Qaletaqa

by Gladden, DelSheree

  I paused, waiting to see how he would react. I had no intention of letting Harvey screw anything up. I would do what I had to do in order to get to the Matwau and Melody. I hoped Harvey understood that and didn’t force my hand. I looked at him to see his expression, but was distracted when Claire reached over and took my hands, drawing my eyes to her.

  “Harvey,” she said, “Uriah only lied because he was trying to protect you. Please don’t think badly of him for it. You really don’t know what he’s been through, what we’ve both been through in the past couple weeks.”

  It was a surprising change from her earlier anger, but her sincerity was just as strong as the protective fury she had flung at Harvey a few minutes earlier.

  “I don’t,” Harvey said, “I just need to know what’s really going on before I go any further without involving the police.”

  Claire nodded. She looked as if she wasn’t sure how good of an idea it was to tell Harvey, but she didn’t object. She looked over at me. I responded by squeezing her hand and smiling the kind of smile that admitted both fault and defeat.

  “Well,” Claire said, “we better get on with it then. There’s no telling how much further we have to go.”

  Leaning against my car, I started to tell my story. Claire filled in where she felt I had left something out, but no matter how many times either of us tried to explain what was happening Harvey just couldn’t seem to understand it. Twin Souls? Unbreakable bonds that could possibly be suppressed, but only if the people involved were committed enough? Links between animals and humans? We stood there talking about it as if we were discussing football results, a little anger and joy underlying a calm acceptance of the basic facts.

  Harvey stared at us, bewildered. I’m sure the only things he really heard were that Melody’s heart was not truly meant for him and that the Matwau was holding her life in his hands and could, on a whim, permanently end any fear or pain she might be enduring. His biggest fear, that Melody truly was in danger, had been realized.

  I had also dropped a completely new fear in his lap, one I’m sure he had never even considered being a possibility. Melody’s love for him could actually falter and disappear. One simple touch and he could lose her forever. Only the mention of the potion and how Claire had gathered her willpower to suppress the bond seemed to give him any hope. The fear in Claire’s eyes when she spoke of the experience tempered Harvey’s optimism and dug at me as well. What had she truly gone through to accomplish such a thing?

  Finally the bizarre explanations ran out and I took Claire’s hand in anticipation of Harvey’s reaction. Our hands locked together, united, we waited. We had earned our chance to be together, but still we fought. Melody and Harvey were being asked to do the same thing. Pure determination bled from every pore.

  “You need stories? Memories of me and Melody?” Harvey asked.

  I sighed in relief. He wouldn’t fail her. I was sure of it. His sudden willingness to bare every detail of their life together both calmed and terrified me.

  Uriah nodded. “It’s the only thing that seems to work.” Claire tugged at her shirtsleeves. “Well, aside from physical pain, that is,” I said.

  Claire turned away from me and Harvey’s eyes followed her, wonder about what she had been willing to endure to save her love for me clear in his eyes. Would Melody be asked to pay such a high price as well? I hoped I could keep her from having to face that.

  “So, how do you want to do this?” Harvey asked. “We can’t stand here all day.”

  “Call me on my cell phone. We’ll talk as we drive. You can tell me about the different forests too.”

  Claire was already around to the passenger’s side door. I moved for the handle to my own door. Harvey reached up and grabbed my arm. I turned at once, concerned.

  “Thank you,” he said.

  I nodded. I reached for the door handle again, but paused and looked out at the horizon. Harvey followed my gaze, but neither of us could see anything. I kept watching. A small moving object that was barely visible among the prairie grasses quickly drew larger. It was aimed directly at us. Talon’s tawny fur quickly materialized.

  Harvey’s hand jumped to my arm again. He started pulling against me, urging me to get into the truck, but I didn’t pay him any attention. Harvey scrambled behind his car as Talon loped right up to the truck and stopped.

