Nearly eighteen years ago…
“Go, Lenora. They cannot catch us.” Fisher pressed his nose against her furry cheek, urging her on. His whiskers tingled with the realization that the Locanis were close. Too close. If the werewolves caught them they would kill them. As the last of the Vaktare royalty, Fisher and Lenora and their unborn child had to survive.
Fisher glanced back, peering into the dark night. Heavy clouds covered the night sky. Occasionally they would part, revealing the large full moon. They were so high in the mountains it almost looked as though the moon had touched down and that if they kept running, they’d run right into it.
Leaves blew in the brisk wind, casting shadows along the ground. A strong smell of smoke wafted through the air and Fisher knew the werewolves had burned their homes.
He faced forward, and quickly glanced down, making sure the pendant was still there. The red stone gleamed in the moonlight. He then turned his attention to Lenora. His mate carried the child that would save their species and restore peace between the werecats and the werewolves once again. At least that’s what their medicine woman explained, giving
Fisher the pendant.
“I can’t do it.” Lenora stopped, panting. He smelled her fear, her fatigue. She swayed, her swollen belly nearly touching the ground before she caught herself. Then she stood, wrapping her clawed paws around her pregnant mound. “Our child is unhappy with all the running. It’s making her sick.” As though to prove the point, she retched on the ground. “It’s making me sick, too.” Lenora fell onto her side.
Fisher moved close, taking a protective stance over his eternal companion, sensing the Locanis were close. The werewolves wouldn’t be merciful if they caught him and Lenora. They would slaughter without remorse.
Life in the realm of Hiraken hadn’t always been that way.
In the beginning the Locanis had been the Vaktares’ guardians. They’d been created to keep the Vaktare safe. Over time, the two species had become so much closer than that.
They’d become allies. Instead of master and servant they were equals. In their human forms they’d erected entire cities and built pyramids. In their animal forms, they’d hunted together, using the strengths of each species to capture their prey easily.
Every Vaktare was born with a distinct advantage over the Locanis. They were each born with one special ability. Whether it was telepathy or conjuring or the ability to see the future. Each ability depended on the individual.
Fisher had been given the gift of conjuring, which was why he would be able to use the pendant. Lenora was given the ability to control the elements. But since she’d become pregnant, it took too much energy for her to use the power.
In the end, even the Vaktare with all of their abilities hadn’t been able to keep Locanis from winning the war. Their numbers and their will to be free made the Locanis stronger. Oppression was the ember that ignited the flames of freedom.
It had been Fisher’s father, Kevoney, who’d betrayed the Locanis and enslaved them once again. He’d declared that the Vaktare were the supreme species and established laws to put the Locanis back into the position he believed they were designed for. Servitude.
After many hundreds of years, the Locanis and the Vaktare grew to despise one another until finally the Locanis rose up and destroyed all of the Vaktare, except Lenora, her unborn child and Fisher.
Those chasing Lenora and Fisher were the worst of the worst of the Locanis. They had been his father’s servants. And Kevoney had not been a kind master. He’d been ruthless.
One of the Locanis howled not too far in the distance. Others howled in response. There were at least a dozen.
“Please, Lenora. Get up.” Urgency caused him to roar. “If we can get to the top of the mountain, we’ll be able to jump realms. It isn’t far.” Fisher backed away, waiting for her to stand.
Lenora’s legs shook and wobbled.
“Oh,” Lenora cried. “I think the baby is coming.”
Fisher feared they were dead. “How much time do we have?”
Her ears twitched and she shook her head. “Minutes, possibly just seconds.”
Fisher knew there was no way to predict when the child would come but he wouldn’t let them give up. Coming up behind her, he shoved his head against her back leg, helping her move.
Another set of howls told Fisher the werewolves were gaining fast. He paused, closing his eyes. He needed a spell that didn’t require any ingredients, something that would slow the werewolves down. If only Lenora could use her talent and create a great thunderstorm to conceal and wash away their scent.
