In Like a Lion (The Chimera Chronicles)

by Karin Shah [shifer]

  A tiny voice murmured maybe Jake was the reason for this sudden reawakening, but she squashed it. She wouldn’t, couldn’t, love anyone. That only led to pain.

  She was with Jake because she needed to be. Period.

  Anything more was out of the question.

  “The clothing,” Jake prompted and she realized she’d forgotten all about the point she had been trying to make.

  “Well, we don’t know anything about how this change works. It seems entirely outside the realm of science, but nothing really is.” Did she truly believe that anymore?

  The terrain was growing rougher. She prayed the large boulder Jake helped her over as they spoke was a snake-free zone. Her feet found even ground. “It sounds very Star Trek, but your body is recombining at a molecular level when you change. If you could somehow . . . slow the change down. Your clothing would probably just fall off, undamaged.”

  Jake stopped, and Anjali rammed into his solid back. She balanced against him to keep from stumbling, resisting the desire to melt into his powerful form.

  “I smell water,” he said.

  She could see the shape of his head turning in her direction, though his features were still nothing but shadow. “The sun will be up soon and we’re going to need water, but—”

  “But?” she said, his hesitation making her cautious.

  “Lots of animals have been through here, deer, bighorn sheep, jackrabbits, bobcats, coyotes, mountain lion.”

  Anjali swallowed hard. She hadn’t seen or heard anything. She never would have guessed so many animals made this area their home.

  “We can’t do without the water. I’ll have to change.” His voice turned in her direction. “Follow me closely once I do. You don’t want to get lost out here.”

  Anjali opened her mouth to answer, but there was a flash and a large shape rubbed along her side.

  In lion form his scent was musky, but lacked the pungent stink she’d experienced at zoos. Instead it evoked images of tall golden grass and vast blue sky.

  She’d supposed lions were dusty in the wild, but then this one had had a shower only a few hours earlier. At least the form that was human had.

  Her brain tumbled through the scientific impossibility of what he was for a moment. She’d always believed science could explain everything—she still did, she assured herself—but his triple nature would require years of study to understand.

  Her sandaled foot met something soft and a start rippled through her, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. She stifled a giggle when she realized it was a pile of clothes and the black, army-style boots he’d scavenged off one of the mercenaries. Picking up the boots and the clothing, she felt for tears. “You did it,” she said, excited. “You changed without ruining your clothes. Of course, you could have taken them off before changing.”

  What fun would that have been?

  The words seemed to bypass her ears and form directly in her mind.

  Anjali almost dropped the bundle she held. “Jake? Did you change back?”

  Two yellow eyes emerged from the inky darkness. Even knowing Jake was behind those eyes, didn’t stop the frisson of fear the sight engendered. Instinct probably.

  The glowing eyes moved from side-to-side. Jake was shaking his head.

  Anjali opened her mouth, then closed it again, loathe to sound stupid. “I thought I heard you say ‘What fun would that have been?’” she said finally.

  I didn’t say that, she heard. I thought that.

  “Did you just say think?” she repeated the sentence back to him.

  Those eerie eyes went up and down.

  A nod.

  Anjali half-covered her mouth with her chilled hand. “Have you ever communicated like this with someone before?”

  Like what?

  He was going to make her say it. She squeezed her eyes closed. She couldn’t believe she was going to say it.

  Her friends in Boston would laugh out loud to hear “back it up with facts” Anjali talking about woo-woo stuff. What could she say? Being on the run with a real chimera changed a person. “Telepathically.”

  They’d entered an area of thick, tall bushes, different from the low scrub she had struggled to make out in the wide, open area surrounding the road.

  Loud rustling sounds made her jump as animals burst from all around them, running from Jake probably, though she supposed a human alone might have received a similar response.

  The vegetation whispered and crackled as Jake’s huge body cut through it, forcing it back.

  Anjali placed each foot as if she were creeping through a minefield. Were there more snakes near the water or in the open desert? Shit. Shit. Shit. She was a city girl. What the hell was she doing in a place like this?

  She’d given up on him answering her original question when he said, Some people would say, I hardly communicate with words. This is sure as hell the first time I’ve communicated with thoughts. You’re certainly taking it in stride.

  “Yeah, well, I guess if I can accept a man transforming into an animal, and one that isn’t even the same mass, I guess I can accept telepathy.”

  The dense brush gave way to a clearing. Anjali could see a tiny black patch in the middle. Water.

  “Do you think it’s safe to drink?”

  Anything that’s in there will kill us a lot slower than dehydration.

  “Oookaay.” She could hardly argue with that.

  They drank, and Jake padded over to her. His proximity raised the tiny hairs on her arms and she acknowledged there was as much desire in the response as instinctual fear. The fact that he wasn’t in human form didn’t diminish her body’s intense reaction to him.

  She remembered the pain wracking her when they had been separated earlier.

  Was this connection part of his nature? Did he attract all women so powerfully?

  Irrational jealousy stung her chest and she shook her head, angry with herself. It was none of her business if he did.

  Jake nudged her with his muzzle. We’ve got to get away from the spring. It’s a magnet for predators. Follow me.

