“Your family no longer has the right to give orders.” He snorted and his whiskers quaked. “Your father doesn’t even have his abilities any longer. They were stripped from him.” He seemed to know more about my family than I did.
“You know who I am? What I am?” My chin started to tremble.
He laughed harder. “Of course.” Something about the way he said the words sounded familiar but I couldn’t place his voice.
I realized for all my feigned toughness, if he attacked, I’d be dead. He probably weighed five hundred pounds.
“It’s time the Cavanaughs were destroyed and a new royal line took your place.” He charged.
I stood my ground, not knowing what else to do. As he got closer, he opened his mouth. Drool dribbled from his sharp teeth. He was so close I could smell his putrid breath. At the last second I closed my eyes, preparing for the inevitable.
But it didn’t come. There was a rush of wind and a loud thump.
I peered through my lashes and was surprised to find that the male cat had been knocked on its side. He rolled to his feet and shook his head. Standing between the cat and me was a gigantic blond wolf. His body was a similar shape to the cat, though he was bigger. His tail was fluffier, his ears were bigger, and his face was different. He was every bit as scary, especially as he bent low, baring his teeth.
“Leave now and I’ll let you live,” the wolf said. His voice was so deep I felt it in my bones.
“I wasn’t sure you’d come. Your fight isn’t with me. In fact I’m on your side with the rest of your kind, Locanis. We can kill her together.” The cat tried to move around the wolf, but the wolf blocked him from passing.
“No.”
The cat growled and sent a ball of light at the wolf. The wolf chuckled, batting the light away. “How does it feel to know you have the lamest of Vaktare abilities?” The wolf gargled laughter. “I mean, it’s a ball of light.”
“Shut up!” The cat shot another ball of light.
The wolf caught it. “Here kitty, kitty.” He threw the ball of light back.
The cat yowled, diving at the wolf.
They rammed into each other, their teeth snapping and tearing into the other’s fur. They rolled on the ground. Dirt kicked up around them, making their fight harder to see.
I watched the battle in amazement. Too stunned to do anything else. The creatures were like none I’d ever seen. Certain features made them obviously a cat or a dog, but they were much too big, their limbs too long. Plus they spoke English, like me, which was stranger still.
It suddenly occurred to me that I was in the presence of horrid beasts, and that I should run.
The cat roared in pain and the combatants broke apart. Panting, the cat said, “Look at her. She’s weak. Your mission is to kill her. Now’s your chance.”
The wolf barked once. “My orders are none of your business. Now either you leave or I kill you.”
The cat laughed. “You’ve gone soft. What happened to the fearless Locanis I heard stories about? You’re supposed to be a cold-blooded killer, not a simpering pup.”
The wolf was on the cat before he had a chance to defend himself.
In the distance I heard another howl and then several more. The blond wolf’s nose came up. He shook his head. “Get out of here!” He yelled those words at me.
“What? I—”
The cat took off down the hill.
The wolf perked his ears. They twitched and turned, listening.
“Hey,” I called after the wolf. “What’s going on?”
He wouldn’t look at me.
“Hey,” I yelled again, feeling a strong need to see his face. I knew if I did everything would be okay.
“Shut up. Get out of here. You don’t know what you’re doing and you’re going to get yourself killed.” He ran in the opposite direction of the cat.
I was suddenly very alone and very frightened. The wolf was right. If he hadn’t come along I’d be dead. I reached out after him. “Thank yo—“ I yelled as I glanced down at my hand but it wasn’t a normal hand. It was large and the back was covered with honey brown fur. The claws were long and pointed. I thought about what I’d been doing outside, on the mountain, before the other cat showed up. I’d been hunting.
Was I like him? A creature?
Feeling a strong need to find out, I dashed toward my house, past trees of pine and ash. I jumped over large bushes and wild strawberry patches. I ran through tiny trickling streams, burrowed under brush, and snapped at the heels of a family of elk I came upon. There was only one thought and it pushed me to run faster than I ever believed was possible.
I needed to see what I was.
I would check my reflection in the pool behind our house. When I came to the border of the Cavanaugh land, I stopped. I’d forgotten about the super tall chain link fence that went all the way around the back part of our property. How had I gotten out? I clawed my way up the fence. At the top was barbed wire. With effort I climbed over, though much of my fur snagged on the barbs. Jumping to the ground I ran to the pool and then slid to a stop.
My pulse raced with apprehension. Peering over the edge, I saw what I’d been afraid of. “No.” I quickly stepped back, took a deep breath and tried again. The beast was still there, staring at me with a horrified expression. I touched a paw to my face, watching it move the way my brain told it to. Except for my eyes, I didn’t recognize myself. Fizban had told me I was a Vaktare. Was the hideous creature staring back a Vaktare?
“How did I get this way?” I whispered the words, feeling those blasted tears push at my eyes again. I roared. “I am a beast!” The thought made me sadder than I’d ever been. My parents were gone and I had no idea what was happening to me. I couldn’t even call them and ask. The numbers I had for my mom and dad had been disconnected.
A pile of sadness seemed to bury me.
I walked over to one of the patio lounge chairs and tried to climb on. My claws tore through the polyester. But I didn’t care. I rested my head against the part that was still whole and closed my eyes.
“It’s all a dream, Beatrice. It’s all a dream.”
Ten
Naked And Tangled Up
When I opened my eyes I was shocked at how bright my room was. Seconds later I realized I wasn’t in my room. I wasn’t even on my window seat. I was outside. Birds chirped in the pine trees nearby. Squirrels prattled on at each other as they searched for nuts. The smell of pine and chlorine immediately told me I was by the pool. Shocked, I tried to stand, but my limbs were tangled within the broken patio chair.
That’s when I remembered last night. There’d been a large cat with the blue eyes. He’d tried to kill me. And the huge blond wolf. The cat had called him Locanis. Was that his name or his species? Whatever he was, the wolf had protected me. And then I’d seen my reflection in the pool.
I was like the black one, a large, weird, talking cat. I shuddered in dismay. If it had been a dream, how had I ended up outside in the exact spot where I’d lay down in my dream? Before I could find an answer, I heard my name in the distance.
“Beatrice,” Adam called, an edge of fear in his voice.
“Miss Cavanaugh.” That was Isaac.
“I’m over here,” I tried to holler, but the words got caught in my throat.
“Bea. Bea, it’s me, Will. Where are you?” He sounded close.
“Here,” I called. The word came out raspy like I smoked two packs a day.
A shadow passed over my face. I squinted, trying to see who it was. “I seem to be wrapped up in . . .”
Will laughed. “What happened?” He leaned down and started to unwind the polyester material from my legs. His hands brushed my backside and I realized with a start that I was naked.