Fledgling (34 page)

Chance’s face softened as he searched her eyes. “You know-I feel
so
empty, devastated about Grandfather. And I’m just
so
happy
you’re alive. I can’t believe it. You were so lifeless…I thought I’d never see your beautiful green eyes again.” He dropped his head.

Ana lifted her gaze, meeting his. His face lowered, and their lips met in a soft caress, building in intensity. Her heart sped in excitement and Chance pulled away. His hand reached for hers, and placed it over her heart.

“Something’s changed-your rhythm, it sounds…different.”

Ana found it hard to focus on anything but his body held close to her own, and his hand on hers. The pounding in her chest
did
seem altered; it wasn’t fluttering in a syncopated beat. Plus, she didn’t feel like fainting. She felt strong.

“Yes,” Ana said closing his eyes.

He lowered his ear to her chest.

In response Ana wrapped her arms around him, standing in shock. Now that he mentioned it, she did feel different. She had moved down the mountain completely at ease, without even a rest and her chest wasn’t poised to explode in hysterics, although with Chance against her chest her body felt animated in
other
ways.

Chance listened to the cadence of her heart. “Hmmmm, strange. I could pick you out of a crowd by the sound of your heart. But now, you sound different.”

He seemed preoccupied with her skin so close to his and released her in hesitation. Ready to move to his painful responsibilities, he kissed her moist forehead and led her to the passenger side.

On the drive down the mountain he reminded her, “Grandfather didn’t want my parents to know about Markus, or any other details. I need to figure out a story that doesn’t involve being attacked by a shapeshifter.”

Ana stared at the misty hillside they had just descended and took in a shaky breath. “What if you say you were out hiking when it happened? Like he had a heart attack or just sat down and went to sleep?” She closed her eyes and forced the image of Niyol’s death from her mind.

“Yeah, I guess that could work,” he mumbled. “I’m going to park your van up the road above our driveway so they don’t see it. I’ll carry him into the house so they don’t know we drove him here. Ana, it’s best you go home, you were never here. I’ll call you later, after…everything.”

“Alright, I’ll be waiting. If there’s anything I can do to help.” After a moment Ana asked, “Oh, right, what should I tell
my
mom? I’ve been gone all day and I said I was going to your house.”

“Just say, that on the way to meet me I called you and changed plans because I needed to do something with my grandfather. So then you decided to go to Sandpoint for something-shopping?”

“I can say I went to window shop. Eva’s birthday is coming up, so that works,” she said, hating to lie to her mother.

They neared Chance’s driveway and he slowed down, cautious. He pulled into a clearing and parked.

The spot was unfamiliar to Ana. She had never ventured past his house and never would have known they were close to his home. The grove of Western Redcedars and dogwoods offered a different view.

They both moved from the car and opened the back hatch. The rolled up shroud encasing his grandfather lay before them. Before picking him up, Chance gave Ana a bear hug, squeezing the air from her lungs. After recovering she whispered, “I love you, Chance.”

They parted and Ana turned her head facing Niyol’s tranquil body. While fidgeting with the silver ring on her finger, a stream of tears journeyed down her rosy cheeks. The salty river continued as her muscles jerked in a fitful spasm. Her fingers rested on the geometric patterned fabric of his cocoon. “Thank you, Niyol…for everything.” Her voice pinched off and she ran around the van jumping into the driver’s seat.

She turned on the engine as soon as Chance removed Niyol from the back and slammed the door shut. Through the window his tall form moved lithely down the gravel road until it disappeared below the sloping grade.

Ana dropped her head against the wheel and keened mournfully.

Chapter 40.

After crying herself dry, Ana pulled together and drove home. By the time she arrived, it was dinner time.

The expansive gray sky had begun to break up, exposing cracks in its mantle. Darkening blue hues peeked through and a nebulous moon tinged the edges of the clouds with a magical silver glow.

