Banana leaves heaped with tamales, beans and potatoes were handed to both her and Chance. Amazingly, the stomachache that had plagued her along the walk was only a distant memory now and she was ready to eat.
She was overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of the strangers. Although she didn’t know them, she was beginning to feel at ease. After a sideways glance at Chance, she saw the sentiment mirrored in his face. They sat down beside each other on the ground like the locals were doing, and began to eat with a little encouragement from Sanchia and a few watchful women. Ana’s eyes slid shut as she tasted the first mouthful. Had Eva been there with her, she was confident she would have begged for the recipe now that she was a budding chef. The tamales fell apart at her touch, and steam billowed from the meaty center. Before she knew it, she had cleared her plate. Ana blushed when she noticed she was being watched. A group of elderly women were giving her toothy smiles and laughing as they patted their bellies. Horrified, Ana set her plate on the ground and let her hair fall around her face so she could hide from her audience.
Despite her shyness, she murmured in Spanish. “Thank you for the delicious food.”
Sanchia beamed in response and rose to her feet, her toes gripping the dry earth. Her raspy voice said a word Ana recognized. “Come.”
Ana was curious and a little apprehensive. She glanced over to Chance, who was just finishing his plate of food and was having a conversation consisting of sign language and choppy Spanish with a man who was fascinated with his jaguar pendant. She leaned over and said, “I’ll be right back. Sanchia wants to take me somewhere.”
Chance’s eyes narrowed but a second later he nodded and watched her stand up to leave. “Be careful. Don’t be long unless you want me making a scene.”
The short, stout woman turned and walked past the celebrants. Ana tried to keep up, but Sanchia was deceptively fast. She reached the edge of the gathering and squinted in confusion. Where did she go?
A throat cleared and Ana was surprised to discover the elderly woman hidden in the wilderness off the road. “Come.”
Ana hesitated, unsure if she should follow. She gave one last look at the party and stepped into the greenery where she discovered a narrow, worn path. As she moved along the trail, the glow of the sun obscured and shadows slanted across the wilderness. “Hello? Grandmother Sanchia?”
She took a few steps more and saw Sanchia’s hunched silhouette at a tree. Ana wandered a little further. Sanchia lowered herself down and her hands fluttered around a plant that grew close to the ground.
“For stomach pain.” Sanchia grasped at Ana’s arm and straightened up. A smile crept across the older woman’s lips. Then something scratched against Ana’s hand as green leaves were thrust into her palm.
Sanchia pressed her thumb into her palm in a crushing motion and said some words Ana wasn’t familiar with. From the gestures and the words she did understand, it was clear the instructions were to crush and drink with water and lemon.
“Thank you,” Ana said.
They were only a short distance from the gathering so she could hear stringed instruments and melodious voices rise in a beautiful chorus. Sanchia shuffled past her and up to a tree. She unwound a red cloth belt from her waist and hung it from a branch. Ana couldn’t understand what she was doing but didn’t want to ask. When no explanation was offered, she shrugged and followed the woman back to the party.
Ana looked at Sanchia and the people around her. It was clear they lived extremely modest lives. Ana thought about her home in Idaho. It truly felt as if she was a world away, but she saw the happiness on the faces of the locals and was touched. As they made their way past what seemed like an entire village of people, they walked into a clearing where a beautiful altar stood. Each of the four uprights were wound with aromatic flowers.
Sanchia started speaking so quickly in Spanish, Ana wasn’t sure she understood everything, but she did understand this was a wedding celebration. The couple had been joined earlier. She was standing in front of the wedding altar, each point of which was important. North had red flowers; east yellow; south, purple; and west, white.
Ana touched the native flora bound to the ceremonial altar and breathed in each flower’s scent. The woman was pleased and began introducing her to everyone they passed. Hoots and hollers came from the road and soon music filled the air. A group of men, young and old, were playing instruments and singing as they strode around the party.
