“Rise then and give us your wisdom.” Xavier’s mocking voice rang out. “What have you to say about the well-being of the clans? That well-being is my responsibility, not yours.”
Griffin rose, noting the position of Xavier’s guards, watching as they all took a step toward the two men. He turned his eyes back to Xavier.
“This ritual isn’t just for mating with…the woman. You have an ulterior motive. You want us—make us—fight among ourselves for the chance to breed. At the last ritual, Ramos was almost killed. We should be fighting for our success, not fighting against each other in the name of that success.”
Xavier’s eyes narrowed and he stared at Griffin. “You have been warned before, Griffin, about speaking out against my rules. And now you dare to speak out in front of all the clan leaders.” He swept his arm around the circle of men, then stabbed his index finger into Griffin’s chest.
“You have challenged me one time to many, Griffin. For this, you are banned from the ritual. You are to be held under guard, and then you and I will fight for the leadership of these clans once and for all.”
Xavier stepped closer, the firelight catching the smirk on his face. “Unless you refuse to fight, on grounds we would be fighting against each other?”
Griffin drew a breath. “In your case, I would make the exception.” His words echoed in the still air, and there was another ripple among the men.
“I will fight you, one on one, for the chance to lead these men and protect our clans.”
“You are insane, Griffin. You’ve given up your precious woman for the greater good? For your ideals?” Xavier spat on the ground between them. “You are a fool. And no one wants a fool for a leader.”
He spun away from Griffin as his guards stepped forward. They grabbed his upper arms, dragging him away from the circle. In the flickering light of the fire, Griffin watched Ramos rise, slipping silently into the jungle. Glancing at Xavier, he saw the man was too engrossed in conversation with Kade to notice.
The guards dragged him to a small hut, took his knife, and pushed him inside. He stood in the dark, listening as they set the wooden gate over the opening, driving pegs through vine loops to secure it in place. He knew he could easily break through, but he also knew two guards would be waiting for him, knives drawn. And he’d be killed for escaping, just as quickly.
He walked carefully across the room, and stood at the edge of the pallet that lay on the floor. The pelts smelled bad and were probably full of vermin. With his foot, he swept them off the pallet, then sat down. It wasn’t much cleaner, but he lay down anyway.
Addison’s face rose in his memory, the sound of her voice, the scent of her skin after he’d lain with her. She would be sleeping on a bed tonight, a better one than this, he knew. And tomorrow she would be treated like a queen, bathed and pampered, anointed with oil, and dressed with care.
He smiled in the dark; she’d finally have her bath. Then his smile faded.
It had been foolish to challenge Xavier in front of the leaders, simply because Xavier would not—could not—back down from that kind of challenge. In his heart of hearts, Griffin knew that. But he could not hold back, could not resist speaking out.
And now he’d lost his chance to fight for Addison. The only thing she’d asked him to do, it was now the only thing he could not do.
Rolling over, he pulled his cape over his shoulders and tried to sleep. He’d need his strength when it came time to fight Xavier.
But he was wide awake when he heard the door being dismantled. Torchlight flickered and then he saw Ramos, along with several other clan leaders.
“Come, Griffin.”
Ramos pulled him into the jungle, away from the huts, handing him his knife. Behind him the two men who’d brought him here were already fastening the door on the hut.
“You can’t do this. You cannot just let me go. Where are the guards?”
“The guards are the ones who came to find me. Come. Please.”
Griffin stepped out of the hut into a circle of clan leaders. He also saw guards among the men.
“What is this? What have you done?”
“What you said earlier, about us fighting for success, and not fighting each other…it’s what we all want.” The men nodded, murmuring agreement.
“We are willing to fight with you, against Xavier and Kade, to see that our clans are protected.”
“And freeing me? How is this going to make that happen?”
“The guards will stand watch…It will appear you are still held. Then, tomorrow, at the ritual, you will fight Kade. The rest of us will fight each other, but not to the death. Or for your woman.” There was another sound of agreement, louder this time.
