Heart Two Heart (2 page)

Seraphina looked at me quizzically and even
raised her eyebrows when I insisted that we eat there. The moment I
cross the threshold I felt my heart burst to life. It was like
suddenly having a film removed from my eyes and the world lit up
with color. I looked around room in wonder at how absolutely
beautiful the world suddenly looked.

Then I smelled lilacs and vanilla. I
automatically tilted my head and my eyes in the direction of the
scent. That’s when I saw her. The most beautiful woman I’d ever
seen in my life. My eyes locked onto her magnificent obsidian eyes.
She had creamy tanned looking skin and dark brown hair which was
pulled loosely on top of her head. If I was guessing I would think
her Incan blood was mixed with eastern European.

I saw her eye dart side to side and knew that
she was getting ready to take off. I watched as the table she’d
been sitting at flew abruptly into the air and she moved towards
the exit. I too started to follow her movements with the intention
of stopping her from leaving. I needed to know who she was. I
needed to understand why my life essence thought she was my eternal
heart.

She got to the exit first and took off at
full speed. I blinked and lost sight her. I tried to run after her
but found something was holding me back. I looked and realised
Seraphina was holding me with one hand while holding onto a steel
light post at the same time. I tried to shrug her off so that I
could catch my eternal heart. I turned and actually growled at her.
My teeth immediately mutating into those of my coyote form. I think
the shock of seeing me partially mutate was enough for her to
release me. I took off at running full speed following the scent of
my eternal heart. I could hear Seraphina’s voice echoing in my
ears

“Ulric, come back. Don’t chase her. She can’t
bring you anything but sorrow. Stay with me, we can be happy
together. Ulric please.”

Her words touched me and it hurt but, I knew
I’d to go. I needed to track down my eternal heart. If I’d been
lucky enough to have a second chance at eternal love, I would not
spit in the eye of the destiny. Somehow just being near her changed
my life in ways that I never thought possible. I knew to keep what
I felt today and to experience more of the same I would chase her
to the ends of the earth if necessary.

I recognised the camazotz by her black
heartless eyes the moment we walked into the restaurant. I felt the
hair on my arms and the back of my neck stand on end. Then a shiver
of dread ran down my spine like a thousand tiny little spiders. I’d
been so confused by his choice in places to eat. Generally speaking
we enjoyed steak houses over other forms of prepared food. Ulric as
a nagual, could transform into three different predators; a jaguar,
a crow and a coyote. Despite being predominantly a meat eater he
enjoyed pasta from time to time, but this restaurant was mostly
seafood which he generally dislike and this restaurant had a
reputation for fine wines and bad food.

I only ever wanted Ulric to be happy so I let
him drag me into the dive. I spotted her the moment we cleared the
vestibule. She was sitting at a table in the corner of the room
with her back to the wall. She looked like the predator she was
seeking her next victim. I felt Ulric’s body tense and I knew that
he too was aware of her presence.

I grabbed hold of his arm with the intention
of leading both of us back outside and away from the camazotz. She
would probably kill both of us on sight if given the chance. We
needed to get as far away from here as possible. It was said that
once a camazotz chose you as a target there was no chance for
survival.

I pulled at Ulric’s arm but his body refused
to move. Then I watched as the camazotz spotted the two of us. I
watched her pupils dilate and her nose flare. She knew we were both
skinwalkers. I turned to face Ulric but instead of fear, I saw
surprise and desire flash across his face. I suddenly smelled his
pheromones fire off and I knew he was sending out a mating call to
her.

That’s when the truth hit me; the camazotz
was his eternal heart Taini. The one that his mother and father
continued to allow him to believe was dead. The reason why Gaho was
pushing for Ulric and I to give each other space and time instead
of marrying. I have known for years the Taini survived the attack.
I’d overheard Waylon, Kealoha and Gaho discussing it years ago when
Ulric has still been just a boy.