A scruffy dog skirted around the boundaries of the gathering, sniffing the air. Ana found a dirty tortilla on the ground and threw it to the stray. The creature watched the yellow disc land, but kept its attention on her. As she and Sanchia walked back to where Chance sat, the dog trailed along the edges of the wilderness, its wide eyes glued to Ana’s every movement. She studied the animal briefly, and decided it wasn’t anything to worry about. She had already seen countless dogs roadside on their drive through Cancun and the small towns.
“Chance, did you know this is a wedding party?”
He turned around and said, “Is that why everyone’s wearing white? Everybody’s so friendly here. I’ve been asking about the jaguar pendant grandfather left me. I don’t know what they’re saying and I’m not sure they know what I’m asking. Can you help me out?”
Ana lowered herself beside him and muttered a hello at the group of people sitting with him, who displayed their bright teeth in a friendly response. Sanchia stood back and watched quietly.
“Is there a man named Balam here?” she asked.
A chorus replied. “Yes, he is over there.”
Ana translated for Chance, who jumped to his feet, his expression growing instantly serious. He began to walk in the direction the locals had indicated and Ana scrambled to his side, grabbing his hand.
“Let’s meet him together,” she said.
Chance nodded absently in response, squinted and stared into a group of older men. They turned to face him and spoke words of greeting. A round, stout man stepped forward, stretching out his hand. Ana looked to Chance, who beamed at the older gentleman and introduced himself. Her heart raced in excitement as she watched them shake hands. Balam didn’t look anything like what she expected. His short stature and plump form wasn’t similar to Chance’s or Niyol’s. She stared at the man’s tanned face and his dark coffee hued eyes. Then she knew.
Frowning, she checked Chance’s face. He swallowed hard and nodded absently as he scratched his forehead. He forced another grin before shaking the man’s hand again and waving goodbye. She knew him too well. His disappointment was clear. Ana slipped her fingers through his and let her chin settle on his shoulder as she said softly, “That wasn’t our Balam.”
Chance shook his head and sighed. Ana let her hands rest on his chest and felt him relax a bit.
“He’ll find you, Chance. Remember what your grandfather wrote?” She uttered the word she hoped he wouldn’t bristle at. “Patience.”
After a few moments he said, “We’re at a party, right? Let’s have fun.”
Afternoon rolled into evening and the fiesta continued without any sign of ending. Ana and Chance were offered a limitless supply of food, which neither turned down, although after her third helping, Ana had to sit back and rest.
The stray dog she saw earlier ventured close and stood beside them. It stared straight into her eyes and lifted its muzzle into the air, nostrils flared.
“Hi, sweetie. Do you have a home?” Ana held out her hand to the scruffy creature. Its gaze fixed on her face. The dog leaned forward and touched its cold, wet nose to her skin. She ran her fingers through its wiry fur and rubbed at its cheeks and neck.
“Found yourself a new friend?” Chance said. “It likes you. Guess you have a thing for dogs.”
“They’re just so loyal and sweet,” she said while the animal closed its eyes.
Sanchia, who had been watching, said, “That is a new stray. It won’t even come eat my special tamales.” Resentment was etched on her lined face.
Chance muttered from behind, “I think I need to learn some Spanish. I barely know what everyone’s saying.” He planted a kiss on the top of Ana’s head and jumped to his feet. As he brushed the dirt from his shorts Ana looked to her side and noticed the dog had disappeared. Her eyes combed past the broad-leafed bushes, seeking out its dark eyes, but found nothing.
“If you’re feeling better, we should try to find a place to stay, or get a ride to a hotel or something. The sun’s going down. I’m gonna go mime to some of the guys I was talking to, see if they can’t help us out.” He put his hands up to his cheek in a sleeping gesture. Then he added, with a roll of his eyes, “I guess you could ask, too.”
Ana watched him saunter off into a crowd of laughing young men. He was the tallest one at the party and his blue shirt stuck out against everyone’s white clothes. He looked like an indigo macaw surrounded by a sea of white cockatoos.
Sanchia watched him go too. Ana felt almost bad asking for more help, but she knew there was no way around it. They needed to find a place to stay.
