the dirt and gravel inflicted, I couldn’t feel them. Blood pounded in my head.

  Cole was back outside by the time I regained my senses. His hands flashed across the rope bindings, releasing me in mere seconds. I crawled out of the bonds as soon as they were loose enough. Cole caught Daniel as the kid slid down weakly. Standing to help Cole, my back was to the road.

  “Uriah!” Cole’s eyes were wide. Terror paralyzed him midway through lifting Daniel.

  Free of the bike, I immediately jumped to my feet. I was sure I was moving as fast as I could, but the world seemed to have lost its momentum. The trees slid past my view slowly and the breeze seemed frozen in place. Emerging from the dust cloud, the Matwau fixed me in its sights.

  Facing the Matwau, I watched as its haggard face was fired with ecstasy. He was his human self once again, but he was no longer the man from the Vital Records office or the man that had faced us before attacking Daniel. A maniacal cackle split the air.

  “I have won!” he screamed. “Give me the boy.”

  “You haven’t won anything, yet,” I spat. I stepped toward him. I balled my fists, ready for the inevitable fight. I prepared myself for the agonizing fire touching him would bring. All I had to do was keep my punches short. I couldn’t let him gain a secure hold on me.

  “Matwau.”

  The hissing voice startled me. I wanted to look back and confirm its source, but I was afraid of taking my eyes off my enemy.

  “You do not belong here. Leave now,” Quaile said. Her voice was hard and commanding. She did know about the creature, I realized. She even knew its name. I would definitely have a serious conversation with her if any of us survived this.

  The Matwau cringed in her presence. “You do not command me, woman. I will have my quarry.”

  “I will not allow it,” Quaile said. Her voice was steel. “Daniel is under my protection.”

  The Matwau bared his teeth, growling ferociously. He rushed forward, his eyes locked on his prey. Quaile stepped right in his path. Stunned, I pushed my limbs to move, fearing she would be torn apart. My jaw dropped when the man reached the elderly woman and was flung backward. “Quaile,” I started, but her weathered hand rose, bidding me to stay back.

  Heaving for breath, the man shook violently as he tried to right himself. A vicious anger laced his features. “No!” he yelled. His body trembled with the effort.

  “You have lost Daniel, Matwau. Leave now,” Quaile demanded. The power in her voice seemed to seep into the very atmosphere, binding the man by her words. The Matwau screamed in fury, his hands balled up and slashed through the air defiantly. An instant later, his snarl turned up, a conniving smile directed at me.

  “Then I will take Uriah in his place,” he said pointing to me.

  “You would not dare. You will fight eventually, but not now when you are so weak and where I can aid him in your destruction. I would love to help rid the world of you, but I have more important business to attend to. The girl is barely hanging on. Be gone, before I change my mind and set the boy’s powers lose on you,” Quaile said.

  My head was swimming. What was she talking about? When I left two days ago she said she didn’t know the true meaning of her visions, that she had done all she could to help. Now she spoke with this creature as if they had known each other all their lives, and of me as if she knew my purpose and future. Even if not as a friend, she definitely knew the creature. She had hid her knowledge of this enemy from me deliberately. I was beginning to suspect she had hid other important details as well.

  “Be gone, Matwau,” Quaile hissed, stepping toward the cringing man.

  “I will not leave without killing one of them!”

  Fury at everyone and everything that had brought me to this point boiled under my skin. The creature was stronger, faster, more experienced than I. But I would not be stopped. I would reach Claire. If I was certain of anything, and there was precious little I was certain about at the moment, I was certain of this. The Matwau would not stop me from reaching Claire’s side.

  Quaile speaking again kept me from leaping forward.

  “Killing either one of them will ruin everything. I will do everything in my power to stop you, Matwau.” Quaile looked resolute, but for a moment the Matwau looked as confused as I did. Q
uaile was protecting me because of whatever meaning there was in her vision, but what would Daniel dying have to do with anything? Something in her words sparked my mind to come alive. The only way Daniel could matter was because he was connected with Claire.

  Quaile demanded once again that the Matwau leave. Rage roared out of the Matwau, splitting his body and reshaping it in an instant. The huge wolf form snarled, wanting to ravage the woman in front of him. Another low rumble joined his, snapping the Matwau’s massive head to the side. Talon’s paws threw up rocks and dirt as he skidded into the gravel driveway.

  The Matwau had reached its tipping point.

  With a cry of deep frustration, he turned and launched himself at me. Quaile screamed for me to attack and my body responded before I could even think to move. Power built in my muscles, strengthening them beyond what was humanly possible. Propelling myself right into the creature’s path, I locked my arms around it. Fire raced through my body from the contact as I flung it into the ground. The snapping of bones echoed in my ears, but didn’t stop the Matwau’s attack.

  Claws and teeth raked the air as he tried to tear my flesh. Pure reflex snapped my body back and forth to cut off his attacks. My thoughts focused completely on Claire, I pushed harder than ever. I was so close to saving her. I had gone clear across the desert to find Daniel and bring him back to her. I couldn’t stop now. Smashing my fist into the creature’s side, I saw its ribcage collapse. Fury screamed out of the Matwau’s shattered body, but it didn’t give up.

  Broken bones meshed back together as he shivered in my grip. He was trying to change again, but I refused to let him heal his wounds and prolong the fight. I had to get to Claire. Nothing was as important as saving her life. Heaving the beast into my arms I threw him as far away from me as I could. His body slammed into the ground, a blast of sand spraying into the air far enough away that it was barely noticeable to anyone but me.