  The sun peeked over the horizon, heating the air, but the shadows were still long enough to hide snakes and Anjali continued to track Jake closely, planting her feet where his paws had been.

  She rubbed the grit from her eyes. It was harder and harder to lift feet sore from hours of marching on uneven terrain with shoes never meant for hiking.

  Suddenly she stopped. The most beautiful sight she had ever seen met her weary gaze.

  A building.

  Jake approached the miniature stone and wood cabin cautiously, scenting the dry air. It appeared to be vacant. Good.

  Anjali came up behind him. She tottered on the irregular ground, and braced a hand on his left haunch to keep from slipping.

  He pushed away the tendril of hope inspired by her apparent ease with his beast side. Mate or not, while they walked he’d come to the conclusion that once they made it to civilization, they would have to separate. Kincaid would never stop chasing him and he couldn’t bear to think of her being killed. Better to cause them both some pain than watch her die.

  He changed back into human form. Anjali averted her head as she handed him his clothes. The early light was rosy, but he didn’t think it was responsible for the glow of her cheeks.

  He squelched an unwilling smile and reached for the doorknob. “Seems like private property.” The door was locked but he broke it easily.

  “Home sweet home.” Anjali entered, kicking off her sandals. “I should feel guilty, but I’m just too tired.”

  “We’ll send them some money.”

  She shot him a sweet smile, and Jake resisted the urge to touch her, closing his eyes and turning away instead. He had to stop acting as if he had a right to hold her, as if they had a future.

  The cabin had a couple metal cots covered with plastic against the invasive dust, a small table, four folding chairs, and a tiny kitchen area. “This must be a vacation cabin.” He w
andered further into the room. “Luckily, late September isn’t big for vacations, I guess.”

  Anjali opened a door. “Here’s the bathroom.” She waved a hand in front of her face. “The air’s pretty stale, but there’s a toilet and a sink.”

  “It’s getting hot in here.” She paced back toward him. “We’d better open the windows.”

  “I’ll do it. You try to get some sleep. We can’t risk staying here too long.” And the less time he spent with her, the better. Her presence was way too intoxicating. It made him forget they were being pursued, not to mention all the other excellent reasons he should keep his distance.

  While Anjali dozed on the bunk, Jake scavenged through the cabin, setting aside anything that might come in handy, pots and containers for water. They would take the blankets when they left.

  Finally left without a task, he stalked to the window. There was a good view of the area from this vantage point. Who would Kincaid send after them this time? Would he tell the merc what he was? Somehow, Jake doubted it.

  It would be foolhardy not to tell a hunter the true nature of his quarry, but Kincaid had played his cards close to his chest for almost fifteen years. He probably wasn’t going to tip his hand to just anyone.

  Jake muffled a yawn. He would have to sleep eventually, but the many mysteries of his true nature nagged at him. How did a creature the size of a dragon get into the air? How did it move on the ground? What, besides treasure, drove it?

  God, I don’t even know the slightest thing about what I am.

  But there was a way to find out. He gazed out the window at the broad expanse of empty desert. Here he could experiment without being discovered.

  He must have made a noise because Anjali sat up, snuffing a yawn. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. Try to get some more rest. I’m going to run out and try my wings.”

  Anjali bit her lip. She looked soft and rumpled. His hand twitched with the urge to caress away the imprint of the blanket creasing her cheek, but he pivoted and headed out the door, closing it gently behind him.

  He hated to leave her alone, but he was going to test the limits of what he was, and he couldn’t do it in front of an audience.

  After he was out of sight of the cabin, Jake formed the image of the dragon in his head.

  Suddenly he viewed the landscape from a higher vantage point.

  The electric surge of joy he felt at the successful change was almost overpowering. Anger followed just as strongly.

  Kincaid had known what Jake was from the very beginning. Lied to him. Forced him to fight against his own nature. When he thought of how the man had manipulated him, it was difficult to resist letting the alien side of his being take over.

  He swallowed the rage, burying the urge to screech it to the skies. For now, he wanted to learn exactly what the hell he was capable of.

  Later, Kincaid would regret what he’d done.

  Jake hesitated. Someone spotting an African lion was one thing. Lots of Vegas shows used them and people had them as pets. But a dragon? If he went high enough, fast enough, in this deserted place, the likelihood of his being spotted were slim to none. He scanned the area, memorizing where he left his clothes and rocketed into the sky.

  Chapter 21

  Jake went high, pumping his leathery wings with sweeping strokes. He didn’t stop until the atmosphere chilled and a slight buzz in his head warned him the oxygen content was too low.

  He descended slightly and his head cleared. His massive wings beat against the air, and he marveled at his ease of movement. The large muscles that powered his flight warmed as he used them, but his heart and lungs coped effortlessly with the tremendous demand.

  He choked back a yell at the exhilaration flooding through him. It wouldn’t do to attract attention.

  The desert unrolled beneath him like a gigantic map. His keen eyes lent him a field of vision beyond human capacity and a clarity he had never experienced. Tiny specks resolved into buildings and cars, some hauling long tails of dust.

  He was hopeful he appeared even tinier to any people below, but he would have to keep this experiment short.