Ana sauntered up the front walk, brushing off dirt from her face and hair and the smell of dinner wafted out to meet her. Gratitude filled her; her eyes began to blur and sting. She pinched her lips together fiercely, painfully tight, and then swallowing hard, she forced the emotional turmoil back down to deal with later.

There was a time, just a couple hours ago, when she thought she would never see her family again or the little blue house huddled among the firs. Happiness mingled with bitter sadness. If she were a compass, her needle would be spinning in circles.

A draft of cold air from outside blew in as she tumbled into the house. She shut the door with a thud.

“Ana? Is that you?” Melissa’s voice rang from the kitchen.

“Yeah, it’s me.” She dropped her keys on the dining table and flipped up her slicker’s hood, covering her dirty, tangled hair. She took a cleansing breath and popped her head into the kitchen.

Eva was stirring something in a saucepan. Melissa sat at the kitchen table chopping a green herb with one hand as she raised a glass of white wine to her lips with the other.

“Try to chop it
finely,
Mom,” Eva instructed over her shoulder. “Hey, Ana. I’m making pot roast tonight. I hope you’re hungry.”

“Yeah-sure.”

“So, what did you do today?” Melissa asked as she took another sip from her wine glass.

“Oh, well Chance had to cancel last minute because of some plans with his grandfather. So, I decided to run over to Sandpoint to go window shopping. Someone’s birthday’s coming up.” She forced a smile at her sister, who raised her eyebrows in enthusiasm.

“It was pretty nasty out today. I hope you didn’t get too wet.”

“No, I stayed indoors. I sat in a coffee shop for a bit when it really let loose. Um, I feel like a shower-to warm up. I’ll be back down for dinner.”

Ana ran upstairs anxious to avoid further conversation. She felt hollow inside from crying so much. Imagining what was happening at Chance’s house made her depressed. Poor Aiyana wouldn’t have any warning before finding out her father was dead.

Heat penetrated her cool, damp body as she stepped into the shower. Dirt, bits of leaves and pine needles swirled down the drain. Her hair was so filthy it looked like she had bathed in dirt and her clothes were stained and streaked. She was thankful her mother hadn’t noticed when she came in.

Pine and earth no longer scented her body, but instead rose infused shampoo clung to her pores. The welcomed fragrance enveloped her while she forced the image of the boy with a monsters head out of her mind. The vision frightened her. Nightmares were inevitable.

Ana’s soft clean bed supported her when she sat down in delayed shock. She put on her fresh clothing and curled up to rest. Had it only been a day? It felt like a lifetime.

“Ana?! Dinner!”

She sat up and found her favorite slippers. The soft scritch, scratch from her shuffling feet went silent once she descended the carpeted stairs.

The three of them ate Eva’s dinner in silence appreciating the hot food. Ana surprised herself by eating so much. She had skipped lunch when she left to meet Chance, and with the tumultuous day, she was famished. She cleaned her plate and drank all of her water.

“You seem awfully quiet tonight, is there something wrong?” Melissa asked.

“Well, actually, I got a call just a bit ago from Chance. His grandfather died this afternoon,” she said, biting her lip.

Melissa rested her hand at her throat in surprise. “Oh, no! Is that why he canceled your plans? Do you know what happened?”

“Not sure, I haven’t been told any details yet. But when he canceled our plans he said he was heading out on a hike with him.”

“Well, we’ll make some food to bring by for Aiyana. She must be devastated-they seemed close.”

Eva nodded and picked up her plate to deposit in the kitchen. She returned with a cook book, flipping through the pages in search of a suitable recipe.

Ana’s phone rang and she answered it, walking out of the room for privacy.

As she left, Melissa called out, “Give our condolences…”

“Chance?! What’s happening?” Ana ran up to her room, shutting the door behind her.

A brief moment of silence followed. “Well, they have no reason to doubt me. I told them Grandfather collapsed when we were out hiking. It was normal to them that we were out in the rain storm, because we do it all the time.” He took a shuddering breath, “Since Mom’s a nurse she knew who to call. She’s trying to move this along fast, it’s Navajo tradition to bury the dead quickly. She’s looking into burying him here on the property. I guess there’s no law against it. Looks like we can put him to rest tomorrow, once Mom takes care of the paperwork. Good thing she has connections.”

