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Kiesha,
who was grinning wickedly, began strutting confidently towards Madison.
Something blue blurred across my vision and stopped next to Madison. It was
Laci. Keeping her hand on Madison’s arm, Laci glanced up at Kiesha and raised
her other hand in the air. All the items hurtling towards them suddenly stopped
and dropped, like they’d hit a wall.

Oh
yes, I cheered silently. Laci’s invisible shield. Madison still hadn’t risen,
and I realized now was the time a little Essence would go a long way. I shot
across the field and yelled, “Laci, let me in.” Turning in surprise, she nodded
and motioned me forward.

“Where
did you come from?” Madison groaned through gritted teeth.

“Don’t
worry about that,” I said urgently and placed my hands on her legs. Closing my
eyes, I focused and whispered, “Your leg is broken, but not for long.” I
centered my energy and sent Essence flowing into her body, where instantly I
sensed the bones and muscles repairing themselves.

After
a few seconds, she sat up and stretched her legs out. “Thanks,” she said
gruffly. “That’s much better.” Then with a stern expression, she narrowed her
emerald green eyes and said, “Now, do you mind telling me what the hell is
going on here. How did you end up with all these Ray-pacs?”

“Madison
we don’t have time for this,” Laci said urgently. “We’ll sort through the
details later.”

The
shield vibrated, giving off a ringing noise. Grabbing Laci’s shoulder, I
supplied her with a fresh dose of Essence, and she smiled appreciatively.

Displeased
about something, Madison grumbled and gazed towards the woods. “That idiot!”

“What?”
Laci and I both said in unison, casting glances the same way.

“Get ready
to make room for a big, smelly cat,” Madison huffed. “One who has to make sure
for himself that
Lexi
is okay.” She glared at me.

Just
then my beautiful, tawny mountain lion emerged from the evergreens, leaped
gracefully a good 20 feet through the air, and landed majestically only yards
away from us.

“Watch
out for flying debris,” Laci cried. She dropped her shield long enough for the
cougar to come inside. The lean, powerful cougar, with his piercing aqua-marine
eyes, walked right up to me. After nuzzling me for a brief instant, he stood
eye to eye with me and made a low, throaty yowling sound.

“Oh
puh-leaze. We don’t have time for this.” Madison said, copying Laci’s earlier
words.

“Apparently,
Kieran has an injured leg, and Max has the advantage right now,” Laci said, one
hand brushing against her temple.

I
reached out and touched the huge mountain lion – Jason. His short fur was warm
and soft, suede-like. He made a loud purring sound, but I noticed he was
missing clumps of fur and was bleeding in several places.

“Yeah,
yeah, yeah,” Madison grumbled. She looked at me and said, “He wants you out of
this chaos immediately.”

“Why
doesn’t he change back into himself?” I asked, ignoring her comment.

“Remember,
he’s an Imitator. He can only acquire someone else’s ability while in their
presence; if he changes form now he won’t be able to shapeshift again until
he’s back in either Max or Kieran’s presence,” Madison said with annoyance.

“Oh,”
I said.

“He
wants you to climb on his back, and he’ll take you to a safe place in the
woods.” She paused and looked at the cougar with an arched brow. Looking at her
expectantly, I waited.“He wants you to promise you’ll stay there. He’s also
really pissed at you,” she said with a satisfied smile.

Gasping,
Laci tensed next to me and grabbed Jason’s front leg. “Max needs us. Kieran and
one of his buddies overtook him, and Max doesn’t think he’ll be able to fight
them off. He’s down and he’s hurt. We gotta go,” she said urgently.

“I’ll
take care of Kiesha while you guys make your escape. It’s time I showed that
wench who’s boss,” Madison seethed.

I
touched her arm. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m
fine.”

“Madison,
tell Alex to jump on my back and hold on tight.”

She
looked at me and said, “Jason wants you to climb on his back and hold on
tight.”

“And
tell her that even though I’m furious with her, I love her.”
He sounded
deeply hurt – no, more like betrayed.

Madison
frowned and looked at me spitefully. “You’ve got to be kidding. I am not your
messenger.”

