Fledgling (21 page)

Chance must have been playing tricks on her all along, ever since he spoke of his shaman ancestors, trying to frighten her or give her a thrill.

Chills ran through her body, and anger welled up, making her cheek burn. He allowed her to think he healed inhumanly fast, his prowess outdoors-all of it used to demonstrate some kind of weird magical story.

Ana was NOT amused. It was at her expense too, while she was in poor health. What kind of person was Chance? Obviously not the person she
thought
he was.

Anger ripped through her and she felt like a fool. She allowed him into her heart, and he wasn’t the person she thought he was.

She bolted downstairs faster than she should have, and grabbed her keys.

“I’m running over to Chance’s real quick. Be back soon!” Ana called out, flinging herself out the front door, jogging in determination to her van.

She peeled out of the driveway and started speeding towards Chance’s house. Along the way she considered she was jumping to conclusions. Maybe he hadn’t intended to be cruel. Just the same, he had some answering to do.

When Ana arrived at his driveway she slowed, crawling up the gravel road. She sat staring at a meticulous wood pile at the end of the drive before getting out, revisiting all the unanswered questions in her mind.

Her feet stumbled down the rocky pathway to the front porch, stepped up to the door and she knocked. After a few moments the door swung open revealing a surprised Aiyana.

“Hi Ana, how are
you
doing
today?” Aiyana said staring at Ana’s pale skin and drooping eyes.

Ana was so upset when she left her house she had forgotten about the procedure the day before and it dawned on her why Aiyana was concerned. She smiled feeling foolish, looking down before answering. “I’m fine. I just needed to sleep off the anesthesia.”

“You sure? Why don’t you come in and sit down?” Aiyana opened the door wide, welcoming her inside.

Ana remained where she stood, recalling why she was there. “Actually, I needed to talk to Chance. Is he here?”

“No. He’s still out with his grandfather. I’m not expecting them back for another couple hours-they like finding new paths. When we bought the property we didn’t realize how many trails there were here. If you want, I can have him call you when they get back.” Aiyana frowned, watching Ana, who was lilting to the side.

Ana faltered, remembering he had said he wasn’t going to be around until later that afternoon. She shook her head and faced Aiyana, letting her shoulders slump as she answered, “That’s right. Thanks Aiyana-as soon as he gets back-it’s important.”

“Is everything okay?” Aiyana tilted her head.

“I just need to talk to him.” Ana began backing up. She waved as she departed the porch, walking backwards down the gravel walkway. Ana heard the door close as she went around the house to the driveway.

Great,
she thought. She drove all the way out to Chance’s house and he wasn’t even home. She began getting angry again and kicked at the gravel, sending a piece ricocheting out into the shrubs lining the drive.

She rested her hand on the van’s door handle, about to wrench it open just as a noise tore through the peaceful forest.

Her head whipped around in surprise and she squinted in the direction it came from in the woods. It sounded like a large mountain cat screeching. A path cut through the forest in the same place as the shrieking growl.

“Chance!” Ana yelped, feeling her stomach writhe.

The cry sounded again and without thinking Ana started running up the path. Stumbling past berry bushes, her arms were scratched red from the brambles as she propelled herself forward, jerking free.

She knew Chance was out hiking with his grandfather on one of these trails.
What if they’re in danger?

Familiar markers moved past her as she continued to a place in the trail that was not known to her. She bent her head down, grabbing her knees to catch her breath as it tore through her throat like fire. Her heart pounded from exertion and fear. Willpower kept her standing.

Suddenly, the screech called out again, but this time much closer. Her head jerked around and her eyes widened in fright. She moved sideways up the mountainside, forcing herself forward but her body cried for rest. Her run through the forest was becoming a dangerous and regrettable choice. Not knowing where Chance was hiking, she was probably just getting herself lost. And more significantly, putting herself in danger.

