The Gathering

THIRTY-ONE

WHEN I GOT HOME, my parents noticed my lip right away—kind of hard to hide. I said I’d been sparring with Daniel, who played along, teasing me about not ducking fast enough.

Dad was on the computer, tracking the wildfires. I wasn’t eager to retreat to the silence of my bedroom, so I suggested we keep Dad company. The four of us played poker until Dad decided he could stop monitoring the situation and grab a few hours of sleep.

That night I lay in bed for hours, thinking mostly about what Rafe said. I tossed and turned, but I could smell the forest through my open window, and it was like trying to sleep when I was starving and could smell steak grilling outside.

Finally I got up to close the window. I stood there, looking out. Moonlight flooded the yard. Scents washed over me. Even the sounds of the forest seemed to call to me, and I told myself I was just reacting to what Rafe said, but that wasn’t true. I’d felt this way for the last three nights. Only now I knew what it meant and that made all the difference.

I wanted to go out. I wanted so badly to go out. Even Fitz, stretched on the railing again, watched me as if to say, “Well, are you coming?”

When I stepped out the balcony doors, he chirped, rising and stretching. Then I climbed onto the railing and crouched there, and he chirped again, glanced over, and leaped. He landed awkwardly, then looked up at me, yellow eyes glinting.

I jumped. I hit the ground in a crouch. Pain darted through my legs, but I’d instinctively landed right, without injury. Just like Rafe and Annie. Just like a cat.

Fitz’s chirp pulled me from my thoughts. He started toward the forest, then glanced back to see if I was coming. I followed.

After a few steps, a cold nose brushed my hand and I looked down to see Kenjii, seeming worried as she nudged me. I patted her head and told her I was fine and she followed at my side. Fitz trotted along at a distance, as if he was simply heading the same way.

The forest was like a warm wave washing over me. My muscles relaxed, my heart rate slowed, and quiet energy pulsed through me.

I glanced at Kenjii and Fitz, then over at the recuperation shed, the animals inside stirring, as if they sensed me nearby.

We get our energy from nature.

Control over animals.

Healing powers.

Sound familiar?

I shivered, and Kenjii licked my fingers, whining. I patted her absently and gazed around, as if I expected to see something.

See what?

I don’t know.

Yes, you do. You’re looking for what drew you out here.

I searched the darkness.

“I’m over here.”

I spun to see Rafe on the edge of the clearing. He stepped back, hands raised.

“That was a warning, so I wouldn’t spook you.” A wry smile. “Not much chance of that, I suppose, finding me outside your house at two in the morning.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m not stalking you, as bad as it looks. I wasn’t going near your house. I just … I couldn’t sleep, and I thought maybe you couldn’t either, so I walked over, in case you came out.”

“That’s quite a hike.”

He shrugged and stepped toward me, then stopped short. “Your lip.”

“Sam.”

He swore. “What happened?”

“Daniel and I bumped into her, and …” I shrugged. “It’s not important. I—”

“It’s Daniel,” he said.

“What?”

“She likes Daniel. Along with every girl in this town except you. He’s the local equivalent of the high school quarterback.” He stepped closer. “But if she’s got you in her sights, watch out, Maya. She’s got problems. And she has a crush on Daniel.”

“I don’t think it’s like that.”

“Then why’d she flip out when Nicole went to your party with him?”

“What?”

“Hayley said she heard them fighting next door before the party. Sam found out Nicole was going with Daniel and lit into her. That’s what Hayley was talking to me about after the climb. Saying how surprised she was that Sam showed up, and that Nicole better watch her back.”

He met my gaze. “I’d say the same to you. I know you and Daniel are just friends, but Sam …”

“She’s unstable.” A memory flashed, something Serena said about Sam. While I tried to recall it, Rafe took another step forward.

“How are you doing?” he said. “Other than that?”

What do you think? You told me I’m a shape-shifter. That I’m going to change into a cougar. That someday I might not change back.

“Just … not sleeping well these days.”

Another step closer, but still keeping his distance. “Is it the dreams?”

I looked up at him.

“Dreams of the forest,” he said. “Of running. You wake up with a fever. You need to get outside.”