“Chance, I’m so sorry. How did your mother react?”

“She seemed prepared for it. She hasn’t cried at all, from what I’ve seen, anyway. Grandfather once told me, it’s expected to stay in control of emotions when a loved one dies. Navajo accept death in silence. It’s the way Grandfather would have wanted it,” he mumbled.

“Do you want to be alone, or if you want I can come over?”

“No, I don’t want to be here
or
alone. Can I come to your house?”

“Of course-are you driving or flying?”

“Well, I figure we’ll be talking, and I don’t want you sitting outside in this weather. Think you could ask your mom if I can come over?”

“Of course, let me check.” As Ana reemerged from her room trotting down the stairs, she added, “I told Mom that your grandfather died today, but said I didn’t know the details yet. She was really sad, and offered her condolences. So, she knows that much.”

“Good to know.”

Ana found her mother and sister sitting at the dining table playing a board game. Melissa glanced up when her daughter entered the room.

Ana lowered the phone. “Hey, Mom. Is it okay if Chance comes over tonight?”

“Of course, Baby. But shouldn’t he stay with his family tonight?”

“No, I don’t think he wants to be home, but he doesn’t want to be alone either…”

“That’s fine, we’re happy to have him as long as his mother doesn’t object. Anytime-he’s family.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Ana glided back out of the room and returned upstairs.

“It’s fine with her, of course. Say, your mom doesn’t mind? She doesn’t want you home?”

“She’ll understand. She knows how much Grandfather meant to me and that I’m closer to you than anyone.”

“Okay, head over any time.”

“Thank you, my love.”

“I love you, too.”

Ana flipped her phone shut and sat on her bed, staring out her blackened window.

Chapter 41.

Chance passed by his grandfather’s room before going downstairs. He nudged the door open with the back of his hand and walked inside.

The window remained up from when he thrust it open earlier, in his hurry to save Ana. The curtains hung in a tangle. Moisture dewed around the sill and Chance walked over shutting it. He hung the curtains back up.

At the foot of the bed, a sunken indentation lingered in the blankets from his grandfather. He had been sitting in that very spot when Chance launched himself into the room, putting into motion the series of events that led to his death. All three of theirs.

Only Chance and Ana had survived.

Tracing his fingers along the crater, he walked to a simple wooden chair in the corner of the room. He surveyed his grandfather’s belongings. Dirty clothing was piled in his hamper, a book sat on his bedside table, all were as Niyol left them.

Traces of recent memories flavored his thoughts. On graduation night when Chance received the talon, he had no idea what it was. It lay cradled in his palm now. Regarding it soberly, he knew it had been the key to unlocking his Thunderbird form. He wondered if his grandfather had known at the time what it was and why he had given it to him.

Then almost as though a balled up piece of paper was smoothing out, another unfamiliar vision came into focus. He sat erect as though movement would change the reception.

He saw a man standing before him with long dark hair and deep copper skin. He held out in his hand the large hooked talon. Two young boys flanked him as they sat on the smooth chalky ground in shaded darkness. Gauging from his own stature, he was an adolescent as well. It looked like they were in a large make-shift room. Searing light flooded in from a nearby doorway and through gaps in the wood and sticks that made the walls. Taking in these odd surroundings he realized he was in a simple home, of sorts.

A deep voice emanated from the man, “Sons, listen. For many generations this has been passed down in our family. It is a link to our ancestors. Honorable ancestors-servants of our people. But remember there are others, the evil skin walkers who we must not speak of-who will seek your power and do harm for pleasure.” His face darkened and he held up the talon. “If you are given the power by the Holy People, it is only to keep balance and harmony. It is my will, that someday, one of you will earn this through perseverance and honor. It must be protected and respected.”