If she could just find her voice she would call out to Chance. But if she
did
call out, it would lead the mountain lion right to her. Her heart was hammering in a perilous and irregular rhythm, reflecting her feet stumbling on the rugged earthen path.

She faltered at the top of a ridge to view the grassy valley below encircled with pine trees. Leaden feet stumbling, she followed the trail to the basin below as her eyes darted from the shaded scrub brush to the tree trunks around her, searching for a pair of menacing eyes. Her whole body ripped in pain, fear propelled her forward.

She toppled into a tree near the bottom, and allowed the trunk to hold her up. All she could hear was her own blood pounding.

Then she began hearing voices.

Chance’s voice.

“I held it better that time. I think I’m getting it now. How did I look?”

Her eyesight played games with her. There were two forms standing in the clearing, but they were blurry and doubled.

She rubbed her eyes and was able to identify Chance. He was only wearing a pair of jeans, which he was buttoning up. His broad chest was uncovered. If she wasn’t terrified for his safety, she would have appreciated his muscular form. He held a gray shirt, ready to pull it on and his feet were bare, an odd way to go hiking, she thought.

Niyol stood before Chance, speaking so low Ana could not hear his voice over the pounding in her ears. “You held form. It seemed easy for you this time.”

Ana remembered why she ran into the woods, and stumbled forward. As she passed the last trees entering the grassy valley, Chance and his grandfather spun around, surprised at her presence.

“Ana! What are you
doing
here?!” Chance asked stunned, dropping his shirt to the ground.

Ana’s head grew cloudy, like she was sinking into a darkening abyss. “Look out…for the…cougar.”

“Ana!”

Chance closed the distance between them in a flash, catching her before she hit the ground. He held her in his shaking arms and brushed the hair from her face. Her lips were turning a deep plum and her breathing slowed, becoming sporadic and scratchy.

“Grandfather! What should I do?! Her heart!”

“You can save her, but you must hurry.”

“But, I haven’t been able to take that form yet!” He argued, his voice desperate, cracking in distress.

“Chance, you must hurry! She needs you!
Believe
in yourself.”

Ana continued fading in and out of awareness. Relinquishing to the nothingness that engulfed her, she had the impression of movement. She heard heavy breathing, which she determined wasn’t coming from her, sounding more like snorting. She sensed herself hanging, her body limp, unwilling to forfeit control back to her wandering mind. As though she was observing everything from a distance, it felt like she was at the end of a darkened hallway, being pulled back into a hollow chasm. Inky fingers entwined her mind until there was nothing left.

Reappearing from the empty vacuum, she sensed hard ground beneath her, realizing she was no longer in motion. Was she hallucinating? Her blurry vision revealed a form moving away from her faster than was humanly possible.

It was like watching a movie, where she was an observer not directly involved in the drama. The sound of elevated voices and yelling met her ears. Someone was calling for mom.

Ana wondered,
Whose mom?

Her eyes flickered shut, dropping her back into the calming depths of her mind.

Chapter 28.

A tickle inside Ana’s nose woke her. Wrinkling her face, she raised her hand to rub the itch. Something dropped into her lap after her fingers brushed against it. Confused, she tried opening her heavy lids.

A bright haze met her eyes. She squinted at her lap where she felt the mysterious item fall; an oxygen tube lay across a fuzzy blue blanket.

“Ana.” A deep velvet voice found its way to her ears.

She tried tracking down the origin of the sweet sound. Then she found him. He sat beside her bed, leaning in so close she could smell his spicy scent, making her feel safe and calm.

Another familiar smell unlocked many memories, forcing her to survey her surroundings. A hospital. She knew that smell anywhere. It was so ingrained in her she could never forget it. Even if she tried.

Chance lifted her face to meet his.

“You’re okay. Didn’t know for a while.” He grimaced. “I’ve never been so scared in my life…I thought I was going to loose you.” His eyes were wild with fear.

Ana frowned, befuddled. “Chance, what happened?”

