Gods and Mortals: Fourteen Free Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Novels Featuring Thor, Loki, Greek Gods, Native American Spirits, Vampires, Werewolves, & More (187 page)

I
heard
her from the distance. My heart pounded out of my chest. Knowing she was here again made my stomach quiver with nervousness. I didn’t understand why I was feeling this way, only that it happened when she was around, or when thoughts of her consumed my mind. As I peered through the only thing between us—endless tall, thick grass—to see her, a feeling of ecstasy shot through me. I gasped hard. It was as if she wrapped herself around my soul, and I knew at that moment I was completely spellbound by her. But would she finally find a way to cross over? And if she did, what should I do?

She wasn’t smiling like the last time. Instead, her eyes lit up with determination. As she pushed and shoved to find a way to enter, a gust of wind swept through her long and lustrous auburn hair. It shimmered in the light, tousled from the gentle breeze and brushed softly against her delicate face. She was striking in her simplicity, yet she took my breath away. A flawless painting was what I saw, and I couldn’t believe she was here again putting me under her trance.

A part of me wanted her to give up, but another part of me couldn’t wait for her to find a way through. She never knew I had seen her grow up, and she would never know that I existed if I didn’t make it happen. Who knew how much time would pass until her next visit? As I continued to watch her struggle, I thought how easy it would be for me to reach out and touch her fragile small hands. It took every ounce of my willpower to hold back the urge.

When it seemed as though all her energy had been spent, I couldn’t hold back any longer. She’d won. That was when I parted the grass and walked out. Our eyes locked, and I felt myself float above the ground. Time stood still as she continued to stare back at me. What was she thinking at that moment? I had to know: most likely she was in shock at finding someone coming out through the field. I wasn’t sure of the reason, but I would like to think she felt the same connection that I did. Hello my sweet angel. I had waited for this moment. I wanted to reach out and take her in my arms, but that was not what you did when you first met. She would think I was crazy, and then I would have really blown it.

Suddenly, I realized I had put her in danger of others finding out about her. What had I done?! Extremely angered at myself for being careless and putting my wants over her needs, I had to react quickly and fix the situation. “Don’t you ever give up?” I said.

She continued to just stare at me. I chuckled to myself. I hoped it was because she thought I was good-looking and not otherwise.

“Ummm….” she finally said.

At that point, I didn’t know what to do anymore. I had crossed the line and I couldn’t undo what I had done. I was also afraid Davin could hear us. He was most likely spying on me and hiding somewhere nearby. “What are you doing here? Do you want to be sent back like before?” I asked, but I thought, what a stupid question.

“First of all, who are you? And what are you doing in my dream?” she huffed.

I felt amused by her spunkiness. She had no clue what I was. She didn’t even know that what appeared to be her dream was not. I had to refocus and send her back quickly. The only way I thought it might work was if I was rude to her.

“Your dream? You think this is a dream? Think again,” I said with a condescending tone. The rudeness in my tone seemed to make her angry. Perhaps my plan wasn’t working. She looked more upset, like she did not want to leave. Maybe I needed to try harder. “Can’t think fast enough? The answer is not on my face.”

She turned away and dropped her jaw. She looked even more furious.

I was doing it all wrong. It just wasn’t working.

“I’m dreaming, and you are not real,” she fired back.

“I’m real. There is no doubt about that. And you may think you are dreaming, but you are actually at the Crossroads, somewhere between Heaven and Earth, or between life and death, whichever you prefer.”

“That’s not true!” she argued. “There is no such thing, and this is my dream…perhaps a nightmare after meeting you!”

I gave her a cold stare. Maybe that would work. But now she thought I was her nightmare. This situation wasn’t good at all, and it wasn’t going anywhere. What to do? Maybe if I told her that I was leaving, she’d leave too. “I see. Perhaps I’ll just disappear.”

“No! Please! Wait! Don’t go. I don’t understand what is happening. Could you at least tell me how I got here?”

