Cave of Terror (21 page)
Ryan stood there with his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels, a sheepish grin on his face.
When I regained a semblance of control, I demanded, “What are you doing here?"
He sucked in air between clenched teeth. “You wouldn't return my calls."
"And you expected me to because...?” I rolled my hand in front of my body, letting him know I expected him to fill in the blank.
"Because you didn't give me a chance to say anything last night when you ran out without any explanation.” He lifted his chin, daring me to contradict his statement.
"Well, you looked rather
busy
to me, so I didn't want to bother you.” I raised his challenge.
"You were jealous.” He leaned against the brick wall and crossed his arms in front of his chest, the muscles in his upper arms stretching the fabric of his t-shirt.
My mouth dropped open. I had just been trumped.
"So, you're not going to deny it?” The corners of his lips lifted into a smug smile.
"Jealous? Of Val? Ha! Not hardly. It's just that I have no desire to go out with a
player
."
"A
player
?"
"Yeah, going out with multiple girls without having any real emotional connection."
He pulled away from the wall, dropping his hands by his sides, and studied me. My face heated from his scrutiny. “Are you saying you
want
an emotional connection, Sparkie?"
My jaw dropped open again. Thank goodness the bugs weren't out in full force or I'd be eating them for breakfast.
A car skidded to a halt in front of the house, snapping our attention to the front yard.
Omigod! Nicoleta. I had forgotten about her. Crap. I had to think fast. I didn't need her giving Ryan the third degree.
"I have to go."
He glanced back at Nicoleta who approached with a definite purpose, then back at me.
"No, really, I have to go.” Panic welled inside. He had to leave and fast. I bit my bottom lip.
"Agree to go out with me later, so we can discuss this emotional connection?"
"Fine. Whatever.” He sensed my urgency, no doubt, but I'd agree to just about anything to get him to leave before Nicoleta reached the porch.
"Great. I'll pick you up at six.” He turned to leave just as Nicoleta reached the porch. Crap. “Hi."
Please keep going. Don't stop. Just go. Please.
He continued on his way without another word. My shoulders slumped as I let out a sigh of relief.
Nicoleta scrunched her eyebrows and glanced at me, then back toward Ryan. She lifted her nose in the air like Roxie does when she catches a whiff of an unfamiliar scent. What the heck? “Who was that?"
"A guy from school,” I said, giving out as little information as possible, hoping she would move on to another subject.
"How long have you known him?” She placed one hand on her slender hip.
"He's new."
She cocked one eyebrow. “What did he want?"
"Nothing."
"It sure didn't look like nothing to me.” She now had both hands on her hips. Not a good sign.
"We had dessert at Chili's Friday night. He wanted to know if I could do something tonight.” Enough with the interrogation, already. Sheesh. “He's a nice guy.” Why I felt the need to add that, I had no clue.
"I see.” She motioned toward the door. “Shall we?"
She let the subject of Ryan drop? Omigod! No, she'd probably bring it up later, but at least for now I had a reprieve.
We walked into Dad's office and shut the door as had become our custom. Mom and Dad had been leaving us to our business. I plopped onto the couch, tucking one of my legs under the other.
Nicoleta sat and pushed her designer sunglasses up on her head, which served to hold her hair back from her face. “Tell me everything that has happened since we've last talked. I need to know the details."
I filled her in about the Starbuck's happening first. She stiffened her posture and bounced her crossed leg a little faster. The news appeared to disturb her, yet she patiently waited for me to finish.
"I was afraid of this. He's the new Prince of the
clice Liliac
. It's rumored he killed his own father to obtain his newly appointed position. He's very dangerous."
Prince? Killed his father? I had sensed the evil in Constantine from the start, but I also sensed during the past couple of times he had no intention of harming me. And the last confrontation with him, I only felt irritation, not fear. He seemed to enjoy taunting me.
"You need to be on your guard at all times, Cheyenne. Don't be taken in with his charms. His dark allure is hard to resist. Don't make that mistake,” she warned, her finger pointed in my direction to emphasize her point.
