Emergent

by Natasha Brown

  The voice in his head swayed Chance to stay for a peak. He adjusted in place, closed his eyes and concentrated on the mapping that came to him first. A wood mouse. It was a form he’d never taken before. However, Nastas had. Energy coursed through his body and the hairs on his skin multiplied, turning into a thick blanket of gray fur. He shrank into the tiny mammal, leaving behind the sheet and his belongings. His tiny feet scurried forward, inching toward the open door. Long whiskers brushed against the floor, gathering dust as he went, and with every step, the long wispy sensors helped him feel movement in the air.

  Chance stretched out his pink, wet nose around the doorframe and breathed in deeply. More of that delicious smell. It was making it hard for him to focus on much else. High above him, the body of a man rose like an enormous redwood. He was giant, at least to a tiny mouse. The man was eating something wrapped in shiny tinfoil. Outside of the aroma that poured from the meal, Chance detected a massive amount of power radiating from the man, and it was clear he was no ordinary human. That meant trouble.

  Was he dangerous? And why had he grabbed Chance? He couldn’t have intended to kill him because Chance would be dead otherwise. Although that didn’t mean he couldn’t try to steal his power when he changed his mind.

  Chance was extremely curious as to why this man kidnapped him, but that in no way outweighed his growing hunger for power. As soon as he sensed the man’s aura dripping with energy, a switch was flipped. The young woman from earlier was no comparison to this man. She was a fleck of dust next to him.

  Can you imagine the power you’d have after stealing his energy? You’d be unstoppable. You can’t just kill this one—he’s too old. It’s best to learn more, and be patient.

  “Instead of sitting there staring, would you rather join me? I brought food for you.”

  The man dropped his gaze to Chance, who froze in the doorway, unsure what to do. So much for stealth. How long had this guy known he was there? Taking him by surprise was out, and he began to doubt he’d have a chance bringing him down anyway. The man’s steely eyes had a frightening edge to them, and Chance didn’t doubt he knew how to protect himself.

  “I know what you are thinking, and no, it is not worth your effort to try to kill me. It will only end badly for you. Instead of letting your primal hunger take over, feed your body. I can see you are neglecting yourself. You are unwell. Let me help.” He pointed to something the size of a brick wrapped in tinfoil that lay beside him. From Chance’s perspective it was huge. “I have no interest in harming you, and believe me—I could if I wanted to.”

  Chance considered what the man said and decided it made sense. He was desperately hungry and so very tired, tired of listening to the voices in his head that pulled him every direction so he never knew which he should listen to. He needed a break. Maybe he was making a mistake, but he didn’t really care right then. Maybe it was best to be put out of his misery. If this guy killed him, at least he wouldn’t hear the voices any longer.

  He scurried back into the dingy shack and to his belongings. Within moments, he was standing naked in his human form. His eyes adjusted to the low light and it took him a second to decipher the shapes around him. He pulled out a pair of shorts and a T-shirt from his pack, and threw them on quickly. There was no point waiting any longer. He strode out the open door to meet the man sitting outside.

  Now that the man wasn’t looming over Chance like a giant, Chance was able to make out his features much better. Stick straight, onyx hair hung down to his dark narrow eyes. He appeared to be middle aged, probably older than Chance’s parents. He wore a pair of shorts and a button-down shirt. His skin color was similar to Chance’s but his build was much sturdier. Chance stood there studying him.

  The man held his hand out to a dirty patch across from where he sat cross-legged. “Please, join me,” he said.

  Chance hesitated, then walked over and sat down.

  The man held out the foil-wrapped food. “Eat.”

  He didn’t need coaxing. Chance tore open the aluminum and began wolfing down the tamales. As the food settled in his stomach it made him notice just how starved he had been. Cramps pinched his abdomen with every mouthful and he had to remind himself to chew instead of swallowing bites whole. Slow down.

  “You do not need to speak now, just eat. My name is Batukhan and I am pleased to meet you, young shapeshifter.”

