After a full two weeks of recovery, I was more than ready to go back to work. We still hadn't located the thief responsible for stealing from Cramer Tech, and I wanted justice.
My mama, on the other hand, was having none of it.
"You're staying here and resting, Sinchi," she told me sternly, glaring at me while I sat on my bed. She was a stockily-built woman with a brown complexion and long black hair, standing a full foot shorter than me at five-foot-two. "That's final!"
Years of experience taught me better than to argue with her directly, so I just nodded. Besides, there was something I wanted to ask her.
My mother held the mantle of the Jade Jaguar for over a decade before I'd been born. If anyone could tell me about the origin of the strange and violent voice I'd heard while fighting Menace, it was her.
I decided to tell her as bluntly as possible. "Mama, I heard a voice in my head when I was fighting Menace a couple weeks ago, and he was telling me to kill with one leap. Do you know anything about that, or...?"
She muttered a curse in our native language.
"That's not a good sign," she told me. "And you're still having those nightmares about the jungle."
A statement, not a question.
I nodded slowly. "Yeah. So what is it? Am I going crazy, or is this a Jade Jaguar thing?"
Her expression was grim. "You're not going crazy. It's Tekuani, our family's divine patron. The god of courage in battle, among other things. He's the one responsible for the ancient jaguar blessing... and the curse. If he's reaching out to you now, something important is going to happen soon. We have to prepare you for anything."
I physically shivered, and it had nothing to do with the temperature.
"We need to find a way to save Liam," I said quietly after a moment, clenching my fists. "He doesn't have a lot of time left."
Mama exhaled sharply, blinking rapidly. "I know. It's up to you, Sinchi. You're the Jade Jaguar now. The most I can do is help guide you."
I gritted my teeth and groaned in frustration. "What am I supposed to do?! It's been hundreds of years, and no one else in our family has been able to break the curse!"
Tears spilled from my eyes, blurring my vision. Mama put her hand on my arm.
"I know you can do this," she said gently but firmly as I wiped my eyes. "You're empathetic, you're strong, you're driven. You'll save him. Everything will be okay in the end."
I inhaled shakily. "Thank you."
She smiled. "Of course. Now get some rest, got it?"
"Got it."
I did as she said and tried to relax after she left the room, but my mind raced with thoughts of how to save my brother. If the recurring nightmares were any indication, the answer lie in the jungles of Calavela, my homeland.
Either I kill the Caiman, or he kills me, I thought darkly, taking myself aback with the violent notion.
I shook my head vigorously. I couldn't stand the blood-for-blood mentality. I'd never killed anyone in my life, and never intended to.
There has to be a better way to handle this, right?
After about half an hour of failing to rest, I got out of bed and suited up. I knew that going out on patrol at the moment wasn't exactly the best idea, but I hated sitting by idly while innocent lives were at risk. I needed to help people.
