Shifting Currents (3 page)

“I’m probably still going to talk to you,” Bethany said, picking up the harness. “You’re a good listener.”

Bethany was not about to attend the wedding feast, so she and the dog walked companionably over to the vendor areas. She picked out two sausages and tossed them to the dog and then a few more when the dog looked at her expectantly. For herself, she tried a vegetable pilaf dish and strips of juicy chicken. She traded a couple of jazz CDs she burned herself on some old tech to the vendor for her dinner. He was happy to get them. It would raise his status in the tribe that he could contribute more than just cooking.

The music from the wedding tent was live. Bethany would have liked to kid herself that her fellow Techs had boycotted the event, but it was more likely the live musicians worked cheaper. She strolled around the conclave grounds and marveled at how many tribes were in attendance.

When the dog planted herself in front of the leather vendor and refused to move, Bethany glanced over and saw an array of clothing and shoes.

“Would you consider some Tech services for those boots?” she asked the woman behind the counter.

“Don’t have much need for the fancy stuff.” The vendor looked her up and down. “Anything else to offer, love? I think you and I have a lot in common.”

The vendor glanced toward the wedding tent.

Bethany flushed red. “I appreciate the interest.” She looked longingly at the boots. “I’ll let you know.”

“Don’t wait too long.”

The dog pulled her away at a fast clip. “They were really nice boots,” Bethany said. “Too bad I don’t swing that way. Although if they had been fur lined, I might have said what the hell. Better than sleeping alone tonight of all nights.”

Bethany looked around the camp. It was probably only her imagination that people were avoiding her eyes. People were just busy, that was all. Everyone had jobs to do in order to make the conclave run efficiently. She felt a tug of pride at how much the tribes accomplished in such a short time.

The first ten years after the meteor hit, it was utter pandemonium. Survivors swore they would rebuild, but too many people who had the knowledge had died. It was only in the second decade after the tragedy that survivors started to communicate with other survivors across the land. So they set up the conclaves each year. Trade was good, and people were learning more and more. Teams of Shifters and scientists scavenged and looted goods to see if they could put civilization back together. Maybe in the next decade everyone would be able to have running water, electricity, and old-style communications, and her kind would become geeks instead of freaks.

Or maybe they would be shunned and distrusted like the Shifters were now. Bethany had run away from her old tribe after they started hunting her brother. While she understood their hysteria and paranoia, she didn’t have the strength or ability to stop her brother or the hunters. So she left before they brought back his corpse.

People laughed and drank homemade beer and wine from skins and kiln-fired mugs. As usual, she stood on the fringe looking in.

“Weird.” Bethany sighed and wished the word didn’t hurt as much as it did.

She had long ago come to terms with the fact that she’d never be a beauty queen. And she cared too much for books and gadgets to ever take the time to make herself up properly. She had long, ragged brown hair that she kept in a messy ponytail most of the time, and equally boring brown eyes. Nondescript was a nice way to describe herself, but mousy and plain would probably be more accurate. Most of the time she told herself she didn’t care when she was accepted as just one of the guys. That was why when Keith, the tribe’s main hunter, wanted her, it was like a fairy tale. Only he was Beauty, and she was the Beast. She chose the Bluff tribe because they promised to build her a home and provide food for her so she wouldn’t have to hunt or garden for herself. She was abysmal at both.

In return, she would use her mind to heat the water in the morning, or run the computer for a few hours, or the printer to gather information on the other survivors through radio. Bethany even provided nightly entertainment via any DVD players that had been repaired or still worked. She was a giant battery. Her brother called her the Energizer Bunny, and she still had no idea what the heck that meant.

The dog barked again, and Bethany turned around, half expecting to find Keith but was surprised to see Rene, a doctor, from her old tribe.

“I didn’t know the Orange Grove tribe would come all this way to the Northern conclave,” Bethany said and hugged her.

“We had a record-breaking crop this year, and we figured it was worth the trip to trade instead of seeing them rot. Besides,” Rene said, glancing around, “one of our looters found a few cars with gas in them.” Rene pressed an orange into her hand.

Bethany smiled. “I bet it was probably Ned and his boys.”