I arched my brows. “If you don’t know, how am I supposed to know?”

“Well, I thought…thought, because you seem to live here.”

“Don’t assume anything!” I said sharply. I heard some shuffling through the grass.
Davin, I know you’re there,
I said telepathically to him.

“She’s cute,” Davin whispered, but only I could hear. “Wait a minute…she’s not suppose to be here. Who is she? You found an actual human? Can I join in?”

Be quiet and go away. I got this handled.

“It sure doesn’t look like it to me,” Davin chuckled. “It looks like she got right under your skin. Michael, you’re under her spell. I’ve never seen you like this before.”

I ignored Davin.

“Is there anyone else I can talk to that may give me some answers? Perhaps someone...
nicer
?”

“Me…me…me,” Davin said excitedly. “I’m much nicer than Mr. Rude you are talking to. He’s just in love, but doesn’t want to admit it. Talk to me; I’ll be the nicer guy.”

I was extremely irritated at Davin. I wished I couldn’t hear him. “No. There is no one else here.”

“Really?” she fired back, looking extremely baffled. “You’re telling me that you are the only one who lives here or….or wherever…by yourself…absolutely alone.”

“He’s lying,” Davin spat out. “I’m here too.”

Go away. This is not your conversation
.

Though she lost her words, she looked so adorable I had to contain myself from pulling her into my arms. But I had to get her out fast.

“I don’t need to tell you anything, but if you must know, my answer is still the same.” I paused a few seconds and spoke again with a smirk, “Labera lege.”

“Excuse me?” she asked.

I looked her squarely in the eye. “Let me repeat what I said in simple language, read…my….lips,” I said softly. “That’s what I said.”

And she did, most likely thinking I had something important thing to say.

“No, nobody else here,” I said, slowly and sarcastically.

Her face turned blood red. “You’re unbelievable!” she shot back.

“I know I am,” I said, matter-of-factly.

“I didn’t mean it in a good way!” she said coldly.

“Ohhh…she got you there,” Davin chuckled. “Good one. I like her.”

Ouch. She burst my ego. And Davin wasn’t helping. “I did,” I said with my chin held up high.

She stared at me as if I had hurt her feelings. I felt really badly. Then she started pacing back and forth.

“Great job, Michael,” Davin said. “Now she hates you.”

I wanted to reach out and apologize, but before I could do anything, she parted her lips to speak.

“Ahhh! You are just…just…just….” She was lost for words again.

Guilt consumed me and I could no longer handle myself. “Do you have any idea why you are here?”

“No, I don’t know why I’m here or how I got here…and you don’t know why I’m here. So what do I do?” Her voice trembled.

I was close to just losing it; I wouldn’t be able to handle myself seeing her in pain. “Since I have no answers for you, perhaps you should go back.” My tone was flat. “You shouldn’t follow me, and you shouldn’t be here. I don’t care how you get back, but it’s too dangerous here, and humans are not allowed. You must go. Do you understand?”

She looked at me. Her eyes welled up with tears. I couldn’t do this anymore. It was killing me to be rude to her. If only she knew what I was, if only she knew how long I’d waited to be in her presence. I wanted to hold her close enough to feel her heartbeat and whisk her away to my world. Then she looked frightened, all the more reason to hold her and comfort her. But I could not! She wasn’t moving, so I did the only thing I could do. “You give me no choice. Davin, I know you’re listening. Get her out now.”

“Oh sure…first you want me gone and now you want me to do something for you. Fine!”

“Stop talking. You’re making this difficult. Just do it, please, before I change my mind,” I said to Davin.

A light glowed around her, and then it completely engulfed her. She became translucent, and disappeared right in front of my eyes. My heart dropped, not knowing when I would have this opportunity again. I let out a deep miserable sigh. That was just awful. She’d left with the impression I was rude. If she remembered me at all, she would only have hatred toward me. Maybe it was better this way. We couldn’t be together anyway. I would be chasing after a dream…a dream I wanted to be in forever.