I’d thought it odd that they had decided not
to tell him of his eternal hearts’ existence but I’d been grateful
that I wouldn’t have to compete for his love and affection. His
mother Kealoha had been adamant that Taini stays away from Ulric.
She’d even gone so far as to say that she would “kill her” if she
ever came within five hundred feet of her child again. I’d found it
to be a very extreme statement coming from a peaceful Navajo woman
who showed compassion to worms.

I’d meant to question Gaho but had never
gotten around to it. The truth is I’d assumed that since Ulric’s
family comes from a long line of powerful people that whoever this
Taini was would be kept far away from Ulric. I’d never banked on
Taini being just as powerful if not more as his family. She is the
boogeyman to many skinwalker tribes. We use her name to scare the
kids into staying indoors and going to bed.

I trembled as I watched her push the table
away and come to her feet. My body shook and I know that the smell
of fear permeated the air around me. For just a moment I was too
shocked to move, I held my breath waiting for her hand to wrap
itself around my neck. I closed my eyes and tried to steady my
breathing and my heart, by the time I opened them again she was
gone and Ulric was trying to chase after her.

I started to think that he didn’t have a clue
what his eternal heart was. I tried to get his attention and ask
him why he would chase the camazotz even if she was his eternal
heart. He pulled and tugged me outside without even straining a
muscle. I grabbed onto the steel light pole in an effort to stop
his forward motion.

He turned and growled loudly in my face while
baring his mutated teeth clearly showing me that he is a dangerous
predator and that I must submit. I tried to fight back but my inner
fox submitted immediately to the larger more dangerous coyote. I
was forced to let go of him. The moment my hands released him,
Ulric propelled himself after her. I was left with nothing I could
do but to beg him to stay.

I ran in my coyote form until I was beyond
exhausted deep into the cool dark desert. I’d lost her scent many
miles ago but kept running hoping to find it again. Finally,
knowing that I failed, I threw back my head and howled in
frustration. I could see the sun was starting to rise and I knew
that my time for looking was over. As I aged, like the chupacabra
I’d developed a sensitivity to sunlight. I would get blisters and
eventually become very ill if I stayed out for too many hours in
direct sunlight. I was going to have to take cover until the sun
retreated again or until I was able to have Seraphina come and
retrieve me in a car.

I found a small cave and shifted into my
jaguar form so that I could crawl inside. It felt somehow wrong to
ask Seraphina for help but since we were the only person I knew in
Las Vegas it was Seraphina or sit in the tiny confined cave all day
long. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone. She
answered the phone on the first ring. I told her approximately
where I thought I was and asked her to come and scout me out. I’d
expected her to ask lots of questions but she kept silent only
telling me that she would come.

In just under three hours I heard the roar of
a car engine and knew that Seraphina was getting close. I touched
quickly called her again. She suggested we use our coyote and fox
to call to each other. I thought that was a great plan so I allowed
my head to mutate into my coyote form. Then she howled from the car
and I howled from the cave. With just the sounds from our howls she
knew exactly where I was and was able to pull the car right to the
entrance. Then to my amazement she got out of the car and opened an
umbrella to spare me for even a small amount of sun.

That was my Seraphina, always thinking of my
needs. She had been that way with me her entire life, always
putting me and my needs first. She had even given up her own career
goals just to stay with my family when I’d been young. Seraphina
has always been convinced that I am her eternal heart. I wish that
were true, but I’ve always known she is my best friend and
confidant but there was no way she was my eternal heart. I’d wanted
to love Seraphina, I’d even lied to myself so often that I was
nearly convinced that I did love Seraphina.

I knew now that I didn’t really understood
what an eternal heart would feel like. To think that I could snub
destiny was as foolish as thinking you could lasso the moon. I
wanted to love Seraphina but I knew I never would. Now the best I
could hope for was that I could reduce the pain that I was going to
cause her. I didn’t love Seraphina and it was time that she and I
stop pretending that we are something that we’re not. I just hated
the idea of having to tell her.

