The Calling
Page 29
Shes a shape-shifter, Daniel said. Eventually shes going to be able to turn into a cougar. Sam and I? Were demon-hunters.
Corey studied Daniels face, then mine.
This is going to be a long talk, isnt it? he said at last.
Yep. Better sit down. Daniel pointed at the bag in Coreys hand. And break out the granola bars and drink boxes.
FFTEEN
WE TOLD THEM EVERYTHINGWELL, almost everything. I was saving the stuff Id found out at the cabin. This was enough for now. Too much actually. Despite having seen our powers in actionmy near-transformation and Daniel knocking out the pilotCorey and Hayley couldnt seem to process it.
Corey kept saying, Are you sure? tentatively, as if he didnt want to insult our intelligence, but he couldnt help thinking there had to be a logical explanation. Hayley just stared at me.
When I finally stopped talking, she said, Are you crazy?
Hey! Sam said.
No, seriously. You think youre going to change into a cougar? Maybe in thirty years youll start thinking college boys are kinda hot, but thats the only sort of cougar you can turn into, Maya. Anything else is nuts.
Right, Sam said. So you werent here an hour ago? When her face started changing?
Yes, something did happen to her face. I dont know what it was, but Ill bet it has to do with those vitamins and drugs they were feeding us back in Salmon Creek. Thats what all this is about. They were doing medical experiments on us. It explains what Daniel did on the helicopter and what happened with Mayas face.
And Rafe? Sam said. Does medical research explain why Rafe thought he was a skin-walker, too, when hed never even been to the clinic?
I I dont know. Hayley squared her shoulders. No one ever saw Rafe do anything magical. He just thought he was one of these skin-walkers. Thats from your religion or whatever, right?
My religion? I said.
The stuff you people believe in.
You people? Corey said. Holy hell, Hayley. Did you really just say that?
She went beet red. II didnt mean
We know exactly what you meant, Sam said. Got a racist streak there, huh? Surprise, surprise.
II didnt mean it like that, Hayley stammered. I just meant their, you know, heritage. Indian. Um, Native. Oror
Its okay, I said. Im sure you didnt mean it like that. Yes, Im Navajo. Mostly anyway. Rafes mother was Hopi. Both have skin-walkers as part of their beliefsystems, but I hadnt even heard the word until a few days ago. My mommy adopted oneis Haida. Thats what I know. No skin-walkers there.
I tried to keep my tone even. Explaining, not lecturing. Whatever problems Id had with Hayley in the past, shed never showed any prejudice. It still pissed me off, though.
Im sorry, she said. Im really sorry. Im just Im going to take a walk, okay?
You cant wander off, Sam said. Were being chased by
Shes fine, Daniel said. I think we should all take a walk. Were you done looking at the ATV, Corey?
Corey hesitated. Um, no. You want me to see if I can get it running?
Daniel nodded.
What? Sam said. We dont have time
Yes, we do. Daniels voice took on that low, soothing tone. Were going to walk back to the ATV. Hayleys going to follow us. Coreys going to try to fix the machine. And well all relax. Just take twenty minutes to relax. If he cant get it going, well set out again.
I suspected Daniels skill wouldnt work on a fellow benandanti, but Sam would do as he said anyway. And it did calm Hayley and Corey. They nodded, and we made our way back to the ATV.
The ATV still sat there, keys in the ignition. Sam stalked off to sit on a fallen log and glower at us. Hayley murmured that she was going to walk a bit and promised to stay close. Daniel and I stood watch, leaving Corey to the ATV. He was good mechanicallywithout him, Daniels truck would have been relegated to a scrap heap long ago. Right now, it gave him some time to think. Same with Hayley and her quiet moment in the woods.
We couldnt force them to accept that we had supernatural powers. Maybe theyd decide that these people were after us for another reason. Either way theyd keep running and that was all that mattered.
After a while, Corey turned on his haunches and said, Too much damage. Id need tools and even then I doubt Id get her started.
It was worth a shot, Daniel said. Thanks.
Corey nodded and wiped a spot of grease from the red ATVs paint. I dont have the same symptoms as you guys, he finally said. But I know you think Im something, too. Something supernatural.
There were two other terms on that list, Daniel said. Xana and sileni.
Which are?