  Chance nodded and was able to say, “Chance,” between bites.

  “Hello, Chance. You probably have many questions, and I will do my best to answer the ones I can while you feed yourself. I too, am a shapeshifter, which is how I know what you are. I can see you have much power, power that does not appear to be stable within you. It was I who stopped you from attacking that young woman, which is something you may have already surmised, something I hope you will have the conscience to thank me for later.” Batukhan sat very still and it appeared like the top of his head was hung from a hook because he sat so straight. “I imagine there is a battle waging inside of you, young man, and that you struggle with finding your way. I know the situation you are in and have decided to help you.”

  Chance finished chewing his last bite of food and experienced the rush of nutrients entering his cells. He crushed the foil in his hands. “How could you possibly know what I’m dealing with?”

  “I can see it in your eyes and I’ve seen it before. That, and I’ve been following you.”

  The serious expression on Batukhan’s face gave Chance pause. This guy had been following him? He hadn’t sensed anything out of the ordinary since he’d had that strange run-in with the stunning Asian woman, Lifen, who had claimed she wanted to help him. The woman who had said she’d seen Ana.

  Chance’s heart squeezed in his chest as he thought about the look on Ana’s face when he’d flown away. He missed her so much it hurt, which was why he’d been avoiding dwelling on her memory. He couldn’t trust himself right now to make any decisions. Especially when it came to Ana. His instinct was to run to her side and protect her. But what if those innocent feelings turned into hunger, like in his last moments with her? She wasn’t an average human any longer. She was a shifter and she was the last person he ever wanted to hurt.

  “Chance, can you stay present with me? I know it is hard.”

  Chance met Batukhan’s eyes and nodded. His voice came out gravely. “You’ve been following me?”

  “I had a dream the other night of an old friend. I hadn’t seen him in some time so I decided to come visit to see if he was okay, but it appears he is not.”

  He couldn’t possibly be speaking of Balam, or could he?

  “Who? A shifter?”

  “A man by the name of Balam. I met him on my travels. I guess it would have been about a hundred and fifty years ago. Sadly, he seems to have passed from this Earth.”

  Chance cupped his hands around his eyes and his blood pressure spiked. Thoughts of his great-grandfather were painful and he grew frightened, unsure what to do. What would Balam suggest right now?

  “Did you know Balam?”

  Through gasps, Chance said, “He was family.”

  “I see. Calm yourself, youngling. Take deep, slow breaths and think about something that is peaceful . . .the ocean or the sunset.”

  He did as Batukhan said, and imagined the repetitive waves lapping at the sand. His breathing steadied and his anxiety subsided. Chance lowered his hands to his sides and avoided eye contact.

  “Very good. Well, now I know why I dreamt of him, and I am glad I decided not to follow Lifen’s scent trail. I smelled so many people around Balam’s home, but I was surprised to recognize hers, so I decided to track it and found you instead. I was curious to see why she didn’t bother.”

  Chance inhaled sharply and tensed. Didn’t bother with what?

  “No, I don’t mean it the way you think. Can you tell me about yourself?”

  The food in his belly had improved his clarity of mind, but Chance was still extremely confused and unsure which
instincts to trust. Batukhan was more aware of what was going on than he was, and he didn’t like that. He constantly felt like he was in the middle of a game of pin the tail on the donkey. He’d been blindfolded and spun senseless and didn’t know what direction to go. Was Batukhan someone to trust? It was far too early to tell, but he said he knew Balam and he’d just given him food. Dog catchers throw scraps out to capture strays too, and it did not mean he was a friend.

  “No. I won’t share anything about myself until you tell me more about who you are and why you’re helping me.” Chance scoffed at the word help, but he wanted to see Batukhan’s reaction. “You can start off with telling me how long I’ve been asleep.”

  “I understand.” Batukhan placed his hands on his knees and allowed his shoulders to roll back into an even straighter posture. “You have been getting much-needed rest. Your eyes are hollow and sunken, but not as bad now that you have slept for a day.”