  I had just told Harvey about my animal companion, but hearing about it among potions and curses and prophecies was apparently one thing, seeing a wild animal calmly approach a human was something else entirely. Plenty of cougars lived in the Rocky Mountains, but as predators, not pets. I couldn’t blame Harvey for his trepidation. I reached out and rubbed Talon’s head then glanced back at Harvey hiding behind his car.

  “It’s okay, Harvey. Talon won’t hurt you, I promise.”

  “Great,” he mumbled. “That’s just great.”

  I looked back down at the animal, then shook my head and laughed. Talon seemed to think his reaction was hysterical. I listened to Talon’s quick report that the Matwau’s creatures hadn’t been seen in the area and sent him to get in the back of the truck. His route took him right next to Harvey, who scrambled away as Talon laughed a laugh only I could hear. Harvey couldn’t take anymore. He stomped back to his car and slumped into the seat. There were only so many assaults to reality a person could handle in one day.

  19: Details

  “I should have just told him the truth from the beginning,” I said to Claire as we pulled back out onto the interstate.

  “He may not have reacted as well if you had,” Claire said. “I was really surprised by how well he did take everything. Hearing what you told him before must have prepared him somewhat. Plus, I think he knows he has no hope of getting Melody back on his own.”

  That was certainly true. The Matwau was way too powerful for a normal human to ever hope defeating him. The corners of my mouth turned down at that thought. I had once thought of myself as the exact definition of normal. Fairly average in looks and intelligence, although Claire would slap me again if I voiced that opinion, no great accomplishments or dreams of the future, nothing special. The fact that I could casually talk about “normal humans” and not include myself in that category was a bitter truth.

  “I’m glad he finally knows,” I said. “I’ve never been very good at lying to people.”

  Claire smiled. It didn’t last very long. “Do you want me to talk to him? So you don’t have to listen to his stories about Melody? It’s only going to make it harder if you have to hear him talk about her.”

  I honestly wanted to cry just thinking about listening to Harvey’s stories of his life with Melody. I had no doubt that their love was just as strong as mine and Claire’s, not with Melody involved. It was very hard to admit, but I knew that the more destined a person was for greatness in our tribal stories, the stronger the Twin Soul bond was between that person and their companion.

  Together, I knew that Melody and I could have shared a love greater than any other I had ever heard of in legend or myth. Being the Qaletaqa made me sure of that. Just being who we were seemed to have gifted both Melody and I with an unparalleled ability to love and be loved. My own story had convinced Samantha, a woman who had to vowed to never use her knowledge of the dark lore for any reason, to abandon her promise and give me the aid I needed. What would Harvey’s memories of his beloved Melody do to me?

  A huge part of me wanted to take Claire’s offer gratefully, but what was the point? I still had to hear the stories in order to tell them to Melody tonight. Sure, Claire could listen to Harvey’s gushing recitations, and then relay them to me, but what would Claire gloss over, hoping to spare the details that would only pull me closer to Melody?

  Claire would do it because she was terrified of losing me, but those lost bits and pieces would be the exact things Melody would need to hear. The way Harvey touched her, or the little things he did for her just to make her smile were the invisible strings that would keep Melo
dy tied to Harvey and not to me.

  “Claire, I need to do this.” She immediately started to object. I reached up to her face and stroked her jaw from ear to pouting lips. “I need to hear every detail so I can pass them on to Melody. I have to.”

  Tears fell down Claire’s cheeks, rippling over the fingers I still held against her face. “She’s so right for you,” Claire whispered.

  My hand fell away.

  “Everything about her matches you perfectly, and you know it,” Claire said, a little more strongly this time. “Hearing stories about her caring for animals the way you do, or how she prefers spending time away from crowds, just like you do, it will only tear down your defenses.”

  “She is not the one I want.” It was the closest thing to I lie I had ever uttered to Claire. I still loved her as much, more even, than I ever did, but I could not forget the pulsing link to Melody firmly planted in my heart. I felt our kinship with every beat of my heart.

