by C.K. Bryant
Chapter Twenty Six
Kira closed her eyes and screamed. Within seconds, she felt her feet touch the ground. The rush of the creek filled her ears. Her heart beat wildly against her ribcage as she gasped for air and looked to see where she’d landed.
Octavion released her and took a step back—a mischievous grin planted firmly on his face.
“How did you . . .” She placed her hand over her heart and tried to stay upright as the nearby trees began to sway.
“Not so fast,” he said, stepping closer and letting her fall against his chest. Chuckling, he wrapped his arms around her waist to steady her. “Are you all right?”
Kira shook her head. “That was mean.”
“Sorry, but you have to admit, it was exhilarating.”
“Exhilarating? You’re insane. How did you do that?”
He guided her over to sit on the grass near the creek, then lowered himself next to her. “I don’t really know.”
“What happened to my apple?” She didn’t remember dropping it.
“It’s probably smashed on a rock.” He motioned toward the cliff and laughed again.
“You owe me breakfast.” Kira brushed her hands down the front of her shirt and ran her fingers through her hair to make sure everything was still in place. She felt messed up inside, like she was a puzzle not quite put together right. The smug look on Octavion’s face wasn’t helping her mood any. “Mind telling me what the hell just happened?”
“It is part of our heritage. As a Royal, I have the ability to travel with my mind. I close my eyes and concentrate on a place I have been before. An instant later I am there.”
“That’s it? You simply jump from one place to another?” Kira rubbed her forehead with the tips of her fingers. Everything around her kept swaying to one side then snapping back into place. Whatever he’d done to her had thrown off her equilibrium.
“Not jump as much as disappear from one place and appear in another. I have to be able to see it in my mind, but I can go anywhere. Going through walls messes with my head, though, and it can be painful.”
“You said Royals, so . . . can anyone else do it?”
“Yes, most Royals can, but there are some that have not yet mastered it. I honestly thought you had figured this out. You have seen me do it.”
Kira remembered him disappearing with Lydia right after he first appeared in the forest, but so much had happened since then, she thought maybe she’d imagined it. “I’m not sure what’s real anymore. I’ve had so many nightmares where weird stuff happens, and I see things in my head sometimes that I can’t explain. I thought maybe it was my imagination or maybe I remembered wrong.”
“So, you do not remember me bringing you here?”
Kira shook her head. “I remember that white stuff you blew in my face and lying by the fire. Did you leap from my house? I don’t remember that either.”
“Yes, but you blacked out from the pain.” He leaned back on his elbows and crossed his ankles.
“So, is that what happened to Lydia, that first night?” Kira asked. “She can do it, too?”
Octavion smiled and nodded. “Yes, but she’s not very good at it. She tries, but—misses. That is how I knew she would not be far.”
“What do you mean—misses?
“I think it is because she has Altaria’s thoughts in her head. She sees a place and tries to go there, but their thoughts mingle and she gets confused. The same thing happens when she is Altaria. They have landed in a tree, a lake, and even a pile of sheep dung.”
Kira laughed. “Sheep dung?” She would have liked to see Altaria covered in animal feces.
Octavion smiled. “Better not let her hear you laugh. It took her a week of constant bathing to get the smell out of her hair.”
“You have to admit, it’s a great visual though.”
“And it was,” he said. “I was there.”
Kira turned toward the sun, closed her eyes and tilted her head back so the warmth of the sun could splash across her face. For several minutes neither one of them spoke. She was grateful for the silence. It gave her time to gather her thoughts.
“You have questions?” Octavion asked.
“A few,” she said, not bothering to open her eyes or look at him.
“Are they about my transformation?”
Kira straightened and turned to face him. “Do you mind?”
He paused for a long moment before answering. “No. It is one reason I wanted to talk to you. What would you like to know first?”
“Everything. How is it possible? What exactly do you . . . turn into? Does it hurt? Are you the only one? I want to know everything. I want to know more about you.”
Octavion didn’t answer at first, just gazed into her eyes. That is, until the warmth rushing to her cheeks made her look away. She plucked a flower from its stem, then started removing the petals, one at a time.
"It started as a curse, actually,” he began. “I suppose it still is. Our world is different from yours. It only has one huge mass of land surrounded by a massive ocean. Most of it is harsh wasteland, not inhabitable, but there is a region in the east that, for the most part, is lush and fertile. Five very different kingdoms dwell there, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. My homeland, Xantara, is one of them.
“For much of our history my people have lived in peace. We kept to ourselves except for the merchants who traveled the roads between our kingdoms to sell and trade their goods. Until the curse.”
