Chills & Thrills Paranormal Boxed Set (57 page)

Loved. She felt loved.

Laughter bubbled in her throat and she opened her eyes to
see Shala, Star Dancer, and White Hawk smiling at her. His hands were still on
her head and she turned, nestling into his soothing touch. Then she glanced at
Star Dancer's serene face and remembered the Tribunal. She'd given no thought
to what would happen during the inquisition because she hadn't intended on
staying around that long. Now she wanted to stay.

Remembering that Star Dancer had said she doubted Lily would
survive, implying there was a chance she would, Lily knew she wanted to take
that chance.

She looked imploringly into the woman's eyes.
"Please," she said, "tell me when the Tribunal will be
held."

Star Dancer's smile faded. She let go of Lily's feet and
straightened up. "I'm still waiting for the sign."

     
 
"What is the sign?"

"Your advocate must come forward.”

Lily frowned. "My advocate?"

"I can say no more." She lowered to sit on the
edge of the platform. "But let me impart a parable."

Lily watched uneasily as Star Dancer's eyes began to glaze.
It reminded her uncomfortably of her meal with Tony on the train, and she was
unwilling to listen to a similar indictment from this woman she'd come to
admire so much.

"After White Wolf Woman returned to the Deer People as
Sienna Doe," Star Dancer began in a voice much deeper than her normal
tone, "she was greeted with fear and contempt.”

 
Even her own
children avoided her, and none spoke except to give curt orders. At first she
thought their cruelty would ease with time. But days passed, then weeks, then
finally months, and ever they treated her thusly. One afternoon, after being
chased away from her grazing by a pair of young bucks, she wandered into the
wild forest, sobbing from the pain of her loneliness.

"Oh, Great One," she cried through her tears,
"lift this censure from me and make me one of my people again." Quetzalcoatl
suddenly stood in front of her.

"Daughter," he said, "again I find you
full of sadness. Do you wish to return to the way of the wolf?"

"No, no. My heart desires acceptance from the Deer
People as I once had."

Before he spoke, Quetzalcoatl adjusted his crown, which
had fallen askew in his haste to aid Sienna Doe. "You have lived as Wolf
and Deer, Sienna Doe, which gives you a deep comprehension of my universe. As
Wolf you understood the nature of Deer. Now as Deer you understand the nature
of Wolf. Would you have me take that away?"

"Yes, if I would gain acceptance from my
relations."

"Alas, I cannot grant that." He gave her a look
of deep chagrin. "Some wishes are beyond my power. What has been learned
cannot be unlearned."

"But I shall die of loneliness, Great One."

"Endure, my learned daughter, endure. For if you do,
you shall become a bridge between predator and prey. And in the end all shall
revere you."

Then Quetzalcoatl vanished in the blink of Sienna Doe's
eyes. She didn't understand why, but she felt better, and she returned to the
grassy clearing with her head held high and began to feed.

This time none disturbed her grazing.

Star Dancer sat very still, her eyes still closed. White
Hawk looked at the floor reflectively, and Shala had curled up by Lily's side.
The story obviously had meaning to the three of them, but it had none for her.

She waited until Star Dancer opened her eyes. "I don't
understand. What does the story have to do with my advocate?"

"Absolutely nothing, Lily," she said, standing and
turning to White Hawk. "Finish tending the woman, if you will."

White Hawk returned the High Shaman's gaze, an enigmatic
expression on his face. Actually, Lily thought, he looked as confused as she
felt, a word she would never before have applied to him. Finally, he simply
nodded, and Star Dancer left the wickiup.

When she'd gone, White Hawk said to Shala, who was now
snuggled under Lily's arm. "You'll have time with Lily in the morning, but
you both need rest now."

"Can't I sleep here?"

White Hawk smiled. "Lily's scratched and bruised. You
would disturb her with your tossing and turning."

"Oh." Clearly reluctant, Shala disentangled
herself and got up and went behind one of the several reed screens that divided
the larger room. A moment later she reemerged, carrying a circular object
crisscrossed with webbing and decorated with colorful stones and feathers.