  Releasing an infuriated howl that said he knew he was outmatched, the Matwau pulled himself up and raced away from the ranch with ground eating strides. I didn’t even wait to see where he was going. Claire was the only thought in my mind. She was dying and I had to save her. Daniel. I spun around to find him.

  Quaile caught my eyes, but turned away when I looked at her. Disgust welled up in me for her lies, but I had no time for her. “Cole, let’s get him inside.” Cole snapped out of the pose he had frozen in at the sight of the Matwau and together we rushed an unconscious Daniel into the house. I stumbled in, hardly aware of anything but Claire.

   

   

   

  42: Rescue

   

   

  “Uriah,” my mother cried, “oh thank goodness you’re safe.” Propped in a chair, she watched us carry Daniel into the room. Her face paled at the sight of him, but she remained quiet.

  “Uriah, Cole, let me help you,” Sarah Brant said, rushing toward us.

  “We’re fine, just get him some pillows. Is Sophia here?”

  A clatter from the kitchen preceded her answer. “Yes, she is,” Sarah said. “She’s not in a very good mood. Quaile forbid us to leave the house after you got back, and Sophia has never taken well to following Quaile’s orders. She’s getting everything ready for the antidote.” Sarah placed a few pillows on the floor and backed away. Sophia bustled into the room. The antidote was ready, just waiting for Claire’s Twin Soul to give it to her. I had brought him so far.

  “What happened?” she asked. She glanced at my cuts and bruises, but there was no time for any of that right now. Her eyes turned to Daniel, then, and she repeated her question.

  I didn’t know how to explain what had actually happened to him, so I kept the answer simple. “A snake bit him,” I said. Sophia rushed over to Daniel and stripped away his bandages. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of his wound. No ordinary snake could have made those punctures.

  “A snake did this?”

  “It was a really big snake,” Cole said, his face serious.

  “Apparently,” Sophia muttered. “What have you given him already?”

  “Just some aspirin. It was all we had,” Cole said. “I let it bleed for a few seconds in case of poison, but I didn’t know what to do about the infection. He had a really bad fever, but it finally broke earlier this afternoon.”

  “He’s been unconscious almost all day,” I said. I wondered if he could administer the antidote if he wouldn’t wake up.

  “We’ll deal with the infection first,” Sophia said. “I’ll be right back.”

  No longer as concerned with Daniel now that he was in Sophia’s care, my eyes found Claire. My feet were quick to follow. Carefully, I sat beside her on the bed and took her hand in mine. As soon as I touched her, color flooded to her cheeks. My heart nearly lost its rhythm. She could feel me. I kissed her forehead as I lifted her head and cradled it in my lap. She had changed so much since I had left her.

  Her skin was looser, her hair duller, her eyelids ringed with deep purple. The fragile bones in her hands were more visible than they had been before. Whatever it was doing to her, she was fighting it. I had been so worried the poison would take her before I could get back, but I shouldn’t have doubted Claire’s strength. I should have known she would fight against the potion’s effects. She held on long enough for me to reach her.

  Sophia hurried back into the room, her arms full of supplies. I turned away, my attention fixed on Claire’s beautiful face. How many times had I kissed her, ran my fingers along her jaw, held her warm body against mine? Would I ever do those things again? With every stroke of my fingers a soft breath escaped Claire’s mouth. I closed my eyes, focusing on her beating heart. I prayed it still beat for me.  

  “Cole?”

  The sound of Daniel’s voice drained the feeling from my body. My stiff fingers stopped mid stroke. My gaze fell on Sophia. She woke him up. My eyes were wide, filled with fear. My time with Claire was running out. I wasn’t ready to let her go. Would she remember my love for her?

  “He’s awake,” I whispered.

  “Why are you staring at me like that, Uriah? I woke him up with smelling salts,” she said. “He wasn’t in a coma. He was just exhausted from the fever.”

  Cole came to my side and put a gentle hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay, Uriah. It’s almost over now.” His words slammed the breath out of my chest.

  “It is, isn’t it?” I said. “It’s almost over.”

  Realizing how I had taken his words, Cole hurried to add something comforting. “You don’t know that for sure, Uriah. She’s strong. She loves you. Maybe she’ll still remember.”

  “Maybe,” was all I could say.

   “What are you two carrying on about?” Sophia demanded. “I need some help moving him. Now let’s get on with it. Cole, help him into a chair while I get the herbs for him.”

  Cole squeezed my shoulder before moving to obey Sophia’s command. Daniel blinked his bleary eyes as Cole pulled him into a standing position and helped him stumble over to a hard backed chair. Cole turned the chair to face away from Claire before setting Daniel down in it. I thanked him silently for his thoughtfulness. Probably sensing Claire, Daniel struggled to turn and find her. It was already starting.

  Stepping quickly, Sophia came back into the room with a small cup balanced in the palm of one hand and a small satchel in her other hand. “Here it is, Uriah,” Sophia said. “Daniel just needs to mix in the herbs and hold the cup as he gives her the tea, I think. Claire’s fading fast, though. She’s still unconscious, Uriah. I’m not sure how to get her to drink it.”

  “Just give it to her,” I heard myself pleading, almost growling. She had to live, no matter what happened after.

   “It will only take a few drops,” Quaile said quietly. She leaned heavily on a walking stick as she strode to the center of the room. “But it’s not quite that simple.”

  “Enough with the riddles,” Sophia said venomously, tired of
Quaile’s half-answers and veiled lies. The past few days must have worn on her patience greatly. I was completely sympathetic to her irritation. I had plenty of things to say to Quaile when Claire was finally safe again.