“The curse?” That got her attention. She scooted closer, crossed her legs and leaned her arms on her knees. “Go on.”
“Well, it began several generations ago when the king of Panthera found himself without a male heir. He had four beautiful daughters, but no son. So when his eldest daughter reached the age of marriage, the king of Panthera sent word to the other kingdoms, promising a significant dowry if one of their princes would take her for his bride. The king vowed that his kingdom would one day belong to the prince, to rule as he pleased.
“But the king of Panthera was a powerful Jayde—gifted with magical powers far beyond those of any other king. And because his kingdom includes the B’Kari Mountains, a place of great evil, the other kings feared for their sons and refused to send them. The king of Panthera was furious and sought revenge.”
Octavion sat up and plucked a lavender flower from where it grew. He pinched off the stem, tucked a strand of Kira’s hair behind one ear, and gently slipped the flower in place. He came so close, his musky scent overpowered the fragrance of the flower just long enough to tease her senses. He leaned back on his elbows, clearly satisfied with the effect he had on her.
“Don’t stop,” she encouraged.
He smiled. “The King of Panthera’s greatest gift was his ability to communicate with animals, especially the big cats. It was as if their thoughts were one with his. Those that were worshiped among his people were the Lion, Tiger, Jaguar and Leopard. Everyone in his kingdom knew that harming one of these animals would mean their death—he loved them that much. In return for their protection, the cats agreed to live in peace among the people.
“When the king realized his daughters would never marry a Royal, which meant no male heir or grandchildren for that matter, he was outraged. He called the mightiest of each of the wild cats to come to him and gave them a quest. Each of the four cats was sent to a different kingdom. They were to find the eldest son, draw the soul of each prince into the cat’s heart and return to Panthera. The Royal princes’ bodies became hollow, lifeless.”
“So the daughters had to marry the cats?”
He shook his head. “No. Let me finish.”
“Well hurry and get to the good part then.”
Octavion laughed. “Patience is not your gift. I can see that now.”
“Yeah, yeah, now get back to the story.” She waved him on.
“As you wish.” He winked, making Kira’s heart flutter. “Because he communicated with the cats, he also spoke to the spirits
of the men that lived within them. He offered to return their souls, so they would become whole, but only if they chose to marry one of his daughters and be faithful to her. He had several conditions for them to remain as men, but to remind them of their vows to his daughters he sacrificed the lives of the four wild cats so their souls could merge, leaving the men with a heart that was half man, half cat. Because they had the instincts of an animal, the princes would forever crave the blood of another.”
“That’s horrible.”
“Yes, but after a few days, the king realized he’d made a mistake. The men were wild and had no control over their ravenous hunger. He feared their cravings would cause them to kill the entire kingdom, including his daughters, so he gave them a reprieve of sorts. He made them stronger, giving them the ability to transform and also to control their hunger—except during the dark phase of our moons. It is then that they are feared the most, for they have no control. The darkness of the night was to remind them of the darkness of their hearts.”
“Moons?”
“I wondered if you would catch that. Yes. Ophira has two moons. Together, their pull is much stronger than your moon.”
Kira tried to visualize the story in her head, the way the men must have felt the first time they craved to hunt, and the terror it must have caused among the people of each kingdom as they feared for their lives. The whole idea of being half animal gave her a chill.
“Perhaps this was too much for you. You look pale.” He sat up, then brushed the back of his hand across her forehead.
She pushed it away. “I’m fine.” There was no good way to ask this. “So—what cat are you?”
Octavion chuckled. “It is not that simple. The king had no idea what he had done. His own curse came back to him, in a way. He only thought of his daughters, and how to give them faithful husbands.”
“And of an heir,” Kira added.
“Exactly. Having an heir is very important in our world. But what he did not realize is that the curse would pass on to other generations. His grandchildren were wild and did many foolish things. The species crossed and bloodlines merged within most of the kingdoms. Many unusual hybrids were created from their unions. Some of the blood lines remained pure, but others were tainted.”
“Is your blood line pure?”
“My father’s heart comes from the lion. His ancestors kept their vows and remained faithful and obeyed their heritage, so his line is pure. But my mother’s line was not pure. The majority of her blood is from the Tiger, but there was enough that was not—” He looked away for a moment. “I am a hybrid.”
“So what does that mean, exactly?”
“It means I am both. My heart holds the blood of a Lion and a Tiger. I also have twice their strength. Where most Royals are powerful and have gifts, mine are much greater. I am able to do things others only dream of. It also means I am much more dangerous.”
“What do you mean?” Kira asked. “How are you different from the others?”
