by Lynn Daniels
Marcus laughed, then looked at her like she was an idiot, “It ran better because I screwed that spark plug back in. I was just being a little precautious when I took out the policy. I guess somewhere in the back of my mind I always knew I couldn’t trust you to do the right thing.”
She looked up at him, confusion clear on her face, then she opened her mouth to ask what he was talking about, when suddenly she felt herself falling backward.
“You see, Jaz. It’s amazing how big a policy you can take out on someone who’s expected to be a millionaire in a few weeks. I could have lived with you for that million, but I can really live without you for ten.”
She couldn’t believe it, he had dumped her in the ocean, out in the middle of nowhere.
“Okay, Marcus I get it, you’re angry. Can you throw me a line?” She was treading water and staring up at the man she had believed she knew, now she was starting to doubt it.
She could hear him laugh as he walked away. A moment later she heard the anchor as it started to rise. She swam furiously toward it, hoping she could use that to hoist herself out of the water.
She was only a few feet away, when it locked in, and the boat turned around. Suddenly, she had to swim the other direction before she was chopped up in the propeller.
The water was pretty smooth, and the night wasn’t too chilly, but she knew it was only a matter of time before her body temperature would drop into dangerous territory. Even if it was summer, and the day had been warm, she knew the water wouldn’t be anywhere close to what her body temperature should be. Hypothermia was sure to start setting in long before she was able to swim to safety.
Looking around, she realized she might be in more trouble than she thought. She had seen enough movies to understand how much danger she was in, there were a lot of big fish in the sea, but she couldn’t help wondering how common sharks were around here? She also could see no signs of land, no matter which way she looked. Not a boat in sight, and nothing floating that she might be able to grab onto.
“What am I going to do? I don’t want to die, please, somebody—” She knew it was a long shot, after the life she’d had, she wasn’t even sure she believed in a God, but at this point, she was willing to try just about anything.
She picked a random direction and started swimming. “God, if you can hear me, please help. I don’t want to die, there’s still so much good to be done in the world, and I know you’ll not be disappointed if you just give me a chance.”
Chapter 4
Mach’Stalage just outside Ki’shien’s lair
Ki’zander dropped J’amar on the ledge outside Ki’shien’s chamber, then quickly flew back to the marsh that he had called home for so long. That was one fact that would no longer be true, if the Doshna, J’amar and Jo’siah, didn’t lie.
He landed clumsily in the mud where only a short time ago, he had left the prince. As he did, he transformed into the small toddler again, and splattered mud all over himself, and he soon found out, the large cat who had hidden behind some reeds, as well.
“Sorry, Jo’siah, are you mad at me?” He backed away from the large cat prowling closer.
Jo’siah came out from behind the cover where he had been waiting, transforming as he did. He grinned as he walked over to the timid boy, ruffled his hair, then bent down low, “Nah, let’s wash up and get out of here. The sooner we get gone, the sooner you’ll be able to meet your new brothers.”
“So, it’s true? I’m really going to have some brothers?”
“It’s true little man, I’m taking you home with me.”
They started hiking toward the cave where just days before they had met Felisha. Nothing had changed, the ground hadn’t recovered from the scorch marks where Ki’shien had tried to incinerate his brother’s mate. Even the lingering scent of where she had been wounded still hung in the air.
“In you go,” Jo’siah stood back, ever watchful of any Mach that might be on patrol.
“Nah uh, I can’t go in there.” He started backing away from the entrance, almost as if he were afraid something might reach out and yank him in.
“Sure, you can, come on, hurry. The Mach patrols could fly by here any time.” He looked from the skies back to the small boy, then back up, searching.
“You don’t understand, my Mach won’t fit.”
“Of course, your Mach won’t fit. That’s what makes it perfect. If your Mach won’t fit, neither will Ki’shien’s. Just don’t change forms until we get through the cave. We’ll go down the stone paths, to where it lets out, which is, luckily, just before the border.”
The boy started shaking, and then a moment later, a large Mach sat in his place, then back to a boy again. He was sobbing when he finally was able to maintain his form. “I can’t control it, if I change inside the cave—”
“You’ll not survive. I should have known it would be the same for the Mach as it is for the Doshna, cubs also can’t control their shift. Very well, we’ll go around, but it’ll take a lot longer and it’ll be a lot more dangerous. You’ll have to listen to me very carefully, do you understand?
“We’ll have to travel while it’s dark, when it’s too cool for the Mach to patrol, then rest in the daytime.” He knew he was asking a lot, because if the Mach couldn’t patrol at night, the small boy would also be at a disadvantage.
Jo’siah ended up carrying Ki’zander more often than not. When in his human form, his little legs couldn’t keep up, and when in his Mach form, he was too cold to travel very far. By morning, Jo’siah was exhausted, and Ki’zander was tasked with keeping watch while he slept.
They made camp under the cover of several large trees. He had tucked Ki’zander underneath a thick bush, where he slept peacefully. Thankfully, as he got more comfortable with Jo’siah; his changing forms had nearly ceased.
Beams of warm sunlight flickered through the leaves, as the gentle breeze blew through the trees. Jo’siah had found comfort under the shade, his large cat sidled up to the sleeping baby, and soon nodded off.