  Quaile looked away, her fingers twisting her skirt nervously. The corner of her mouth twitched as she unsuccessfully tried to keep it from falling into a deep frown. Her eyes took on the glassy glaze of tears. “There is one more ingredient,” Quaile said with trembling lips.

  Sophia stared at her, the look promising a heated response if she had to wait much longer.

  My hands started to tremble. Quaile had hidden more from me. I clenched my jaw to hold my hatred for her inside. There was something else, something she knew would seal Claire’s fate. I felt my last particle of hope slip away.

  “His blood,” Quaile blurted out. “The boy’s blood must be mixed in with the herbs.”

  “What?” I exploded. Before I could stop myself, I was on my feet, my rage carrying me across the room. My hands gripped her frail shoulders roughly. She winced under my touch, but faced me regardless of her fear. “How could you?” I hissed. “You lied to me, Quaile! You told me there was hope, when all along you knew there wasn’t. How could you do that to me?”

  Quaile’s frightened eyes pleaded with me for understanding. “I didn’t know if you would still go if I told you the truth,” she said. Double sounds of disgust came from my mother and Sophia. Quaile glanced at them, begging for forgiveness. “I’m sorry, Uriah. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have doubted you. I was just trying to protect Claire.”

  I shoved her away from me, too angry to even look at her. My breath came in gasping chunks. My vision blurred and I suddenly couldn’t find my footing. I sank to my knees. I thought I had prepared myself for this, but now that I was truly facing reality, my heart shattered. His blood. She was lost to me forever. “I can’t lose her, not now, not after everything we’ve been through. I don’t know if I can live without her.” I wasn’t sure whether I was speaking aloud or not. I had lost all feeling except for the crippling pain in my chest.

  Soft shaking hands touched my face and pulled my head up. Sarah Brant’s face was inches in front of mine. Her cheeks were red and tear streaked, but filled with desperation. “Uriah,” she pleaded, “if we don’t give Claire the antidote, she’ll die. I’m so sorry.”

  I knew she was right, but all I could think about was how impossible life would be without Claire. Stumbling to my feet, I rushed to her, gathering her body into my arms. I needed just a few more seconds with her before I lost her forever. Her contented sigh was crystalline music. She had fought against the Shaxoa’s poison, but I couldn’t expect her to resist this as well. I had to let her go. Tears slipped down my cheeks, splashing on Claire’s forehead. I brushed them away, relishing the gentle warmth of her skin.

  “I’m sorry, Claire,” I whispered, my body sinking back onto the couch.

  Sounds of a struggle pushed toward me. “Wait, what’s going on?” Daniel asked as he was pushed toward Claire.  

  “Put the herbs in the tea,” Sophia instructed.

  Daniel hesitated.

  “Now!”

  Daniel hurriedly tipped the satchel, spilling the powder into the hot water.

  “I’m going to prick your finger, Daniel,” Sophia said, grabbing his hand roughly. “I only need a few drops.”

  “No, wait, I promised Uriah. Wait, I…ouch!” Daniel exclaimed. He hissed as Sophia held his finger tightly, squeezing his blood into the cup. I shut out the sounds around me, unable to bear the scene.

  My mom’s touch was slight and hesitant, but it was enough. Cole helped her sit down next to me and then moved away. My mom’s arm slid around me, her head resting against my shoulder. “It will be all right, Uriah. No matter what happens, it will work out for the best.” Her voice gave away the lie in her words.

  “Mom, what will I do without her,” I whispered. Tears I had struggled to keep hidden flooded out with my admission. “She’s my life. How do I walk away?”

  “Shhh,” my mother crooned. “Claire is strong and so are you. You can both fight this. Have faith, son.”

  Don’t give me hope, I pleaded silently. I had nothing left. For the past two days I had fueled every step with hope that somehow I would save Claire and keep her love for me intact. I didn’t think I could live without her, but my heart held itself together knowing she would survive. Nothing was more important than that.

  Claire had been my source of joy even before the day she turned up on the riverbank. Every breath I took was for her. Every decision I made was for her happiness. What would my life mean without her in it? My mother was wrong. I wasn’t strong enough to survive losing Claire. But I knew Claire would live and be happy. At least I could give her that one last gift.

  “Uriah, we’re ready,” Sarah said. A reluctant Daniel was being towed behind her. He was trying desperately to get away from her, but Sarah’s grip was firm. “Daniel, calm yourself. All you have to do is give her the tea.”

  “But I promised Uriah. I can’t take her away from him,” Daniel said, his voice pleading. His eyes, though, were drinking Claire in hungrily.

  “Daniel, if you don’t give her the tea, she’ll die,” Sophia said. “Either way you’ll be taking her away, but this way, she’ll still be alive. Give her the tea.”

  Daniel looked at me, searching for guidance. “Do it, Daniel,” I said softly. “It’s okay.”

  Still unsure, he hesitated. Sophia pulled his hand up and set the cup squarely on his palm. Holding the cup with both hands, Daniel stared at its contents. I watched him, knowing this was how it had to be.

  With shaking hands, Daniel stepped closer to Claire. As he approached, I could feel Claire’s heartbeat quicken. Her shallow breathing became more labored. Her reaction brought tears to my eyes. Suddenly, I couldn’t catch my breath. My mother gripped my shoulders tightly, her nails digging painfully through my shirt.

  Pain, it was the only sensation my mind seemed capable of registering. I embraced it. Daniel was at the bed now, lowering the cup to Claire’s lips. Gently, Daniel opened her mouth. Claire’s face flushed with color at his touch. Her heart was racing, begging for release. I couldn’t stop the chocking sob that erupted from me. I didn’t even try to hold back the hot tears now. Slowly, Daniel dripped the first few drops into Claire’s mouth.