“What is it,” Lenora asked, her breathing heavy.
Fisher opened his eyes. She looked exhausted and sick. He couldn’t imagine what she must be going through. But if she could use her power . . .
Lenora seemed to understand. She took a deep breath and Fisher immediately felt the winds pick up. Dark thunderclouds appeared in the sky and it began to rain heavily. She closed her eyes, focusing. Fisher watched her sway and he ran to her. He stood up on his hind legs. He could change into his human form, but then all of his werecat strength and agility would leave him.
So he lifted Lenora in his front paws and began walking the remainder of the way up the mountain.
That high up, the wind whipped fiercely against their faces, slapping through their fur, stinging their skin. He kept going, bowing his head against the elements his wife had created.
“Stop you mangy cat!” Even through the downpour it was easy to hear his words. They cut through him with force. The wind blew downhill, toward the werewolves, but he could still smell them, their anger.
It had been the leader of the pack, Adam, that addressed him. The werewolf was young and arrogant, but he was also fearless and exceptional in the art of killing. Many Vaktare had died with their throats in his mouth, their blood dripping from his fangs.
“It’s okay. Keep breathing.” He spoke softly to Lenora, keeping his back to the werewolves.
Lenora opened one eye, giving him a look that said if she had more strength she’d claw his eyes out.
“I know. Sorry,” he whispered, a wisp of a smile on his face.
She rested a paw against his cheek. He leaned into it, setting her down. He would use the pendant. If they weren’t close enough to the gateway, it didn’t matter. They were dead anyway
“Turn around, Fisher. Don’t be a coward, like your father. Face your death honorably.”
Fisher’s hackles rose. He wanted to make the werewolf pay for his insolence. Instead he chanted the words for the incantation. The wind and the rain kept the portal hidden until it was nearly big enough to jump through.
“Go,” he shouted ferociously, shoving Lenora through its opening.
Fisher took a step toward the portal, but Adam was suddenly on his back.
“So you are a coward,” Adam hissed, sinking his teeth into Fisher’s shoulder.
With a mighty heave, Fisher pulled Adam off him, trying to snap his neck. “You’re a lot of talk, Adam.” Fisher noticed the gateway was already starting to close. He took another step toward it.
Adam stood, shaking his head. Then he charged. Fisher planted his feet. Adam lowered his head, preparing to ram Fisher. At the last second, fisher sidestepped and leapt into the closing portal.
He heard Adam howl in frustration just as the gateway closed.
It was dark in the new realm, but his enhanced sight allowed him to see that Lenora was on her side, breathing heavily.
“Lenora,” he shouted, running to her.
She didn’t speak. As the baby came, Lenora let out a loud roar. Then fell silent.
Fisher took the child and cleaned it. “Lenora,” he whispered, when the baby started to cry, it’s a girl. We have a baby girl.”
Where he’d been so excited for the child, he now found that he had no emotion at all. He was in his human form, as was Lenora and the child. “What should we call her?” The question seemed appropriate, though he couldn’t feel a need to name her. It was strange. He remembered he’d had emotions, what it was like to smile, to love, but he couldn’t find where they’d gone. The medicine woman had explained that when they crossed into the human realm, all emotion would vanish. She’d said that in order to shut away the werecat part of them, the enchantment would also seal all emotions as well. Otherwise the spell wouldn’t be strong enough. He hadn’t believed such a thing was possible. But it was true.
“I feel nothing,” Lenora said.
“Neither do I. That’s what she said would happen.”
Lenora closed her eyes, nodding. “We’ll name the child, Beatrice.”
“Agreed.” Fisher glanced down at his naked chest. The pendant was gone. He remembered when Adam rushed him, as he’d moved to the side, he’d felt a tugging. “Adam has the pendant.”
“He won’t be able to use it. He has no power. We are safe.”
Fisher nodded, but a strange buzzing from deep inside made him think otherwise.