Ana took a deep breath and said, “Grandmother Sanchia? My friend and I need a place to stay tonight. Is there a hotel nearby?”
Sanchia’s eyes crinkled as she answered. “No.”
Oh, no. What will we do? Ana imagined them lying on the jungle floor to sleep. She could almost feel the spiders and snakes crawling on her and she shuddered.
“You stay with me, child.” Grandmother Sanchia brushed her arm.
Ana was touched by her kindness—by everyone’s in the town. She couldn’t imagine inviting someone she didn’t know into her home—she would be too afraid—but the people here didn’t seem to think twice about sharing, even though they didn’t have a lot.
Ana’s cheek quivered and she exhaled sharply. “Much thanks.”
Loud voices broke the pleasant choral murmur of the townspeople. Women and children moved back, and most of the men jumped up and pushed forward toward the disturbance. Sanchia’s face clouded over and she shooed Ana back into a group of young kids.
What was going on? And where had Chance gone?
She urgently searched the crowd for his towering head and blue shirt. He was nowhere to be found. After a sidelong glance at the worried elderly woman, Ana slipped away. She needed to find him. Where was he?
Ana ran back to the dusty road they’d walked in on, where a crowd of men had now gathered in a circle.
Another shout rang out. “Go. Leave here.”
A throng of women eyed the disturbance from the side, pulling their children back. The light, cheerful mood of the party had quickly changed.
Ana continued to seek out Chance, her heart pounding in her chest. He would never leave her. So where was he?
“Leave these people alone,” she heard a familiar voice say.
Fear tore through her body. She rushed forward and cut in front of the cluster of women and children, who glanced at her and made room.
Three darkly dressed men stood on the terra cotta road. Another man, clothed in white, lay with his back on the ground. A starburst of dirt stained the stark white shoulder of his dress shirt, and blood trickled from a cut on his brow. Chance had positioned himself between the outsiders and the man on the road.
“Chance,” she whispered.
Ana saw his eyes flick to the side and she knew he had heard her.
“You have a funny looking gringo protecting you now?” one of the outsiders sneered and then snickered with his friends.
“Why weren’t we invited? You invite strangers but not us?” another chimed in.
Ana knew Chance couldn’t understand them, but you wouldn’t have known it. His unyielding stance and narrowed eyes said everything. It was obvious these men were trouble.
Chance held his ground and a hardness crept into his eyes. She had seen that look before. It scared her then and it worried her now. It hadn’t taken long for them to find danger.
“You need to leave. Go away and don’t come back.” Chance pointed and spat his words with such venom, Ana wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d turned and left.
“Oh, does he think he’s a Mayan? Well, then maybe he should just disappear.” A broad-chested man with a gray baseball hat flexed his muscles and stepped toward Chance.
One of the other troublemakers leaned down and grabbed a rock. He pulled his arm back, poised to throw it at Chance. Just then, the stray appeared out of nowhere, its eyes on the intruders.
“You’re all just Mayan dogs.” The man with the stone turned and threw it instead, at the dog.
Ana could see the canine’s muscles were pulled tight; it was poised to move away. She also saw the little girl who had so sweetly welcomed her to the party hours ago standing just behind the animal. As the dog dashed away, avoiding the launched attack, Ana rushed in front of the little girl and blocked her, her back facing the intruders. The stone whacked her mid-back, just missing her spine.
“Ah!” she exclaimed.
The pain wasn’t too bad, though. The women rushed forward to absorb the little girl into the fold. Their muttered words of thanks were barely audible as they moved further back and away from the scene.
Ana turned around to face the men. Their eyes widened in surprise. Clearly, they’d been thrown off by the unexpected turn of events. The hairs on the back of her arms rose as she felt their lascivious stares trace over her exposed skin.
Chance stepped forward and said, “Leave. I won’t ask again.”