I have no idea. I tried a Web search on all the terms. I couldnt get results for any, including benandanti and skin-walkers, which makes no sense, because we know theyre part of folklore.
Corey studied Daniels face, then mine.
This is going to be a long talk, isnt it? he said at last.
Yep. Better sit down. Daniel pointed at the bag in Coreys hand. And break out the granola bars and drink boxes.
FFTEEN
WE TOLD THEM EVERYTHINGWELL, almost everything. I was saving the stuff Id found out at the cabin. This was enough for now. Too much actually. Despite having seen our powers in actionmy near-transformation and Daniel knocking out the pilotCorey and Hayley couldnt seem to process it.
Corey kept saying, Are you sure? tentatively, as if he didnt want to insult our intelligence, but he couldnt help thinking there had to be a logical explanation. Hayley just stared at me.
When I finally stopped talking, she said, Are you crazy?
Hey! Sam said.
No, seriously. You think youre going to change into a cougar? Maybe in thirty years youll start thinking college boys are kinda hot, but thats the only sort of cougar you can turn into, Maya. Anything else is nuts.
Right, Sam said. So you werent here an hour ago? When her face started changing?
Yes, something did happen to her face. I dont know what it was, but Ill bet it has to do with those vitamins and drugs they were feeding us back in Salmon Creek. Thats what all this is about. They were doing medical experiments on us. It explains what Daniel did on the helicopter and what happened with Mayas face.
And Rafe? Sam said. Does medical research explain why Rafe thought he was a skin-walker, too, when hed never even been to the clinic?
I I dont know. Hayley squared her shoulders. No one ever saw Rafe do anything magical. He just thought he was one of these skin-walkers. Thats from your religion or whatever, right?
My religion? I said.
The stuff you people believe in.
You people? Corey said. Holy hell, Hayley. Did you really just say that?
She went beet red. II didnt mean
We know exactly what you meant, Sam said. Got a racist streak there, huh? Surprise, surprise.
II didnt mean it like that, Hayley stammered. I just meant their, you know, heritage. Indian. Um, Native. Oror
Its okay, I said. Im sure you didnt mean it like that. Yes, Im Navajo. Mostly anyway. Rafes mother was Hopi. Both have skin-walkers as part of their beliefsystems, but I hadnt even heard the word until a few days ago. My mommy adopted oneis Haida. Thats what I know. No skin-walkers there.
I tried to keep my tone even. Explaining, not lecturing. Whatever problems Id had with Hayley in the past, shed never showed any prejudice. It still pissed me off, though.
Im sorry, she said. Im really sorry. Im just Im going to take a walk, okay?
You cant wander off, Sam said. Were being chased by
Shes fine, Daniel said. I think we should all take a walk. Were you done looking at the ATV, Corey?
Corey hesitated. Um, no. You want me to see if I can get it running?
Daniel nodded.
What? Sam said. We dont have time
Yes, we do. Daniels voice took on that low, soothing tone. Were going to walk back to the ATV. Hayleys going to follow us. Coreys going to try to fix the machine. And well all relax. Just take twenty minutes to relax. If he cant get it going, well set out again.
I suspected Daniels skill wouldnt work on a fellow benandanti, but Sam would do as he said anyway. And it did calm Hayley and Corey. They nodded, and we made our way back to the ATV.
The ATV still sat there, keys in the ignition. Sam stalked off to sit on a fallen log and glower at us. Hayley murmured that she was going to walk a bit and promised to stay close. Daniel and I stood watch, leaving Corey to the ATV. He was good mechanicallywithout him, Daniels truck would have been relegated to a scrap heap long ago. Right now, it gave him some time to think. Same with Hayley and her quiet moment in the woods.
We couldnt force them to accept that we had supernatural powers. Maybe theyd decide that these people were after us for another reason. Either way theyd keep running and that was all that mattered.
After a while, Corey turned on his haunches and said, Too much damage. Id need tools and even then I doubt Id get her started.
It was worth a shot, Daniel said. Thanks.
Corey nodded and wiped a spot of grease from the red ATVs paint. I dont have the same symptoms as you guys, he finally said. But I know you think Im something, too. Something supernatural.
There were two other terms on that list, Daniel said. Xana and sileni.
Which are?
I have no idea. I tried a Web search on all the terms. I couldnt get results for any, including benandanti and skin-walkers, which makes no sense, because we know theyre part of folklore.