  A gasping breath was torn from the deepest part of Claire’s body. Startled by the reaction, Daniel pulled back, and then it hit. It was just the barest hint of feeling, but everyone in the room recognized it. Every second strengthened the intoxicating aura. I clenched my eyes shut, but I couldn’t stop it from permeating every particle of my body. Opening my eyes again, I watched the look on Daniel’s face change. Desire and longing washed away any doubt or fear, and any remembrance of promises made to me.

  He brought the cup back to her lips, pouring the precious liquid into her mouth drop by drop. The transformation in Claire was astounding. Color returned to her skin. The sallow, sunken crevices were rejuvenated. Even her dark silky hair was revived, lustrous in the firelight. “Claire,” Daniel breathed, as if he had just seen her for the first time.

  It was painful to hear him speak her name. Daniel’s hand came up, her glowing skin calling to him. “Don’t,” I whispered. I couldn’t watch him touch Claire in the same way I had. Daniel stared at me in confusion, but held his hand back. The pity on every face in the room was almost enough to break my hold, but I needed just a few more seconds.

  “Uriah?” Her voice was soft and weak, but it pierced me to my soul.

  “Claire,” I cried as her face turned to me. “Claire, I love you.”

  She smiled and touched my face before her features clouded into a confused stupor. Slowly, she tore her gaze from me as my heart begged her not to. I wanted to grab her chin, force it back to my face, but in this, at least, I was able to restrain myself.

  “Daniel?” Claire asked. The ache in her vo
ice was palpable.

  She knew his name. She knew Daniel was the source of her rescue, not me. Why, I screamed in silence, why couldn’t it have been me?

  “Oh, Daniel,” Claire said, her face lighting up. She gazed at him adoringly until a flash of pain darkened her features. She turned back to me in a panic. “No. Oh, no. Uriah, what’s going on? Why is he here?”

  “I came to save you,” Daniel interrupted. His brows wrinkled, confused by why Claire would ask such an obvious question.

  Her hand reached out to him, the desire to touch him too much to resist. But at his touch she pulled back. She shook her head. “No, Uriah was going to save me. Uriah will always be the one to save me,” she said, her head turning back to me with a question in her eyes. I couldn’t bear her gaze. “Uriah?”

  “I couldn’t save you, Claire. I had to bring him here. I’m so sorry.” I buried my face in her hair, letting her silken locks soak up my tears.

  Claire’s voice turned murderous. “Where is my dad?” At this, Sarah stepped forward. Her glare was only slightly less condemning than her daughter’s.

  “He is being dealt with,” her mother said. “All that matters now is that you’re all right.”

  “No,” Claire said, her gaze darting back and forth between me and Daniel, “that isn’t all that matters.” Her voice was shrill and scared. She looked at Daniel and lost all momentum. Faced with the inexplicable pull we could all feel between them, everything seemed to become clear. Her body pulled away from me slightly. The pull was so strong, but she managed to hold back long enough to say, “Oh, Uriah, I’m so sorry.”

  “I don’t understand,” Daniel said quietly. “Does she feel what I feel, or does she still love Uriah?”

  I pulled Claire away from my chest. I needed the same question answered. “Claire?” I asked. “Do you still love me?”

  “Yes, of course, but…” she hesitated. Claire glanced around the room, fearful of what everyone else might be thinking of her.

  “Remarkable,” Quaile whispered. My body froze at the sound of her voice. I didn’t want to hear anything she had to say, but Claire didn’t know of her treachery yet.

  “Quaile, what’s going on? I still love Uriah, but it’s different, like a memory I can’t quite remember. Daniel being here, it’s changing everything.” Her gaze rolled over to Daniel slowly. “I don’t even know him, but…I love him, too. Or, I feel…I don’t know what I want. What’s happening to me?” she demanded of Quaile.

  “It’s the bond, Claire. I told you this would happen. Daniel is your Twin Soul. You belong together. You always have,” Quaile said.

  “But…I didn’t want this,” Claire said desperately. Daniel took a step closer to her and she shuddered under the power of the bond. “I mean…I do, but this isn’t right. It can’t be right. I don’t want to let go of Uriah. He’s everything to me.”

  Daniel’s face fell. “You don’t want me?”

  Claire’s eyes flew wide. I could feel the atmosphere between them change. Claire reacted to his pain, pulling away from me and reaching for Daniel. I couldn’t bring myself to let go of her other hand, but Daniel was quick to take the hand she offered him. Claire stood, fixed between us, torn by memories of our past together and the promise of a future with Daniel.

  “Daniel,” she said, her anguish melting in the face of their contact. My hand slipped from hers. She looked back at me apologetically even as she stepped closer to Daniel. “I’m so confused.”

  “Daniel,” Sarah said, taking him gently by the shoulders, “why don’t we step into the kitchen for a few minutes. You must be hungry after your ordeal.” Daniel tried to protest, but Sarah gently pulled his hand out of Claire’s and pushed him out of the room. Taking the hint, Cole helped my mother to her feet and they followed Sarah into the kitchen. Quaile was the last to leave, but finally I was left alone with Claire.

  The thought of snatching Claire off the bed and running for the truck grabbed me, almost strong enough to actually make me do it. Her hand was still outstretched, exactly where Daniel had left it. “Claire,” I said softly. My hand closed over hers and pulled it to my chest. My steady heartbeat pulsed under her hand. It still beat for her, only for her. I was begging her feel me now. I was begging for one more chance to keep her.