"A dream catcher," she said, presenting it to Lily
with a proud grin. "I made it for you after you told me you had
nightmares. Before–"

She knew what Shala had been about to say. No matter how
lovingly they treated her, the matter of Tajaya's death would always hang
between them. But Lily forced herself to smile in spite of this sobering
realization and took Shala's gift, running her fingers over the carefully
wrapped leather webbing and admiring the unique striations of the turquoise.

Her throat clutched again—it had been such an emotional
night. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"I'll hang it above her pallet," White Hawk said.
"Now will you go to bed, Shala?"

With a pleased grin, the girl disappeared behind the screen.

Still clutching the dream catcher, Lily listened to sounds
of clothing being shed, blankets rustling, the faint creaks of slats as Shala
settled down. She knew she was grinning like a fool, and White Hawk’s cryptic
stare made her uneasy.

"It was sweet of her," she said, feeling a sudden
need to explain her smile.

"Shala has a loving nature—Here, let me wrap your
feet." He sat on the pallet and applied soaked leaves. "Do not abuse
it."

"My foot?" Lily asked, knowing full well what he
meant.

Without answering, White Hawk picked up a roll of gauze, let
a length fall free, and sliced it with his knife. He sheathed the blade, then
picked up her foot and began deftly wrapping it.

"Don't abuse her loving nature."

"I'd never hurt her, White Hawk."

He finished with her foot and secured the loose end, taking
obvious care not to cause her further pain, then started on the other foot.
When he finished, he took the supplies back to the table, then returned with a
comb.

"I'm going to try to get the burrs out of your hair.
Sit up, if you will."

Lily had frequently heard the Dawn People add that phrase to
their requests and had assumed it was their version of "please," but
White Hawk had never shown her that respect before.

He was grateful, she thought, only grateful. And in his
gratitude he was probably trying to make up for his earlier treatment. So, as
he pulled the comb through her tangled hair, mindful not to tug too hard and
occasionally tossing a burr or twig in a basket, she simply allowed him to make
this small amends.

He paused suddenly. "I don't know why," he said
brusquely, "but I believe you."

Lily's breath caught. "About Shala?"

"Yes, about Shala."

He returned to tending her hair. When he finished, he told
her she'd do well to rest, then covered her with a blanket and went behind
another screen. As Lily snuggled deeper into the soft mattress, she thought of
how she'd accompanied White Hawk to the canyon only because she had no place
else to go and Sebastian was on her heels. Now, in one roller-coaster night,
everything had changed. A woman she admired had shown her both respect and
kindness. A child she loved, loved her in return.

And a man who once scorned her like a worthless beast was
treating her like a woman.

Lily woke up the next morning with a smile on her face.
She'd dreamed of cool meadows, laughing children, a strong and steady man
standing by her side looking at her with love. She opened her eyes and the
first thing she saw was sunlight reflecting off the crystals in the dream
catcher above her bed. White Hawk's last act before retiring had been to hang
it.

Still smiling, she stretched, luxuriating in the relaxing
aftermath of her night of sleep. She arched her back, wiggled her fingers,
wiggled her toes. It felt good to be alive.

Even her feet felt good, although they should be throbbing,
especially after the workout she'd just put her toes through.

So why weren’t they?

She sprang upright, not quite so happy anymore.

 
Bending, she began
unwinding the bandage on one foot. The gauze fell away, taking most of the
poultice with it. Flakes of the mud pack appeared on the bedclothes, and she
brushed them away fretfully, not wanting to look. Finally, the last speck of
mud disposed of, she gave a tentative glance at the unbandaged foot.

Her skin was pink and healthy. The punctures left by the
pine needle had vanished. Not a scratch or bruise remained. Lily touched her
face, searching for signs of the many scratches made by tree branches the
previous night. The skin was smooth, unbroken.

A sound rose from her belly as she ripped the gauze from the
other foot, already knowing what she'd find. It too was fully healed.

Dear God, she must have alchemized in her sleep! When she'd found
Tony in the forest and realized hair no longer covered her skin, she'd wanted
to believe that Sebastian's jerky, interrupted ceremony had failed. But the
only explanation for her instant healing was that it had succeeded. Clutching
the bloodstained gauze to her chest, she started rocking on the bed.

