Don't Call Me Kitten! (20 page)

The smaller of
the Asian men stepped forward to offer his hand. “Hi, I’m Doc.
We’re just waiting on two others to join us.”

The sound of
an approaching motorbike confirmed his statement. A tall, blond
helmetless woman brought a huge bright orange bike to a stop within
the centre of the group. A man of power stepped off from behind
her. Yaguar recognised the man as a powerful mage. Lightning white
light infused with violet and gold surrounded him. Yaguar averted
his eyes.

The man came
straight towards him, reaching out to lay a hand on top of the
crown of his head. Light and power washed through him. He wobbled
for a moment and then stared straight into the piercing grey eyes
of the man who had just touched him. He could see him clearly now.
“Thank you.”

“Yeah, sorry
about that. I’ve been up with the Shang. It’s harder to keep my
energy on the this plane when I’m around them. Their chants tend to
raise the vibrational frequency of anything around them.”

Yaguar felt
less swamped by the mage’s aura. “So you’ve wound it back
down?”

“No, I tweaked
yours up. You’re the only unaltered human I should have to deal
with today. I need to maintain my current level for what’s ahead of
us. Lead the way.”

After hiding
Helena’s bike, as much as it was possible to hide something that
color, they made their way up a narrow twisting trail through the
jungle. Half an hour later they climbed the steep descent to
Yaguar’s cliff overhang, to the entrance to the cave behind.

“He’s down
this way. Mind the rocks. They get slippery with an algal slime
that grows near the entrance. Once we’re further in it gets
dryer.”

They followed
in Yaguar’s steps as the cave tunnel continued to narrow. Helena
wasn’t enjoying the cave experience much. She had no plans of
making a hobby out of caving. Taller than the even Thex she was
starting to get a crick in her back from bending over as she tried
not to bash her skull on the ceiling above. They finally reached a
small hole. “You’ve got to be joking. I can’t fit through
there.”

“You might
just have to pull your boobs in a bit.” Arion joked.

Helena didn’t
particularly see the joke. “What’s on the other side Yaguar?”

“A large
cavern. It’s not totally dark. There’s a little bit of light that
comes through a fissure. There’ll be room for all of us once we’re
through.”

“Well in that
case...” She disappeared, teleporting herself to the chamber
beyond.

Yaguar just
shook his head as the others followed suit. “Well I suppose that’s
one way.” He crouched down and wriggled through the hole to join
them.

Helena stood
before the giant crystal who was Zex, trying to get her mind to
encompass what it must be like for him. Trapped like that for so
long. Only learning in the last blip of that time how to astral
travel and experience any kind of freedom. “How did your people
first find him Yaguar?”

“His spirit
called to us. In the records of our astronomers and astrologers it
is written that even before the condor first appeared the crystal’s
presence guarded our tribe. We’ve simply returned the favor. The
job of guarding it always falls to the shaman of my people. Can you
help him?”

“That’s the
question isn’t it? How am I supposed to do this Simon?”

“Well usually
there’s a mating ritual and a sacrifice. A human who has progressed
far in developing their compassion offers their heart’s blood to
the earth goddess.”

“I’m not that
compassionate Simon.”

Simon sighed.
“No, not yet. You have yet to fully heal from the negativity you
carried and even when you do I think your strengths will be other.
That is why I took you to the Shang. On a conscious level you may
not be aware of it but you learnt all you need there. We don’t have
a lot of time. I can talk you through it if you are willing.”

Helena knew
Simon was trying to avoid telling her what to do. He seemed wary
that her dislike of men having power over her might still be in
effect. Yet turning within she found only peace. “It’s okay Simon.
Tell me what to do.”

Simon smiled,
as if greatly relieved and pleased. “Place your right hand over his
heart. Here.” He indicated a place on the stone that looked no
different to any other. “The crystal in your ring will amplify the
power you need to tap and your hand will transmit it to him. You
just need to find the right sound frequency to activate the ring.
Close your eyes and visualise an electric blue field of energy
around you. Let it seep into you, through the pores of your skin,
around every cell of your being, entering into those cells. You are
that light. Holding that image open your throat to the urge you are
now feeling to intone a sound from within the depths of your
soul.”