  “Uriah,” she said. “Please don’t leave me.”

  “I won’t leave, Claire,” I said, “not unless you want me to.” It killed me to utter the words. I would force myself to live up to them, but the words felt like a dagger. I waited for her response. It should have been easy for her to say she would never ask me to leave. She’d said it so many times before, but I waited. “Please say it,” I said without realizing the words had actually left my lips.

  “I want to, but I don’t want it to be a lie.”

  My hands fell limply from hers. I imagined myself standing and walking to the door, vanishing from her life, from life itself, but I was frozen where I sat, burning up next to the fire. I had tried to prepare myself for this. I knew in the deepest parts of my mind it could end no other way, but for so long I had held her close, warming myself in memories of our life together. It would all end here, in the place we had spent countless hours wrapped in each other’s arms.

  “Uriah, please. Please don’t look at me that way. I want you to stay, I do, but this feeling,” she said, “it’s so strong. I just don’t know how long I can fight it. I’m afraid that I won’t be strong enough to hold onto you. Please.” Her hands grappled for mine, bringing them to her damp cheeks. “Please save me from this, Uriah.”

  “I can’t,” I croaked. “I couldn’t save you before, and I can’t save you now.”

  Claire’s face crumpled and fell against my shoulder. I knew her tears were soaking through my shirt, but I was numb to everything. Even as she cried and begged me to rescue her, I could feel it. Every second the bond between Claire and Daniel grew stronger. As strong as she was, she couldn’t hold it off forever. The longer I stayed, deluding myself we could still be together, would only cause her more pain. Maybe this was what my dad meant when he said I had to be strong. Staying here was only hurting her.

  Gently, I kissed the top of Claire’s forehead before pushing her body away from me. She stared at me, her head shaking back and forth. I don’t know how long it was before I was able to form the words I needed to say. They stuck in my throat, my heart battling against my mind. Claire wouldn’t want me much longer, and who was I to ask her to give Daniel up just for my sake. The feeling stretching between them was amazing, ecstasy in its purest form. But for me, this phenomenon caused a pain more intense than I could ever have imagined.

  “I can’t stay here, Claire,” I said, finally able to choke the words out. “You belong with Daniel, now.”

  “But, you can’t leave,” she said in a panicked voice. I shook my head slowly. I was only torturing her by staying. “What will I do without you?” she asked.

  “You’ll be happy, like you were meant to be.” I knew it was true, and I was surprised by the peace saying it granted me.

  “Please don’t do this, Uriah,” she pleaded. “If you go now, I know I’ll forget how much I love you.”

  “I know you will, Claire,” I said, “but you’re supposed to. And I’m supposed to move on without you.” Move on. I laughed at the thought. I was glad Claire would live a life of happiness with Daniel, but I had every intention of seeking out the Matwau and letting him have the fight he wanted so badly. He would kill me before he even realized I wasn’t fighting back.

  Suddenly, I couldn’t bear to be near her for another second. I had to get away. Pushing Claire away gently, I stood and stalked away from her. Her sob of surprise gave me a second’s pause, but its sharp edges sliced at my remaining strength and I rushed to the refuge of my bedroom. Slamming the door, I reached for my hiking pack and started piling my belongings into its many pockets.

  My hands faltered when I saw the laptop computer sitting on my de
sk. There was little chance I would actually follow through with my college classes, now. I wanted to take it, despite my destination, but I couldn’t bring myself to touch it. I turned away from the computer and moved on to the bathroom.

  “Uriah!”

  My mother’s voice was tight and sharp. In my haste to escape, I hadn’t even thought about her. She needed me right now, but I couldn’t stay. Her worried face made me reconsider my plan. Could I really put her through losing another person she loved? She was still grieving for my father and I wanted to add to her grief by throwing my life away just to quiet my own pain. It was one of the most selfish things I had ever considered, but I couldn’t live with such amazing pain. Eventually she would forget about me, just as Claire would.

  “Uriah, wait,” my mother pleaded. She hobbled closer to me, leaning heavily on a walking stick. “Don’t leave without telling me goodbye.”

  Guilt swept over me. It would be a final goodbye, and I could barely stand to give her even that. “I can’t stay here. It hurts too much.”

  “I know, Uriah. I know,” she said, finally reaching me and slipping her hand into mine. “I understand why you have to go, and it is okay. I won’t try to stop you. I just want to make sure you have everything you need.” Pulling a small envelope out of her sweater pocket, she handed it to me with an understanding smile. “It isn’t much, but it’s yours.”

  I touched the white paper, gently lifting the flap. A stack of bills greeted me. “Where did you get this?” I asked.

  “I’ve been saving it for a special occasion. Now it’s yours,” she said. Her face turned more serious. Her eyes locked with mine. I could feel her desperation. “Uriah, this will pass. I can’t imagine what pain this has brought you, but eventually it will pass. You will move on with your life and find happiness again. I know you will. You have to try.”

  I stared at her. Did she know what I was planning to do? She waited for my reassurance that I would try to find joy with someone else, to promise I wasn’t about to do was I was planning to do, but I couldn’t lie to her.

  “I don’t know if I believe that.”

  It was the best I could offer. Her lip quivered at my response, but she pulled me into a hug, crushing me with the surprising strength her small body possessed. Why wasn’t I as strong as she was?

  Pulling away, I swung the pack on my back and stepped around her. “Be careful,” she begged before I slipped out of her sight.