“You remembered.” Rene smiled back. “Yes, it was them. Anyway, it cut a few days off the journey—for the leaders anyway. Chris won the lottery and got to ride in the back seat. It was like he got invited to ride on a spaceship.”

Bethany smiled, remembering Rene’s little boy.

“Do you still ride that iron horse?”

“Keep it up and I’ll start calling you medicine woman instead of doctor. I still have the hog, but even I can’t keep it in gas. Besides, it doesn’t do well at all climbing all the way up to get to the Bluffs.”

“How have you been? Are you happy?”

There was the million-dollar question. Was she happy? “I do all right,” Bethany said. But the truth was, no, she wasn’t happy. While the Bluff tribe had helped her settle in, it was never her home. Keith’s harsh words just underscored what everyone else felt. And now, she’d have to go back and see Keith and whatsername every day. Well, that could be too much to bear.

“Look, I wanted to tell you. The hunters…they never found your brother.”

Bethany felt light-headed. “Daniel’s still alive?”

“I don’t know that,” Rene said. “But he wasn’t executed by our tribe. I know that’s not much. But it’s all I have.”

“Thank you,” Bethany whispered.

Rene shifted uncomfortably and said, “I’d better go. It was nice seeing you again. You’re always welcome if you want to come back to the tribe.”

Bethany hugged her again with more enthusiasm. “Thank you.”

She could go looking for Daniel. But it had been about five years since she left. He wouldn’t still be in the Panhandle area. Where would he go? What form would he be in? Bethany scanned the air for the eagle. Was he her brother? She ran into the woods searching for the bird, any bird—the dog barking happily after her. Almost falling on her face after tripping on a root, Bethany decided that she was probably jumping to conclusions again. Not every animal was a Shifter. Poochie over there proved that. And not every Shifter would be her brother.

Bethany sat down against the tree, and the dog happily plopped down next to her. “I suppose I should come up with a name to call you. I mean I’m sure you’ve got one, but unless you’re going to tell me what it is…” She paused and looked at the dog, who just lolled her tongue and panted. “Then we’ll call you Fluffy.”

Fluffy growled low in her throat.

“What? If you don’t like it we can change it.” Then she heard the snapping of twigs and the lowered voices of men talking. The wind brought only bits of their conversation.

“A gold mine.”

“Earth spit it back up.”

“Lost men.”

Bethany shivered and got up and started to walk toward the voices, but Fluffy clamped her mouth on the harness and pulled Bethany back. The velvet sound of wings filled the air, and unless she was deluded, the eagle had been perched nearby and was now going toward the men. Fluffy pulled back again.

“Okay, okay, but that sounded like a good story.”

Chapter Two

Bethany

Bethany was asleep in her cot in the Tech cabin when a tap, tap tapping at her window woke her up. Instead of a raven, though, it was the eagle. Tripping over Fluffy in her haste to get to the window, she sprawled against the pane. When the bird did nothing but flap its wings at her, Bethany knew it was a Shifter.

“Daniel,” she said, muscling the window of the cabin open.

The eagle flew in and perched on the dresser.

“Daniel? Is that you? It’s not safe for you here. The Orange Grove tribe is here. They’ll probably recognize you. If you can stay a bird until we go back to the Bluffs, my new tribe will take you in.”

The bird’s image fluttered, and standing before her was a man straight out of the fantasy books. His eyes remained amber, but the rest of him was rock-solid muscle and sinew. Jet black hair hung to his wide, powerful shoulders. A hard jaw was set in a grim line, but he didn’t say anything. Without meaning to, Bethany checked out his muscled chest and washboard abs. After a quick peek lower, she felt her face redden. Locking her eyes back to his, she saw that his expression was shuttered. Without a word, she handed him the sheet off the bed.

He took it, wrapping it around himself toga-style.

“You’re not Daniel,” she said lamely.

The man cocked his head like a bird would and attempted to speak, but only a coughing screech came out.

“Oh shit,” she said. “And you’re feral.” Bethany tripped over Fluffy again as she backed away. She landed on the bed, which was better than the floor, but now she had to crane her neck to stare up at the big man. “But if you’re feral, you shouldn’t have been able to shift back into human.” She inched her hand toward her pack where the pistol was.

