Chance and Ana bustled into the living room to put it back the way they had found it the night before. As she tucked the last couch cushion in its place, Ana’s thoughts fell on her mom. She hadn’t sent her a message yet and knew her mother would be anxious to hear from her, so she slipped her phone out and sent a message: Chance & I are safe with family. Don’t worry. XOXO, Ana. It wasn’t exactly the truth, but she wasn’t about to tell her that Chance had already gotten into a fight and they were about to disappear into the jungle. Not unless she wanted her mom to keep her on house arrest until she was sixty.
They finished packing their belongings and put the food Sanchia had given them into their backpacks. Chance went to fill their water bottles and their host pressed two folded sheets of paper into Ana’s hand. She noticed leaves peering out.
“For your stomach, if it hurts again. You know which one it is. The other is for his nose, to reduce swelling and for pain.”
Ana tucked them into her backpack and gave the stout woman a hug. “Thank you for your generosity, Sanchia.”
Chance echoed her sentiment as Sanchia walked them to the road.
The old woman stopped to watch them step into the wilderness with a worried frown on her face.
Chance wanted to return to the path while the directions were fresh in his memory. The forest played tricks on his eyes and he had to backtrack a few times to find the trail. He refrained from running and slowed down so he wouldn’t lose her.
Sweat dripped down his face. The humid heat at the peak of the day was too much and he stopped to peel off his shirt. A quick glance at Ana told him she wasn’t in any better shape. Loose hairs were plastered to her forehead and her shirt clung to her arms and chest. The humidity made the air feel thick, almost palpable, and he was thankful to have water with him this time. Mosquitoes became a nuisance and they had to stop to rub bug repellant on.
He found the white gravel trail where he’d first spotted the jaguar. They were close now. Chance sped up and heard Ana’s heavy footfalls behind him.
Just when he began to question if he had gone the wrong way, the dense jungle revealed the overgrown ruins. He slowed to a stop and Ana nearly ran into him. She leaned over, grabbed her knees and lifted the edge of her shirt to wipe away the moisture at her forehead as Chance stared at the rocky pyramid.
“This is where the jaguar disappeared,” he said and slipped off his backpack.
“You think it was Balam? And that he’ll be back?”
He repeated Ana’s question in his mind. Had it only been an apparition? Or was it Balam? He worried he hadn’t heard or seen anything on the way here this time.
“Maybe we should just wait.”
Ana slipped her pack off and unzipped it, slipping out the wrapped tamales. She grinned and handed him one. “Let’s eat lunch—I’m hungry.”
At the mention of food, Chance’s stomach growled. Ana arched her brow at the sound. “Here, take a banana, too.”
They sat on a rock platform covered with tangled roots and plants. Chance was so hungry, he sat in silence while he ate. His nose was still swollen from being punched and it sent out shooting pains as he wolfed down his food.
Another rumble sounded and Ana smirked at him. “Still hungry?”
Chance couldn’t respond. His attention was focused on the enormous black jaguar standing at the top of the ruins. He wondered if it really was a jaguar because of its unnatural size. The beast reeked of power like the regal thunderbird.
His breath caught in his throat as another deep guttural growl emanated from the feline. Its chestnut eyes penetrated Chance’s stunned face…
Chapter 18
Ana shot up, gave a yelp and stumbled back beside Chance.
“Shhhh,” he said. He wasn’t sure who he was directing the order to, Ana or the cat, but he hoped both would quiet down.
“Chance,” she said out of the corner of her mouth, her eyes wide.
He stood his ground and returned the huge feline’s stare. The creature licked its lips and jumped down out of view on the backside of the ruins. Chance held his arm out in front of Ana, stepped back and pulled her with him.
Where had the animal gone? All he could hear were the monkeys in the trees, shaking branches and leaves. He couldn’t detect any other sounds.
“Look,” Ana said under her breath.