“Let’s go, Michael,” Davin said. “If she ever comes back, I’ll take over. You weren’t…nice at all. I mean…what guy in his right mind would say those words to a pretty gal standing in front of him? I guess you lost your mind when you saw her. You’ve really got it bad for her.” He slapped me on my back and chuckled.

I let out a heavy sigh again, feeling utterly empty. “Don’t tell anyone about her, okay?” I muttered, walking back. My legs suddenly felt heavy. It was difficult to move.

“Don’t worry…I won’t. Besides, who would believe me? I make up all sort of crazy stories all the time.”

I laughed out loud. “You sure do, my friend. But seriously, you talk about her, and you won’t be able to tell any crazy stories ever again.”

“Why, I’m hurt, Michael. Choosing a girl over me, your best friend?”

“She’s pretty to look at, and you’re not.”

“Speak for yourself.”

“See you at the fountain,” I said, and took off before Davin had a chance to realize I was gone.

“Hey… wait for me. No fair, Mr. Rude.”

I heard that
, I told him telepathically.

Davin huffed an irritated sigh.

I heard that too
.

Davin rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you would. And I meant for you to hear that!” Davin chuckled.

H
e avoids
her because of the strange physical pain he feels when they touch. She avoids him because the way everyone seems to do what he says scares her. But when Claire needs to escape a bad situation Uriah is the first person she thinks of, and he is eager to rescue her. Faced with each other for the first time, both Uriah and Claire find it impossible to listen to their fears and stay away from one another. They soon find out, though, that there is more than they ever thought possible trying to keep them apart.

Following tradition the pair approaches the Elders of their Tewa tribe to ask permission to marry. Everyone is shocked when the shaman refuses them, claiming they are not Twin Souls. Confused and angry Uriah refuses to listen, and promises them that he will never abandon Claire. When Claire is poisoned by her vindictive father his resolve is tested. Ancient Native American myths and legends spring into reality, doing everything they can to keep Uriah from saving Claire’s life, while beginning to reveal the truth behind the lies he has been told all his life.

C
haos streamed
out of the double doors of the high school. The way everyone ran for their cars and sped out of the parking lot looked something like terrified masses running from a bomb scare. Nothing as interesting as that happened in San Juan Pueblo, though. It was just the last day of school. Everybody was in a hurry to start their summer vacations except me.

Living on a ranch meant my summers were spent watering the alfalfa fields and looking after the sheep and horses we owned. Not to mention mucking out stalls, cutting and binding alfalfa, hauling stock, and a dozen other things. I didn’t really mind the work, but sometimes I wished for the freedom to go tearing off to Santa Fe on a whim like some of the other kids did. Like Claire Brant did.

I watched her long, chocolate colored hair bounce around her shoulders as she climbed into Jonny Begay’s Jeep Wrangler. I wondered if they were dating now. She laughed at whatever Jonny said and reached down to help Dana climb up behind her. Turning back to look at Jonny, Claire’s eyes swept over me. Her smile seemed to brighten when she saw me, but that was probably just my imagination.

There were plenty of reasons I should have caught her eye. I had more sports trophies than anyone else in the school, decent enough grades, good looks as far as I could tell, and the build of a football player, thanks to working on the ranch with my dad. For some reason, though, I had never managed to say more than a few words to her.

It wasn't that I was shy, it was hard to be too shy when sports constantly put me in the spotlight, but there was something about Claire that made it impossible for me to approach her. With any other girl, I was confident and comfortable. Claire was different, though. And since I was hopelessly in love with her, I didn’t date much.

Backing out of his parking space, Jonny let out an enthusiastic yell as they drove toward me. He revved the engine as if he was going to speed out of here, but the line of waiting cars held him at bay. Dana and Beth were standing up in the back of the Jeep with their hair flying around their faces. Spotting me, Dana leaned over the frame alluringly and said, “Hop in, Uriah. We’re heading out to the bluffs for the bonfire tonight.”

