The Fallen One (Sons of the Dark Mother, Book One) (49 page)

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Authors: Lenore Wolfe

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BOOK: The Fallen One (Sons of the Dark Mother, Book One)

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There, not two-feet away,
stood an old woman.

“
Wha-at?” she said, trying
to see around her.

The cat was not
there.

She turned, swinging this
way like a crazed thing, bobbing; then that, trying to locate the
cat. The old woman watched her, skin crinkling around wizened, old
eyes in what appeared to her as patient amusement.

Without looking, Mira
picked up the phone and went to press the call button when the old
woman’s words stopped her.

“
Dear, I wouldn’t do
that,” she said, not unkindly. “I mean, what are you going to say?
‘Officer there is a large jungle cat outside my
place.’?”

Mira had turned for another
glance down the street when something about the hag snared her
attention. She stopped now, staring at the old woman’s eyes. She
knew she was staring, and rudely so, but couldn’t help herself.
Nothing about tonight made sense. She looked down at her phone, not
seeing anything, her ears buzzing. Somewhere out in the city a horn
blared.

The crone actually smiled.
Mira didn’t have to look to know she was smiling. She could hear it
in her words.

“
Actually, it would be
quite amusing,” she said, drawing Mira’s attention back to her
wrinkled hands, folded in front of her long, black dress. The dress
itself, falling in folds of black and silver, was interlaced with
what looked like—black fur. “Ma’am, did you say, jungle cat?” she
mimed. “Yes, are you deaf?” She smiled again at her own joke.
“Ma’am have you had something to drink?” She laughed.

No; Mira was sure it was
more of a cackle.

Mira glared at her,
shutting the phone with a snap, feeling coming back into her limbs
as anger coursed its way through her. She took one more look down
the street, before she met the crone’s gaze.

The woman’s eyes were as
yellow and metallic as the cat’s. She’d swear that, for a moment,
they’d been the
same
shape
. Black hair with two large, silver
streaks fell down the crone’s back. Black fur like that interlaced
into the dress, the same midnight color of the jaguar, lay twined
into her hair.

“
Who are you?” Mira
demanded, the last dregs of her fear giving way to anger, relishing
the feeling. It gave her back her control. “You frightened me half
to death. Or rather…,” she gestured with an erratic jerk in the
direction behind the hag, where the cat had stood. No words could
explain what she needed to say. Not giving the old woman a chance
to speak, even if she’d intended to—which she appeared in no hurry
to do—Mira finally blurted out, “
Where is
that cat,
Old Woman?” She realized she had
yelled the question, but that couldn’t be helped. She was certain
she was about to do a lot more than yell.

The old crone
smiled.

Mira frowned. Something
about this woman was strange. One moment she appeared old; and in
the next—she seemed years younger. She wrestled for several long
seconds with a crazy thought. No, she was not going to pile
that thought
onto the
already bizarre things she’d witnessed this night. She tried to
block it out—and failed. “Who are you?” she demanded
again.

“
So many questions,
child.” The old woman smiled at her. “I see…”

Mira cut her off. The
crone’s amusement was too much, coupled with the other strange
occurrences. “You see! What do you see? That you have frightened me
half to death? Or that I am, incomprehensibly, about to accuse you
of being a cat! So that now, not only am I seeing things,
I’m going crazy.
And to
top it all off, I’m doing something I find reprehensible—I’m
yelling like a banshee at an old woman.” Mira knew with every word
that she was back to panicking, and a panicked state was never a
good state. But somewhere—between being angry with the hag and
voicing the impossibility that she’d
seen
a large jungle cat,
more-or-less accused the old woman of
being
that jungle cat, she’d stopped
caring that she was not making sense.

The old woman stepped
forward and put a hand on Mira’s arm. “Calm yourself,
child.”

Mira found the gesture
strangely comforting, the fear and panic melting away, giving way
to an odd feeling of familiarity.

The crone’s gaze narrowed
on her. “I needed to know how
well
you see. You have advanced nicely. You saw the
cat because of this.”

Mira frowned. “You still
have not told me
who you are!”

“
My name is Amar. I am of
the Jaguar People. I have brought you a message.” She slipped her
hand into her pocket and brought out a disk: an ancient-looking
medallion. “And this…”

Mira reached out and
accepted the disk. It felt cool beneath her fingers. She stood,
tracing the ancient symbol. She had known this symbol
before.