A high pitched
sound filled Helena’s ears as she opened herself to the light. An
impulse rising from below her belly button rose through her,
touching her courage and her heart. It streamed to her throat and
she let it out. A great resounding Aum that filled the chamber of
the cave with its vibration. The vibration became her being. With
what little awareness she had left of her own body she felt her
hand throb and warm, energy streaming out through a point in the
middle of her palm. The cold stone beneath her touch warmed until
it was as hot as her hand. Then suddenly it was flesh. Shocked by
the change Helena’s eyes sprung open. There before her was the
beautiful man of her dream. Thex caught him and lowered him as he
groaned and collapsed to the ground.

Simon looked
to be in a hurry. “Good, now that’s done we’d best be gone. Helena,
would you mind staying here with Zex until he recovers.
Kit...?”

“Yes I’ll stay
too.”

“Yaguar, once
Zex has recovered go to your tribe. They have need of you but all
is not lost. I’ll send more help.”

Yaguar bowed
in acknowledgement. “Thank you once again.” He still couldn’t get
over their disappearing act as they quickly vanished from his
sight. Kit tapped him on the shoulder to bring him back to himself.
“I think perhaps we should give these two a moment. Don’t suppose
you’ve got anything to drink in the cave shelter of yours? I could
do with a cuppa while we wait.”

Yaguar thought
of what he might offer his guest. “I could heat us up some mate de
coca. It’s the drink in these parts. The people in the higher
plains have a particular liking for it because it helps with
altitude sickness. It’s slightly bitter. Mildly stimulating but no
worse than tea or coffee. I am told it’s not dissimilar to
something called green tea.”

Kit hadn’t had
a decent cup of tea since leaving Japan. “Sound perfect. Shall
we?”

Everything had
happened too fast for Helena to take it all in yet. She opted
instead for cradling the head of the man who lay against her lap,
gently stroking his brow. “Come on Zex. Come back to me.”

“You want me”,
he murmured.

“No” she lied,
“I want to finish our conversation from before. You never told me
why you thought the idea I had was important.” Helena really did
want him but she wasn’t ready to admit it. She prefered to keep him
at bay for a bit. She worried when she felt a rumble in his chest.
“You alright?”

“Just trying
to contain a laugh. You know I can read your thoughts and emotions
don’t you?”

“Bloody hell?”
Swearing in Russian but that was the gist of it. She extracted
herself from beneath him and stood up, moving to the other side of
the chamber. “Look Zex. What we did the other day in the dream.
That was fun but don’t start getting ideas already. I’m not looking
to be your possession.”

Zex slowly
stood. His feet feeling the solid ground beneath him. All-spirit
he’d missed that. That and breathing. He leisurely strolled over to
where Helena watched him like a rabbit watching a fox. Or maybe a
lioness looking to swat a male she didn’t want claiming her. “I
don’t want you as my possession Helena. It is not the way of the
Malakim. I simply want to be with you. To enjoy your companionship.
To share your heart and soul. Oh, and your body.”

“Such a way
with words.”

“I prefer to
speak plainly Helena. I might be a diplomat but I’ll leave the
weasel words to the politicians.”

“A
diplomat?”

“A peace
maker, a troubleshooter of sorts. They send me into the war zones
around the galaxy to try and get opposing sides talking. I told you
a little of this before. Do you remember from your dream?”

“Oh I remember
everything. As clear as day.” She blushed. “But that was a dream
and now here you are, flesh and blood.”

“Helena”, he
chided. “I know you are not a coward. Anything but. You know we
have a connection. I will never try to put your heart in some
prison, requiring you to only love me. That’s just plain silly. It
is a folly promoted by men who fear their mortality and who think
their only chance of a legacy is to have a son of the blood and an
inheritance to pass onto them. It’s a philosophy that also suited
the Din who promoted the idea that marriage was only between one
man and one woman and that sex was only to provide the next
generation of slave workers. Sex is a sacred act. Love is the
heartbeat of the universe. Love as much as you can, in as many ways
as you can, wherever your heart directs you. I’ll be there, right
alongside you.”

