Chapter 54: Chapter 53 - Cody

Sunday 27 December

~*Cody’s POV*~

Panting heavily, I opened my eyes to see Nahi’s glowing form leaning back from me, looking at me in wonder.

I reached my hands up to hers to peel them from my cheeks. I mouthed the word ‘what the fuck’ to her, my brow furrowed in confusion.

Nahi climbed off my lap, then the bed. She walked over to Gidja, who was still pecking at the mince. It didn’t look like she had touched the chunks of meat at all. How long had that vision really lasted?

She softly stroked the magpie’s neck and back. “You found her.” She leaned down and pressed her lips to the top of Gidja’s head. “After all this time.”

I grabbed my laptop and started typing. “What just happened?” I stared at Nahi, begging her silently to explain. “And why did Zelda look like that?”

She turned her head towards me while she continued patting Gidja with affection. “You recognised her?” She raised an eyebrow at me.

“She is… was… my best friend.” I sighed heavily as I typed. “Zelda was there when her boyfriend did this to me.” I waved a hand at my throat. “Why did she look like that?”

“She’s a Yara Ma Yha Who,” said Nahi, like that explained everything.

I stared at her blankly. “She’s a what-now?”

“A Yara Ma Yha Who,” Nahi repeated calmly. “More commonly known around the world as a vampire.”

I blinked, then frowned. “She’s a vampire…? But it was daylight. I see her during the day all the time. What?”

Nahi sighed, then started pacing like she was giving a lecture. “Yara Ma Yha Who’s are what you’d call an Australian sub-species of vampire. They don’t have issues with daylight.” She paused, then looked at me with a smile growing on her face. “I’ve never been able to determine who it was until now. You’re exceptionally powerful.”

And the surprises kept coming. I rubbed my forehead with one hand while I typed with the other. “Powerful? How?” Feeling a headache coming on, I leaned over to the bedside table to find some painkillers before washing them down with the rest of the water I still had in the glass.

“You’re a Bunyip, Cody. I’ve been searching for you for a very long time.”

Settling myself back in front of my laptop, I tapped again. “What does that mean? I need a bit more information here, Nahi.”

She smiled. “It means you’re incredibly special. You’re like me.”

I raised an eyebrow at her and made a ‘what’ gesture with my hands before I started typing again. “A little more info, please?”

Nahi raised one hand and placed it on my cheek, then picked up my wrist with her other hand. “See those markings on the back of your hand?”

I looked down and sure enough, there were faint white lines appearing on the back of my hand, disappearing up my arm under the long sleeve I was wearing. My eyes widened. I jumped off the bed and removed my shirt, standing in front of Nahi in nothing but my bra and jeans. As soon as I’d lost contact with her, the lines faded from my own body and hers. I grabbed her hand once more and instantly both our bodies lit up with white lines and dots. They circled around my arms and twisted across my waist like tribal tattoos.

“These mark you as a Bunyip.” Nahi carefully traced her finger along one of the lines on my arm. “The vision you had?”

I nodded to encourage her to keep talking.

“That was your down-payment. They give me a sense of the person. Most of the time, they indicate the person is suitable for energy transfers, like Takeshi. Very occasionally, they tell me they can become a mystic, like your mother.” She held both of my hands in hers like they were precious. “And in extremely rare instances, they tell me I’ve found a Bunyip.”

I mouthed the word ‘but’ to her, let go of her, and picked up my laptop. “I’m a werewolf. How can I be a Bunyip as well?”

“It’s because you haven’t shifted yet, even though you’ve turned eighteen and fully have your wolf.”

I started panicking. “Roux?!” I shouted in my head.

“Fuck, Cody. What?” Roux winced. “I’m not deaf, you know. At least, not yet.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank the Goddess, you’re still there. I was worried I’d lost you!”

“It’s also because you’re untouched.” Nahi stroked my cheek again. I was getting the distinct impression that she enjoyed touching me. “You haven’t had sex yet. Although, not for lack of trying.”

I blushed, thinking back to the night Murph had stayed with me. Nahi was right. I had tried to have sex with him, but he had resisted, saying that I was too drunk. My respect for him had always been high, but it rocketed into the stratosphere after that night. He was a rare find.

“And lastly, it’s because you called for me. If any of those criteria hadn’t been met, you’d have shown up as a mystic, like your mother.”