Her head pointed to the right, where a dark haired man stood. It appeared he had just wrapped his waist with a red cloth and was tucking in the end. He walked toward them. The man was tall and carried himself like royalty. Tattoos wrapped his neck, chest and arms, and Chance assumed more were on his back and hidden beneath the fabric that covered his legs. Long hair dropped past his shoulders and his chocolate eyes blinked back at Chance. They were so familiar. Like Grandmother’s. She had her father’s eyes. However, hers were softer, kinder. He had seen this man before in Niyol’s memories.
“Balam.” Chance breathed the name in amazement.
The man stopped an arm’s length from Chance and pointed at his neck.
“That is my jade jaguar,” Balam said. His English was clearly enunciated, but he spoke as though he had just swallowed something bitter. It was clear he disliked speaking the language.
Chance lifted the talisman over his head, held it out and said, “My grandfather gave it to me.”
Balam’s stony gaze cut through him as he snatched it from his grasp. “Tell me, boy, who is your grandfather?”
“Niyol.”
“We will see about that. And you are named Chance?”
“Yes, sir.” Chance began to feel lightheaded but tried to shake it off. His skin tingled and the hair on his arms stood on end.
Balam’s attention shifted to Ana. He squinted at her like an appraiser assessing a gem. What would happen if he found her lacking in some way? Chance didn’t like this at all and wished he knew what was going through Balam’s mind. On edge, he inched toward Ana.
“And you are named Ana,” Balam stated rather than asked. He stretched out the vowels—ah-nah.
Ana seemed to sense danger but stayed strong. She lifted her chin and looked him square in the eyes. “Yes.”
“I have been watching you—both of you. Do you know why?”
Am I being tested right now? Chance’s palms were clammy. After his run-in with his unstable cousin, he now wondered if he could ever truly trust another shapeshifter.
“To see if we are trustworthy?”
“Yes. Honor, I think the word is.”
His great-grandfather stood quiet, arms braced across his chest. Just when Chance didn’t think he could take much more silence, Balam said, “You are infants. Young and inexperienced shifters make mistakes. Mistakes can end your life. Without a mentor, you are lost in a dangerous world.”
Birds trilled from the jungle canopy. Their song rose in one voice, a perfect symphony. The buzz of activity pierced Chance’s senses. Balam’s remarks echoed his fears. Am I alone in my fight to survive?
His great-grandfather’s serious manner worried him. Had he made a mistake seeking him out? Had he delivered himself straight to the enemy? They were in the middle of the jungle with nowhere to go. Entirely powerless in Balam’s hands.
“You are a baby lost in the woods. Where is your mentor? Why are you alone? Did you kill him? These are natural questions I ask myself.”
Chance swallowed the lump in his throat and ventured to answer. The truth was painful. But it was, after all, the truth. “My grandfather was my teacher…and he died to save my life.”
“Did he give himself to you?”
Wisps of memories flooded Chance’s mind. Niyol’s steadfast nature, his patience and calm. Chance nodded.
“You do not look fragmented. Mostly whole,” Balam said matter-of-factly.
What does that mean? Chance wondered.
“You,” Balam said to Ana, “are you a healer? How do you come to be here?”
Ana frowned, clearly unsure how to answer. Her hands twisted together in
to a knot but her voice came out clear. “I love Chance, I want to be here for him.”
Balam stepped closer to her and rested his hands on her shoulders. Time slipped by as he stared at her. Ana, caught under the microscope, did nothing but stare back and tremble.
“Interesting… We will see.” Balam withdrew his hands from Ana’s shoulders and nodded as though he had made a decision. “Chance, I saw you stand up for my people. You did not use your powers to reveal yourself in the fight. Self-control—that is important. I did not know you were my kin, but felt it.
“And Ana, there is something about you. It is in your nature to protect and help. There are many reasons why you should not be here. But here you stand.”