“I’m…not…feral,” he wheezed out. “Too…long…as a bird.” He was starting to get his voice back. “No such thing.” He cleared his throat. “Feral Shifters are what mamas use to scare kids into being good.”

Bethany blinked up at him for a few moments, but when the man didn’t do anything else but look at her, she went to the icebox and pulled out a precious canned soda—they didn’t come in cans anymore—and a jug of water. She offered both to him. He looked puzzled but after a moment took the water. She sat down on the bed and cracked open the can, guzzling half. It was stale, but it reminded her of her childhood, and was a comfort—even more than booze—in strange situations. He tilted up the jug and took several long swallows. She watched his neck muscles move in fascination. When he finished the jug, he set it on the dresser he had been perched on and strode toward the bed.

Bethany slammed her eyes shut. Maybe she was dreaming. But the bed slanted with his weight, and she opened one eye to peer up at him.

“We’re no more feral than any other human. Thank you for helping my sister.”

“Your sister?”

Fluffy barked happily.

“Lisa,” he said inclining his hand to Fluffy, who bit at his hand playfully. “And I’m Lucas.”

“Bethany,” she said feeling like she was having an out-of-body experience with this big, handsome man exuding warmth and the crisp smell of pine, sitting next to her.

If it weren’t for the fact that he was a Shifter, she would have sworn this was one of the Techs’ idea of a joke and she was being filmed. But a Shifter wouldn’t do that. Would he?

“I know. I’ve been listening ever since you rescued Lisa. It’s why I decided to show myself to you.” He took off the collar and harness. “There is enough silver in the buckle, it stopped her from shifting.”

Bethany felt herself grow even redder, and Lucas chuckled in a way that made her heart start to pound.
I never even thought to check.

“You’ve been following me for a long time.”

“Have I?”

Bethany nodded. “I’ve seen you on the Bluffs”

“Have you? I’m certainly not the only Shifter who has chosen to stay a bird instead of dealing with humans.”

“I was told,” she said, hesitantly. “That the longer you spend shifted, you lose your humanity.”

Lucas rolled his eyes. “They say the same thing about a Tech who channels too much energy.”

“That’s just nonsense,” Bethany said, then grinned when she got his point.

“It can be difficult to shift back if we spend a great deal of time in our animal form. But we can always come back. If we want to.”

“My brother, Daniel, did some terrible things. He killed livestock. And they said he ravaged an entire caravan who came to sell with us.”

“Livestock? It happens.” Lucas shrugged. “A lazy hunter would go for an easy prey. But tell me, was your brother a murderer on two legs?”

“No, of course not.”

“Then he wasn’t one on four legs either.”

Bethany drew a shuddering breath and felt tears prick her eyes. She knew that deep in her heart. Why did it take a stranger to tell her that? “But the change, it doesn’t drive you crazy?”

“It just hurts like a bitch. I’m not saying there aren’t any psychopathic Shifters. They exist, just like their human counterparts. I’m saying it’s not the change that breaks their minds. Most Shifters feel that they’re finally complete when they change the first time. It’s not any more unnatural to us than funneling energy to run that radio of yours is to you.”

Bethany put her hands over her face to hide. She was crying. She was smiling. She wanted to hug the stranger on her bed. And that wasn’t all she wanted to do with him. Bethany sighed and scrubbed her face.

“Then why? Why did they say he turned feral? Why did they hunt him?”

“My guess is he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s what happened to me and my sister. Your brother didn’t kill those people, but maybe he saw who—or what did.”

Lisa’s cold nose on her leg brought her attention back to the dog.

“Are you and Lisa in trouble? Is that why she won’t change back now that you’ve taken the harness off?” Bethany said.

Lisa barked.

Lucas looked away. “It is not your concern.”

Wrapping her arms around herself, Bethany refused to feel the pang of hurt.

“She can leave here with me.”

Bethany eyed his sheet. “Speak well of me, when they ask you where your clothes are.”

“I’m not leaving just yet. I owe you Lisa’s purchase price.”

“Why you?” Bethany looked at the dog.

“She has nothing you want.”