“And what if Kade kills me?”
“Then I will kill him, and I will protect your woman.” Ramos bowed his head slightly. “If you will give me that honor.”
“If anyone, then you, Ramos. But Kade is no challenge. What about Xavier?”
Ramos forced a grim smile. “He cannot interfere once the ritual has started. It would be tempting the Gods to do that. He knows that. There will be enough chaos and movement for you to slip into our midst. We will be wearing masks, after all. One more layer of confusion and camouflage.”
Griffin looked at each man standing among the trees. He knew them all, had known them since they were young. Each one looked back at him with a steady gaze.
“Is this what all of you want?”
Their voices were louder this time as they voiced their agreement. For a moment Griffin was overwhelmed. Then he drew himself upright, looking at Ramos.
“And the guards can be trusted? They are Xavier’s people, not ours.”
A short stocky man stepped forward. Griffin recognized him as one of Xavier’s favorite guards. Griffin instinctively reached for his knife, but Ramos shot out a hand to stop him.
“Let him speak.”
The man stood in front of Griffin, his gaze steady, hands resting lightly at his side. But Griffin knew, given half a chance, the man could easily draw his knife and kill him.
“I am with Ramos, and with you. Xavier is a hard ruler, and a harder man to follow blindly. He is cruel without cause and I am ashamed of things I have done at his request. No more. I would rather die for our freedom than live under his rule.”
Griffin held his gaze a moment, then reached out and set a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Then you are with us.”
Ramos stepped forward. “We need to return to the ritual grounds. The guards at your hut will keep your secret, but the rest of us cannot be away for so long, or found together out here.”
Griffin nodded and the men melted into the jungle, and he was alone. He stood in the warm night, hand on his knife, listening. But everything was silent.
Moving quickly he made his way to a tree he knew from boyhood. It was dead, with a hole in the trunk high off the ground. He’d hidden there many times as a boy, looking out over the jungle, listening to his father and the other clan leaders as they sang and danced in the ritual clearing.
The tree was still there and he quickly climbed the trunk. He was much larger than the last time he’d hidden here, and with some difficulty he squeezed himself into the opening. He counted himself lucky that there was no rain on the wind. Above him a large-leaved vine grew and he pulled the green leaves over his hiding place. From below, he knew no one could see him.
He sat for a long time, looking up at the sky. His heart felt light, and for the first time since he’d confronted Xavier, he thought there might be hope. For his clans, yes, but for him and Addison as well.
He would fight for her, as he’d never fought before. And if he died, he would go to his Gods knowing Kade would not have Addison either. Ramos was strong and he would make sure of it.
But he wasn’t going to think about that. He wanted to think about Addison, to imagine the first night with her as his mate, as the woman he would spend the rest of his life with.
Griffin watched the wh
eel of the sky turn, the brilliant stars passing overhead, as they had when his ancestors looked up at them. He sent prayers to the Gods, to each one individually, asking for strength, for courage, for the fortitude to see this through. To fight as he had never fought before.
It was almost dawn when he finally dozed off. His prayers had become mumbled as his eyes grew heavier, his head dropping. He should sleep. Ramos would come for him, when it was time.
Chapter Four
“Addison? It’s Daphne.”
Addison opened her eyes in the darkness of the hut, then sat up, wincing as her she straightened her stiff limbs. “Have you gotten used to the beds yet?”
“Takes a bit of time, granted. But you’ve had worse accommodations on digs, haven’t you?”
Addison stood and stretched her arms overhead, then bent forward, palms lightly touching the floor. It felt good to move, and she realized she missed walking, trekking behind Griffin as he’d led them through the jungle.
“I have. I guess it’s the circumstances. On a dig, I’m not being held captive by a clan of jaguar shifters.”
Daphne nodded. “Good point. Come. I’m to take you to get ready.”
