Fledgling (35 page)

Although the man spoke a language he wasn’t used to, Chance was able to understand him. The words flowed through his thoughts.

Chance felt the boy’s excitement.
I hope I can earn it
.

The vividness of that vision faded and another formed.

He sensed he was back in the small rustic home, although it was nighttime now. Bright moonlight gave everything a hazy film. The shaded silhouette of a man, his grandfather’s father stood before him, lean and gray. Time had passed. Chance knew his grandfather was older now, he was taller and his muscular arm, reached out deftly to receive something.

Chance’s ancestor dropped a satchel into his grandfather’s hand and spoke in a soft whisper-so low that anyone without keen hearing wouldn’t hear. “Niyol, this is now yours to protect. It is our connection to the ancestors-sacred. And is now
your
duty to keep it safe.” His hands rested on Niyol’s shoulders. “Son, you must keep your secret from your brother. You can
not
have him know you have been given the gift.
Protect
your secret.”

The scene dissolved and another unraveled.

Chance saw it was nighttime. The scene remained the same, inside his simple home, but he was alone now. He sensed a few days had passed since the last flash back.

A lumpy cloth sat in his hand as he tucked it into his back pocket. Sneaking to the doorway, he peered out and examined rolling hills gleaming in the moonlight. Lanky grasses arched pale and fluid toward the low lying hills in the distance. Bright stars shone with the waning moon, sheep bleated from a simple wooden enclosure.

He stepped out and darted around the house. A waiting backpack was flung over his shoulder and he began to run.
I will keep the secret safe, Father.

The realistic hallucination dimmed and ended. His grandfather’s still room came back into view. Pain throbbed from his hand. He looked down in surprise; he was grasping the talon so tight the point had pressed into his palm, drawing blood.

A huge sigh erupted from his lungs. Without being aware of it, he had been holding his breath as well.

Chance was overcome with the strange new information. So much of what Markus had said gave him pause. These new bizarre ‘memories’ or hallucinations he was having must mean something. Somehow. They must be part of an even bigger picture. But what?

He thought he had the answer. His temples and head hurt.

He wanted to sit with Ana, needed to talk it out, and figure out what was happening.

With a heavy heart, he stood. His shoulders slouched as he left the room. Both hands shut the door without a sound.

Chance walked away with a saddened backward glance and ambled to the kitchen where Aiyana was on the phone. His dad stood beside her, holding out a pad and pen.

“Dad? I don’t feel like being home tonight…I…if it’s too…” Chance broke off and scratched his head, then cleared his throat. “Melissa said it was okay for me to head over there. I feel like I need to be with Ana right now to talk. You think that’s okay?”

Ben faced Aiyana who nodded in agreement as she continued her phone conversation.

“Sure, Bud, I don’t see why not. Mom’s busy making arrangements, I guess that’s fine-You okay?” His dad asked in concern. “You were so close. It must have been hard seeing him…well…if you need to talk at all, Mom and I are here.”

“Yeah, I’ll be okay. Thanks, Dad. I just need to see Ana.”

Ben approached his son with his arms open and wrenched him into a tight squeeze. “I’ll see you later, okay Bud?”

“Right,” Chance gave a silent hug to his mother, who paused on the phone to give him a kiss. She mouthed,
I love you
to him as he turned to leave.

He drove to Ana’s house not wanting to think any more and put in one of his favorite CD’s, turning the volume all the way up. Music filled the air while he sat, numb and dazed.

When the little blue house came into view, warmth cracked through his hardened exterior. His heart picked up a beat as Ana’s face skimmed his thoughts.

Ana.

She was the one good thing, through all of it. The moment he met her, she took up residence in his heart. Home was wherever Ana was.

He was home. She was right through the wooden door before him. Before he could lift his hand, she was there.

Soft yellow light glowed behind her, only making her more angelic in Chance’s eyes. She held her hand out to him, and he allowed himself to be led inside.

Ana leaned in and whispered, “Let Mom say ‘hi’ first, then we can go to my room and talk.”

Melissa entered the living room with her arms outstretched. “Ohh, Chance-let me give you a hug. I’m
so
sorry about your grandfather. You two were close, weren’t you? You’re so lucky. Ana never had a relationship like that with her grandparents before they passed.”

“Yeah, we were. I’m going to miss him.” Chance pulled back and glanced down to the ground, and Melissa took the hint.

“I bet you two want to be alone to talk then. Go ahead. We’ll stay out of your way.” Melissa rubbed his shoulder before they walked past her going upstairs.

Ana switched on the twinkling lights Chance had tacked to her ceiling during her last hospital visit, and shut the door to her room.

Chance pulled out her desk chair and sat on it backwards, facing Ana, who flopped onto her bed.

“Well, I’ve been experiencing something kinda odd,” Chance mumbled.

“What?”

“Remember earlier-after everything? I was spaced out staring at Grandfather?” Chance raised his eyes anxiously while his head remained lowered.

“Yeah, what was happening?” Ana kept her eyes light and encouraging.

“Umm, since I woke from Grandfather saving my life, I’ve been…seeing things.”

“Seeing things? What kind of things?”

“Don’t think I’m crazy, but, they’re like visions or memories, or something, but they aren’t mine. They must be Grandfathers. Weird, huh?”

“Maybe, maybe not. Chance, there’s nothing normal about any of this. Since I met you, I’ve seen things no one would believe. It’s not weird, it just is. Go on-I’m listening.”

“After Grandfather saved me, giving me his life-I saw
his
memories leading up to his death. Like a hallucination or a vision. I heard
his
thoughts and saw everything from his point of view. And before I came over here I was in his room holding his gift to me-remember that huge claw?”

Ana nodded in response.

