Clarity

A hush was thick in the air. It fairly enveloped everything in some unspoken sense of anticipation. Some might have said it was the proverbial calm before the storm, but there was nothing proverbial about it. With a boom of thunder the night skies opened up. The wounded elf turned her head up to the backlit canopy, her bloodied form soaked through in a matter of seconds.

Someone shouted behind her, alerting her to the Agents’ approach. She slowly turned her head to cast a curious look over her shoulder. The sky lit up with a strike of lightning and she had to blink against the glare that sparked the inner fire of her eyes—cat’s eyes. The men weren’t far behind.

Grimacing, she pressed a hand to her side to stanch the flow of blood. One of her attackers had managed to get in a lucky shot before she killed him. It wasn’t life threatening—yet—but it did slow her down. She could have transformed and healed the wounds already, but her control of the beast was tenuous at best. Each time she had the misfortune to slip her skin she was terrified that she would find herself stuck in Werelion form and unable to regain her true self. Spending six months as a Were, having to witness the beast’s killings, had warned her away from strong emotions and violent outbursts. She never gave in to the lion if she could help it. Part of her knew it was only a temporary solution; every full moon forced her form again. For the time being, though, she’d rather ignore the issue until she absolutely had to face it.

Pushing her way forward, she silently crept through the forest. Before long she found herself on open ground with high cliffs rising on either side of her—a gully. This was probably the worst place she could be right now. It was too open to hider her; any fumble-fingered lack wit could get off a lucky shot with a crossbow and do her in. It probably didn’t open up, either. She could easily be cornered if she went inside.

Twigs snapped under the Agents’ heavy footfalls, urging her forward. There was nowhere else to go. She ran for all she was worth, moving swiftly across the gravel pit at the base of the gully. If she had any luck, she’d be able to find a cave to hole up in. She scanned the canyon walls as she ran, trying her hardest to ignore the deep puncture wound rending her side in two.

A few moments later she finally spotted a small hole in the opening of the rock face. It would be a hard climb, but she could make it. And best of all, it was too small for a heavily armored man to make it inside. She could pick them off one by one if they did decide to follow. Stretching upward, she struggled up the cliff face. It was a hard process, especially given her short stature, but she finally managed to make it to the small lip at the entrance of the cave. Her fingers ached and every muscle strained as she pulled herself upward. For a split second she thought her arms would give out and send her crashing back to the ground, but the jolt of fear that ran through her body gave her just enough energy to roll flat on the shelf. She could hear the Agents coming closer so forced herself to get up and enter the cave.

Her face was screwed into a mask of pain and she had to bite her lip to keep from making noise. She cautiously felt her way forward in the darkness. Surprisingly, the crevasse extended for quite a way into the cliff. After climbing up a steep incline, she found herself in a larger chamber with a little starlight filtering through the blackness. With the aid of just that tiny bit of illumination, her eyes were able to see the entire room. And she wasn’t alone.

Eyes widening, she took in the magnificent beast that crowded the farthest reaches of the chamber. The massive lion came to attention, rolling up to his feet in a crouched position, head low as he regarded her with bright amber eyes. His man was matted with rain, small twigs and leaves caught in the fur.

A sense of wonder ran through Lil, but she had the presence of mind to flash her own eyes at the lion, letting a little growl rumble deep in her throat. The Were in her was reacting to her kindred. The old male came a few steps closer, swiping his paw at the elf’s legs; she didn’t budge, though. She wouldn’t be backed down by a mere animal. He would yield.

He paced back and forth within the confines of the cave, unwilling to back down but knowing he was outdone. Finally, he threw his head back and let out a defeated roar. When his head lowered, his eyes caught at Lil’s again. They stared back at each other for an indeterminate amount of time, gold sparking on gold. There was no doubt in Lil’s mind that the peace was tenuous. The lion did not welcome her and would jump at the first sign of weakness.

Clarity settled over the woman suddenly, making her eyes widen in disbelief. They were very different, she and that lion. Her beast was sentient and a force all its own. This animal would know nothing more than instinct and survival. The Were that shared Lil’s body now—it had a name. Breaking her gaze away from the beast, she looked out at the night sky, silently mouthing the name that burned through the back of her skull, the growl of indignity that lit up the part of her that was other—“Lia.”

Heart raging against her ribs, Lil removed her hand from her side, flicking her eyes over to the lion once more. He smelled the blood immediately and growled. Trying her damndest not to cry, the elf realized the time had finally come to face her beast. The cat would attack her if she remained weak, and she would need to transform in order to heal the wound.

Casting her gaze out the mouth of the cave, she breathed a silent prayer. It might be another six months before she looked on the world with elven eyes.