  He didn’t want to leave Anjali alone for long anyway.

  He scanned the vast landscape under him and found the cabin. Nothing approached for miles.

  The air under his wings heated as the day warmed and he found a current, opened his wings, and soared.

  His emotions were muddled. Elation and pride warred with shame, regret, and anger.

  How had he let Kincaid snow him for so long?

  He shook off his negative thoughts and embraced the freedom of flying, dipping and swooping, rolling and twisting.

  His wake upset a highflying eagle, sending the animal tumbling. He swooped down and snatched it out of the sky with a taloned claw, receiving a nasty bite. It didn’t pierce the scales, but it pinched nonetheless.

  “Damn. Hey, a little gratitude might be nice.” He opened his grip. The majestic bird slapped its wings on Jake’s forelimb and took off.

  Jake flew higher again, testing the limits of this body. He found the dragon instincts easier to control than the lion’s. This was a creature that hunted with his brain. Not that the lion was stupid, far from it, just driven more by instinct.

  His body hummed with magic and he felt guided toward the northeast. He realized instinctively the dragon sought the concentration of wealth and jewelry represented by Las Vegas.

  He drifted in that direction for a moment before coming to himself.

  He took a gulp of bracing air to straighten his head. The dragon’s compulsions might be more complex, but they were no less dangerous.

  He turned to head toward the southwest, propelling himself with blazing speed. This time he couldn’t resist. “Woo hoo!” Instead of the booming screech he had feared, his words came out deeper than his normal voice, but in the manner of speech.

  The dragon could talk.

  Amazed, Jake let the sun warm the lighter tiles on his belly and pondered the turn his life had taken. He wasn’t sick, far from it, and he had family. He was eager to meet Kyle and his other brothers.

  Anjali’s face flashed into his mind. How could he leave her?

  Though the lure of the sky tugged at him after so many years of confinement, he started back.

  His solitary experiment suddenly felt lonely.

  She flew in the dream, but that wasn’t surprising. She’d dreamed of flying since childhood. Her friends had told her they had similar dreams of flying and falling. She had nodded and smiled at the time, but hadn’t told them she flew as a dragon in her dreams, and she never fell.

  She twisted her body. A current of air slipped like silk along the leading edges of her wings. She wheeled on the stream, letting it spiral her higher and higher, laughing at the wind on her face, soaking up the sun heating her back.

  It was so quiet here. Since she glided, even the crack of her wings displacing the air didn’t disturb the silence.

  She corkscrewed lazily and spotted her chest. The scales were the dark metallic blue of an evening sky reflected on water.

  She was usually pearlescent white when she flew. That niggled at her a bit, but she was enjoying herself too much for contemplation. It was only a dream after all.

  Jake corkscrewed again, savoring the sinuous flow of his muscles.

  His loneliness had passed and a strange fullness burgeoned in his mind. It should have been uncomfortable, but instead it felt right. An idea developed. The thought was crazy, but he gave voice to it anyway. After all, everything he was defied rational thought.

  Anjali?

  Jake? Where are you? How did you get into my dream? She sounded drowsy, relaxed.

  I think the question is, How did you get in my head?

  I’ve given up wondering. The husky tone of her mental voice reminded him her body lay in the bed hundreds of feet below.

  The image of her curled on the bunk, warm and tousled from sleep made him ache. I’m coming back.r />
  Jake pulled his clothes on and strode to the cabin. He put his hand on the knob, closing his eyes and leashing the mad rush of desire that had sent him racing to Anjali.

  As he entered the narrow room, she raised her head sleepily and stretched. The motion thrust her chest into prominence. A tiny bit of peachy skin peeked through a gap in the buttons. “Is it time to get up already?”

  He almost groaned, turning his head. “We’ve got to get going.”

  Anjali swung her long legs over the edge of the rickety bed and glanced at her watch. “It’s not even ten yet. Aren’t you going to rest?”

  “I’ll rest when we get to Vegas.” He had to get them out of here or he was going to do something monumentally stupid.

  Her midnight hair had come loose from her braid. She slipped the band off the end, combing her fingers through the heavy silk of it. “I had the most amazing dream.”

  He couldn’t help smiling. “Let me guess. You were flying.”

  Her pink lips came apart. He closed his eyes. He wasn’t going to kiss her.

  Anjali leaned forward. “Uh huh, I’ve had this dream before, but this time you were there.”

  “OK, Dorothy. Get your ruby shoes.”

  She shot him a dark glance. “After you busted up his second crew, Kincaid probably had to call in bigger guns. If they’re going to track us, they’ll have to go on foot. I’d say we’re a good ten hours ahead. I think you have time to rest, and talk.”

  “Nothing to talk about.” Who knew? The dream link could be just one more facet of being mates and he certainly wasn’t going to tell her about that. “And if you’re right about bigger guns, and I’m sure you are, we can’t risk being cornered here.”

  He snagged her purse off the square table and began to empty it.

  “Hey!” She made a grab for the leather bag, but he held it out of her reach, fending her off with his other hand.

  “I have to make room for essentials.”

  “Everything in there is essential.” She wrapped her arms around her chest, shoving her breasts into the vee of her blouse.