Chapter Sixteen
After cleaning up the remains of our dinner, I walked outside into the back yard of the little house, feeling nervous with anticipation. I had the necklace in my pocket instead of around my neck. I was trying to get used to feeling the magic, kind of toughen myself up. The night was cool so I pulled up the hood of my sweatshirt and waited, taking a few minutes to stare up at the stars surrounding the hazy half-moon.
A large raven sat on the edge of the low brick wall that bordered the yard, watching me, ruffling its feathers and cawing once. Blue eyes stared at me from its pointed black face, causing me to gasp and take a startled step backward. Magical energy suddenly crackled around me, biting into my chest and making me shut my eyes in pain. When I smelled a familiar scent, I opened them again.
Garrett sat where the raven once had, his thick hair mussed, with several strands hanging over his eyes, still managing to look amazing. Noticing my stunned expression, his lips parted in a smile. “Before I was made vampire I was a shifter and could use the ley lines as you will soon. In this present state I’ve lost my ability to transition into my original form, but on occasion I can pull a change. Did you like it?” His expression was boyish with excitement, a kid showing off for his friend.
Sensing my mouth was still hanging open I shut it with an audible snap. I guess that explained why he wants to help shifters. “Umm…that was cool, Garrett. Why a raven?”
“No, a raven is the easiest form for me to take as a vampire. It’s a harbinger of death,” he joked, using a spooky voice. When I didn't respond, he shrugged. “It’s a good form for a fast escape and has come in handy more than once.”
I narrowed my eyes in irritation. “How is it that you’re dressed after you change back?“ This was a trick I wanted to learn, although I wouldn’t have minded at all if he’d ended up naked the way the rest of us did. I tried to keep my lips from curling up as I felt my face grow hot.
“It’s not magic. I can just put on my clothes faster than you can notice.” He stood and walked toward me running his fingers through his messy hair. He was dressed in jeans and an unbuttoned black silk shirt showing off his perfect skin and hard abs.
As he gracefully strode toward me, I noticed that he wasn’t breathing. “Why do you breathe at all, if you don’t have to?”
“I need to breathe in order to pick up scents. Humans tend to notice if you never take a breath, so I breathe when I’m around them.” He’d finished buttoning his shirt as he came to a halt a few feet in front of me. We locked eyes as Garrett made a point of breathing in deeply, “And your scent is unique.”
I couldn’t resist taking in a quiet breath of my own. He'd moved to the chair to pick up his jacket which he’d left draped over the back and then bent to pick up his shoes on the ground nearby. I had to swallow hard as I felt my heart beating faster, my eyes taking in his every motion.
Why was I drawn to this guy in such an intense way? Yeah he was incredibly hot, but I’d always been able to keep my head around men. I had no illusions when it came to happily-ever-after and all that crap. Most men saw something they wanted and went after it. When they’d gotten their fill they moved on. I knew that love was out there, having seen it with Justin and Maggie and a couple of other foster families, just probably not for me.
Was Garrett using his glamour? Apparently vamps had the ability to make you want them physically. I didn’t feel power coming off of him, but then I wasn’t really experienced with how the magic worked. And he hadn’t tried to kiss me or touch me other than to hold my hand when the magic made my head hurt.
He spoke again, breaking through my thoughts. “Jackie, what I’ve shown you tonight is between the two of us. Only a few shifters know that I can change form and it has to remain that way for me to be effective. You need to keep your magical abilities a secret, too. When you’re skilled enough to defend yourself, we can let your closest circle know. Until then it would be extremely dangerous for you to tell anyone. Certain powerful supernaturals would seek you out if they knew.”
My headache suddenly worsened and I rubbed at my temples. Garrett asked, "Why aren't you wearing your amulet?"
"I'm trying to get used to it."
“You won't. It'll only get worse. That's why I'm helping you. Unfortunately, you don’t have months or even weeks to learn the skills I'll be teaching. Tonight, you may think I’m being cruel, because there will be pain, but manipulating the lines is dangerous and I take my responsibility as your trainer seriously." He lifted my chin. "Will you give me your full attention and follow my instructions exactly?” I nodded, grateful that he would take this time to help me.