Charm? He disgusted and irritated me. No worries there. I glanced up and stared into space. Although, whenever he touched me, I felt electrical pulses similar to the ones I felt with Ryan. And his kiss didn't repel me. It was rather nice. Omigod! What the heck was I thinking? I shook my head in tiny movements, shocked by the direction of my thoughts.
"What is it?” she asked with concern. “What have you remembered?"
"Just something Constantine said about finding his dinner and that he would help me see how satisfying drinking from a human could be. And that I was too domesticated. He's disgusting.” I made a face, trying to distract her from my real thoughts.
"Yes, his
clice
revels in the old ways. As I've told you before, they consider humans mere cattle—put on earth to serve their needs. They aren't concerned about coexisting with them and only keep a low profile due to their reduced numbers.” She uncrossed her legs and leaned closer to me. “And this is where you fit in. They need your blood and will stop at nothing to get it. Once their numbers are back to a respectable amount, they will try to wipe out our
clice
so they can do as they please without any repercussions. Don't think you are safe from harm."
"I know. I get it.” Why do adults always think teens are so stupid? We are capable of using our heads. Hello.
She narrowed her eyes to make sure I did get the point. “Okay, tell me the rest."
I explained what had started to happen with my body—claws, fur, popping bones, twisting muscles, pain.
Nicoleta's face drained of color. “Oh, dear God!"
My pulse quickened. Her expression freaked me out. “What? What's wrong with me? Am I going to die?” Tears sprung in my eyes. “I don't want to do this anymore. I just want to be normal. A regular human. I—"
"No, no. no. You don't understand. This is amazing. You are a panther shifter. Only the strongest and oldest of our
clice
have that ability. You are indeed special. No
Vanator
has ever been able to shift. The elders will be so pleased to hear this news.” She smiled and patted my back, obviously thrilled with the new turn of events.
I still didn't like the idea of turning into an animal, but at least I wasn't dying.
"By the way, what caused the shift?"
"What do you mean?” I couldn't tell her about going into the cave, and I sure didn't want to discuss Ryan.
"Since you didn't even understand the shifting, you couldn't have possibly willed it. Something had to have forced the change like fear, anger, or a sudden surge of adrenaline."
"I guess you could say I was rather angry.” I hoped she wouldn't dig any deeper. I really wanted to leave Ryan out of it. “Oh, and when I had a claustrophobic attack."
"More than once? How did you control the shift? And did anyone witness it?"
I had thought Mandy might have, but she hadn't said a word about it. No sense in telling Nicoleta about it. “No, no one saw. I calmed myself down in private. I felt it starting and knew I didn't want anyone else to see."
"Very good. Your instincts kicked in. It will be more important than ever for you to remain calm unless you have a good reason to allow the shift. Do not put yourself into volatile situations. Prevention is the key word. Do you understand?” I agreed. “Avoid places you know will incite another incident. Avoid people who make you angry. I know that's hard, but I think you can figure out the repercussions of you shifting in front of humans."
Well, at least I had a short list of people to evade. Unfortunately, the ones I needed to avoid seemed to be in my face the most.
"If you know you're in trouble, your pendant can help give you the strength you need."
"Omigod! I forgot to tell you I figured out the passwords,” I blurted out.
"You did? That's fantastic. Cheyenne, you are developing so fast it's scary. I can't help but think you will be the most powerful of our kind."
I didn't want to be part of our kind, much less the most powerful. I just wanted to be me, not what everyone expected me to be. But, it's not like I had a choice.
Her eyes brightened. “This is a very exciting day for us, our
clice
."
Yeah, real exciting. I slumped against the back of the couch. Trying to change the subject, I asked, “What were you saying about the pendant?"
Her expression once again became serious, the smile temporarily wiped from her face. “Oh yes. When you feel out of control, rely on your pendant for strength. And now that you know how to access that power, it will become invaluable to you. Again, I can't stress enough that you must not become separated from your pendant."