   

   

   

  43: Escape

   

   

  The full force of their bond hit me when I turned the corner. Daniel sat next to her, comforting her more profoundly than I ever could. The bond was already twice as strong as it had been before. Love filled the room, pushing out every other emotion except the agony I held close to my heart. Daniel looked up at me, an apology plain on his face. There was nothing left to say. I couldn’t blame him for this, even though I wanted to. I knew I was making the right choice. Blocking everything out, I pushed the door open and escaped the house, filling my lungs with the dry desert air.

  My head a little clearer, I stared across the sandstone wasteland. The creature was out there somewhere, waiting for me. Not keen on the idea of beginning my search on foot, I turned for the garage, but fell back instantly. I couldn’t take the truck. A light movement caught my eye, bringing my gaze to the motorcycles. Quaile stood next to the bikes, scratching Talon’s ears. Every hair on my head stood on end, bristling with anger.

  “Get out of my way, Quaile. You’re not going to stop me,” I said.

  “I’m not here to stop you from leaving, Uriah. However, I am going to stop you from getting yourself killed.”

  “You don’t know anything about me or my future.”

  “Don’t I?” she questioned. “Then you are not planning to seek out the Matwau so he can end your pain, and your life?”

  “How,” my voice faltered, “how can you know that?”

  “I saw it the second you formed the idea in your mind,” she said. She stepped closer to me, placing a firm finger on my chest. “You cannot do that, Uriah.”

  “Oh? And why not?” Her cryptic warnings would do nothing but encourage me at that point.

  “Because you are meant for more than that,” she said simply.

  “I don’t care!” I yelled. “You have lied to me and tricked me into doing what you wanted, but no more, Quaile. I will decide what path my life takes, even if it’s to my death. I don’t want to hear any more of your warnings or visions. I want you to leave me alone!”

  I pushed her away from me, bringing a low growl from Talon. “She is only trying to help you, Uriah. Listen to her,” Talon said, concern filling his feline eyes.

  “I can’t trust her.”

  “She did lie to you before, but she is telling the truth now.” Talon’s thoughts were firm.

  “How can you know that?” I asked. “Can she speak to you?”   

  “No, but I can hear her thoughts. Shamans can call out to animals for help. That is all. I can hear her thoughts, and she is not trying to mislead you this time,” Talon said.

  “I still don’t trust her,” I told him, making for the motorcycle. I knew it wasn’t mine to take, but Thomas would just have to consider it payment for saving his daughter’s life. I reached for the ignition where I was sure I’d left the keys, but the slot was empty.

  Quaile’s shadow fell over me, the keys dangling from her hand. I tried to snatch them away, growling when I missed. “You can have her back,” she said quietly.

  “What?” I must have misunderstood her. 

  “Claire, you can still have her back.”

  The blood in my veins seemed to stop flowing. My lungs refused to expand. “What do you mean?”

  “There is a way to sever the Twin Soul bond,” Quaile said quietly. “I don’t know how to do it, but there is one who does.”

  “How?”

  “Go to our Tewa cousins in Hano. I have heard rumor that there is a Shaxoa there who knows the secrets of the dark spirits. She will be able to tell you how to sever the bond.”

  “Why can’t I just go to the Shaxoa here?” I asked, wondering if this was another of Quaile’s tricks.

  “Zarafen only dabbles in the dark spirits’ lore. She knows little of their workings. You must go to Hano,” Quaile said.

  “Why are you telling me this now?” I asked. “Does this have something to do with your visions of me?”

  “No, it has nothing to do with that. It probably goes against them, in fact,” she muttered. “I despise any Shaxoa and the work they do, and I would never have mentioned this to you if it weren’t for Claire’s reaction to Daniel. She wants to be with you despite finding her Twin Soul.” Quaile’s face wrinkled as she contemplated the meaning of her words.

  “I have never heard of that happening before,” she said slowly, “but it makes me wonder about the bond, about Twin Souls. Maybe there is a reason so few find their Twin Soul. Perhaps we are not meant to seek them here in this life. Perhaps the love between Twin Souls is no greater than the love between two devoted people. I do not know for sure, but I see Claire.”

  Quaile touched my shoulder gently. “She loves you still, and seems to value the love she has for you more than the bond. I can’t claim to understand her reaction, but I want her to have the choice. I may believe in my visions, but I believe in free will even more. That is why I’m telling you what the Hano Shaxoa can do.”

  “That’s the only reason?” I questioned. I found it very hard to believe her. I had the feeling she was only telling me this to keep me from seeking the Matwau, but her words were tempting. If I were dead, there would be no way for me to fulfill her prophetic visions. I had no idea what the visions meant or why she believed them to be so important, but I did believe she would tell me whatever she felt was necessary to make sure I survived to fulfill them. Still, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to
get Claire back.

  “Just please be careful, Uriah. Shaxoa are vile creatures who will strike you down more quickly than help you,” Quaile warned.

  “But,” I paused, considering, “is it right to try and break the bond? Claire will be happy with Daniel.”

  Quaile sighed. “Will she?” She gazed up at the sky as if expecting the gods to give her the answer. When she looked back at me, she seemed uncertain. “I am beginning to doubt. I fear she will carry regret in her heart if she loses you.”

  I wanted to believe her, but I was so sure only moments ago that leaving her to the bond was the right choice. What was I supposed to do now? “What if this only hurts her more?” I asked.

  “She asked you to save her,” Quaile said simply. “Can you deny her such a request?”

  Her question shattered my resolve. I wanted Claire so badly. I believed her when she said she still wanted me. Until now, I hadn’t believed there was any way to beat back the bond. If Claire truly still loved me, and there was a chance to save our love, I had to at least try.