Chance shook his head, and then taking a shuddering breath he spoke, ignoring her question, “Seeing you lying there-lifeless.” He paused to steady his voice. “I could have lost you…and I never got to tell you…Ana, I
love you
.” His eyes locked with hers. “I went crazy on the drive to the hospital-not knowing if you were going to live…or…I just kept thinking about how much I cared for you and that you’d never know…and I
want
you to know.”

Chance was so anguished Ana wanted to hug him, to reassure him, but the IVs and cords restrained her and she sighed in frustration. Instead, she laid her pale hand on his arm and then noticed the dark bags under his eyes. How long had she been unconscious anyway?

She began remembering bits and pieces of her darkened memories.
What had happened?
The odd fragments just didn’t make sense.

“Wait a minute,” she choked out. “I went to your house for a reason.” She frowned at Chance. “I’m supposed to be mad at you right now…about something…”

He groaned and sat back, his shoulders sagging as though he knew what was coming.

“Why…have you been playing games with me?” she blurted out, tears welling in her eyes. “A month ago…I took some pictures of a fox…and it had on
your
necklace.” She bit her lip and pushed on, “You must think it’s fun pulling pranks…but
I
don’t find it amusing. Oh-and then your arm…
miraculously
heals…You’ve been having fun at
my
expense!” Ana lifted her wet angry eyes to the ceiling unable to face Chance. The beeping from the machine beside her bed increased as she grew agitated.

He sat in stunned silence, unable to speak.

As Ana stared fuming at the ceiling panels and wiping away tears, fresh memories rushed into the dark spaces of her mind and she grimaced. “Wait-was there a cougar? I heard a mountain lion cry out…and you were out hiking…I was so scared…hold on…”

She faced Chance, who had paled as he watched her with wide eyes, waiting to see what would happen next.

“You were with…your grandfather…and you were standing there, half naked. What were you
doing
out there?” She shook her head. “Nothing you said made any sense.”

A memory hidden within her body surfaced, such an odd sensation of blood rushing to her head as she hung from her waist. And there were snorting sounds, too. She frowned and gasped, utterly bewildered, “Was I carried…on an
animal
? Chance! What’s going
on
? Am I crazy?!” Ana whispered in desperation, “What are you keeping from me?!” She reached out her shaking hand, pointing at him.

Chance dropped his head into his hands, clutching his hair in anguish. The only audible sound came from the heart monitor beeping while Chance took his time collecting his thoughts.

When he spoke, his voice came out in a groan, “Ana…I’ve wanted to tell you for
so
long. You
know
what it’s like having a secret you’re afraid to tell.” He looked up, his hair twisting every direction, his eyes burning. “Ugh! Where do I start?” He fell silent again as his eyes trailed to the window. “Just-wait until I finish before making your judgment. I’m afraid my secret will disgust you. I have to be careful who knows. My
parents
don’t even know. You have to
swear
not to tell
anyone
. Please Ana?!” His frantic eyes searched hers, until she nodded guardedly. Satisfied, his eyes darkened and became detached.

He took a raspy breath and withdrew his arms from the hospital bed. Standing, he went to shut the door, sealing them off from the noisy hallway. More comfortable on his feet, he paced to the opposite corner of the room and began, keeping his eyes on the ground.

“Back to the beginning. It’ll make more sense that way…hopefully. Remember your promise-just wait for me to finish.” He met Ana’s baffled gaze, continuing to pace. “You know how I told you my grandfather came from a long line of Navajo medicine men? Well, that’s not
exactly
right. A long time ago, Grandfather isn’t sure how far back, my ancestors turned up. And through them the legend of the Thunderbird began-a powerful creature that protected the tribe. Like an enormous eagle with a body the size of a man’s and a
huge
wingspan…with the power to direct lightning.” He searched her eyes to see if she was following and continued when he saw her confusion, “The Thunderbird was my
ancestor
, Ana.”