I blinked as I took her words in. “Do you mean to tell me that Mum could have been a Bunyip if she’d called you at just the right time in her life?”

Nahi nodded, letting me go and sitting on the edge of the bed again, motioning for me to join her. Once I settled, she took a deep breath and reached for my hands again. “Unlike mystics who need regular charging, Bunyips are trained. I know that you have plans to study next year. You won’t be able to do both at the same time.” She reached out and placed a hand on my cheek. “I’m sorry, Cody.”

I nodded slowly. Once more, my fingers flew over the laptop keys. “For how long?”

“At least a year.”

I tipped my head to the side, thinking, then nodded again. I could work with that. The university would allow me to defer my position for a year. I’d need to contact the school immediately, but it shouldn’t be an issue. “Where?”

“I can’t tell you exactly for security reasons, but it’s relatively close by. You’ll know once you leave for the training.”

That made sense. If Bunyips were as rare as Nahi said, of course they’d want to keep things secret. “When?”

“I won’t start your training until the New Year.” She looked into the middle distance. “There are things that need to happen here before you can join me.”

I tilted my head in curiosity. That sounded rather ominous.

She shook her head and brought her focus back on me, suddenly looking rather sad. “We have not yet completed our transaction, Cody. The reason you called me in the first place? Payment needs to be made today, but you won’t see the results until after your first shift.” Her thumb ran softly over my cheek. “The cost is extremely high, and it’s going to be rough on you. But I give you my word that it isn’t forever.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. Hesitantly, I typed. “What do I need to sacrifice?”

“I need to take your voice.” A tear ran down her face. “It will return to you when you complete your fated mate bond.”

I gulped. At best, that meant I would remain silent for a year. At worst, I could be mute for the rest of my life, although it sounded like I wouldn’t have to wait that long. My heart started thumping erratically from the implications.

Gidja flew over the room and landed on the bed. She hopped over to me and nuzzled her beak against my knee.

“You can pet her if you want.” Nahi brushed her finger softly over Gidja’s head. “She likes you.”

I reached down and slowly ran my finger down Gidja’s neck and back. As soon as I touched her, a feeling of calm came over me, my heart returning to a regular rhythm.

“She’s my familiar. You’ll find your own tonight after I go. Leave your balcony door open and they will come to you. They’ll give you energy when you need it and help keep you calm when you’re under stress.”

My mind was going a million miles an hour, but the rest of me was calm. Based on what I’d been told, there was no way I could argue about this; the down-payment had been made. The only thing left was to find out my limitations. I let my fingers fly over the keyboard. “Will I still be able to talk to Roux? Will this also silence Roux from talking to other pack members?”

“Yes, to your first question. No, to your second.” Nahi leaned over to touch my throat. “This will only affect your vocal cords, but it will be the same in both your human and wolf forms. Roux won’t be able to vocalise either when she’s in control.” She moved her hand from my throat to my temple. “You will still be able to talk in your visions, like how you could talk in the one you just had.”

I heaved a sigh of relief, sensing that Roux was doing the same.

“No offense, Cody, but I’m really glad that I can still talk to you and everyone else in the pack.”

I smiled. “So am I, Roux. I don’t think I could handle not being able to communicate with you.” I giggled silently as I thought more about it. “Just think, Roux. You’re the only one I’m going to be able to regularly talk to for at least a year.” A hoarse croaking sound came from my throat as the giggles turned into laughter. “And you’re sick of me now!”

“Oh, hell no.” Roux shook herself, her fur swaying in mock annoyance. “Let me at her! This is a fate worse than death!” She huffed, then finally howled with laughter. After a minute, she settled down, placing her head on her paws in front of her, eyeing me confidently, her tongue lolling out to the side as she grinned. “We’ve got this, Cody. We can do anything, remember?”

I beamed at my adorable wolf. “Roux, I can only do it because you’re here supporting me. I wouldn’t know how to cope without you.” I imagined hugging her. “But don’t let that make your head get any bigger, you massive doofus.”

“Nope. You’ve said it now. I know how you really feel about me. You can’t take it back. I will hold this over you till the end of time.”

I grinned before I refocused on Nahi, mouthing the word ‘sorry’ to her. She smiled in response, but stayed silent.