  “A day?” Now that he thought about it, he didn’t feel as battered and mentally exhausted as he had been. Since he’d left Ana’s side, he hadn’t had a night’s sleep.

  “Yes, you very much needed it.”

  “Right. So, give me the rundown on who you are, Batukhan.” Chance enunciated his name carefully.

  “I was born around eight hundred years ago in Mongolia. Shapeshifters held much power, but common men were not aware of that. We kept our existence secret, as we were far more powerful this way. The Mongols believed in omens, luck and magic and that was how we shaped the future. In my youth, I was full of excitement and was eager to change the world . . . and I did.”

  Batukhan grew quiet and his eyes turned down to the ground. “I met a girl and we were both changed forever. Ever since, I’ve been trying to make things right. To create balance, but it is slow work.”

  Chance couldn’t quite understand what he was talking about. But he felt the emotion that churned below Batukhan’s restrained exterior and knew he spoke the truth. “Why does love make things so complicated?” Chance grumbled.

  The edge of Batukhan’s lips turned up slightly and he answered, “Love itself is calm. Turbulence comes from individuals.”

  “I guess.” Chance stared at Batukhan, trying to decide what to do next. “So, what do you want with me?”

  “I would like to help you. I am not a healer, but I know someone who can teach you ways to quiet the voices in your head. He helped me.”

  “How do you know about the voices? Did you have the sickness?”

  “Yes, when I was young I killed another shifter and absorbed his power. Plus I have developed my own unique problems. For the longest time, I thought it was my punishment and didn’t seek a way to correct it, but I grew to change my mind. Chance, I can see the confusion in your eyes, and feel the unbalanced energy radiating from you—you are losing the battle. I have met others like you who need help to rise above it all. The longer you wait, the harder it is to clear the voices, and if you don’t rest it will only make things worse. The more souls you consume, the harder it is to hold on to who you were. It is hard, but you need to hurry if you wish to hold onto your soul.”

  Don’t listen to him. He’s only trying to disorient you. You can’t trust him.

  The voices pulled on his thoughts like children fighting over a toy. He knew there was no way he could truly trust Batukhan, but with Ana fresh in his mind, he knew he had to fight for her.

  “Fine. What do I do next?”

  Chapter 9

  Ana woke disappointed the next morning. She didn’t remember any of her dreams, but was confident she hadn’t visited Chance. Besides that, it felt like the first day of school all over again, but worse. Her mother and sister weren’t there to give her a reassuring hug.

  She barely spoke to Lifen while they checked out of their hotel room and loaded up the van.

  Lifen buckled up in the passenger seat. “Are you ready to meet your new family?”

  Ana nodded, but kept quiet. They drove back onto the one-lane highway and continued north. They were surrounded by evergreens and mountains. Snow had been falling through the early morning hours, and a few inches already clung to the trees and the side of the road.

  “Thank you for leaving last night,” Lifen said. “We should get to my home before the roads get bad.” She looked at Ana. “You are very quiet this morning. What is wrong?”

  Ana turned the wipers on high and glared out the window. “I didn’t dream about Chance last night. I’m worried about him.”

  “I see. When it is time for you to start training, you will need to allow yourself to focus entirely on yourself. You cannot let him distract you from learning. I know you care for him, but you will need to let go of those feelings if you wish to help him.”

  “I love him. I can’t just let go of those feelings.”

  “I understand, Ana. But how can you learn if you are thinking about him? Your abilities are impressive. You show so much potential. I would hate to see you slow your learning because of Chance. Would he want that?”

  What would he want? She knew that he’d be supportive of her developing her powers, and if he were free of the sickness, he’d be with her now. But he wasn’t, and she had to help him. The only way to do that was to listen to Lifen. Time was not on her side. Anything could happen to Chance. If she believed her dreams and what she’d been told, then he was like Markus reincarnated. A power-hungry shifter without a conscience. It turned her stomach to think of him in that way. He was her soul mate. The one who’d saved her life on multiple occasions. He was kindhearted, compassionate, and maybe a little impulsive, but she loved that about him.

