Out of the Mountain (16 page)

“Why didn’t you tell me he made you spy on me?” I complained, unsure of her intentions; my feelings were already hurt.

“Are you kidding? I didn’t spy on you, Vivi! I merely accepted a bargain on your behalf,” she whispered back and my frown deepened.

“What do you mean?”

“He found out about the party, not about the alcohol, just about the party, and he was planning to come keep watch over you. I told him that you wouldn’t want that; it would make you uncomfortable, and you should be free to enjoy your birthday however you wanted. He gave me the whistle and said to blow it if any trouble happened. How was I supposed to know all hell would break loose?” She pleaded with me to understand, and I did. Rowan was pushy.

“I suppose he’s already lit into you about the alcohol.” I grimaced, and she nodded.

“We all got a good speech that night.” She shuddered, and I laughed.

“I suppose that makes us even.” I stuck my tongue out at her.

“Are you kidding? If anything, now you owe me!” She bantered, throwing a cube of cheese at me. I laughed, trying to catch it in my mouth.

“Just let me in on it next time, OK?” I asked seriously, and she patted my arm.

“Will do.” She promised, and I believed her.

“So what are we supposed to do while we wait?” I asked, looking around the room. My eyes, as always, landing on Rowan.

“I think it is time our princess learns some magic,” he replied, and I threw my fist into the air.

“Yes!” I exclaimed, earning chuckles at my enthusiasm.

“Where would you like to start?” he asked, and I thought about it before answering.

“Someone teach me how to conjure,” I said before Farran appeared, startling me.

“How do you always do that?” I yelled, making him laugh.

“All will be revealed in time,” he sang, and I threw my sandwich at him.

***

Twenty minutes later, we were all gathered on the training field. I was nervous to see what I could do. I hadn’t been brave enough to try anything, but I had felt my magic surging. Farran approached me with a smile.

“Conjuring magic, though it sounds easy in theory, is actually quite complicated.” He started pacing, hands behind his back, and I suppressed a groan at what I imagined was going to be a long speech.

“My brothers and I were the first known mixing of royal bloodlines. We all inherited every power that was passed down, but to different degrees. As we grew, we also seemed to develop unique gifts that were never seen before . . .” That would explain his disappearing act, I guess.

“None of our unique talents were the same, and at first were very unpredictable. I won’t share all our secrets so publicly, but maybe later I’ll show you a few things,” he said, winking at me, and I was happy to be allowed in on family secrets.

“Now beyond your father’s mixed royal blood, there was your mother, who was a powerful healer, the likes of whom hasn’t been seen in many years. This gives you an unknown element, and I honestly can’t tell you how it will manifest itself. If I’m being straightforward, I have no way of knowing what your powers will become or how to go about teaching you how to use them.”

“You dragged me all the way out here to tell me that?” My hands flew to my face in frustration. How am I supposed to learn if no one can teach me?

“No, I brought you out here so I could do this.” He grabbed my head, pushing his thumbs against my temples. A shock went through me, and my eyes closed as I felt his power join with mine and pull my tigress to the surface. I screamed in pain, and he abruptly moved away.

“It is odd . . . but it’s almost as if I can sense the separation of your magic and mind. Most Shuni would grow up with the instincts of their animal already ingrained into them. The two intertwine into one being, but you have grown with no knowledge of your abilities. I would guess that you’re just going to have to give it time, learn as your powers present themselves . . .”

“You’re kidding me, right?” I growled, and he shrugged.

“I also imagine you’re going to have to learn to control the tigress’s swift temper. She’s in your eyes right now, Vivi.” He grinned, but I already knew because I could feel her.

“You blocked my magic so I couldn’t learn to wield it properly, and now after you removed the block, you tell me I cannot be taught to wield it at all?” I began pacing. How was I supposed to help anyone if I couldn’t learn anything? He was smiling at me, and I wanted to punch him.

“Hey, you’re a princess with immeasurable power . . . sorry you can’t use any of it! Also you have a murderous uncle who is out to destroy the world. Nothing you can do about that either. Just sit locked up in the palace and watch like a good little girl until you accidently set something on fire or conjure a cool outfit!” I imitated Farran’s voice as best as I could. I could tell he wasn’t impressed.