The man who lay in the dirt had been still the whole time, but now scrambled to his feet and stumbled back into the crowd. Ana watched anxiously as the confrontation escalated and she hoped for a peaceful end. She didn’t want anyone to get hurt. Or for Chance to get agitated enough to shapeshift in front of the crowd.
The looks these guys were giving Ana made Chance’s ears burn. You can’t shapeshift here. No matter what. It took all his self-control not to try phasing into a bear and tearing them apart. Although, he did imagine doing it for a moment, which made him smirk wickedly.
The men pulled together and spoke in undertones, but Chance could guess what they were saying. And he didn’t like it. Regret consumed his thoughts. He wished he had left Ana at home in Idaho. Maybe she would have been safe there. He closed his eyes and heard Niyol saying, Chance, focus. You can do this.
He glanced at the intruders. One had kept quiet and seemed to be along for the ride. Thin set and shorter than the rest, he watched everything that was transpiring from under thick brows. Chance decided to avoid wasting his efforts on him. He’d probably run away, given the opportunity.
The second man, the rock thrower, had attacked from a distance. He must not be good at hand-to-hand fighting, or he was afraid of getting his hands dirty. If it came to blows, Chance would start with him. He’d knock him down quickly so he could focus on the last man.
The instigator of it all, the Bull, Chance had named him, was trouble. He had broad shoulders, sledgehammers for fists and he seemed to be itching for a fight. The hunger in his eyes reminded Chance of Markus. He looked power hungry, full of ego, and it seemed the townspeople knew who he was.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to blows but he had no intention of breaking his promise to keep Ana safe from harm.
Laughter erupted and The Bull spoke up but Chance couldn’t understand a single word. Many of the onlookers’ eyes widened and the women who were left snatched their children and scurried away. He glanced back at Ana, who had paled and stumbled backward.
The men advanced, their fiery gazes focused on her. It was time to act.
Chance leapt, striking the rock thrower square in the jaw and he fell back with a stunned expression on his face. Adrenaline pounded through Chance’s veins and euphoria boosted his confidence.
Wind whistled in his ears and he ducked just in time. A balled fist arched past him. He exhaled sharply and cocked his head to the side just as something hard impacted his nose, thrusting him off his feet.
The so
unds around him became obscured and ringing filled his ears. Disoriented and woozy, Chance attempted to shake it off, but a flurry of movement sent dirt directly into his eyes, blinding him.
C’mon, get up—get up! You’re faster than them, you can do this.
Chance scrambled onto his belly and pushed himself upright. He shook his head, which only made him more dizzy, so he brushed the grit from his eyes and found the Bull poised in front of him, ready to strike again. He muttered something at Chance and sneered so that his mustache became a slanted line.
“Whatever. You can take your pencil mustache and go.”
Something wet tickled Chance’s lips and he spit the metallic taste from his mouth. Air passage slowed as his nose swelled shut. The pain brought tears to his eyes.
The Bull swung again at Chance but this time he saw it coming and danced to the side. With effort, Chance slowed his movement, hooked his foot around the man’s ankle and gave a sharp tug. It sent the Bull off balance and he fell onto the gravel with a grunt.
By this time, the rock thrower had drawn himself off the ground and joined his silent friend. Chance started toward them just as a stone whirled through the air and connected with his temple.
Damn it! Now the heat that radiated from his nose connected with the sting at the side of his head. His pain translated into anger. A storm raged inside him and he fought to remain human. The dark eyes and long claws of the grizzly bear toiled in his mind. It would be so much easier to let the animal within him settle this. So much easier if he could shift.
A growl rumbled deep in his chest as he propelled himself at his attacker. The rock thrower’s eyes widened and he stumbled back a step just as Chance collided with him. They plummeted into the scrub at the side of the road.
Even in the twilight, a glint of fear shone in the man’s face and Chance quelled his impulse to shapeshift. Movement from the road drew his attention. A few townsmen stepped forward, led by the man who’d been thrown into the dirt. They gave each other nervous glances as they approached and started speaking in low tones to the Bull and his friend. Their comments became more and more animated and they pointed down the road.
Prodigy Page 10