“Do you trust me? I’m asking because when I train you, you’ll need to open your mind to me. Tell me now if you have doubts."
He smiled to reassure me and I couldn’t keep myself from smiling back, especially when I noticed the sweet way his skin crinkled up around his eyes. “I do trust you, Garrett.” The surprised tone of my voice made him laugh. “It's hard for me."
"I won't betray that trust. I believe you have the talent to become a great manipulator of the lines, a warrior and a lifeline for whatever cause you decide to champion.”
His accolade was lost to me as a wave of hot static hit me in the gut. He reached out his hand and I grabbed at it desperately, squeezing hard. The pain fled as quickly as it had appeared and I found that I could breathe normally again. My eyes lifted up to meet his, my mind trying to communicate what my voice was too afraid to say. Please don't let go.
I knew he hadn’t heard my mental plea, but he kept contact as he led me into the house, his long fingers still twined around mine. I hoped that I wouldn't disappoint him or myself tonight.
Chapter Seventeen
Garrett put his shoes by the door, grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and then guided me back to the old burgundy rug resting under the window. We sat, legs crossed and facing each other. He handed me the bottle. “You’ll get thirsty later.”
“Do you see yourself as a lifeline or a warrior?” I asked, looking down at his strong hand still holding mine.
“Perhaps a warrior, but I’m no one’s champion. I try to help out where I can, that’s all.” I wondered if he counted me as one of his causes. Despite my fear over what was to come tonight, I still managed to give him a shy smile.
I started to ask something else, but he interrupted. “Enough questions. We need to get started. I want you to breathe in and out in a steady rhythm. Find a song that speaks to you and hear it in your head. A child’s nursery rhyme works too. Then breathe to that beat, four beats in, four beats out. Once you’ve found the right song, it will become your mantra for stilling your mind and your body and readying yourself to begin.
After running through various playlists in my head, I remembered someone singing a song to me long ago. I was very small and her voice had been so lovely. I didn’t know if it had been my birth mother, but I always imagined that was. I chose that song and started to breath in and out to the cadence of the tune.
Garrett let go of my hand and I instantly bent forward from pain as another hot jolt punched me in the stomach. “Why is it so much worse now?” I groaned. I reached out to grab his hand again, but he snatched them both out of reach.
“Breathe, Jackie. Holding your breath will make it worse. The energy in the ley lines moves in currents producing waves of power, always getting stronger as the full moon approaches. This particular crossroads produces more than most others across the country. That’s why the town was built here.“
“Great” I grimaced, trying to breathe steadily. “Why didn’t I have this problem before I transitioned? Or when I was on the island?”
“Your first shift brought on these abilities. The island is relatively far from a line, a powerful user could still access the magic without a problem, but not a newborn shifter.” He twisted his mouth looking slightly annoyed with me. “Now, please stop asking questions and breathe.”
I shut up and conce
ntrated, finally managing to gasp weakly four beats in and four beats out. Four breaths in and four breaths out.
“No, not short breaths, smooth. Try in through your nose and out through your mouth.“ He demonstrated.
I smoothed out my breathing and felt a very slight lessening of the pain, although not enough to stop the single tear from running down my face. Why couldn’t he teach me all of this while he was touching me? This sucked.
“Better, Jackie, just don’t stop. Now I want you to close your eyes and visualize yourself standing somewhere out in the open. On a field or a beach is fine. Then imagine a strong solid wall, a shield of some kind. Whatever comes to you first will work best. There can’t be any cracks or openings. I want you to visualize it brick by brick or stone by stone being built up around your body. Outside energy can’t penetrate it no matter how strong the power. You control the magic to build your wall, it doesn’t control you. You must truly believe this for the shield to work. It can be made of any material you choose as long as you believe it’s impenetrable. And whatever you do, keep breathing in the same rhythm.”