His great cat stood on a rooftop, aboard a large vessel, looking down on the scene below. There she was, his lifemate, and she dined with the human who had deceived her. Why she couldn’t see the man for who he was, he would never understand. He had found himself in this position many times in the past, looking down from some tucked away corner, an uninvited guest to their most intimate moments.
The first time the man had kissed her, Jo’siah nearly went insane with jealousy. He was unable to do anything but observe while the male had cupped his mates’ breast through her clothes. He stood back snarling, shouting threats, unable to prevent it. He couldn’t bear the heartache of watching another man touch what was his, and yet he was unable to look away.
The male had proposed to her, she had consented, and now they were enjoying a quiet meal together. He laid down on the warm roof and stared up at the stars, while feelings of hopelessness assailed him. Everything in him told him he must get to her, but what right did he have to claim her as his mate, when he already had one? In a moment of passion, he had bitten his brother’s mate, which had then sealed the bond between the three of them. Even now, he could feel Felisha’s concern for him.
None of this looked familiar. At least J’amar’s mate was easy to locate. His brother had recognized the land by the burning fires of the smoldering volcanos. This was somewhere in the sea. Neither the Mach, nor the Doshna had any need to sail upon the waters, so they had never pursued the idea of travel by boat.
His contemplation was interrupted by the sound of a chair hitting the deck. Rolling to his feet, he was ready to leap from the roof and onto the deck to confront the male who had scared his mate. He was happy to see her rejection, but not to see the hurt in her eyes. She had love for this male, and he had betrayed her. His snarls and roars were ignored as the couple argued. His attempts to jump all failed, and he was helpless to do more than watch.
Finally, the male calmed and swept his female into his arms and carried her
over to the small railing. He spoke soft words, as a tear rolled down his cheek. For a micon, it looked like they were going to make up. Then he stood, and he heard the male speaking harshly through clenched teeth, before he placed his hand on her soft breast and gave her a gentle shove.
He watched in horror as his mate landed in the frigid waters. Her head disappearing below the waves, only to surface and watch helplessly as the boat steered away.
Jo’siah let out a roar of rage and leapt off the roof, expecting to splash down in the water, but, instead, found himself in the clearing under the large tree. Ki’zander was by his side in an instant, his Mach was on alert, ready for the threat that wasn’t there.
“We must find her!”
“Who?” The boy was back, frightened eyes searched the treetops and surrounding woods.
“My lifemate, she’s—” He suddenly realized he really didn’t know where she was.
Chapter 5
Jo’siah was rushing through the woods and into the fields. His beast leapt over fallen trees and branches as he ran, never slowing. The boy’s tiny fingers clutched tight to his mane; his small legs hung limply at his sides. He could feel him bouncing and knew the danger should the boy fall. At this age, any fall could prove fatal to one so young, but he couldn’t hold off. Even now his mate could be in danger of drowning.
“I can’t hold on any longer, please stop.” His soulful cries tore at Jo’siah’s heart. The last thing he wanted was to put this young boy in danger any longer than he had to. He slowed his pace until he found a safe place to stop, then dropped to the ground so he could climb off. As soon as his small feet hit the rough ground, a Mach stood before him. His legs extended behind, while the strong wings reached high into the air, in a satisfying stretch. Ki’zander looked down at the mighty cat, nodded his head once, then reached a talon toward him, and waited.
Jo’siah’s cat shimmered before returning to his human form. “Are you sure about this? I don’t want to chance your brother’s forces seeing you.”
The claw gently enfolded him, then the mighty Mach leapt into the air. Jo’siah hung limp inside the warm fist of the beast, watching as the forest transformed to field and back to forest again. They flew without incident; the ground below was nothing but a blur. He had no idea they could travel so fast. The only problem was, the boy tired easily, and they had to land quickly. In his exhausted state he wouldn’t be able to maintain form, and both could fall to their deaths. As the earth flew by, he worried, this was the longest Ki’zander had stayed up. Usually he was only able to fly for ten micons, fifteen at the most. At his estimation, it had already been thirty.
“Ki’zander, you must stop and rest. We can’t take the chance of your exhaustion bringing us down.”
His only answer was a single hard shake from the young boy, as they flew out of yet another field and toward a forest in the distance. They started to ascend as they came to the trees. Ki’zander dropped Jo’siah roughly about five meters from the earth, startling a yelp from him. He rolled as he hit the rough ground, preventing him from breaking any bones. As he stood, he raced to the small boy.
Drained, the Mach morphed into a toddler just a few meters from the ground. He had never pushed himself that hard and was unprepared for the rough landing. His painfilled shrieks tore at Jo’siah’s heart, as he collapsed in the field.
Jo’siah wasn’t prepared for what he saw. The young boy was pale, sobbing and reaching for his leg. The moment he grabbed it, he released it with another cry of pain. He had never seen so much blood, and a bone protruded from the boy’s leg, which was bent at an awkward angle.
He collapsed beside the helpless child, knowing he would have to cause him more pain, in order to repair the broken limb.