She never quit. “Sorry, Dana, I’ve got stuff to do at the ranch. Hauling hay bales into the barn and things,” I said.

The exaggerated pout on her lips was amusing. She knew I wasn't interested, but she still tried. Too hard, most of the time. “Will you come later? I’ll be disappointed if you don’t.”

“Maybe, I don’t know.”

Dana looked like she was going to keep pressuring me, but my frown made her hold her tongue. I liked Dana well enough, but it really bothered me that she tried to push her attention on me when she knew very well I didn’t want it. Bouncing back quickly, Dana just shrugged and went back to talking with Beth. I started walking again, my gaze sliding along the Jeep to Claire. I realized she was looking right at me and froze. This time I didn’t have to imagine she was really smiling at me. Raising her hand she motioned toward the Jeep and said something but Jonny’s theatrical engine rev drowned her out. I took a step forward hoping to hear her better, but the Jeep jerked forward onto the main road.

Was she asking me to come along? She could have been motioning toward the car, or just pointing back at Dana and Beth. Jonny, and his stupid engine. I wished he could figure out how to not act like a total delinquent once in a while. What had she said? Dana asking me to go was easy to turn down, but Claire, I couldn’t refuse her. I should, but I wouldn’t.

I didn’t feel like hauling hay bales suddenly.

Abandoning the dirt road that led me home, I let myself wander toward the one spot I could clear my head and think. The river was completely out of my way, but I needed the quiet sound of the water lapping against the bank right now. Every time I saw Claire I felt different. Being around her made me feel weaker for some reason. It actually hurt me to touch her.

The first time it happened, when I bumped into her in the hallway in fifth grade, I thought she must have just shocked me. The next time I touched her I had tapped on her shoulder to get past her. My light touch had been like tiny daggers shooting through my arm. The affect she had on me was undeniable when she grabbed my arm by accident, her bare skin against mine. I lost every ounce of strength and had to cover myself by saying I had tripped. The few other times we came in contact were the same. It was as if my body was trying to tell me that it couldn’t handle being near her.

I didn’t think Claire had any idea about the way she made me feel, but she almost never went out of her way to talk to me or be around me. If I was too near her, she would get up and leave. When we saw each other in the hallways, she inexplicably found someone to talk to on the side furthest from me. She was one of the only girls in the high school who had not asked me out at least once. That was why her looking at me from the Jeep was so frustrating. The one time she sought me out, I had no idea what she had said. I knew my own reason for staying away from her, but all the way to the riverbank I wished I could figure out what hers was.

My shoes and socks were left in a heap next to my backpack. The soft grass that grew naturally in so few places in the New Mexican desert rippled under my bare feet. Its coolness was such a stark contrast to the hot summer sun. Just thinking about the heat seemed to make it ten times worse. Slipping my feet into the lazy rills of the river, I contemplated tugging off my shirt and jumping in.

The thought barely formed before the sound of flying gravel hit me. Turning around to see who had invaded my favorite spot, I was surprised to see Jonny’s Jeep skidding to a stop on the side of the road. And even more surprised to hear Claire yelling at him as she jumped out of the cab and slammed the door behind her. Jonny was right on her heels.

Slowly getting to my feet, I walked toward the still running car. Claire’s raised voice caught my ear.

“Just leave me alone, Jonny! I swear if I hear another word come out of your mouth, I’ll slap you,” Claire said.

“Knock it off, Claire, you’re acting like a total-” Jonny didn’t get to finish.

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Claire yelled. And true to her word, she slapped him.

I went from a walk to run. I knew these two well enough to know where this was going. Jonny’s anger flamed in his eyes, carrying him toward Claire as his arm reached forward and grabbed her shoulder. She tried to break away from him, but he yanked her back.