  “It doesn’t matter what you want, not when it comes to the bond,” Claire said. “Every story will weaken you, I promise. Please let me do this for you, Uriah.”

  I started shaking my head before she even finished talking. “I can’t. She has nobody, Claire. I at least have you here with me. Every time I feel the bond pulling at me, I can take your hand, or kiss your lips to distance myself from her, but Melody doesn’t have that. I’m the only person she sees beside the Matwau. She’ll turn to me for strength if I can’t offer her something else strong enough to keep her away from me. I can’t risk having Harvey’s stories watered down. She’ll need every detail.”

  Claire finally sank back in defeat.

  “Besides,” I said, “you have more important things to do right now anyway.”

  “And what would that be?” Claire asked.

  “Calling Kaya.”

  Claire instantly pulled back. She had agreed to do it, for me, but she still didn’t like the idea of training to become a shaman and risking losing me. If she had been able to meet Kaya, I knew she would have felt much different. I grimaced as well, then. It was my fault Claire hadn’t been able to meet Kaya. If I had only been strong enough to take here with me to Hano. If I had, Claire would likely have a different outlook toward working with Kaya, and she wouldn’t be forced to hide bruises and scars, either.

  Claire’s hand came over to rest on my leg. She must have sensed my dark thoughts. My mind snapped back to Quaile admitting that she could sense other’s pain. I wondered if Claire might share that talent, but I also knew how easy my face was to read. I had learned a little better how to hide my emotions over the past week, but I still couldn’t help them slipping out fairly often. Whatever talents Claire might eventually develop, I hoped she could develop some kind of foresight first. I needed an advantage badly enough to push Claire toward the lessons with Kaya.

  “She’s really excited to teach you,” I said.

  Claire sighed. “I know. I’ll call. It just scares me still.”

  I handed her my phone and she handed me hers. I took her pink phone with a smile. It was the one girly accessory Claire allowed herself. Not waiting for Claire to find Kaya’s number again and make her call, I dialed Harvey’s number.

  “Okay,” Harvey said, not bothering with any kind of greeting, “I’ve been thinking about what you should tell Melody.”

  I steeled myself for the onslaught of…I wasn’t sure what, but I knew it wouldn’t be good.

  “I’ve already told you about how we met, so I was thinking you could talk to her about our first date.”

  Here it comes.

  “Yeah, okay,” I said, “go ahead.” I knew it was doubtful that their first date went badly, but still I hoped.

  “Knowing how much she loved animals, I decided to take her to the Denver Zoo,” Harvey said. “That might not sound very exciting, or romantic, but I had a friend who worked at the zoo and owed me a favor. I set it up with him to have dinner delivered there from a restaurant I knew Melody liked and asked my friend if Melody could get up close and personal with some of the animals. He got permission from his boss and set everything up.”

  When Harvey first said he took her to the zoo, my hopes of a bad first date had risen, but after his explanation, it actually sounded pretty neat. I wanted to close the phone, but I knew this was going to be what Melody needed.

  “I’m going to need more specific details than that, Harvey,” I said.

  “You sure you’re okay with this?” Harvey asked. Evidently, the difficulty the Twin Soul bond put on me was not lost on him.

  “Just tell me the story.” One more person trying to protect me from this was the last thing I needed.

  “Okay, here goes nothing,” Harvey said.

  ***

  Harvey had been nervous about taking Melody to the zoo. He knew she loved animals, but was he being too forward by trying to determine her likes and dislikes on a first date? He stood at the gates of the Denver Zoo, checking his watch and hoping Carlton had followed his directions. Harvey didn’t like standing around waiting on her wondering if he had given her the right time for sure. Melody had suggested meeting him at the zoo rather than him picking her up.

  She made the suggestion right after he told her he wanted to take her to the zoo. That had immediately made him worry about his choice. No doubt she had been expecting a simple movie or dinner at someplace casual, something more fitting for a first date.

  It was still ten minutes before she was supposed to be there.

