I scraped the boulder with the gold nugget I wore, to give me a way to home in on this location, and folded the blanket for a seat before sitting on the rounded stone. Cold stone can freeze a bare bottom fast. I put the backpack on around my neck and adjusted it to Beast-size, closed my eyes and breathed in, held it, and let it out, slowly. Again. And again. Tension I hadn’t known was there flowed from me like the rain. I relaxed and stretched my shoulders. The fetish necklace in my hands was comforting, a known in the midst of the unknowns of this job. I slowed my heart rate, breathing, letting my mind calm. And I thought of Beast.
Jane was gone. I lay still, smelling, listening. Water from sky, water running on ground, water falling from leaves was scent/see/taste/feel-on-skin. Scent of roebuck, skunk, lizards, and snake was strong. Mice and rats lived in ruined man house. Many-more-than-five birds and squirrels, smelling wet and cold, in tree-nests, asleep. Tasty but hard to catch. One mouthful crunch. Not worth the hunt. Twitched ear tabs. Heard waddling pads of raccoon moving down the mountain. Smell of man nearby, the stinky breath of cars always on air, old smoke, sour wood, and rot from man-den. Beast-sight made everything clearer, brighter, sharper than Jane eyes. Mountain curved on both sides, into trees. Saw house far off, lights dim and flickering, like TV pictures. Saw car moving on distant road. Heard trucks far away.
I rose from rock and stretched, pulling at muscles, stretching out chest and spine and along legs. I picked up necklace and blanket in mouth and padded back to car. Ugly car. Liked Bitsa, bike with roaring voice and nose in wind. Hunger pulled at stomach. Ache of hunger times, like claws. Jane woke up, deep inside.
Crap. I forgot to get the steaks out of the car.
I chuffed, cat laughter. Set necklace and blanket on ground and braced on side of car. Curled out claws. Opened door. Good hunter. Will eat cold dead cow and then hunt for wolves. Eat deer or rabbit if I find them.
Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle. When did you learn how to do that?
Beast is smart. Drew down flesh above eyes, thinking. Jane does not have monkey necklace. Jane laughed. I did not know why. I set necklace and blanket on seat and jumped inside. Took cow package in teeth and jumped out. Tore through plastic and ate cold dead cow, taste old and watery. Wanted to hunt and eat live cow, fresh blood and hot meat, sound of cow cries, in pain and fear.
You are not hunting cows. They belong to people.
Raised lip to show killing teeth. Beast is not owned. Even by Jane. She was silent.
Sat beside car and finished meat, cleaned paws and face with long tongue, raspy and coarse, pulling blood and meat bits off of jaws and paws. Stomach satisfied, I stood and closed car door. I moved down mountain, smelling for wolf.
Moon was high and small, bright against cloudy sky. Rain fell in spats. Man lights were few here, many stars filling black spaces of night. Trees were covered in moss, dark and green and silver in Beast-sight, leaves rustling with breath of earth. I jumped over small streams. Saw trout in one, sleeping under rock. Trout tasty. But water was cold. Heard animals move, sounds Jane could not hear in Jane-form, could not see in Jane-form. Jane was slower than Beast, yet Jane had killed many wolf. Jane was good hunter with man gun and man claws of steel. The I/we of Beast was better than Jane or big-cat alone. Good hunter. Threw back head and screamed challenge into night. Beast is here. This is Beast’s territory. Raced down hill. Found wolf scent on cool breeze. Wolf smell was fresh. I set nose to earth and sniffed, long scree of scent-taking. Beast brain not good for nose-to-ground-hunting. Beast brain not like dog brain, not like bloodhound Jane had once been. But Beast could hunt this way if hungry. Had learned in hunger times. Had lived when other cats had died. Nose to ground, I started to run.
Found wolf scent on road. Found wolf-kill of big buck. Old blood, old flesh. Ate from old kill, claiming it. Beast’s kill now. Licking muzzle clean, followed wolf scent again. Long time passed.
I/we smelled Molly. Smelled Angelina.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Molly Can Kill Cow?
Raised head to sky and screamed, this time in warning. Mine. Mine, mine, mine. Kill wolves who hunt Molly’s den. Sound of territory-claim echoed through hills. Raced ahead of scent, to yard with trees and flowers, house in middle of grass sparkling with witch wards. Blue wards, bright with light, covered house. Molly and Angelina-kit and Little Evan-kit were safe inside. House was dark. Molly would not see Beast. But she would know our scream. Know we were here to protect.
Padded silently around Molly’s house, outside of wards, magic tickling on pelt and whiskers. All were safe. Molly was good mother of kits. Evan was good protector. Evan made Jane claw of steel, favorite vampire knife. I spun and raced after wolves. Will kill.
By the time dawn turned sky gray and chased away small stars, I had hunted all night. Followed wolves far. Ate from old deer kills. I had chased wolves to Molly’s witch sisters, little houses warded by blue lights and purple lights, some smelling like pumpkin or melon or stinky herb, each sister’s magic different in color and scent. Hunted wolves downhill to river and along creek. It was full, roaring with water-voice, claiming place in creek bottom. It ran fast, splashing cold on pelt. Rain- and mud-smell were everywhere. Smell of grindylow was strong in creek, but was different here in mountains. Better. Not dead-fish stink, but fresh-fish stink. Grindy had marked rocks and trees with claws.
Smelled Evangelina. Leaped to big rock in middle of creek and saw big house on hill above creek. It was Evangelina’s den. Stacked den rooms, three stories high. Many-more-than-five pointed tops above many windows and many colors of blue and green paint. Gables and dormers, Jane murmured. An old gingerbread-style house. The Everhart family home, maybe? Wolf-stink was strong here, but ward was up, bright and burning Beast-nose like sting of bee. It should keep out the wolves, Jane thought. I crouched, watching, listening.
Many-more-than-five kinds of flowers and stinky herbs grew on hill. Many trees with hard nuts. Vegetable garden with yellow squash and pumpkin and other plants Jane might eat. Beast would not eat. Beast was hunter. Did not smell catnip. Liked catnip herb. Ward around Evangelina’s house went off. I sniffed. Magic still in air, stinging in nose. Wards always on during night. Off now. Smelled . . . Tightened feet together, ready to pounce. Smelled wolf, close! Hate wolves. Thieves of meat.
They’re here now? Jane thought, fear in her heart, wanting to run. A bright spot came on inside house. Candle? Jane asked, seeing through Beast-eyes. Small light moved through house, bright in windows, light then dark. Door opened and Evangelina walked into yard carrying small lantern and a covered bowl made of clay, painted blue. She’s naked, Jane thought.
Breathed with silent laughter. Jane is naked, I thought, when we become big-cat.
Door closed behind Evangelina with soft click. Saw short straight handle, like limb, on door. Jane said, Lever handle. I leaped to land on bank and crouched, pawpawpaw, silent up steep bank. Found place under thick bush to watch.