“The biggest difference is that most Royals only crave when the moons are new. I crave all the time, but when the dark moon appears I have no control. It is the real reason we took you home that night. Why we left you for those few days—without word. When you cut your hand to heal Lydia…” He paused for a moment, clearly struggling. “What you did not see, was me leaving the two of you alone so I could feed. It was all I could do to bandage your wound and take care of you. I couldn’t even let you rest in the cave for fear the walls would hold in your scent. The thoughts that plagued me while you slept will haunt me for the rest of my life. That last night, your moon was only a sliver—its pull on me almost irresistible—and it took all my energy to resist.”
He slipped his hand into hers, threading their fingers together. He looked at her with weary eyes. “This is why I have not allowed myself to . . . to know you. I could hurt you, Kira. Really hurt you.”
The butterflies that had taken up residence in her stomach began flitting around, making her a bit queasy. She swallowed hard. “But you didn’t. You saved my life and took care of me. You even took me home and made sure I was safe.”
He shook his head. “You do not understand. You both could have died while I satisfied my cravings. You have no idea how that makes me feel.” He stood and walked a few feet away, turning his back to her.
“No, I don’t,” she whispered. She wanted to go to him, but there was nothing she could say to ease the pain he felt. It was as if he realized for the first time what he was truly capable of and the real demons he had to fight.
When he didn’t turn back, she scooted to the edge of the creek and let the water rush between her fingers. She cupped her hands and brought some to her mouth to drink. When she’d finished, she stood, brushed the flower petals from her jeans and turned to find Octavion watching her.
“What?” She was suddenly self-conscious, looking herself over for any flaw he may have noticed.
He walked toward her and traced her jaw with his fingertips, wiping the remaining moisture from her lips with his thumb. “How can you know all this about me—what I am capable of—and still want to stay?”
Kira thought about his question for a brief moment. She wanted to tell him the truth about her feelings—she owed him that much. “To be honest, sometimes it scares me just thinking about it, but not so much because I’m afraid you’ll hurt me. I think it’s more because I feel so vulnerable and weak, like my mother said before she left—a mouse—always underfoot.
“That’s how I feel when I’m around you, like I’m in the way. I just . . . I can’t . . . I don’t know how to explain it, except that I’m more afraid of doing something wrong and putting us in danger than I am of you transforming and trying to kill me. After what happened last night—” She paused for a moment, forcing back tears while trying to find the right words. “You left that night, Octavion. And it wasn’t because you were weak. Even if you don’t believe it, you were in control and knew if you stayed we’d be hurt—I’d be hurt. I guess knowing you made the right choice helps me to trust you.”
Octavion didn’t say anything at first and Kira feared she’d said something wrong. But then he reached for her hands, brought them to his lips and pressed a tender kiss to her knuckles. “You are not a mouse—and your mother is a fool for thinking that.” He swallowed hard and brought her hands to his heart, his eyes locked on hers. “I want, more than anything, to earn that trust, Kira. I want—” Moisture seeped into the corner of his eyes and he looked away, blinking hard before looking at her again. “I need you to forgive me for the way I have treated you. My temper . . . I—I am not like this. I wish you knew me before. I was different—kind and gentle. And I loved to laugh. But now—”
Kira’s heart ached. She didn’t realize she was crying until he dropped one of her hands and wiped a tear from her cheek. “I forgive you,” she whispered as she leaned into him. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close, burying his face in her hair.
Kira’s stomach growled. She pushed away from him, embarrassed. “So much for the moment.”
Octavion chuckled. “Well, I did make you drop your apple.” He opened his arms and invited her into them again. “Care to have another go at leaping?” He winked again.
“As long as you promise not to land in a pile of—”
He put a finger to her lips before she finished. “I land true. That much you can trust.”
She took his hand and spun around so her back rested against his chest, then wrapped his arm around her. He pulled her close.
“Close your eyes,” he whispered into her ear. “You will not like it if you keep them open. It throws off your balance for days.”
Octavion took in a deep breath as their feet left the ground. He was right. It was exhilarating. A few seconds later she felt the firmness of soil beneath her feet and she opened her eyes.
Altaria knelt next to a newly made fire—her light blue eyes wide with surprise. “I hate when you do that. It�
�s worse than sneaking up on someone.” She picked up a stick and threw it in their direction. One end was heavier than the other and it twisted strangely in the air. Octavion caught it before Kira could duck out of the way. Good thing, too, or it would have struck her in the face.
“Altaria! That was uncalled for. You could have hit her.” He tossed the stick into the fire and released Kira. “Are you all right?”
Kira nodded. Why does she hate me so much?
