Thunder Moon (Nightcreature 8)

“There’s been an eagle spotted near town.”

“I’m sure it’s just drawn to the...,” he shrugged, “vibes. When I call on my eagle spirit, something must go into the air.”

That could explain the sudden influx of ravens. If this witch was a raven shape-shifter, that would put “something” into the air as well and perhaps draw them in.

“If you can’t fly, what can you do?”

“I see.”

“Me, too, pal, and I’m not even magic.”

“You’re a descendant of Rose Scott, one of the most powerful medicine women in recent history. With some training, you could easily do what I can and more.”

“No thanks. I’m not much of a bird lover.”

He gave me a knowing look. I had been a bird lover, several times.

“You’re A ni sa ho ni,” he said. “Clan of blue. The panther. If you study, if you practice, there’s nothing you can’t do.”

It was tempting. The long-ago childhood dream of actually becoming a panther, of course it called to me. But I was no longer a child, and I’d had to put away childish things. Like my panther collection.

“You’re starting to make me think more of a snake in the garden than an eagle in the medical clinic.”

He tilted his head with a birdlike flick that gave me the willies. “What do you mean?”

“You’re tempting me, Ian. I’ve seen what werewolves can do, and I want no part of that, regardless of how powerful I might become.”

“What do werewolves have to do with anything?”

“Shape-shifters are shape-shifters. Just because I’d be a panther wouldn’t make me any less...” I waved my hand. “Evil.”

“Why would you be evil? I’m not evil.”

“That remains to be seen.”

“You’ve got this all wrong. I was born to be a sorcerer, a Nighthawk, and a warrior. Accessing the eagle spirit is part of who I am, just as your panther is part of who you are. Elise sensed it in you, just like you sensed the wolf in her. You think if she believed you were evil she wouldn’t have shot you in the head the first chance that she got?”

He had a point. I had no doubt Elise Hanover would have blown my brains out gladly if she sensed any threat to humanity. I might not like much about her, but I did like that.

“Tell me more about what you can do.”

“I have the eyes of the eagle, so I can see farther, better. At times I can see the future. Which is how I knew to come here before the Raven Mocker appeared.”

“If you can see so damn well, why can’t you see who it is?”

“The Raven Mocker has powers, too. We need to find a way to be more powerful.”

“Yeah, that oughta work.”

He ignored my sarcasm and continued. “He or sh

e is invisible when stealing lives and probably too visible when not stealing them.”

“Too visible?”

“The witch blends right in.”

“How does the Raven Mocker thing work? Is it, shazam, there’s a new person in town, and he or she is a witch?”