Page 1 of Fated to the Panther

Chapter

One

KARA

Night fell quickly in the forest.

The trilling of insects, the cries of a hidden howler monkey, the loamy scent of decaying plants and rich soil had become familiar over the past few days since I arrived.

I thought I knew what to expect.

Now, barely a week after sipping coffee and listening to my mentor at the university describe the Amazon jungle and all its wonders, I sensed I was being stalked.

Railing against the unfairness of my predicament and calling myself a fool for burying my true self, my powers were useless. Now that the initial shock of being abandoned by my ancient guide had worn off, I focused on taking the next step. Keeping myself from tripping over fallen trees and getting tangled in vines allowed me to control my fear of being alone—barely.

But no sooner had I locked down my anxiety than an awareness of evil replaced it. The faint scent of sulfur triggered a memory from my aunt’s teachings. If only I could recall what she’d told me to do when that happens. Hide or run?

Quickly, I succumbed to sensory overload as the sounds and smells bombarded me. It has been a cross I’ve had to bear for as long as I could remember. Fortunately, I’d learned to keep tight control of my emotions over the years, as they had a direct line to my innate abilities—levitation of objects.

Fortunately, controlling it had become as easy as breathing after years of practice. But I’d never imagined that during the dream adventure of my life I’d succumb so quickly, and on the precipice of hyperventilating.

When I was a child, I’d kept small worry stones in my pockets to calm me when the anxiousness hit. What I wouldn’t give to have those talismans with me now.

Another chill skittered down my spine as an unnatural sound filtered through the ferns hiding me from whatever followed.What did I have on me I could use as a weapon?

Dropping to my knees, I used precious minutes digging through my rucksack for something, anything, to use as a ward. Because I had no weapons on me. Any sharp objects had disappeared along with my gutless guide. The so-called expert on this area of the Brazilian rainforest who had left me.

A zap of energy alerted me to a hidden pouch of widow’s breath, sage and clove.Wait?How did I not realize my aunt, because it could have only been her, had stashed one of our coven’s emergency kits in my bag?

A surge of hope filled me as I collected a pinch, then rubbed the ingredients together in my palms, blowing the magical mixture into the space around me. I closed my eyes and intoned, “Protection I seek. Turn evil aside. As I will it. So mote it be.”

Adding a silent prayer to the goddess, which one didn’t matter at this point, digging deep inside, I included a large dose of hope. I hadn’t practiced any spells since I left my coven and they were not my specialty. Born a witch, my powers had appeared much later than my coven sisters, but when they did,the fear I saw in their gazes marked me as the outlier I’d known I was shortly after my father left me there.

Once my aunt saw my powers manifest, I heard her whisper to the elders of a prophecy I was a part of, but they denied it when I asked them to reveal it to me.

Their uncertainty and fear of me had made me separate from my peers to the point I chose to attend a human school, where I not only found my love for plants, but met my best friend.

Her life and early death had led me to this moment. Seeking a cure for cancer in the hidden depths of the Amazon rainforest.

Snapped out of my memories, a loud crack rang out and for a brief second I thought maybe my guide had returned. “Hector?” My voice shook with fear. I stood frozen in place. When seconds turned into minutes, I added more prayers.

Couldn’t hurt, but I knew.

I knew rescue wasn’t coming.

Even as my overactive imagination had me wishing that an Indiana Jones hero would soon burst through the overgrown plants and sweep me into his arms while battling whatever was stalking me, I took a deep breath and pushed on.

Suddenly, a monkey began to chitter and peeked out from the ferns. Its mother appeared, dragging it into her arms, scolding her wayward offspring, then disappearing as quickly.

Well, at least I knew the protection spell seemed to be doing its job. I wasn’t in danger from a couple of cute monkeys, much.

As I continued, my thoughts to turned to my mentor and the look on her face as I showed her the remote sector of the rainforest I’d mapped out, where I insisted on conducting my research. She’d reluctantly approved my request only after securing the guide who’d ditched me at the first sign of trouble.

He’d been highly recommended, and now I regretted foolishly turning down offers of help from my fellow researchers at the base camp we all shared.

If only I’d listened to them all instead of believing nothing bad would ever happen to me.

A distant growl, possibly that of an indigenous animal, made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Please let it be something cute. The noise filled my ears, was that what had spooked my guide? Please don’t let it be what the sulfur smell had me imagining—demons.

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