It almost
sounded tempting. Like she would be a spirit he would never try to
cage. “What about if I want things you may not want to give
me.”

“Like what
your friend Kit can do for you? Helena I only want your happiness.
I will never stand in the way of you getting what you need. As I
hope you would never stand in mine. I would only ask that you
explore some of your lifestyle with me as well. I’m intrigued by
what I’ve seen of your life.”

Helena relaxed
a little, not fully but a little. “Okay then. Let’s see where this
goes but for now let’s go and help Yaguar’s people. It sounds like
they’re in some kind of trouble.”

“They are but
first things first.” He finished stalking up to his prey. He held
his arms wide offering embrace but not forcing his will on her. He
would never do that. She sighed and stepped into his arms then
lowered her mouth to his. What started as a tentative exploration
quickly became plunder.

Zex was the
one to finally pull away. “You’re right. We must go save Yaguar’s
people. Then I’m mating you. If you’ll have me?”

In their minds
and souls they might know where this was heading but Helena wanted
to hold on to her options. “I’ll think about it.”

Zex’s eyes
sparkled with some hidden knowledge. “Let’s go see if Yaguar’s
still got any tea in his pot. Then we’ll head out and meet his
people.

Yaguar led
them down another trail, this one ending at a small group of huts.
Women in what looked like black bowler hats and brightly coloured
clothes were sorting baskets of produce, hanging clothes to dry,
stirring pots of stew. Some children chased after a few stray
llamas, trying to ride their backs. Old men sat in the shade,
talking and watching. The younger men were nowhere to be seen. An
old wizened woman hobbled out on a walking stick to greet Yaguar as
he came down the trail. “Thank Inti, the sun god, you are back.
Those mining folk were here. They came for the young men, to take
them away to work but they hid in the forest as the outsiders came.
The miners say they will be back tomorrow to bulldoze the town.
We’ll be moved into some shanty town they’ve set up on the edge of
Potosi. What are we to do Yaguar?” She looked warily at the
strangers. “Who are these people?”

“Abuela. I’d
like you to meet Zex. He is the ancient spirit of the condor who
has watched over us and guided us through the centuries. This is
his mate Helena and her friend Kit.”

Grandma looked
over the trio, making no attempt to conceal her scepticism. “Are
you sure? Two of them look like rich americans and one is asian.
How do we know they’re not with the miners?”

Zex had long
ago learned their language. “Maybe a small demonstration is
needed.” He found a reasonably comfortable piece of ground and lay
down, closing his eyes.

Grandma eyed
the stranger curiously. “Why is he lying in the dirt?”

“Shush abuela,
watch!”

A faint shadow
seemed to coalesce, hovering over the body of Zex. Slowly it took
shape, the shape of a great bird. The condor took flight, winging
its way up on an updraft. It flew in a great arc, surveying its
domain and the location of everything in it, intruders included.
Sweeping back down it shimmered back into a formless shadow that
hovered back over Zex’s body and disappeared. Zex came out of his
trance. Standing, he shook the dust from his back. “They’ve left
their dozers not far from here. There’s only a few guards watching
them. It looks like the majority of the miners have left for the
day.”

Kit looked
thoughtful. “I could take the guards on the dozers out and help the
town set some traps for tomorrow. A bit of guerilla warfare. They
wouldn’t expect it, wouldn’t see it coming.”

Zex shook his
head. “Even if we avoided a bloodbath they’d just keep coming. If
not tomorrow then next week, next year. As long as the minerals are
here they will want them.”

Kit didn’t
look convinced. “What then?”

“I think my
mate has the answer. Helena, could you call your fairy friends to
you. I plan to put your good idea in motion if they are
willing.”

Her curiosity
piqued. Helena wished she could already read Zex’s mind but Anya
had said it would take some practise. Time for that later. She
retrieved her birch pendant from under her blouse, closed her eyes
and called. She opened them again expecting to see Eadaoin but
instead a man appeared. As much as you could call any fairy by
gender.