The Hunt for Freedom

Chapter Nine

The one bright spot in my life was still gymnastics. I loved everything about it, from the sore muscles to the blistered hands, nothing could compare to the joy I felt doing what others feared. Back flipping on a beam, no problem.....just don't ask me to talk about it in front of the class.

Most days, our workouts were silent as Coach asked us to focus more, talk less. This was a bonus in my book. Other than the stereo that always blasted, his voice was all there was to hear. The girls on my team had been together for so many years now, they were more like sisters to me. We shared clothes, make-up, and music. I had more leotards than I did school clothes, but I shared what I could. At the gym, I actually fit it.

Even the years that Dalya had joined the team didn't lessen my joy. She was in a lower level than I was, and we worked out with different groups. She had tried to turn Coach against me, but it had backfired on her, and she eventually quit. That might have been one of the best days of my life thus far.

I had moved rapidly through the levels and this year I was trying for a spot on the national team. The workouts were long and often intense but while I was at the gym I could forget all my school problems. It was hard to think of Dalya and her crew when my brain was focused on surviving my bar routine.

On the days that I didn't have gym I was either with the Kalb's practicing Tahtib, with the Antar's working on my Egyptian, or with the Nazzari's or the Toma's learning everything else. Although I knew mastering Tahtib could save my life in combat, and my Egyptian was almost fluent, but it was everything else that kept my interest.

Since our bloodline could be traced back to god's and witches no power was left untried. I was taught to move objects by sheer thought, light fire with barely a flick of the wrist. Earlier this year I even mastered levitation, although not for long periods of time. My skills were vast and still emerging every year. Not all powers came to all werecats, I had no talent when it came to teleporting myself somewhere. Try as I might, my physical space here on earth just wouldn't budge.

In preparing for the summer gathering we were putting together a spectacular show of our newly attained powers that was certain to please Grandfather.

Maggie Toma, a feisty werecat my age, was working with me on a fire display. She had beautiful red wavy hair that fell to her shoulders surrounding a cherub's face. Pouty lips and big round dark eyes, she looked similar to her feline form. Maggie was a lioness when she shifted and in her human form, she was grace personified. The look of innocence was a facade that she exploited. She was a powerful werecat with numerous powers.

"No, Katalea, you have to imagine it bigger, then push your energy into that image. What you're doing now would barely light a match."

With sweat dripping from my brow I started again. With a groan I pushed all the energy in me upward and outward. I could see a huge flame in my head that artfully engulfed a ring of candles and hovered three feet over our head. When I opened my eyes, instead of candles, it was my backpack, engulfed in fire.

"What teacher will believe that I torched my homework?" I laughed.

"We only have a few days left to get this demonstration right, you had better not burn up the decorations at the reception dinner." Maggie chided.

Here in the Toma's covered yard we were free to shift and practice using our powers. Without the prying eyes of the humans it was possible to see more wild cats in action than you would at any zoo. I had learned to shift in an instant. We had all learned to keep a bag tied to one of our back legs with at least one garment in it. I usually had a shorts romper that was easy to put on when I shifted back, but nakedness was not uncomfortable here. As the black panther I felt the power of my station. I was not ashamed or embarrassed by being naked. The confidence in my birthright flowed as I moved catlike with arrogance. I did remember when that arrogance ruled my life.