The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes

Author:J.C. Cervantes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Published: 2018-09-17T16:00:00+00:00

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.”

Did that massive beast just talk to me? Okay, I was definitely dreaming. His voice was dark and deep.

“How do you know my name?” Oh good—at least my brain was still human!

He fixed his piercing green eyes on me and lowered his head gracefully. “I’m Hurakan. Some call me Heart of the Sky….”

Heart of the Sky seemed like the name of a nice old man. Or a seventies rock band. Not this panther that looked like it would rip open your throat for gazing at him the wrong way. I took a step back. Whoa! My legs felt powerful, as if they were loaded with tightly coiled springs.

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