The Cursed Key

Excerpt 5

After years of experience on digs around the world, I was accustomed to the careful search of clues. This was not how you went about it.

"You know," I said, as Kael's continued his assault on the forest floor with his hectic pacing. "You're trampling all over any footprints or other evidence that man may have left behind."

Kael growled and narrowed his eyes at me. I shrugged. It was the truth. He'd likely smashed any prints into oblivion under his worn leather boots. It certainly wasn't my fault. After a moment, he glanced around, squinting through the trees.

"I'm going to try to track the mage." His gaze swung back to me. "Try not to freak out. I don't want your screaming to bring the attention of anyone here."

I arched an eyebrow. "Scream? At what, exactly? Your serious lack of careful investigative skills?"

Kael's lips curled back into a snarl. What was with this guy, always growling and grumbling?

His searing gaze fell, and then he was crouching to untie his boots. What was he doing? Did he have a twig poking his foot?

He pulled the boots off, then promptly followed with his shirt. I was too stunned to do more than stare. Luckily, he was nice to stare at, with his wide shoulders and hard muscles that made a great canvas for the occasional scars marring his slightly tanned skin. I always liked scars on men. They told a story, and likely not an easy one at that.

When he started unbuckling his belt, I was jerked from my ogling with a quickening pulse. It wasn't until he started shucking off the pants that I finally found my voice.

"What the hell are you doing?" I didn't know what this guy thought he was going to accomplish, but I was definitely out. It was like he was trying to get stabbed.

Two steps of retreat was as far as I got before my backward movement faltered. Energy flared from my hand in response to the abnormality happening before me. Kael's body was jerking, then folding in a way that was impossible. His bones cracked and broke at unnerving angles as his limbs twisted.

Kael had expected me to scream. I didn't, but it was difficult when one moment I was staring at his disturbing, contorting body, and the next, a massive jaguar stood in his place.

His sides rose and fell with each breath, the spots patterned across his fur shifting slightly with the movement. The big cat's head was lowered, peering at me with pale yellow eyes.

I knew this massive jaguar. He was the same one I had encountered in the rainforest in South America. He was the same one that had tried to kill me.