  “I’ll try.”

  “What else is wrong?”

  She really didn’t want to talk about it. Not with Lifen. She knew she was her mentor, but they hadn’t bonded that much over the last couple days. Ana didn’t feel like opening up about all of her anxieties. Lifen stared at her and she was pressed to say something.

  “I’m not good at making friends,” Ana said.

  Lifen blinked at her and then continued gazing out the window. Thankfully, she didn’t respond and Ana was allowed to continue to worry in silence.

  The highway got slick by the time Lifen instructed her to turn off onto a paved road that stated clearly it was private property. Ana floored the accelerator to get enough speed to make it up the initial ascent. When she made it to the top of the hill, she expected to see a home, but instead, the road kept on going. They curved through a mountain pass for some time before they came around a turn and a cerulean lake shone through the trees.

  “Is that the lake?” Ana asked nervously.

  “Yes, that is our lake. Bluer than the Mediterranean and clear as glass.” Lifen balanced gracefully in her seat as the van bumped over the drive. “We are nearly there.”

  Now that they were so close, Ana’s stomach twisted in knots. She didn’t know what to expect, but she did know it wouldn’t be anything like high school. She wouldn’t go unnoticed amongst crowds of people. Her heartbeat thundered away and she gripped the wheel tight.

  The road widened and a large gate blocked their way. A sign mounted at the center read, Animal Rehabilitation Center. Ana looked at Lifen questioningly.

  “It is a mission that falls hand in hand with our purpose,” Lifen said, “and it is the perfect cover. Go ahead and pull up to the box and enter star nine five.”

  Ana pulled up to a black security box ten feet away from the gate and punched in the code. The mechanism that controlled it slowly pulled the large, wooden gate aside until she had room to drive through. The van crested a hill which then sloped down into an enormous driveway. A four-door garage was straight ahead, and a huge galvanized outbuilding was to their right.

  “Why don’t you park right here and I’ll have one of the boys park it in the garage.” Lifen pointed to a loop in the drive beside the garage where handrails disappeared down the slope of the mountain. She presumed the stairs led to the home, but she couldn’t see it from whe
re she sat.

  “Okay.” Ana pulled up and shut off the van. After listening to the thunderous Volkswagen engine all morning, the silence was deafening. Snowflakes clung to the window wipers now that they were still.

  Lifen got out, and Ana followed suit. A tinny, creaking groan broke the silence. Ana opened the side doors of the van, handed Lifen her pouch, and began to pull her own baggage out.

  “Oh, no,” Lifen said. “The boys can do that for you.”

  Ana shrugged and grabbed her backpack. It had her personal effects in it and she preferred to keep it close by. She shut the van doors and followed Lifen to flagstone stairs and a matching walkway. It zigzagged down the mountainside and led to an amazing home built onto the ridge below them. It looked like a resort or something that would be featured in Sunset magazine. The picturesque lake sat at the base of the mountain. Even through the snow falling, it glimmered bright like a precious jewel.

  When they got to the large wooden front door, Ana tried calming her nervous heartbeat and took a deep breath. Lifen walked in and called out, “We’re home. Hello?”

  Ana closed the door behind them and was stunned by the museum-like interior. Track lighting laced the vaulted ceilings and detailed paintings hung on the walls. The entry opened up into a large living room with floor-to-ceiling windows.

  Lifen took her shoes off and set them on the grass matt she and Ana were standing on. She put on a pair of silken slippers and offered a pair to Ana, who did like her mentor.

  “Lifen!” A voice echoed through the house.

  A lanky young man sauntered into the entryway and held his hand out to her. “Welcome home.”

  “Thank you, Jordan. It is good to be home. Anything out of the ordinary while I’ve been gone?”

  “No, there have been no visitors. We have been caring for the animals and continuing our studies as you instructed us to do.” The young man eyed Ana curiously as he answered.

  “Let me introduce you to Ana Hughes. She is my newest student.”