Swiftly,
I let go of her shoulder and gazed at him. “That’s okay,” I said. “I already
know what he wanted you to say.” Climbing onto
my
mountain lion’s back,
I wrapped my arms around his huge body and tightly grasped his fur.

Madison
looked at me funny and said, “Whatever.”

“I
know I have a lot to explain, but I love you too,” I whispered into his rounded
ear and rubbed the soft fur under his neck.

“Let’s
go on three,” Laci said impatiently. “One…two…and three.” The shield dropped, and
Laci sprinted one direction while Jason and I pounded across the snow in the
other. After some distance we stopped, and I climbed off. He gave me a hard
stare, and I smiled at him. “Don’t worry about me. Go help Max.” He placed one
leathery, smooth paw on my nose. “Be safe,” I said and watched until he
disappeared from sight.

Inhaling
the sharp, frigid air, I glanced up at the cloudy sky, which was barely visible
through the thick treetops. Towering evergreens stood magnanimously around me,
the branches weighted down with frozen snow. Cottonwoods with long, straight
arms reached out as if dancing with the more regal cedar trees. The forest was
shady, ominous almost, and since I had no idea of the time of day, I couldn’t
determine if the darkness was due to the clouds, the hazy smoke, or because
dusk was falling.

Not
too far in front of me the timber was sparse, and the emanating brightness from
that area called to me. I rubbed my hands rapidly against my arms and
whispered, “Sorry Jason, I can’t stay put.”

Once I
was standing at the crest of a wooded ridgeline, I peered down at the sloped
terrain below me and spotted an iced over streambed. My ears perked up at the
sound of distant footsteps crunching in the snow, and I saw a flicker of
movement weaving between the trees. The moment I spied Adrian, I tensed and
crouched behind a large tree stump. Pressing my face against its smooth, slick
side, I brushed my cheek against a patch of scratchy, yellow moss, and smelled
the damp, earthy scent.

It was
time for me to play my part and face my destiny. It was time for me to lead the
amber-eyed monster to the lake. Win or lose.

“Ash?”

“Lexi,
are you okay? You sound stressed.”

“I’m
fine. Where’s the lake located?”

“About
a mile and a half north of the cabin. If you find the frozen creek it will lead
you straight there.”

“Thanks.”

“Lexi,
I know you think you have to do this, but maybe you don’t. Please just wait for
me,”
he pleaded.

“Ash,
I’m fine. I promise to call you if I need help.”

“Be
careful,”
he said urgently.

“I
will,”
I said with a smile but shivered ever so slightly
. “Don’t worry,”
I added
, “I’m a living, breathing Dentelle, now.”

My
mother’s face flashed in my mind and I heard her words. Words she’d said to me every
night as she’d tucked me into bed. She’d say, “Alexandria, follow your heart.
And if you trust in yourself, you will succeed.”

And
every night I’d replied, “I will mom.”

With a
sudden swell of confidence, I reached out, grabbed a good-sized, jagged rock
and rose from my hiding spot. Taking a couple steps back, I gazed up at the
large tree stump and contemplated a possibility. On impulse, I bent my legs low
to the ground and then sprang skyward. Amazed at my new stamina, I soared
effortlessly a good eight feet and landed softly on the stump’s powdery white
top. My eyes rounded with excitement as I glanced down – way down at the
ground. This strength and agility stuff kicked.

A loud
drumming started high in the trees and resounded through the woods. Off in the
distance, I spotted a Pileated Woodpecker. His red-striped head rocked
frantically back and forth as he excavated the bark of a tall cedar tree. A
vine maple moved slightly near the forest floor. With one eyebrow raised, I
looked at the rock in my hand and crossed my fingers. Taking sharp aim, I threw
the rock with all the strength I could muster and was startled when it flew
with at least twice the speed of a Nolan Ryan fastball. Apparently, it soared
with precision also, because after it disappeared into the thick bushes, I
heard a stifled groan. Then, Adrian lurched from the bushes and landed in full
view.

Our
eyes locked. “You won’t be so lucky next time,” he yelled as he rubbed his
head.