“You must understand that I did what I had to in order to protect you.”

“How does leaving me locked in a mountain, ignorant and defenseless with twelve old men, equate to protecting me, Farran?”

“I hardly think you believe they are simply twelve old men, and we all know you’re not defenseless. Stop being so dramatic.” He snorted, eyes alight. Anger lit hot in my belly. He wasn’t taking me seriously. Why didn’t anyone ever take me seriously? I felt my hackles rise.

I watched as Rowan moved toward Farran, and I glared at him. He was going to take Farran’s side over mine?

“You need to calm yourself.” Rowan intoned, and an animal growl escaped my mouth. This time I let it fuel me.

“You all want something from me, expect me to be someone I can’t be. I knew nothing of this before I came here. Kept in the dark and hidden away, always the odd one out. When I am finally old enough to have my own life, I’m taken from one prison and thrown into another!” My chest was rising and falling rapidly. My body began to ache.

“Everyone, go,” Farran said quickly to the novices. and I turned on him.

“You want to take them from me?” I snarled angrily when they started to comply. My friends were the only good thing that had happened to me since I left that mountain. There was a little voice in my head telling me that this wasn’t right, that I wasn’t thinking rationally, but I couldn’t hear it over my own snarling. I heard their breathing quicken and felt their fear as I turned on them. I liked that fear. Silas shifted in front of Adelaide when my eyes stopped on her.

“Vivienne.” I heard Rowan growl as he moved, blocking my line of vision. I could feel the pressure in my chest building. My breathing sped even faster as I faced Rowan down, not sure if I wanted to flee or fight.

“Here, kitty, kitty.” I heard Farran laugh, and when I turned on him, he ran . . . bad decision. My muscles sprang forward, and I jumped for him, body erupting in pain that split from head to toe before I fell to the ground and landed on four paws.

Disoriented, I looked down at my white fur and dark stripes. My senses were bombarded all at once. Sight, smell, sound . . .it was all brighter, louder, overwhelming. I blinked, shaking my head as I did so. I felt so off balance. Right before my eyes, Farran shifted into a beautiful orange-and-black tiger, his body growing and shifting within an instant. He stood a head taller than me; his blue eyes shined bright, and he was magnificent.

“Hey, pretty kitty,”
I heard in my mind and stiffened.

“Did you just . . .”

“Talk in your mind? Yes . . . it’s something Shuni can do,”
Farran replied as he pounced on top of me, big body knocking me to the ground.

“Hey, ow!”
I complained, swatting his nose with my paw, and he hissed comically. Don’t ask me how he managed that. It was Farran, after all. I attempted to relax and let instincts figure out how to manage going from two legs to four. I tried to roll him over, but his tiger was smarter than me and leveraged my weight until I was on my back and pinned under him again. I pushed him with my back legs and nipped his ear, surprised when blood filled my mouth, and he roared in shock before he was knocked off me and onto the ground by a huge lion.

“Sorry, sorry!”
I told Farran.
“I didn’t realize how sharp the fangs are,”
I continued, bumping Rowan aside to lick Farran’s ear on instinct.

“Eww, why did I do that?”
I complained, shaking my head, and then watched in awe as the wound on his ear closed up.

“Feels better already,”
Farran said, and I turned to look at Rowan.

“Did you see that?”
I asked him excitedly, and he jumped back from me startled.

“What? What happened?”
I asked, and he looked at Farran.

“How are you speaking into my mind?”
he asked, and his voice in my mind was enough to make me purr. The noise came out a much deeper, broken sound than I had expected, but the point was the same.

“What do you mean? Farran said it was something we could do
,
”
I replied, turning back to Farran and rubbing my jaw to his affectionately. It felt comforting; my tigress was so happy to be out. I could feel her instincts warring with mine for control.

“That is sweet, Vivi, but I think you’re making Rowan jealous, even if you are my niece. Lions are the more cuddly species.”
I heard Farran’s laugh in my mind even as I heard Rowan rumble low in his chest.

I loped over to Rowan and stopped in front of him. His lion was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. His mane was full and robust, eyes big and bright yellow. I rubbed my jaw against him and he returned the gesture timidly. I heard a whistle and turned to our captive audience.