Chance put his arm around her. They had come together and they would leave together. He didn’t know what he would do if Balam refused to allow her to stay; he would have to improvise.
Balam tilted his head very slightly and said, “I am curious. I will allow her to stay.”
Without waiting for an answer, Balam turned and walked to the forest’s edge and paused. Chance and Ana scurried to grab their things, flung on their packs and exchanged a guarded look.
The adventure had officially begun.
Chapter 19
Ana wondered when Balam had last spent time with an everyday human. Chance’s deceptively youthful great-grandfather strode through the vegetation like an Olympian. She didn’t want him to change his mind about allowing her to come along so even though they had just spent the last hour hiking through the jungle in tropical humidity, she dug in her toes and kept her eyes on Chance’s feet ahead of her. She imagined an invisible tether linking them together to help pull her along.
The first time Balam stopped, Ana heaved a sigh of relief, all too ready to sit and catch her breath, but relief turned to disappointment when he continued only once she caught up. Chance stayed just ahead of her along their trek. His head would cock to the side and she could tell he was listening for her footfalls as he always did. When Ana became winded and slowed down, he fell back and walked behind her.
Blue skies were suddenly painted over with gray and white clouds as they rolled across the atmosphere. Like the lid sealed shut on a steaming bowl, the air got even heavier and it was even harder to breathe. Then she felt the first drop of rain slap against her already moist scalp. What next?
Balam, who had mostly stayed visible the whole way, dipped down out of sight. When Ana and Chance reached the point where he had disappeared, they discovered a trail leading into a dark, cavernous hole.
“I’ll go first,” Chance said and stepped lightly down the slope.
Ana waited a moment, then followed behind. To keep her balance, she let her fingers trail along the limestone wall on her left side. There was a suspended wooden walkway at the bottom of the earthen trail and it led into a vast cave. A pool of tranquil water gleamed below from daylight breaking through fissures in the corroded ceiling. Plants splashed with red and green dangled from the dark gray dome. Water droplets made their way through the cracks in the ceiling and splashed into the pool, echoing off the chamber. She had never seen anything quite so beautiful.
Chance’s call beckoned her forward. “Ana, come on, it’s okay.”
She grasped the wooden rail for support and stepped onto the suspended walkway. She decided it was safe after the first two steps and moved more confidently in Chance’s wake. They turned a corner and a series of steps carved into the limestone led them upward, above the forest floor, Ana guessed. It was dark yet she could see they were no longer in a cave, but in a structure. Large slabs of stone were woven together to create the solid walls and steps, which continued to carry them even higher.
Chance paused at an open archway and then passed through it, allowing her to see into the vast living space. A large room with broad window openings in the exterior walls exposed treetops and the cloudy sky. Ana first saw a long couch piled with hand-woven cushions before a hearth and just beyond, a rustic wooden dining set. A small kitchen was tucked into the corner. They walked inside, slipped their packs off and set them down.
Balam walked just past the dining area onto a deck that appeared to wrap the outside of the home. Chance and Ana joined him on the beautifully crafted overlook. From there, Ana saw they were a good fifteen feet from the ground.
To their left, a set of wooden stairs rose to another level and Ana assumed it led to the living quarters. Balam’s voice broke through the soft whisper of the rain.
“I want to be left alone.”
Ana edged backwards and exchanged a worried look with Chance. If he wanted to be alone, she would respect his wishes.
Unexpectedly, he continued, saying, “When I was your age, the world was a different place. There were more shifters and my people were stronger. This place—” he waved with distaste toward the hazy forest “—is different. So few of us remain now. It is dangerous. I want to be left alone.”
Ana wondered if he meant there weren’t many shapeshifters or Mayans. She knew more about the Mayas after their history lesson from Miguel the previous day. The Mayas had had a booming population that suddenly dropped to a fraction of its size. Scientists only had theories why. She stared at his profile and wondered. How old was Balam, really?