I hesitated and felt myself tense up. Did I mention that I’d always been a tiny bit claustrophobic; enough to keep me out of small simulator rides or very crowded elevators? Building a wall around myself, even in my mind, was causing sweat to break out on my forehead. Another wave of pain hit me and I quickly went back to concentrating on my breathing.
“Don’t wait. Do it now, Jackie.” His voice was urgent with a frustrated edge to it that irritated me. Jeez, he wasn’t the one in pain.
Two more tears ran down my cheeks. Maybe if I could see through the wall I wouldn’t panic. What was see-thru and strong? I chose my material and started to build, pulling energy from the vibrations around me. Gemstone by gemstone, I created a wall made of smooth, clear diamond. It was beautiful as it rose up in front of me, glittering in the moonlight, and I was quite pleased with my choice.
As I was building, I was also visualizing myself very far away from Garrett. I placed myself on a grassy coastal cliff overlooking an ocean of rippling magic where anything was possible. Starbursts of colors glimmered on the swelling surface beckoning me to climb down and take a dip. I resisted the urge and quickly completed my wall, drawing a satisfied sigh from my trainer.
I was amazed that it was the strength of my mind that held the wall in place. I’d been able to use the magic as a tool to shield myself, bending the power to my will. I grinned because the pain was gone and I wasn’t afraid of it anymore.
“Perfect. Now open your eyes, only don’t let go of your wall.” His voice was as soft as velvet, caressing my fragile ego and giving me confidence. The vibrations and heat from the lines had stopped affecting me, and I was surprised when I looked down at my hands to see that Garrett still wasn’t touching me. Inside of my mind I stood proudly on the cliff looking out at the magical ocean of ley line power.
"Please look at me." HIs sapphire eyes were gleaming with pride. “Why the cliff?” he asked, smiling warmly.
“I like the ocean, I answered. He waited. "I was angry and wanted to get away from you.” I whispered, embarrassed that he might think I wasn’t grateful for his help.
“Why create an ocean of ley line energy?” He seemed amused by my choices.
“I want to see what I’ll be working with.” I shrugged. “How can you see what’s in my mind?”
“I tapped the lines and followed you mentally, until you finished your wall, then I was locked out.”
“Any vampire can see inside my head?” Garrett looked blurry, so I blinked several times. Now he was starting to glow a little bit, looking even more like an angel. And boy, did he smell great. I took a really deep breath, sucking in his familiar yummy scent.
“Only the very old ones can read minds—and me. But not if you have your mental shield up, like you do now. Clever of you to create a wall of diamond.” He ran his hand distractedly through his auburn hair and I wondered dreamily what it would feel like to touch it. I was surprised to see that my hand had moved up toward his head, but I couldn’t remember moving it.
He grabbed it, laughing. “Okay, Jackie. I think you’ve had enough for one night.” His voice was like a splash of warm soapy water, making my body tingle all over. ”You’re a little power drunk right now. Although you may not realize it, you used a lot of the line’s energy to build your shield, and it always affects cheetahs like this the first time. We'll be able to work for much longer tomorrow. C'mon, I’m putting you to bed."
“You are?” I grinned stupidly.
“To sleep, Jackie.” He handed me the bottle of water and I drank half of it down gratefully, not realizing before how thirsty I’d become. I stood up and swayed so he picked me up, yay, and carried me into the bedroom, lowering me down on the bed without effort.
“Kyle told me that I was screwed and that you’re gonna own me 'cause I drank your blood.” I giggled, thinking that my words sounded a little slurry. I held out my hands and waved them around dramatically. “Master—I'm your slave.”
He chuckled as he removed my shoes and tucked me under the covers. “I gave you my blood so you could heal. So you'd survive your injuries. It formed an unexpected bond between us. Now I can sense if you’re nearby, or if you're hurt. We might be able to communicate mentally as well. But I don’t “own you”, Jackie. I told you before that I won’t hurt you or feed from you and I’d never try to control you. You can block me now with your wall anytime you want.”