With that boost of confidence that Roux lent me, I started typing again. “Okay. Let’s do this. What do I need to do?”

Nahi sat back in surprise and watched me with a raised eyebrow. “You’re taking this surprisingly well.”

I shrugged. “I’ve always wanted to learn sign language. Now I have an excuse.” I grinned at her. “Plus, you said it wouldn’t be forever. I’m holding you to that.” I winked.

“Remarkable…” she muttered, shaking her head. She picked up my laptop and moved it to the side again. “And so much like your mother…”

I beamed at her. I would happily take that as a compliment.

“This will be just like the down-payment, but it will go easier if you hold on to me.” She climbed over me again, straddling my lap, just as before. She held onto my cheeks and as she was leaning into me, I saw Gidja out of the corner of my eye hop before taking flight. I watched her circle the room once, before losing track of her when she landed on my head. I raised an eyebrow at Nahi, but she only grinned, before locking her lips with mine once more.

Sweeping my hands up Nahi’s back, I pressed her close to me. I could feel her body get warm as it started glowing. My cheeks heated from her hands, still holding my head in place. It felt like Nahi was surrounding me, burning me from the inside out everywhere our skin met. The glow in the room became so bright I had to shut my eyes to stop myself from being blinded.

Just when I feared I was in danger of losing myself from the heat, the light, and the overall sensations of Nahi doing what she needed to, Gidja shuffled on my head. I immediately focused on her tiny sharp claws digging into my scalp, letting me know I could still feel something other than Nahi. The pinpricks of pain she made as she took a couple of steps were enough to keep me tethered in reality, to the here and now.

Slowly, the heat Nahi was emitting began cooling, the light in the room fading. I opened my eyes to see Nahi staring at me, tears streaming from her eyes. As she pulled away from my lips, I brought my hands from around her back and carefully wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“I’m so sorry, Cody,” she whispered. “I wished that there was another way, but it had to be your voice.” Tears continued streaming down her face. “So very, very sorry.”

I brought my hands to her cheeks, held her face steady and mouthed the words ‘it’s okay’ to her. As I wiped the tears away, I smiled at her. I coughed silently, then sat back, stunned. Lifting a hand to my throat, I felt where there had been swelling a mere hour prior, but now my throat felt completely back to normal. I looked at Nahi and pointed to my throat and mouthed ‘what?’.

“I gave you a small gift for your sacrifice,” she murmured. “There’s no reason you should continue suffering.”

Holy shit. She had removed all the pain and discomfort I had been in since Tatum choked me. In fact, I felt better than I had in a very long time. I was completely re-energised and full of adrenaline. I felt like I could run a marathon and not get tired at all. This was incredible!

Before I could stop myself, I wrapped my arms around Nahi and brought her in for a tight hug. She hesitantly placed one arm, then the other, around my back and returned the hug. Our bodies glowed with the white lines and dots that covered us.

Eventually, Nahi pulled away from me, lifting a hand up to coax Gidja from the top of my head and place her on her own. “I should go.”

I pulled the laptop over to me. “Will these markings show up all the time?” I pointed to my arm.

She shook her head. “They appear when you touch someone. It’s a slight transfer of power.” She drifted a finger along my arm to light the white lines up. “I’ve dulled yours until you’ve been fully trained. They’ll only show up if I touch you.”

I nodded. “What about Zelda? Will she try anything?”

“She shouldn’t, but if you can, steer clear of her anyway. Let’s not tempt fate too much.”

Fair enough. I nodded again.

“I’ll be at your first shift on Wednesday, but if you need me prior to that, have Roux call me. I’m connected to her now, so I’ll hear her if she calls for me.” She stepped over to my balcony. “And leave this door open tonight. Your familiar will show up soon. You’ll know them when you see them.” She took one giant step then threw herself over the fourth story balcony railing.

I rushed over to the railing and peered over the edge, but she’d disappeared. A magpie squawk sounded in the distance and, somehow, I knew it was Gidja saying goodnight to me. I grinned as I stared into the darkness.

I liked Nahi. A lot. And I was going to be learning from her soon. I couldn’t wait.

I turned around and headed for the ensuite. Splashing water on my face, I peered at my reflection in the mirror, studying myself to see if I looked as different as I felt. Staring at myself, I tried to say the word ‘hello’, but just as I had expected, no sound at all came from my voice. I put all my effort into shouting, but there was nothing, not even the hoarse croaking that I had endured all weekend.