The old woman nodded as if
she somehow approved.

Mira looked up at her. “I
don’t understand.”

The woman turned to go. She
turned back as if she had a thought. Looking at Mira, she pointed
to the west. “You must go to a place that is a mile high, and so
wide you cannot see the end from the tallest building
there.”

Mira frowned at her. “Are
you talking about Denver? Speak plainly, old woman! I
mean—Amar.”

“
Four await you there.
They will help you find the answers you seek.”

“
I don’t remember telling
you I was seeking any answers.”

The old woman only smiled,
as though she held some hidden secret. It irritated Mira. She
looked back down at the medallion, so cool in her palm. And when
she looked up—the crone was gone.

Lenora grew up in Montana and
Alaska, and currently lives in the central US. She is a member of
Romance Writers of America, holds a BA in Sociology from the
University of Northern Colorado, with a minor in writing, and is a
student of the Shaman path. She is a wife, living her dreams, with
her husband, as a writer. She is also the mother of four grown
children.

Best selling author, Lenore
Wolfe’s best seller,
Dark Warrior: To Tame
a Wild Hawk

“
It was emotional,
beautiful, and even suspenseful. A fabulous read!”

By Christie Snow on
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords and Goodreads

“
This beautifully written
story draws you in from the prologue and the details of the story
makes you feel like you’re right there with them.”

Mary Ting, author of
Crossroads, on Goodreads

“
This author has something
to give to the genre. Maybe its just the books I have been reading
but... boy was this a welcome read... its a story that you would
enjoy someone reading to you because it is full of life,
imagination, and a newness I have come across in at least 150
books.”

By Sydjulia22 (La Mirada,
CA, US) on Amazon

“This was a fast, action
packed read with well-developed characters. While the plot was one
of twists and turns, it was the characters and beautiful writing
that kept me glued to the page. I know this is one book I'll read
again!”

By JDS, author of the
series, Ancient Legends, (London, UK) on Amazon

As J_Scott on Barnes and
Nobel

And Jayde Scott on
Smashwords and Goodreads

“
I loved the weaving of
romance, mystery, and intense spiritual belief that comes out of
the pages. A great western romance, with a twist that pierces your
heart. Amanda and Hawk are a couple you want to root for, though at
times you want to shake one of them and say wake up, look right in
front of you.”

Miranda Wyattmills on
Goodreads and Smashwords

“
This
book was wonderful and haunts you because of the love, role of
family and the spirituality associated with the
symbol
of the hawk.
I loved
it!!”

Readin and Chillin on
Smashwords

“
Compelling story line...
lovely characters... just enough romance and conflict to satisfy.
As a newer kindle fire owner this is just the kind of free reading
I am wanting and expecting... a great story and well
done.”

By Barb Dimeler on
Amazon

“
This is a great book, and
a good author. I will definitely download the author's books again
to my kindle.”

PS (San Francisco, CA, US)
on Amazon

“
Great book with a great
take on the nature of the Native American and how they lived. loved
the story of Mandy and hawk and hope to read more about them in the
future.”

Pepper Ann on Barnes and
Nobel

“
Loved it! Hawk and
Mandy's story kept me glued and I couldn't put it down. Very good
read!”

Anonymous on Barnes and
Noble

“
Excellent.
Great storyline, great characters, great
ending.”

Anonymous on Barnes and
Noble

YA Paranormal Fantasy by
Lenore Wolfe

FIRE SPRITE

Realm of the Elemental
Witch Series
Book One

To be released
May 29,2012

YA Paranormal
Fantasy

WATER SPRITE

Realm of the Elemental
Witch Series
Book Two

To be released September 27,
2012

YA Paranormal
Fantasy

AIR SPRITE

Realm of the Elemental
Witch Series
Book Three

To be released October 15,
2012

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Fantasy

EARTH SPRITE

Realm of the Elemental
Witch
Book Four

To be released A October 31,
2012

YA Paranormal
Fantasy

THE TRIQUETRA
DOORWAY

Realm of the Jaguar Witch
Series
Book One

To be released
June 28, 2012

YA Paranormal
Romance

WITCH OF THE
JAGUAR

Realm of the Jaguar Witch
Series
Book Two

To be released
December 30, 2012

YA Paranormal
Romance

Historical Romance by
Lenore Wolfe

DARK WARRIOR: TO TAME A WILD
HAWK

Dark Cloth Series
Book One

Released February
2011