This can't be happening. Please, God, she begged, this can't
be happening. Not now. Now when–

"Are you okay, Lily?"

Startled, Lily dropped the bandages and spun her head to see
Shala frowning with worry in the open doorway. When Lily didn't answer right
away, the girl ran to her side. "What's wrong?" she asked fretfully.

Involuntarily, Lily's eyes moved to her bare feet.

"Oh, Lily!" Shala exclaimed. "Look. The
healing's worked already!" A proud smile lit up her face. "I'm not
supposed to brag, but Papa and Star Dancer are very powerful shamans."

"Of course! The healing!"

Shala wrinkled her nose. "What else did you think it
was, silly?"

Lily broke into peals of laughter. Finally Shala asked her
what was so funny.

Lily shook her head. "I don't know, sweetheart,"
she replied through ebbing bursts of chuckles. "My . . .
 
my mind's still foggy . . . from sleeping so
long." She looked out the open door. "What time is it?"

"The sun is in the middle sky, long past the morning
meal. Are you well enough to get up?"

"Yes. I'm very well." Another small chuckle
erupted. "You don't know how well. Although I would dearly love a trip to
the woman's pool."

"After we eat, if you will. We're having roasted
buffalo, and there's still some left at Kessa's fire. She's the best cook in
the village, so we must hurry before it's all gone."

"Buffalo?" Lily asked as she climbed off the
pallet. "I don't remember buffalo in the canyon."

"It came from–" Shala's eyes widened. "I'm
not supposed to tell."

"Tell what?" She suspected the information had
something to do with the bustling activity surrounding the canyon by the
pueblos.

"Papa will be angry." Shala bit her lower lip.
"But not anymore; I think." Taking a resolute breath, she blurted
out, "The warriors brought it back from Quakahla."

"Does this mean I'm finally going to learn what
Quakahla is?" Lily smiled as she asked, not really caring. She'd just
awoken from a living nightmare, and all other mysteries seemed mundane in
comparison.

Shala paused uncertainly, then squared her small shoulders.
"You're one of us now, and you should know. Quakahla is the true home of
the Dawn People. When the dark moon rises we will all return–" She whirled
around, obviously frustrated.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

Troubled blue eyes stared up at Lily. "I don't want to
go! I want to see the mechanical world, the moving pictures, and the Disney
lands. The great fish at the world by the sea. Maybe go to a Mall, except I
don't even know what that is."
 
She
gave out a little hiccup. "Won't you take me?”

"And leave your father?"

"Papa." Shala plopped down on the pallet.
"No, I can't leave Papa.”
 
Then,
forlornly, "I guess I never will see the mechanical world."

"You're not missing much, truly you aren't," Lily
assured her as she slipped on her sandals. She nodded at a pile on a nearby
chair. "How did my clothes get here?"

"I fetched them for you."

"You're so good to me."

Shala bounced off the pallet and gave Lily a fierce hug.
"I love you."

"Not as much as I love you." Lily could barely
keep the tremor of emotion from her voice.

"Oh yes I do, even more."

"Impossible." Lily gave the girl a kiss on the
forehead. "Now, about that buffalo. You think there will be any
left?"

"We'd better hurry."

Lily agreed and slipped behind a screen to change, then took
Shala's hand and walked with her toward the village center. As they approached
Kessa's hearth, she noticed a crowd gathering. Probably a council to discuss
the werewolf threat, Lily thought, having no expectations that their attitude
toward her would change as much as White Hawk and Shala's had.

But as they got nearer she saw everyone was staring at her.
She lifted her chin a notch higher, only half aware that her grip on Shala's
hand had tightened.

Suddenly a cheer filled the village. Arms upraised, fists
pumping, they began chanting, "Lily! Lily! Lily!"

Kessa was there, smiling and holding little Joey, surrounded
by her entire family. And the gossipy women from the bathing pool, the boy
Ravenheart had yelled at, Gerard
 
and his
brave grandson. Even old Frieda leaned on her cane, revealing her dark teeth
with a wide smile. The whole village had shown up, it seemed.