“Well, I flashed to a memory when he was a boy. And his father telling him and his brothers about the talon-how it’d been passed down through generations-he said it was earned through hard work and integrity. Then I had another memory of his.” Chance pushed on without looking up. “He must have been older-he was bigger, maybe just a little younger than me. His dad secretively gave him the talon, but warned him to keep it and his powers a secret.”

He sighed, pausing to recall the last vision. “Right after that, I had another memory of him throwing a backpack over his shoulder and running away from home,” Chance shook his head and stared out the window at the clear darkened sky.

“Remember Grandfather telling us about his family? How his brother became dark and killed their father-and probably his other brother, too? Good thing he hid his powers from him, or I don’t think I’d be alive right now.”

“Wow,” Ana breathed out, sitting up, eyes wide.

“Yeah.”

“Why’s the talon important though?”

So much had happened since he discovered the mapping in the talon he hadn’t been able to tell Ana.

“Right, you don’t know.” He grinned sadly, “Before Markus showed up, I discovered blue mapping all over it-that was a first. I’ve never tried to map a creature from bones… or any kind of fragment. I tried to become Thunderbird, and it didn’t work.” Chance shuddered remembering the sensation of feathers tugging out from his skin when the transformation went horribly wrong. “Well, when I was on the mountaintop with Markus I chanced it-I had a feeling about the claw. Hoped it was the connection I needed for Thunderbird…and it worked.” Chance shrugged.

“Wait, you were able to phase into Thunderbird?!” Ana asked gripping the edge of her bed. “And I missed it?!”

“Sorry, you were busy trying to stay alive.” Chance scratched his head. “Yeah, it was pretty cool. So now I’m guessing the claw is a special talisman passed down, who knows how far back, for generations. I guess, so Thunderbird was never lost…or forgotten.”

Ana seemed to consider her next question. “That makes sense. But why do you think you’re having his memories?”

“Okay, I’ve been thinking about this constantly. Before we fought, Markus bragged. He said my grandfather hadn’t told me much about the shapeshifting world. And even though he’d only been phasing for a couple months, he was sure he was stronger-thanks to his grandfather…

“Ana, what if somehow when Grandfather died, he passed part of himself to me? Into me. Maybe Markus had a similar thing. I looked up some stuff on the computer when I was supposed to be
behaving
. Navajos believe evil shapeshifters get their powers from killing family members. What if that’s true? Not just family members, but other shifters. Markus probably killed his grandfather for
his
powers-that could be why he was so powerful. Ana. What if I got Grandfather’s powers along with his memories?” Chance groaned and dropped his head onto his arms. “I don’t know though-I haven’t used my powers since everything happened! It’s real frustrating-I wish he’d just been honest with me! There’s a lot more to this than I know. It could risk our safety, for sure, especially if more power nuts are out there like Markus. Anyways, now I know there’s others like me-Markus said it-all over the world.” Chances eyes squinted at the prospect of it.

“Wow. Really? That’s great, isn’t it? Maybe there’s someone out there willing to help you. If there’s more-and if we could find one…”

“Ana, what makes you think they wouldn’t just kill me-like Markus wanted to? He said shifters can live long lives-if you aren’t killed for your powers first. I’m sorry-that makes it sound really unfriendly out there. I don’t want to die. Grandfather probably hid from his abilities for good reasons. He lived a long happy life with my grandmother until she died-and he never would have died if it weren’t for his powers!” he moaned.

“Chance, your grandfather said to me that if you have a power within you, it’s an obligation to use it. He inspired me to stop moping and to live without fear.”

Chance stared at his hands wrapped around the chair and admitted, “He
did
have a message for me before he died…”

“He did? What was it?”

“He said it was my responsibility to use my powers for good, and it was my choice what to do with them. Maybe that’s why he trained me. He said something else, too-there’s another I could trust. Family.” Ana raised her eyebrows and her mouth fell open. Chance continued, “And he was meant to be my
true
teacher. So, I guess I’m not really alone in this. If they’re still alive.”

They remained silent. Chance thought about Markus. He was one who chose to walk the easy, seductive road, taking from others to gain what he wanted: power. Chance wasn’t interested in going out of his way to find trouble. But if he chose not to equip himself with the power to protect his loved ones, then it would be his fault if anything happened to them. And there was no question in his mind; he had to protect Ana. He couldn’t allow anything to hurt her again.

What should he do? His fighting spirit raised its head as a fire burned within him.

“Grrrrahh! You’re right-he’s right.” He tightened his grip on the back of the chair. “I can’t just let someone like Markus terrorize us again. Maybe I should find this teacher.”

He loosened his hold then dropped his hands to his sides. “When I held the talon, a vision came almost in answer-it flashed in my head.” He shrugged. “Maybe if I think about it-I’ll get an answer.”

“Be patient-you’ll learn more as other visions pop-up. He probably planned on telling you everything when you were ready, or strong enough to face what was waiting for you. It just didn’t go according to plan. But look-you
do
have a way to learn that lost knowledge, even if he
is
gone.”

“Yeah, you’re right-but I’d rather still have
him…
instead of his memories.”

Chapter 42.

The sun shone bright the next day. Plants unfurled, reaching toward their life source as the forest animals foraged through the sodden wilderness. Birds sang, praising the summer day.

Ana woke to the outdoor chorus, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

Chance left late the night before with much on his mind. He had no one else to talk to now; Ana was the only one who knew his secret.

Her toes touched the cold wood floor forcing her to pull out a pair of socks and sweatpants.

She thudded down the stairs, confident she was the last one to wake. Sleep was precious. Her mother and sister always seemed to wake at the break of the day, not wanting to miss anything.

Eva was sitting on the couch reading a book when Ana walked in.