  “Tell Claire I’ll be back as soon as I can,” I said. “Tell her…tell her I love her. I’m not giving up yet. If she still wants me when I get back, I’ll do everything I can to stay with her.”

  Quaile nodded in agreement.

  I wanted to beg Quaile to explain everything to Claire, but I couldn’t bear to promise something like that only to fail again.

  “I will send Daniel home tonight. The bond will continue to get stronger each day, but if they are apart it may buy you more time.”

  Her thoughtfulness struck me deeply. My chin trembled with gratitude. “Thank you,” I said.

  She nodded quietly.

  It was a Shaxoa who started all of this, and I was wary of turning to another witch to set it right, but my desire to save Claire was too strong. Let the Matwau kill me, or go to see the Hano Shaxoa. The choices were equally appealing, but one at least offered me the chance of releasing Claire from her unwanted bond.

  She wanted this just as much as I did. I honestly believed that. “I’ll go to Hano,” I said to myself. Talon rubbed his head against my leg. He would come with me.

  Quaile reached into a pocket, taking out a leather necklace with a beautifully woven symbol dangling from it. “When you get to Hano, give this to their shaman. She will help you find the answers you’re looking for.”

  I accepted the token, watching Quaile’s face for any sign of deceit. All I saw was concern, and somewhere deep in her brown eyes, fear. I wanted to wring every last drop of information out of her, but I wasn’t sure I could trust anything she said to me at this point. Even now I feared she was holding back precious information. Perhaps the Hano shaman would be able to help me find some answers.

  “Be careful, Wakiza.”

  Wakiza. Desperate warrior. The name was certainly fitting. It was hard to remember the last time I made a decision that had not been driven by my desperation. Desperation to save Claire, then desperation to get away from her. Now I had come full circle, filled with desperation to save her once again, though I wondered if I wasn’t trying to save myself even more than her.

   

   

   

  44: Hope

   

   

  Climbing onto my bike, I brought the engine to life. Talon crouched beside the motorcycle, ready to run with me. Speeding away from San Juan, I felt the crushing bond of Twin Souls finally slip away.

  I would take Quaile’s token and warnings one last time, but only because I was once again desperate for even the smallest sliver of hope. As I had told myself so many times before, I would do anything for Claire. Anything.

   

   

  The End of Book One

   

   

   

  Also by DelSheree Gladden

   

   

  The Handbook Series

  The Crazy Girl’s Handbook

  The Oblivious Girl’s Handbook

   

  Eliza Carlisle Mystery Series

  Trouble Magnet

  The Catalyst

   

  The Arcane Wielder Series

  Life & Being

   

  The Ghost Host Series

  The Ghost Host: Episode 1

  The Ghost Host: Episode 2

   

  Escaping Fate Series

  Escaping Fate

  Soul Stone

  Oracle Lost

  (Coming Soon)

   

  Twin Souls Saga

  Twin Souls

  Shaxoa’s Gift

  Qaletaqa

   

  The Destroyer Trilogy

  Inquest

  Secret of Betrayal

  Darkening Chaos

   

  Someone Wicked This Way Comes Series

  Wicked Hunger

  Wicked Power

  Wicked Glory

  Wicked Revenge

   

  The Aerling Series

  Invisible

  Intangible

  Invincible

   

  The Date Shark Series

  Date Shark

  Shark Out Of Water

  The Only Shark In The Sea

  Shark In Troubled Waters

   

   

  Check out this Sneak Peek of

   

  Shaxoa’s Gift

   

  Book Two of the Twin Souls Saga

   

   

   

  1: Plans

   

   

  The coyotes were still circling below. Rage boiled in the creature, making it difficult for him to maintain his human form. He was miles away from the house, but he could still see it clearly. It had been a long time since he failed to capture his prey, half a century since the last time one had escaped his grasp. His hands tightened in fury as he remembered that narrow miss and its connection to the horrible little town he watched. He could do nothing about that or his more recent loss. His failure to capture Daniel was not what had him so angry.

  Once again, Uriah was the sole source of his foul mood. He would forget Daniel since the Twin Soul bond had already formed, but not Uriah. Since the moment he was created, the Matwau had been waiting for this young man to cross his path. There should have been an equal amount of fear in him along with his rage, but his fear had been buried so deep he could no longer register it.

  Uriah was a child who did not even know who he was. The Matwau knew, and he was ready. The boy had not been prepared as he would have expected. The old woman had failed him miserably by keeping her secrets from him, but the Matwau would not hold that against her. Her weakness only improved the creature’s chance at success. The boy stood no chance.

  Old wounds gnawed at his confidence, reminding him of what had almost happened when he had challenge the boy the day before. He laughed that thought away, although it was a mirthless laugh. The fight had been filled with too many distractions. Uriah had been lucky, nothing more. The next time they met, there would be no one to interfere. He would make sure of that. The Matwau would not challenge Uriah again until the stage was set to his liking, and he knew exactly how to accomplish that.

  Remembering how he had put his hand on Uriah’s shoulder when they first met, he wondered what had caused the searing fire. Uriah had not fallen under his spell as everyone else always did, but instead recoiled from the pain his touch had caused. It was an oddity, but not one that was important to the Matwau. It was nowhere near as significant as what the Matwau had gained from the physical contact with Uriah.

  That brief moment had laid his new plans. Turning away from the tiny desert town, he smiled despite the turmoil raging under his skin. He knew it was time to start gathering his allies. They would be needed if his plans were to be fulfilled. Silently, he made the call. No other creatures but his tainted allies could he
ar the call, but it was one they could not refuse.