I nodded.

“Me, too. It started a little while ago. Annie went through it just before …”

“She started to Shift.”

“It’s the Calling. The start of the transformation.”

“So it’s coming.” I tried not to shiver. “How much longer?”

“A couple of weeks with Annie.” He paused. “We need to talk about all that but … later. Let’s just …” He looked out at the forest, then at me. “Let’s just go for now. Run. Work it off. It’ll help you sleep.”

He backed into the forest, and his eyes shone like amber.

“Come on,” he whispered. “I know you’re still mad at me, but I won’t try anything. Just forget that for now and come on.”

Forget that for now and come on.

God, how I wanted to. I wanted to forget everything he’d done. Just go with him, be with him, run with him, and let it be the way it was before, the way it was in my dreams. I looked at him, half hidden in the shadows, watching me, waiting for me, and I wanted it so badly tears prickled my eyes and I blinked hard.

“Maya?” He stepped back into the clearing.

“I can’t. I just”—I sucked in cool night air—“can’t.”

He exhaled, a loud sigh that made Kenjii slip over and nudge his hand.

“Do you want to talk?” he asked.

I shook my head.

Kenjii returned to my side and whined. At a chirp from overhead, I looked up to see Fitz watching from a tree branch.

“You’ve got this whole power-over-animals thing down a lot better than me,” Rafe said, trying for a smile. “They like me well enough, but that’s about it. And the healing part, too. You—”

“You don’t have to make nice, Rafe. I know you want my help finding the people who did this to us. But I need those answers, too. I’m not stupid—”

“God forbid,” he muttered.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just agreeing. You’re not stupid.” He sat on a tree stump. “You think you could have handled this better, don’t you?”

“What?”

“You understand why I needed to find you, but you disagree with the way I did it.”

“Uh, yeah. Hitting on girls you don’t care about, pretending to be someone you’re not, pretending you like them … Sure, guys take that road all the time, hoping for a shortcut to sex. But that doesn’t mean it’s okay.”

“Whoa, wait a minute. Are you saying I’m no better than guys who—”

“You think it’s okay to hurt people to get what you want, just like they do. Yes, I think you could have found another way to do it. I just don’t think you wanted to bother.”

“Or maybe I didn’t have the brains.”

“I never said—”

“You would have thought up a better way.”

“I’m not going to fight with you about this.” I turned to go. “You think you did the right thing. I think you didn’t. No amount of arguing is going to change that.”

“Hayley’s right,” he said. “You don’t give an inch to anyone.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“Seems Hayley’s telling you a lot. A word of advice? She’s not the most reliable source of information in Salmon Creek.”

“Because she tried to cheat on her math homework in seventh grade?”

“That was a long time ago.”

“Exactly her point. You caught her breaking into your locker to copy your math homework. One screwup that you’ve never forgotten.”

“If she says I squealed on her, she’s lying. The teachers never found out.”

“Because you handled it your own way. You started ignoring her. And if you ignored her, then your friends did, too.”

“So I turned her into the school outcast?” I laughed. “Seriously, does she seem like an outcast to you? She’s got her crowd. It’s just not my crowd. She hangs out with us when she wants to. Nicole doesn’t ignore her. Corey definitely doesn’t ignore her.”

“No, he’ll make out with her when he’s had a beer or two and there’s no one else around. But if you and Daniel can’t stand her, then she’s not dating material.”

“That’s crap. Yes, I don’t trust Hayley, and, yes, it started with that homework. But if she’s telling people that I’ve made her life miserable for five years because of it?” I shook my head and started to turn away.

Rafe stepped in front of me. “I’m sure she’s the one still holding a grudge. I also think she’s the one who dosed your drink. But the point, Maya, is that you don’t give anyone a second chance. One strike and we’re out.”

“So I’m inflexible and intolerant.”

“Maybe.”

“Well, then it’s a good thing you’re done with me, isn’t it?”

I headed for the house. Rafe let out a curse. I heard a thump and a gasp of pain. I glanced back to see him cradling his hand, the small tree beside him quivering from a blow. He looked up and caught me watching. Then he spun and strode into the forest.