“Let me go!” Claire’s other hand came around and smacked Jonny on the shoulder. She didn’t do enough damage to make him let go, unfortunately. Instead he grabbed her chin, pulling her face up next to his.

“Don’t you ever do that to me again,” Jonny seethed. “Now, get back in the Jeep.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Claire said. Jonny’s free hand balled into a fist, but Claire stared him down.

I didn’t think he would hit her, but I had never seen Jonny this angry before. One more quick step brought me to his side. Grabbing his arm tightly, I snatched it back. Jonny spun around as his other fist came up. I caught that one too and forced it back down. He stared at me in shock for a few seconds before letting his hands fall to his side. Dana and Beth, still huddling in the back of the Jeep, sighed in relief.

“Ur-Uriah,” Jonny stuttered, “where did you come from?”

“I was here before you were,” I said. “What’s going on? You looked like you were about to hit Claire, Jonny.”

His face paled and he started shaking his head vigorously. “No, man, I was just…I wasn't going to hit her. We were just arguing.”

“About what?”

“Nothing. It wasn't a big deal. I just got carried away, I guess. I didn’t mean anything by it,” Jonny assured me.

Claire’s narrowed eyes and attack stance clearly disagreed that it was no big deal. She looked ready to rip his spiky black hair right out of his head. No need to see that happen today. “I think you should probably apologize to Claire,” I said.

For all I knew Claire had started the entire fight, but Jonny nodded hurriedly and looked over at a still very angry Claire. “Sorry, Claire, I didn’t mean to piss you off. I didn’t mean it, okay? Let’s just forget about it.” Even though his apology was to Claire, Jonny looked to me for approval. I nodded and his shoulders sagged in relief. He didn’t waste any time trotting back around to the driver’s side. He was back in the seat before Claire had time to react.

His buckle clicked into place as Claire responded. Grabbing the side of the Jeep, Claire pointed at Jonny. “Where do you think you’re going? You just say sorry and take off? You’re such a creep, Jonny. Get back over here, you jerk!”

“Claire.” I took her hands off the jeep, feeling that odd, painful sensation sweep through me. I had to grind my teeth together to keep from letting her see the effect she had on me. I desperately wished I knew what it was that made me feel so strange. “Just let him go,” I said, “he isn’t worth the fight.”

Anyone else would have backed off, but not Claire. She yanked her hands away from me, making the pain evaporate and bringing my strength back immediately. She spun back to the Jeep, but Jonny had seen his chance to escape and taken it. He was already out of reach.

“Thanks a lot, Uriah. You let him get away. I wasn’t finished yelling at him yet, that stupid prick.”

“I…” My mind struggled to come up with anything to say to her. I thought I was helping. Shouldn’t she be thanking me? Yeah, she hadn’t asked for my help, but she definitely looked like she needed it. She had been half a second away from a nasty black eye. Sometimes it was hard to think around Claire, but I suddenly had a moment of clarity. This road was nowhere near the way out to the bluffs. “You’re pretty far away from the bluffs. How did you end up here?” I asked.

Claire bottled up her irritation in a flash and replaced it with pure embarrassment. Her mixed Anglo and Native American heritage gave her lighter skin than any of the other Tewa Indians on the reservation. I loved the unique look it gave her, but now I had another reason to love her skin. The light color made it much easier to see her blushing. It was almost enough to make me forget that she hadn’t answered my question.

“Did you know I was here?” I asked. The blush spread from her cheeks to her ears. She turned away to hide it from me, but I had already gotten my answer.

Being around her made my thoughts fray into straggling bits of thread, and touching her sapped my strength and made my skin burn. Fate, or some other power, obviously wanted me to stay away from her. I was having a hard time listening today. I didn’t know how she knew I would be here, but it was apparent that she had led Jonny right to me. She seemed determined to avoid me most of the time, but when she needed protection, she thought of me. Whatever else loving her did to me, I would do anything for her.