“You can feed from me. Go ahead.” I giggled again only half joking. I was picturing his lips on my neck and it was making me feel warm all over, in a really good way.
He leaned slowly down until he was six inches from my foolish grinning face, my head resting on the pillow, his hands on either side. He smiled deliciously, silver sparkling in his vibrant blue eyes, his fangs just peeking out. His breath on my face was sweet and warm as he spoke. ”Don’t ever say that to a vampire, Jackie, unless you know you won’t regret it the next day. “ He was gone before I could respond.
I sighed, a tiny bit disappointed, then rolled over and slept.
I watched a pattern develop over the next week. Ethan and I would get up between noon and 1:00 PM after a long night of training with Garrett, Sinc and Kyle up at the campsite. We’d eat some of Carly’s delicious leftovers and then we’d go for a run or we’d spar or we’d decide to take it easy because we were really sore from last night’s training. On those days we’d watch a movie or indulge in another backgammon tournament.
Carly’s arrival at around 4:00 with more wonderful food was always one of the high points of the day. She’d stay for an hour, always bringing Samson who seemed to crave my attention. Carly would leave and then Garrett would arrive around 6:00. He’d work with me for a while out in the woods away from Ethan and then he’d take us up to the campsite for another training session with Sinc and Kyle.
Several things were becoming more and more apparent as the days passed. Sinc, Kyle, Ethan and I were beginning to act and think like a team. We were also beginning to bond, becoming more relaxed in each other’s company. I was getting better and better at building my defensive mental wall and so I was much more comfortable around the buzz of the lines. I didn’t need to wear the necklace at all anymore.
Shifting to cheetah and back felt as natural as breathing, and some of my favorite times were when the four of hunted together in our animal forms. If a hiker had happened upon us, he probably would have shaken his head in disbelief and then run like a bitch.
What I tried to ignore but couldn’t, was how I felt toward Garrett, and it wasn’t because of anything he’d done. His behavior was always completely professional, and while I was focused on the training sessions, mine was too. But then he would laugh and touch my shoulder and I’d have to bite my lip to keep from touching him back. He would smile at me because he was proud of what I’d accomplished, and I’d find myself staring at his lips and wondering if they'd be soft to kiss. He was
doing nothing to encourage me, yet I was drawn to him totally, reading in his azure eyes what I wanted to find there.
And yeah, you could say this was a physical reaction to his spectacular looks, but you’d be wrong. He spoke to me with kindness and intelligence. He laughed at my jokes and teased me right back. He helped me to see myself as a powerful, useful member of a community that needed my skills. I started to like and respect myself. I began to feel whole.
Once in a while I’d imagine that he was looking at me with longing, but then it would be gone and he’d be his usual steady self. I’d had a couple of school girl crushes in my life, usually ending with my getting hurt, but this was so much more. The logical part of my brain told me that he would never feel the same way about me. Still, I was grateful for every moment that we spent together and when I crawled into bed at dawn, it was easy to close my eyes and dream about him.
Chapter Eighteen
On a quiet morning, about a week after I’d first learned to build my diamond wall, I dreamt.
A huge wolf was stalking me. My leg was bleeding and my scent was bringing him closer and closer. I was running as fast as I could, but when I looked down I saw with surprise that my feet were human and not cheetah. I was limping, stumbling through the brush, sensing him getting closer. I heard a loud growl and Kyle, in leopard form, was suddenly there, protecting me. I heard one wolf howl and then other howls ring out in answer throughout the woods. They surrounding us. Sinc’s graceful snow leopard leapt down from the tree above me and Ethan barreled in through the brush, all three of them circling me, facing the enemy. I was injured too badly to change. We were outnumbered and I was useless. Frustration welled up in me. I picked up a large rock and threw it at one of the wolves, then another.
I woke up to Ethan shaking me, shouting. “Jackie, you’re having a really bad dream and something crazy is going on here!”
Rebirth (Rogues Shifter Series) Page 10