I had completely forgotten. I ran toward them and stopped in front of Briony. I was tall enough to meet her eye to eye. I rubbed my jaw against her too, and she laughed. I fought the urge to wrap my paws around her and pull her to the ground playfully. My tigress didn’t know its own strength, so I made sure to sit perfectly still instead. There was a collective release of breath and everyone relaxed.

“So absolutely beautiful,” Luca said as I turned to him. He reached out to touch my face, and I leaned into his palm. He smiled openly as I leaned forward and touched my nose to his. I was reveling in the freedom of my tigress. It felt like a barrier had been broken. I noticed Farran and Rowan were back in human form now that they were certain I wasn’t going to eat anyone.

“How do I change back?”
I sent the thought to Rowan, and his eyes widened.

“She is sending me thoughts,” he said out loud, and everyone’s jaw dropped.

“While you’re human as well?” Farran asked in disbelief.

“How else am I supposed to communicate?”
I sent the thought to Farran, and he didn’t respond.

“Hey, why can’t Farran hear me anymore?”
I asked Rowan.

“She wishes to know why you can no longer hear her,” he said to Farran, voice wary.

“Our family bond allows us to communicate while we are in our tiger forms only,” he said, eyes sad.

“Ask him why you can hear me.”

“No,” he said, and I hissed at him, literally. He glared at me in return.

“She wants to know why I can still hear her.”

“I’m working on a few theories.” Farran puzzled.

“She doesn’t know how to change back.” Rowan chuckled, and I swatted a paw in his direction.

“You just will your own form to return,” Farran said as if it were simple.

“If I could control my magic that well, we wouldn’t be in this position,”
I growled to Rowan and concern filled his eyes.

“Try it,” he said, and I did. I pictured myself back in my own body, visualized it, wished for it, and willed it . . . nothing. I started pacing, panic setting in.

“She can’t regain her form.” Rowan frowned and everyone else followed suit.

“It is possible her tiger needs more time to assert itself. It has been cooped up for far too long,” Silas said thoughtfully.

“I didn’t think of that, but you could be right. I suppose all we can do is wait and see . . .” Farran frowned.

“So the two of them are related?” Adelaide remarked, gesturing between me and Rowan.

“
What?!”
I practically roared.

“No. We are most definitely not.” Rowan frowned at me. I breathed deeply but started pacing again. My tigress was restless.

“You must be if you can share thoughts,” Adelaide said.

“He is blood-bound to her,” Farran said as if it was an obvious explanation.

“I would prefer to keep some things unknown to the public as well, Prince,” Rowan snapped, and Farran shrugged in response.

“What does that mean?”
I asked Rowan, and he ignored me.

“How is that possible if they only just met weeks ago?” Malachi asked.

“It is of no concern to you all, but as a child I took a blood oath to serve and protect the princess. King Killian had Queen Isadora make . . . adjustments to ensure its success.”

“He made you swear a blood oath as a child?” Tamora balked.

“The king made me do nothing. I volunteered. It was the highest honor to receive.”

“But as a child you wouldn’t have understood fully what you were agreeing to.” There was a moment of silence in which Farran and Rowan exchanged looks.

“I knew full well what I was agreeing to. That is the end of this discussion.” He growled to make his point.

“What does that mean?”
I asked him again.

“We will speak of it at a later time.”

I tried for a mental sigh, and his look told me it had went through loud and clear. The others dropped the topic, but I could tell more questions were arising behind their eyes. I had known that he had sworn a blood oath, but not that there was a difference in his.

It seemed with every answer I received, another question arose. My tigress was restless and frustrated. I turned away from the group and ran, needing to let off some steam. I tested my agility, trying to adjust to being on four legs instead of two. Inspiration hit as I began to sweat, and I dashed across the field heading for the road. I heard shouts of protest, but I didn’t stop to listen. I dashed through the streets and people gawked as I passed. It was odd to see a Shuni in the streets, mainly because it depleted their power after so long. In case of an emergency, magic was used sparingly. I was stuck this way for now, but people didn’t have to know that. Let them think it was because I had power to waste.