phased otherwise?”
“His soul wanted to be with you,” she said. “And because shifters mate only with other shifters, he made the transformation.”
I thought I was going to puke. I’d turned my boyfriend into a shifter. Or rather my soon-to-be ex-boyfriend. Again . Then something else she’d said hit me.
“But why do you say I’m an Elder? You’re an Elder, Grandma, not me.”
“Why? Because I’m old?” she laughed. “I didn’t start out that way, you know.”
“You’re not old, Grandma.”
“Maya, I want you to listen to me now. It’s not possible to have the strong life force that you have and not be an Elder. In fact, you have more k’ul than anyone I’ve ever known.”
I didn’t know how to take that. I was quiet for so long, she asked if I was still there. All I could say was, “I’m scared, Grandma.”
“The unknown is always scary, ts’unu’un .”
“I know...it’s just that...well, now I’m having visions,” I choked out.
“Are these visions during rituals, honey?”
“Um, one was, but yesterday I had one in the school cafeteria. That’s how I knew something was happening with Matt.”
It seemed like an eternity went by before she answered me. “You know, Maya, that sounds like a different kind of vision. It sounds more like a premonition.”
Huh? “A premonition?”
“Some people have the ability to see the past, present or future. It sounds to me like you saw the present.”
“Is that some kind of shifter or Elder thing?”
“No tribal Elder that I know could do it without first opening a portal into the Otherworld. And to do that, the Elder would need a ritual. I’ve never heard of a shifter being able to have a spontaneous vision at all.” She was quiet for a moment. “Maybe I should speak with Victrixa.”
“Thanks, Grandma. That would be great. I’ll talk to you soon, I love you.”
“I love you, too, ts’unu’un .”
I put the phone down and lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I was totally stressing. I was having weird visions that no one could explain. This just wasn’t normal. And it didn’t help that Grandma wasn’t sure what was going on. All my life, she had known the answers. And then there was Matt. I’d turned my boyfriend into a shifter! How would he feel when he knew that I was the reason he had phased? Would he be angry? Something inside my head whispered that he wouldn’t want to be with me once he knew.
And I was an Elder? Jesus, were there even sixteen-year-old Elders? I had seen pictures of the Elders from Grandma’s tribe and they all looked like, well...like Grandma! I mean, there were reasons why they were called Elders! They had lived long lives and had all kinds of wisdom and stuff. I couldn’t figure out how to balance equations!
After a while, I got up, opened my door, and yelled for Dad to see if he’d already left for the lab. No reply. So I picked up my cell again and, trying to control my breathing, dialed Matt’s number.
“Hey, babe,” he said on the first ring.
“Are you busy?”
“Not too busy for you. I’m just doing homework. What’s up?”
“I wondered if maybe you could come over for a little bit.”
“Sure. Half hour sound okay?”
“That’d be great.”
I lay back down on the bed, and I swear I didn’t move until the doorbell rang. I flopped down the stairs and stopped at the door, trying to collect myself. This might be the last time I ever saw him. An image of his tortured face as he told me he was a shifter ran through my mind. I took a deep breath and pulled the door open.
“Hi, come on in,” I choked out.
“Hey,” he said. I started walking in the direction of the living room when he stopped me. “What? No hug?”
“I’m sorry,” I said, snuggling into him. “Do you want something to drink? A Coke?” I asked, more to stall than to be polite.
“I’m good.”
I led him to the couch and we sat down.
I had to speak, I couldn’t just sit there. “Um,
“His soul wanted to be with you,” she said. “And because shifters mate only with other shifters, he made the transformation.”
I thought I was going to puke. I’d turned my boyfriend into a shifter. Or rather my soon-to-be ex-boyfriend. Again . Then something else she’d said hit me.
“But why do you say I’m an Elder? You’re an Elder, Grandma, not me.”
“Why? Because I’m old?” she laughed. “I didn’t start out that way, you know.”
“You’re not old, Grandma.”
“Maya, I want you to listen to me now. It’s not possible to have the strong life force that you have and not be an Elder. In fact, you have more k’ul than anyone I’ve ever known.”
I didn’t know how to take that. I was quiet for so long, she asked if I was still there. All I could say was, “I’m scared, Grandma.”
“The unknown is always scary, ts’unu’un .”
“I know...it’s just that...well, now I’m having visions,” I choked out.
“Are these visions during rituals, honey?”
“Um, one was, but yesterday I had one in the school cafeteria. That’s how I knew something was happening with Matt.”
It seemed like an eternity went by before she answered me. “You know, Maya, that sounds like a different kind of vision. It sounds more like a premonition.”
Huh? “A premonition?”
“Some people have the ability to see the past, present or future. It sounds to me like you saw the present.”
“Is that some kind of shifter or Elder thing?”
“No tribal Elder that I know could do it without first opening a portal into the Otherworld. And to do that, the Elder would need a ritual. I’ve never heard of a shifter being able to have a spontaneous vision at all.” She was quiet for a moment. “Maybe I should speak with Victrixa.”
“Thanks, Grandma. That would be great. I’ll talk to you soon, I love you.”
“I love you, too, ts’unu’un .”
I put the phone down and lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I was totally stressing. I was having weird visions that no one could explain. This just wasn’t normal. And it didn’t help that Grandma wasn’t sure what was going on. All my life, she had known the answers. And then there was Matt. I’d turned my boyfriend into a shifter! How would he feel when he knew that I was the reason he had phased? Would he be angry? Something inside my head whispered that he wouldn’t want to be with me once he knew.
And I was an Elder? Jesus, were there even sixteen-year-old Elders? I had seen pictures of the Elders from Grandma’s tribe and they all looked like, well...like Grandma! I mean, there were reasons why they were called Elders! They had lived long lives and had all kinds of wisdom and stuff. I couldn’t figure out how to balance equations!
After a while, I got up, opened my door, and yelled for Dad to see if he’d already left for the lab. No reply. So I picked up my cell again and, trying to control my breathing, dialed Matt’s number.
“Hey, babe,” he said on the first ring.
“Are you busy?”
“Not too busy for you. I’m just doing homework. What’s up?”
“I wondered if maybe you could come over for a little bit.”
“Sure. Half hour sound okay?”
“That’d be great.”
I lay back down on the bed, and I swear I didn’t move until the doorbell rang. I flopped down the stairs and stopped at the door, trying to collect myself. This might be the last time I ever saw him. An image of his tortured face as he told me he was a shifter ran through my mind. I took a deep breath and pulled the door open.
“Hi, come on in,” I choked out.
“Hey,” he said. I started walking in the direction of the living room when he stopped me. “What? No hug?”
“I’m sorry,” I said, snuggling into him. “Do you want something to drink? A Coke?” I asked, more to stall than to be polite.
“I’m good.”
I led him to the couch and we sat down.
I had to speak, I couldn’t just sit there. “Um,
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