I reached into my shirt and pulled the pendant free, allowing it to fall against my chest within full view.
"Very good."
"How exactly do I make it work?” I knew when I said the words, the passwords, that the pendant vibrated and became warm, but what did that accomplish as far as helping me? I didn't really get that part.
"Let me see ... how can I explain it so you will understand?” She pulled at her lower lip, deep in thought. “Okay, you know how Superman is affected by kryptonite?” She held up her hand to stop my sarcastic remark. “I know, I know. It's silly. Just bear with me. We have a certain rock that affects us but in a positive way. It centers us. We draw power from it. It's called a lodestone."
I knew a little about lodestones from my freshman IPC science class. They have a magnetic quality and have been used in compasses, but what did that have to do with anything?
"It's not just any lodestone, but from a source found only in Romania, our homeland. It offers protection by absorbing evil and attracting power. The clear quartz crystal surrounding the lodestone helps to balance chaotic emotions.” She laced her fingers together in front of her. “The two stones work together in harmony, acting as a talisman to its owner. The stone chooses its owner."
"But how does it do that?” I don't know why it surprised me, considering everything else I'd been forced to accept.
"It recognizes the genetic make-up of the rightful owner. Until it does, the pendant remains dormant. No one else would be able to take advantage of the power it holds. It knew you and accepted you. That's the vibration you felt.” She reached out and cradled the pendant. “I've worn it for many years and it never came to life for me. You put it on and it instantly reacted."
I lifted my shoulders. “I still don't get how it can help me."
"Well, if you will give me a minute, I'll get to it.” She paused, waiting for me to respond.
"Sorry."
"If you find yourself in trouble, concentrate on the pendant and center your energy into the stone. It will amplify your efforts, increase your power. Or if you can't control the shifting, allow the stone to balance you. It will take practice and trust to realize its true value. You must learn to work with it. Do you understand?"
"I think so."
She bit her lower lip. “There's one other thing I think I need to tell you."
Oh, this didn't sound promising.
"When the owner dies, part of his or her spirit is passed to the pendant."
I transformed my face into a ‘yuck’ expression. “You're saying I'm wearing dead people around my neck? That's nasty."
"I wouldn't exactly put it that way. It's more like their
energy
stays behind."
"Oh wait, you mean my great-great-grandmother's energy is with me right now?” I clasped the tear-shaped object in my hand. The pendant vibrated and instantly heated, answering my question. My body jerked in response, and I dropped it back against my shirt, barely concealing the squeak that had hitched in my throat.
"I see you received your answer.” She laughed, then covered her mouth, trying to hide her amusement. “Through each owner, the power becomes stronger and stronger. And only you will have control of it. No one else will have the key to unleashing its power."
It baffled me how I could still be amazed with each revelation of my new existence, considering everything that had happened so far. Nothing should surprise me anymore, but it did. Boy, did it ever.
Nicoleta stood. “Well, I believe we've talked enough for tonight. I think it goes without saying for you to be extra diligent and remain on guard at all times. Constantine will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He will use any method he deems necessary. And no waiting to tell me important information. And Cheyenne, at this point, everything is considered important. You must think like a
Vanator
, not a silly teenage girl."
I wanted to be a silly teenage girl. But, I didn't have the choice because I had been thrust into a world not of my choosing. A huge responsibility had been assigned to me, without my consent. While other teens dreamed about what they might become, my destiny had already been written in stone. A surge of anger heated in my veins at the unfairness of it all.
"Well, if you don't have any questions, I'll be on my way. I still have a few things to take care of before I can call it a day.” She walked to the door and opened it, then turned to see if I had anything to add.
I just stared, not bothering to answer one way or the other. I figured she could get the hint.
She left the door open, and I followed the click of her heels until they faded.
Aaaag! Algebra sucked! I couldn't get the last stupid problem of my homework worked out. I knew the answer, but the getting there eluded me. And of course, all steps had to be shown. I released a frustrated breath and let my head plop on my book.