“We’ll
see,” I called back, knowing full well the chase was on. I leaped off the
stump, sprinted through the crunchy snow and down the steep slope of the
ravine, bounding over jagged rocks as I went. Sliding down the incline at an
alarming pace, my equilibrium was uncanny. At the edge of the iced over stream,
I stopped and marveled at an icicle waterfall. The icicles hung from a
gigantic, mossy log that had fallen over and lodged itself like a bridge over
the stream. Trickling water gurgled underneath the frozen creek which wound its
way endlessly through rolling terrain. I tapped my foot against the ice to test
for durability and found it to be quite solid.

“You
won’t be able to out run me.” The winter breeze carried with it Adrian’s
sinister voice, and my head shot towards the upper banks. His bare chest, heavy
with tattoos, was visible from under his leather jacket. His sickly eyes glowed
yellow, as he stood with one leg resting on a log.

“I can
try,” I called back and turned to flee. I only needed to elude him long enough
to lead him to the lake. White-capped branches hung low over the creek,
sticking out like protective arms, and I had to duck in order to avoid being
slashed across the face. I darted back and forth across the narrow, slippery
creek, but shale rocks covered with snow and ice caught me off guard, and a
couple times I fell. The land’s natural obstacles were challenging, but with my
speed and dexterity I felt evenly matched. Unfortunately, so was Adrian. I
could hear him only paces behind me, chomping through the snow and laughing at
random intervals. His disturbing chortles echoed through the canyon.

A
gnarly mass of fallen logs and debris clogged the creek causing me to abandon
my route and venture out into the woods. The untracked alpine was dense, and I
had to make my own trail. I pushed low hanging cedar boughs out of the way and
jumped several feet high over dead falls. My shoes acted like a sponge soaking
in the cold, wet snow, and a sharp chill chomped at my feet. Although damp with
sweat, I was exhilarated.

Unbelievably
swift, I moved with superhuman speed. If I’d been shooting a film, special
effects wouldn’t have been necessary. Whipping past the trees and down the
gully, I covered ample territory in little time. The feeling was astounding! My
heart was pounding, beating loudly like an ancient, tribal drum. With my blood
racing, I was fully alert. Even though I’d watched my Guardian friends in
action and Jason had described the physical changes his body had endured, to
experience it myself was something else completely. Finally, I broke through
the trees and found myself skidding onto a very large, very solid lake.

The
lake. The very one from my premonitions.

I took
quick, deep breaths as I slid out to the center rather ungracefully. The ice
was slick and fairly smooth, with the exception of rippled patterns which had
formed on the surface, almost like the wind had been swirling the water as it
froze in place. Rotten leaves, sticks, and even a few logs stuck out in
different areas. I wondered how deep the lake was and hoped the ice was several
inches thick. I felt light on my feet and knew I wouldn’t fall through
unexpectedly, because in my premonition I had purposefully cracked the ice
before going down. What my reasoning had been, I still had yet to figure out.

Snapping
branches alerted me that Adrian was about to make his appearance. I needed to
ready the ice in front of me – so I would be prepared when the time came.
Hurriedly, I jumped up and down, using the force of all my weight. Finally, the
ice began to split; slowly, it cracked, expanding several feet in front of me,
so I stepped back and waited.

Adrian
came tearing through the snow laden evergreens, somehow managing to pull up
short and stop at the edge of the lake. He tapped the ice roughly with his
foot, and when nothing happened he took a couple experimental steps. Looking
up, he said, “Have you stopped there because you think you’re safe in the
center of the lake?”

“Safe
enough,” I countered and rubbed my hands together, blowing warm air between them.
The temperature was dropping; my teeth were chattering, and my body was
shivering.

“You
thought my abilities would stop working on the ice,” he said. An amused smile
played across his lips. Leisurely, he advanced towards me. “It’s only water
that makes me weak. “And,” he laughed and pointed down, “we can both see that
isn’t going to be a problem. The ice is more than a foot thick.”

“You
know what your problem is?” I heard myself say.

He
answered not with his words but with a careless shrug and an obnoxious howl.
His leather jacket hung open exposing his chest to the winter air, but he
didn’t appear to be the least bit uncomfortable.

“You’re
overconfident,” I said and shoved my hands into my front pockets. My hands came
into contact with something, and that’s when finally I remembered the orchid
pollen. How could I have forgotten about it? As I wrapped my fingers around the
packets, my confidence soared. I had a back-up plan in the palm of my hand.