There was no denying it. My voice was completely gone and would remain gone until I sealed the fated mate bond. There was nothing I could do about it now, not until I turned nineteen. Then I could start my search. At least that meant I could throw myself into studying next year without fretting about not being able to find my mate.

“That’s it, Cody. Focus on the positives. Just like you always have.” I could feel Roux beaming at me with pride.

I shrugged. “Not much else I can do, Roux. What’s done is done. There’s no use wallowing in despair. Plus, what we just sacrificed will get Mum away from Dad. That’s the most important part.”

I saw a flutter of movement in the mirror behind me. I turned around, then cautiously approached the balcony. A bird had descended and was sitting on the balcony railing, proudly puffing its feathers up in a desperate attempt to appear bigger. It watched me carefully as I crept towards it.

I mouthed the words ‘hello there’ before I remembered I couldn’t talk. A tiny pang of regret ran through me as I realised I wouldn’t be able to quote any movies or TV shows for a while. Oh, well. At least I could still watch them.

I leaned onto the railing at the other end of the balcony and watched as it hopped over to me. When it jumped out of the shadows and entered the light from my bedroom, I realised I was looking at a very young kookaburra. Its plumage had the distinctive cream and dark brown colouring that all kookaburras had, with a hint of vibrant blue peeking through its wings. There was still dark banding around its chest, and it had tiny clumps of tan feathers near its temple showing that it was still very young. Its deep brown eyes glinted as it passed through the artificial light.

I held a hand out, resting it on the railing, letting the bird come to me. It tilted its head at me before fearlessly nuzzling against my fingers. As soon as we made contact, I knew the kookaburra was a female; she was almost a year old, and her name was Yamparti.

“Hello Yamparti. Goddess, you’re beautiful.” Roux murmured. “Scruffy, but beautiful.”

I couldn’t help but agree with Roux. Yamparti looked like she had been tumble-dried, the way her feathers fluffed out every which way. She hadn’t yet gained the sleek look of adulthood, but she had an adult’s intelligence in her eyes. I could already tell that she was incredibly clever.

Jumping up onto my outstretched fingers, Yamparti puffed her feathers up even more and proudly shook herself, like she was pleased with our assessment of her.

“Look at her, isn’t she just so pretty?” I asked Roux.

She let out a gentle rumbling warble and shook herself once more.

“Cody, can she hear us?” Roux asked. I mentally shrugged my shoulders. How could she?

Yamparti bobbed her head up and down like she was saying yes.

“Seriously, Cody, I think she can hear us!” Roux sounded ecstatic. “Quick! Ask her a question that she has to say ‘no’ to and see if she shakes her head.”

“Like what, Roux? Ask her if she can tap dance?” I rolled my eyes.

Yamparti let out a short laugh, then shook her head. Just like she was saying no.

Holy shit. She could understand us. My eyes widened. Nahi hadn’t mentioned that!

I had no idea what to do now, though. “What do we do now, Roux? Does she live outside? Or does she stay with us from now on?”

“No idea, Cody. Maybe just leave the balcony door open and let her make her own mind up?”

I shrugged. Made sense. Okay. I nudged Yamparti off my finger, back on the balcony railing, then took two slow steps back inside my room. She tilted her head at me, watching where I was going, then when I had moved away from the door, she flew in and landed at the plate of mince that I had left out for Gidja. She attacked it with gusto, picking up a chunk, throwing it in the air and catching it in her opened beak.

“Well, I guess that solves that question.” I smiled as I watched her entertain herself. “You’re right, Roux. I’ll leave the door open and let her do what she wants. But for now, I’m going to bed.”

I went back to the ensuite to brush my teeth, mentally making a note that I would need to do some internet research about what sort of things kookaburras ate. And I would need to get some birdseed for Gidja.

The last couple of hours seemed remarkable. I had lost my voice, but I had gained a highly intelligent bird familiar named Yamparti and made the acquaintance of an intriguing woman named Nahi and her own familiar named Gidja.

I almost had to pinch myself to see if this was all real, but then realised all I had to do was try to say one word and I was immediately reminded that this was my life now. However crazy it may be.