I sat down in the passenger seat and
Seraphina put the car in drive and headed back towards Vegas. I
could tell that she wanted to say something but she kept her mouth
shut. We drove in silence the entire way back to the city. The
longer we sat in the car the guiltier and ashamed I began to feel.
Seraphina had been my best friend my entire life. Recently we had
become lovers and she deserved better than what I was giving
her.

Her silence was her way of waiting for me to
make the first move. She pulled into the valet at the Palazzo and
got out of the car. I opened my door and followed her like a bad
puppy with my tail between my legs. My guilt was pouring off me in
waves. When we reached the hotel lobby Seraphina turned towards me
and said in a no nonsense voice

“One room or two?”

Then she looked at me with eyes the size of
tea saucers. I knew this was the moment I’d dreaded the entire
drive here. One word would change Seraphina and my entire
relationship. It would alter for all time how we behaved with each
other. Seraphina had been my best friend and I wasn’t sure I could
live without her and I honestly had no idea if I would ever see my
eternal heart again.

It was clear that she didn’t want to see me.
Was it possible that the woman in the restaurant was Taini? Could
she have survived the attack that my parents told me she died in?
If she did why did she stay away from me for so long? If it was
another woman that was also my eternal heart why would she run from
me? I looked at Seraphina who was watching my face closely and I
had a strong desire to comfort and care for her.

I knew Seraphina and I knew what we were like
together. I knew that she would always care for me. Seraphina would
walk away from her eternal heart if he showed up after we were
married. Even if her fox and her life essence cried in pain and
anguish Seraphina would stick by my side. How could I cause her so
much pain and leave her for a woman that ran away from me. I
swallowed hard took her hands in mine and said the only thing I
could

“Two”

I managed to lose him but now I would be
stuck in the desert during the day with little to no cover. This
was going to cause me a lot of pain and discomfort. The sun was
strong in the Nevada desert, too strong for me to fly in my vulture
form without serious damage. Hell maybe it was even strong enough
to kill me. Probably not but then again one can hope.

I sighed and took another deep breath and
looked around for options. I could see nothing for miles but desert
in all directions. I could run and possibly find shelter but, I’d
gotten turned around last night and I wasn’t even sure which way
would bring me closest to civilization.

The sun rose high into sky and I could feel
the light burning into my sensitive flesh. I winced and decided I’d
to run because the only thing standing here was going to accomplish
was make me sick. I closed my eyes, spun in a circle like a child
playing pin the tail on the donkey then I opened my eyes and ran
for all I was worth.

The muscles in my legs pumped up and down
forcing my feet to move faster and faster. I felt the wind and tiny
fragments of sand slamming into my skin. I knew the sand were like
tiny pieces of glass tearing small cuts into my uncovered flesh
while I ran. The jolts of pain kept me feeling alive and I ran like
the devil himself was on my heels. I started to see the landscape
changing ever so slightly and I knew I’d chosen an excellent
direction. I spotted several dunes and knew that I was close to the
Black Rock Hot springs.

I’d been to the springs before and knew that
there was an abundance of caves that would provide me with shelter.
With any luck the springs would have limited visitors so I could
feed on one of them without interruption and then I could also
enjoy a hot bath to soothe my achy, blistered and burning skin. The
bath and the feeding would help the healing process.

Somehow I knew my eternal heart wasn’t going
to give up finding me that easily. I may have lost him in the
desert but had no doubt that now that he knew I was alive he would
be actively seeking me out. I would need to get out of the United
States and find a new place where he wouldn't come looking for
me.

I was also going to have to call Gaho and ask
for her help. She had a strong emotional attachment to Ulric and
would want to save him the pain of knowing me. He has no idea the
lengths that his family has gone through so that his heart and life
essence didn’t suffer without me. They used magic, blood and at
times pure will power to save my eternal heart from pain and
suffering.