Addison’s heart sank. “What exactly does this preparation involve?”
“You get a bath, which is nice. No hot water, but it’s still a bath.”
They crossed the small clearing, heading down a thin trail through the dense jungle. Daphne led the way, talking over her shoulder.
“There are some lovely oils they use for anointing. I’ve been trying to find out what they are, but I don’t have any samples. I just remember having the crazy thought during the preparations, that I’d make a fortune in the perfume business if I could decipher what was in those oils.” She laughed, stopping on the path. She turned back to Addison.
“It’s just rubbish sometimes, isn’t it, what you think when you’re in the middle of a crisis?” With a shake of her head she continued on.
They reached a larger clearing, and Addison caught sight of a platform, lashed together with vines, standing in the middle of a trampled circle. She stopped and Daphne turned to her before looking back at the platform.
“You stand there, in the center. They dance around you. And then they fight.” She took a step forward, eyes on the platform. Addison realized it was where the girl would have stood, not long ago.
“The grass is still flattened, scratched where they dug in with their claws.” She turned to Addison. “You know, they fight as shifters, as jaguars. For some reason, that was a total shock to me. I thought they’d fight as humans, like boxers, you know? But they all shifted into jaguars and then they fought.” She turned away, walking slowly toward the platform, stopping a short distance away.
“They really do revere you, you know, while you’re up here. And they really do care for their women, Kade excluded. Ramos was gentle, kind, treated me like royalty. Coya. Ramos said… it means Queen.”
Daphne sighed, a sound full of longing, maybe loss. Then she turned, eyes bright with unshed tears, and held out her hand toward Addison.
“Come. Xavier will get very angry if we’re late. He’s worse than any spoilt child.”
They walked through the clearing, to a small hut, or what was left of a hut. It had no roof, just thatched walls and an open doorway.
“Storm damage?” She looked at the building. It was losing thatch in places and the floor was splintered with age. In the middle sat a galvanized tub, the dull metal incongruous in the jungle setting.
“No. Bathing room. Ritual preparation room. Sort of an all-purpose room. Back home, we’d call it an airing cupboard.”
“It hasn’t been used very much, by the looks of it. Where’d the tub and pail come from?”
Daphne was pouring water into the tub from what looked like a whisky barrel. “They scavenge from the villages sometimes. Or from the garbage dumps around them. They’re not as primitive as they appear. Ramos told me he had heard one of our CD players and recognized the music, probably from hearing a radio in one of the villages.”
“They spend that much time near the villages? To risk that close contact?” Addison reached for the water pail.
Daphne waved her away. “You’re the princess today. I’m the upstairs maid.” She filled the pail again, pouring water into the tub. She stopped, pulled a small bottle from her pocket, adding it to the water. The soft smell of tropical flowers filled the air.
“It’s Xavier’s idea. He wants them to raid the villages, ostensibly for women. But the real reason, as he says, is to test his men.” Daphne set down the pail with a thud, straightening abruptly, eyes flashing.
“He’s lost men in raids, and the villagers know exactly where the shifters live. It’s a bloody idiotic idea. He’s the reason the clans are declining, if you ask me.”
There was a rustle outside the building and Addison jumped. Daphne leaned through an opening in the thatch, peering into the jungle.
“It can’t be time yet for the ritual. It’s far too early.” She pulled her head inside just as Ramos slipped through the doorway.
“Ramos! What the bloody hell?” The words were barely out of her mouth before Ramos pulled her against him in a hug. Addison watched, slightly embarrassed, with nowhere to go, as the lovers embraced.
“I’ve risked Xavier’s wrath to talk to you…both of you.” He turned his piercing black eyes to Addison.
“Listen carefully. There is to be a fight to the death between Griffin and Xavier. Because of this challenge, Griffin is to be banished from today’s ritual.”
Addison’s hand flew to her mouth. “No. Please tell me that’s not true.”
