The Storm Runner (The Storm Runner 1)

“He’s invisible.”

“Oh,” I said sarcastically. “I mean, if you put it that way.” I hesitated, then let the truth rip. “I still saw him!”

Jazz narrowed his eye. “So tell me, Zane”—he stretched my name long and thin—“who are you, really? And what are you doing here?”

I wasn’t about to admit I was the bonehead he wanted to crush, or a godborn. Geez, how many wanted lists could I be on? I tugged my sweatshirt sleeve lower to cover the god of death’s stupid mark and stuffed my hand in my pants pocket.

Brooks shifted uneasily. I could tell she wanted to say something but didn’t know what. That was a first.

“I’m searching for my dad,” I blurted.

Jazz grunted like he knew it was a half-truth. I didn’t like the way he was ogling me. It was like he was thinking liar, liar, liar, and the more he thought it, the hotter I felt. The jade turned over in my hand and pulsated.

Had someone turned on a heater? The room started to spin. Slowly at first, then so hard and fast I felt myself being ripped away from my body, one ragged thread at a time.

A terrible pain gripped me in my leg, like a million white-hot pokers were stabbing every nerve. I wanted to scream in agony, but nothing came out.

The last voice I heard was Hondo’s.

>

“Stop the bleeding!”

21

There was a sudden mind-numbing rush. Then everything was a spinning blur—swirls of color, mist, and words.

Now, now, now.

Had the whole world turned upside down or… was I dead? I wondered. I was just in Jazz’s store when… when I collapsed? No, I disappeared. No, that wasn’t right, either.

Ms. Cab’s voice found me in the oblivion: “Hold on tight, Zane.”

The spinning stopped, and I blinked. My eyes cut through the darkness. But my vision had changed. Things seemed bigger, and their edges were fuzzier. It was like I was looking through eyes that weren’t mine.

The night smelled of salt and ruin. To my left was the glimmering sea, as black as the Beast’s walls. To my right were massive stone structures—pyramids with narrow dirt paths that gave way to a green jungle. And I was on top of another pyramid, high above it all.

My heart pounded. How the heck had I gotten here?

This is only a dream, I thought. Any second now, Ms. Cab’s going to march her chicken self out and start screaming at me.

I willed myself back to Jazz’s, but nothing happened. Fine, I’d climb the hundreds of crumbling steps that led down from the pyramid to some sort of plaza below. I’d hack my way through the jungle if I had to!

I was about to get to my feet when I saw two huge spotted paws stretched out in front of me. I swallowed hard, hoping that the beast those paws were connected to was sleeping. Okay, so maybe I wasn’t going to just cruise out of here.

Carefully, I inched my arm back.

A paw followed.

My breath stuck in my throat. I waited a few seconds, then flexed my fingers softly.

Claws emerged from the outstretched paw. What the…? That paw was mine! I screamed, but it came out a roar. And not even a good one. More like a raspy little cough. I looked down at my legs, my chest. I swiveled my head to see my muscular spotted back. Yep! I was a jaguar, all right.

My body stiffened. My ears pricked, nostrils flared. Even the fur on my spine stood straight up. I wasn’t alone.

A shadow shifted. As if by instinct, I crouched lightly on the pads of my paws. From a darkened doorway, another jungle cat emerged. He stalked toward me. His fur was obsidian black and shone almost silver in the moonlight.

“Hello, Zane.”