  He found a secluded spot to wait. He hated waiting. His eyes closed, though not to sleep. Going over his plans, he perfected them until there were no flaws. Faint sounds of the ones he called registered in his ears, letting him know that he was no longer alone. The Matwau did not respond. He would not acknowledge them, not until the last had reached the meeting.

  A hesitant shuffling some time later brought one of his allies as near the Matwau as the beast would dare come. It pawed the dusty ground before finally speaking. “The last one just arrived, Master.”

  The Matwau raised his eyelids languidly. The creature’s matted grey fur quivered as its large, deformed wolf head dipped down in uneasy respect. The sniveling animal stood waiting for a response. A sharp nod was all it received. Backing away on trembling legs, it scurried out from under its master’s gaze. The Matwau sneered at the creature. He hated it. He hated all of them. They were weak, mindless animals, but he needed them.

  Uriah knew almost nothing about what was happening, but that had not mattered in the end. His natural abilities alone had proven too much for the Matwau to handle. His failures had brought his allies to him. His allies’ failure in the past had them groveling at his feet. Failure would not happen again.

  Walking through the desert sand, he approached the gathering. Twelve misshapen, dangerous animals stood waiting for him. He was their master. They would do anything he asked them to do. They hated him for that exact reason. None of them wanted to work with him, but they could not refuse. The gods were divided in their allegiances, but they all believed in keeping things fair. It made the game more interesting.

  The Matwau did not believe in fairness.

  “I hope you all remember what happened the last time we were forced to work together,” the Matwau said. His voice was cool and even, but the words cut straight to their wounded pride. Snarls and whimpers erupted from the group. The snarling creatures remembered, and wished in vain that they could repay the Matwau for the penance he had made them pay for their failure. The whimpering ones, remembered as well, and would do anything to avoid a similar end.

  Three centuries earlier, the Matwau had been faced with an important hunt and very little time. He knew the young warrior was an important man. One of his many abilities was sensing danger to his creators’ plans. The young warrior would have played a vital part in preventing a series of detrimental events to his tribe. Knowing he had very little time, the Matwau had immediately called on his reluctant allies.

  At first the hunt had gone well. His allies tracked down the young man quickly, but that was where their usefulness had ended. They had been ordered to corner the young man, and hold him until the Matwau could come and claim his victim. Several of the strongest were tempted by the young warrior’s importance. Together, they decided to take the victim for themselves, thinking they could replace the Matwau.

  They attacked the warrior, not realizing they had no hope of defeating the young man. The Matwau had ordered them not to kill the young man. No matter how hard the three wanted to, they could not bring themselves to break the Matwau’s order. The warrior had beaten them back easily. Throwing down the last of the beasts, the warrior attempted to make his escape. The Matwau arrived in time to see his prey running into a dense forest. He left the damaged creatures behind. Tearing his way through the forest, he closed the gap between him and his prey in a matter of seconds. The end of the hunt came quickly.

  Calmly, he walked back to the valley where he had left the traitors. By that time, the others, the ones who had stood by and watched the three disobey his orders, were gathered around the fallen. Beginning with the weakest, he took each of his so-called allies and used every one of his powers to instill his anger at their betrayal. Their screams filled the valley, only pausing long enough for the Matwau to discard one and reach for another.

  He left twelve, the twelve who had not participated in the actual betrayal, with enough life left in them that they would heal, and be much more useful to him in the future. The remaining three screamed and howled the loudest and the longest, only ceasing when their disfigured bodies were drained completely. They were left to rot on the forest floor.

  As he relived the memory, so did the group gathered around him. They cringed and huddled together in fear at the reminder.

  “Good,” the Matwau said, “you do remember.” He walked back and forth before the creatures. “This time will be much different. There will be no mistakes. Each of you will do exactly what I tell you to do and nothing more. You will not even think unless I tell you to do so. Do we understand each other?”

  Every gnarled head nodded.

  “Very good, because if one of you deviates from my instructions, even in the slightest degree, last time will seem like a pleasant memory.” The snarls and whimpering erupted again. The Matwau smiled, his lips curling viciously as he imagined the pain he could cause them. Finally, the group quieted, and one stepped forward.

  “What are your orders?” he asked.

  None of the creatures had names, but the Matwau knew each of them individually. This one was the strongest of the group. Of the remaining twelve, he tried the hardest to defy the Matwau’s authority, but he was also the best hunter. “Find my prey,” the Matwau said.

  One by one, he touched their disgusting bodies, showing them the face of the one he wanted. “When the prey is found, none of you are to do anything but report back to me.”

  Every head dipped in agreement.

  “Now go. It’s time to hunt.”

  It’s time for the hunt that will either assure him immortality, or destroy his life and everything he has worked for.

   

   

  About the Author

   

  DelSheree Gladden was one of those shy, quiet kids who spent more time reading than talking. Literally. She didn't speak a single word for the first three months of preschool, but she had already taught herself to read. Her fascination with reading led to many hours spent in the library and bookstores, and eventually to writing. She wrote her first novel when she was sixteen years old, but spent ten years rewriting and perfecting it before having it published.

  Native to New Mexico, DelSheree and her husband spent several years in Colorado for college and work before moving back home to be near family again. Their two children love having their cousins close by. When not writing, you can find DelSheree reading, painting, sewing and trying not to get bitten by small children in her work as a dental hygienist. DelSheree has several bestselling young adult series, including "Invisible" which was part of the USA Today Bestselling box set, "Pandora." The “Date Shark Series” is her first contemporary romance series, now joined by her first romantic comedy, “The Crazy Girl’s Handbook,” and the comedic “Eliza Carlisle Mystery Series.”

   

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