“It is. But there’s more. There are clan leaders who side with him, against Xavier. Guards as well, Xavier’s own guards. We’ve freed Griffin, and he’s hidden himself in the jungle. He’ll fight in the ritual. But he’ll only fight against Kade.”
Addison shot Daphne a look, but her whole focus was on Ramos. “Not you?”
Ramos looked into Daphne’s eyes, his voice softening. “No. Not this time. I will fight for Addison, if it comes to that. But…” He glanced at Addison, one eyebrow raised, a crooked grin on his face. “It will not come to that. Griffin has a fire in him, beyond wanting to see Xavier taken down as leader. He wants you, Addison, more than anything.”
He kissed Daphne again, and it was clear to Addison, the shifter loved the girl he held in his arms.
“But why did you risk coming here?” Daphne looked up at Ramos.
“I wanted to tell you, Addison, so that if you recognize Griffin, you will not speak to him, or show that you know who he is. We wear masks, and it is our hope there will be enough chaos and confusion to keep his identity a secret, at least long enough for him to become part of the ritual and to engage with Kade.”
And then Ramos was gone, just a shadow flitting into the jungle, leaving a stunned Daphne swaying in the doorway. The two women stared at the open door and then Daphne burst into tears. Addison went to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
“Men.” Daphne sniffled, swiping a hand across her face. “Stupid, bloody men.” She turned to Addison, her voice carrying the same pain Addison held inside.
“Why do we love them, when they’re so infuriating?”
* * *
Griffin jumped down from the tree, landing lightly on the jungle floor. It was just before dawn, the sky above him lightening slightly. He slipped through the jungle to the hut where Ramos was sleeping. Beneath a covering of leaves, behind the hut, was a headdress, mask and ritual loin cloth. Griffin took them, and then disappeared into the jungle. He’d dress, and wait for the priest’s chanting to begin, before slipping into the circle.
By that time, Xavier would be excluded from the ritual, from the sacred blessings and chants. Even if he wanted to attack Griffin, he was honor bound not to enter the circle.
Chapter Five
Daphne had left the hut, leaving Addison to take her bath alone. Addison thought
the girl wanted privacy more than anything.
She sat in the fragrant water a long time, even though it wasn’t heated. The air was warm and soft, and the birds had come back, and she watched them fly over the hut through a hole in the roof, their bright feathers flashing in the sun.
Griffin would be there, fighting for her. She closed her eyes, hoping against hope that their plan would work as Ramos had said. It was a gamble, but if Griffin believed it would work, she would have to as well.
Daphne returned, and had helped her into the dress she was given to wear. It was simply a piece of cloth, brilliantly colored, that wrapped and tied around her, held in place with a polished shaft of branch through a circle of wood.
“Rather like the kilts my great-grandfather wore.” Daphne stood back, admiring her handiwork. “He was the black sheep of the family, never talked about at family dinners, only whispered stories about his exploits on the back stairs.”
“It’s not all that uncomfortable. Except for the lack of underwear.” Addison pulled and tugged at the top of the dress. “It’s not really all that supportive.”
Daphne threw back her head, her laugh startling the birds above them. “Ramos told me he had never been so confused, as when he tried to get me out of my clothes after the attack. I was out cold, and wasn’t any help. He said he was afraid I’d die before he got me out of my bra.” She giggled, flashing dimples. “I’d have given anything to have seen that.”
“It seems to run in the clans. Griffin told me the same thing. It was all I could do to keep him from ripping it off me.”
“Well, I wouldn’t mind it being ripped off, if there was a reason for it being ripped off.” Daphne winked. “I had a feeling Griffin was more than just your travel guide.”
“Is this all I get to wear? It seems lacking for such an important ceremony.”
“Oh, there’s more. Come with me.” They ducked out the doorway and Addison saw it, a gorgeous headdress resting on the ground. The feathers shimmered and danced in the wind.
On The Move Page 2