“I found Niyol when he was young. Before me, he had no mentor. But when he met my Itzel, he only wanted to grow old with her. That is why he turned his back on his powers. She was his mate but I believe he was afraid of what he was.” Balam paused and stared at Chance. “Are you?”
Chance pulled back his shoulders and his eyes tightened. “No.”
“He vowed to guide any children that followed in our ways and then let me mentor them. I am sorry his cycle ended but if what you say is true, his power lives in you. How many years are you?”
Chance said, “I’m eighteen.”
Balam shifted his gaze focused to the bleary landscape as he spoke. “Did you turn at sixteen years?”
Chance blinked and said, “Yes. That’s normal, right?”
In answer, Balam gave a brief nod. Ana was afraid to move or draw attention to herself. The conversation seemed fragile, as if at any time Balam could change his mind and disappear. But her legs were tired from the long trek through the jungle and begged for relief so she leaned against Chance.
“Did your grandfather keep his promise to guide you? It feels you have the power of a newborn, not a two year old. If what you say is true—if he gave himself to you—you should have more power.”
Ana felt Chance’s body tense. He shook his head and pinched his eyes shut. Balam had clearly upset him. She rested her hand on his chest and waited for him to respond.
“It’s been different since grandfather died… I don’t know why. I can’t tap into my power like I used to. I just don’t understand.”
“What do you mean?” Ana couldn’t hold her tongue. Why hadn’t he said anything to her? She knew that when it came to protecting her, he was unpredictable but it stung that he hadn’t shared this information with her.
Chance stepped back and combed his fingers through his hair. Balam’s stoic gaze finally shifted and settled on his great-grandson. He seemed curious, like someone watching a worm coil and writhe on hot pavement. She didn’t like how unemotional he was. It gave her the chills.
“You must hold the answer. Tell me, how did Niyol save you?”
“It was because of me—it all started with me.” Ana found her voice and actually surprised herself. “My heart stopped, and…”
Chance stepped in to finish. “My cousin—a shifter—came looking for me. He kidnapped Ana and while we battled, her heart stopped. I couldn’t let her die so I started a healing connection. Grandfather told me about it but I’d never tried before. It was too strong for me to control. I was able to save her and then Grandfather brought me back from death but he didn’t survive.”
Balam scrutinized Ana with renewed curiosity. “I see. That explains much. What about your cousin?”
&
nbsp; Ana brushed off Balam’s attention and waited for Chance to answer.
Chance didn’t want to answer the question in front of Ana. To have her worry he was still out there was just too much for him. She couldn’t do anything to protect herself, anyway. She wasn’t a shifter. She might as well live in ignorant bliss for now. He would have to tell Balam the story later.
“He’s gone.”
The lines around Balam’s eyes tightened. “Mmm. You emptied your reservoir to save Ana and Niyol gave you his powers. I wonder. Did he truly give up shifting as he said he would?”
Still bitter about Niyol’s omission regarding his powers, Chance said, “Yes. I never knew he was a shifter until the end. From his memories, I believe he thought he had lost his power.”
“He emptied into you what power he had left. You will have the same animals, including his, but you do not have the same power as you once did. You will need to work to expand your energy again. Until then, you are weak and exposed.”
“I am glad I found you, Balam,” Chance said with a sigh.
“I let you find me. You said you are not afraid of your powers. To gain your energy back will take much work. Are you willing to work hard?”
Memories of practicing in the field with his grandfather flooded his thoughts. When he had a purpose, his focus was intense. His goal was saving Ana’s life, and it would be again. He couldn’t protect her if he couldn’t even protect himself.
“Yes.” He held Balam’s gaze, staring him straight in the eye.
Chapter 20
The upper level of Balam’s home was the living quarters, just as Ana had guessed. Four sections segmented off into private chambers, with a bed in each. The interior limestone walls were painted bright colors, and each had an expansive opening to the verdant jungle. She was relieved to discover a washroom tucked into the hallway.
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