“Ki’zander, I’m going to have to do something, and it’s going to hurt, a lot. But, it’s the only way to fix your leg. I’m going to need for you to be a big boy, and don’t fight me. Can you do that?”
Through the tears and sobs, he nodded, his teeth chattered, as he started shaking. Jo’siah knew he was going into shock, and if he didn’t do something quick, the boy might die.
“Okay, now please, don’t burn me. Remember, Doshna aren’t fireproof. After I do this you need to change into your Mach. Can you do that?”
He sat rocking back and forth as loud sobs filled the air, nodded his little head, then shook it. His sobs had turned to hiccups, his voice broke, “I don’t…don’t…think I…I can.”
He gave the boy a hard look, “You have to, do you hear me? This isn’t a request, I’m ordering you, as the heir to the throne of Doshna’Asher, Prince Jo’siah, to change to your Mach the moment I tell you to. Do you hear me!” He hated to scare the boy, but he knew this was the only way to save him. He would only continue to suffer, and if he didn’t change forms, his leg wouldn’t heal, and it would just be a matter of dosemicons before he died.
Ki’zander puffed up his chest, trying to look brave, biting his lip, he nodded his assent.
Jo’siah knelt in front of the boy, put one hand on his knee, and the other gripped his ankle. He looked into the eyes of the sweet baby boy that had been left on his own at such a tender age, and gave a quick jerk, pulling the bone back into place.
The scream that came from the boy nearly tore his beating heart out of his chest. He knew he couldn’t give him a moment to rest, or he might pass out from the pain, and then he may never awaken. “Now, Ki’zander, change to your Mach!”
A second later he found himself staring at a very angry Mach. He watched helplessly as the beast inhaled, preparing to release a blast of fire that would turn him to ash before he could even register the pain.
Chapter 6
Southern California
Jasmine turned once to watch the departing boat. How could she have missed what kind of person she had hooked up with. She thought back to all the times when she had waited for his call, and finally given up and called him. She could hear a woman’s voice in the background, but he always told her it was the television or the radio. Then there was his mother, she had gone a year without any injuries after his father left. Then when Marcus told her about a bad report card, his mother suddenly had a black eye. She felt like such a fool.
She was determined not to die; she would make her way to the dock and she would report what he had done. Then she would get ahold of that insurance company and cancel the policy. Determination gave her new resolve, as she turned to continue swimming. After a few more strokes, she stopped and looked back toward the fading lights of the departing boat. Feeling like an idiot, she started swimming in the direction the boat had taken.
After about thirty minutes, her arms started to ache, and her teeth started to clack. She needed to rest, but she knew if she tried, she would drown, so she kept swimming.
Fifteen minutes later, she could finally make out a few lights on the horizon. The sight renewed her strength, and her efforts doubled. The buildings in the distance were starting to take shape, but the water was becoming rougher.
She saw a boat coming towards her and stopped swimming, then raised her hand to wave them down. Just as her hopes of rescue were realized, a huge wave enfolded her, pulling her down into the murky depths. She held her breath and fought with all that was left in her to get back to the much-needed air above. She hadn’t gotten this close to the shore only to drown now.
~
Mach’doshna
After what felt like an eternity, her head finally broke the surface, she then felt her hopes fade as she looked to where only moments before had been salvation, and now there was only miles and miles of ocean. She screamed out her frustration, as tears streamed down her cheeks. She just wasn’t sure if she had it in her to fight her way back.
She stilled a moment, then brought her fist up to slam against her forehead. Turning in the water, she was shocked to see that where there had been buildings, now instead there were only hills and trees.
The sky was starting to brighten, and she realize
d how long she must have been out there. She had thought it had only been minutes, but it must have been hours. When she had fallen, no, when she had been pushed overboard, it couldn’t have been much past eight, nine at the latest. Now she realized it must be closer to five or six in the morning.
Turning back again, she was shocked to see the colorful streaks in the sky above the ocean. She may have gotten turned around, and it may have taken longer to swim to where she was now. But there was no way the sun could be rising behind her. And rising it was, even in this short time, she knew it was getting lighter, not darker. She was in the Pacific Ocean, where the sun was supposed to set, not rise.
When she turned back for the distant shore, she saw the strangest thing. Flames shot high into the air above the trees. She couldn’t help but wonder at the cause. She hadn’t heard any explosions. The sky was clear, so it couldn’t have been lightning. Regardless of the reason, she knew it was still imperative that she get out of the frigid water and onto dry land sooner rather than later.
~
Jo’siah held the small boy in his arms and rocked, unaware of the tears that poured from his eyes. It had been thirty micons since he had collapsed, and he feared he might lose him. His leg had mended the moment he transformed. The leaves in the nearby trees were blackened and the ground scorched. He was thankful the boy had enough control to turn the flames away.
Finally, sad eyes looked into his own. He felt terrible and hated that he had to cause him such pain, and the way he did it made it that much worse. Ki’zander had trusted him, had he jeopardized that trust?
He pulled him closer, hugged him tightly, and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. “I’m sorry little man, I had to do it. It tore my heart out to hurt you, but I knew if we didn’t do this, you would only be in more pain.”