  She seemed excited about going to the zoo on the phone when they last spoke, despite her desire to arrive separately. Harvey kept telling himself that, not believing such a sweet girl would actually stand him up. There was, of course, another very good reason for her to not want him to pick her up. She was barely sixteen and a half and Harvey was twenty. Almost four years difference, and while that would be nothing if Melody were older, he knew it would make a huge difference to her parents.

  Harvey had never dated anyone as young as Melody, but something about Melody drew him to her. He knew the moment he met her that she was special, way too good for him, but definitely worth the risk of rejection.

  Elation washed over Harvey when he spotted her car pulling into the nearly empty parking lot. She was even a few minutes early.

  He waited for her to walk up to the entrance even though he had wanted to run over to her car as soon as he saw it. Melody bounced over to him, dressed in a floral pink sun dress that should have clashed with her auburn hair, but only made it more vibrant. Her smile was genuine and eager. Harvey felt his anxiety rush away in an instant.

  “I’m so excited,” she said with an adorable giggle. “I’ve always wanted to come to the zoo after hours.”

  Harvey couldn’t help but laugh too. How many other girls could say that? “I thought you might like it more than a movie,” he said.

  “Definitely,” Melody agreed. All of the sudden she was blushing fiercely. “You probably think I’m a huge dork. Who picks going to the zoo over a movie? I mean, I like movies too, but I just really enjoy being around animals.” Her blush deepened, although Harvey wouldn’t have thought it was possible.

  Before Harvey could talk himself out of it, he reached up and took her hand. She seemed surprised, but didn’t pull away. “I don’t think you’re a dork,” he said. “You look great, by the way.”

  He was amazed at how many shades of red her beautiful face could hold.

  “Thanks,” Melody said, embarrassed again.

  Harvey’s smiled grew wider.

  “You look good, too,” she said when she recovered.

  Harvey hoped she meant it. He had spent way longer than usual getting ready for their date. He really wanted to impress her.

  “Should we go in?” he asked.

  Melody nodded enthusiastically. He led her over to a side entrance where Carlton was waiting for them. Harvey had given him an idea of what he wanted, but he had to work that day and couldn’t be there to help set up. He wasn’t s
ure what to expect, but the candlelit table sitting under a tree took both Melody and Harvey by surprise. Predator Ridge, home to the large cats, had been transformed into a romantic vision with the single table.

  The tree had twinkle lights strung through its branches, illuminating the intimate two-person table covered with a white linen table cloth, tapered candles, and formal dinnerware. Carlton had really outdone himself. Or more likely his wife, Annette, the interior decorator had. Carlton didn’t have a single creative bone in his body. Melody’s hand tightened around Harvey’s and he couldn’t help but pull her a little closer.

  A couple approaching them brought Harvey and Melody out of their amazement. Carlton and Annette walked up, confirming Harvey’s guess about the décor. After introducing them to Melody he thanked them both for their help. Carlton promised to be back to give Melody a guided tour in an hour before he and Annette left the two of them to enjoy their evening. Harvey led Melody to their table and held her chair as she sat down. He was quick to take his place as well.

  Harvey would have been happy just sitting and staring at her all night, but he thought that would probably make her uncomfortable and ruin any chances at a second date.

  “What’s your favorite animal?” he asked.

  “I don’t know if I could name just one,” she said, “but if I had to pick, I’d have to say dogs.”

  His eyebrows rose. He had been expecting something more exotic. “Not orangutans, or ibexes, or spotted tree frogs?”

  Melody laughed. “I don’t think tree frogs are considered animals. I guess I’m just not that sophisticated,” she said. “I’ll take a playful puppy over an orangutan any day.”

  Harvey had a whole slew of questions prepared for Melody, but most of them were forgotten as they talked about their pets, school, family, plans for the future, and everything in between. It had been kind of strange hearing Melody talk about her high school life while Harvey told her about his college classes, but the strangeness didn’t last very long.