Bruno took a deep breath where he sat in the middle of his newest prophecy circle. His room had been fixed and he could See Things in peace for the first time since his gift had been revealed.
He wanted to know about that <i>cat</i>. The eyes had stared straight into his soul, and he could have sworn he recognized a deep, abiding sadness within them. They had appeared almost... human.
She had haunted his every waking moment since, yet he hadn't seen her since. He knew it was dangerous but he'd tried walking at twilight, sometimes long into the night since that was their active hours. He found he would do anything to catch a glimpse - a whisk of tail, a shimmer of those mesmerizing eyes, <i>anything</i>, but so far he had come up empty handed.
So, although he was still loathe to use his magic his curiousity got the better of him and here he was.
He took an even deeper breath, held it, and released slowly. The incense was lit and he let the handful of sand he held dribble out from between his fingers.
His eyes opened wide, a cool green fire lighting from within that burned away the dark pupils, and a dome of sand erupted all around him.
A few hours later some of the family were gathered around in the living room.
"Look," Mirabel pointed out the door where her uncle had only just departed. "He keeps sneaking out to the jungle at night and he's gone until dawn. He could be in trouble."
"Maybe it's a lady," Félix crowed suddenly, flinging his arm around his wife and winking ludicrously at them all. "Whoooo, I bet he's making up for all that lost time quick!"
"She's not a lady if she's doing <i>that</i>."
"It's strange," Mirabel insisted.
"Strange isn't strange for Bruno," Pepa insisted, shooing off a small cloud above her head as she frowned. "It's just... <i>Bruno</i>. He could be out there counting the stars at night for all we know."
"We all said we wouldn't tease him anymore."
Camilo watched his family discussing this and kept his mouth shut. He periodically felt bad for mocking his uncle so much, transforming into a villianous persona that wasn't who he really was. The least he could do was be quiet about the "purple puma" he said he had seen. The dark-haired man seemed so taken by it, after all, and no harm had come from those midnight walks.
Tonight Bruno was bound and determined to find that puma. His vision had been startlingly clear and left him breathless and stunned.
He knew where to go - the same spot he'd walked to a hundred times before. This time, however, he carried a bouquet of fresh red roses he'd hidden away in his poncho. He arrived at the place where they first met and placed the flowers on the ground.
"Hello..? If you are here, <i>gatita</i>, please come out."
His heart pounded when he heard a quiet rustling, and he caught sight of those glowing eyes in the dark. The puma slipped out from the thicket to stand before him silently. As before, they stared at each other for a long moment.
"Do I look like a <i>kitten</i> to you?" She huffed and sat down on her haunches, watching him closely.
"Well, I - uh, no, not really. It was meant as a term of endearment." He gulped, his eyes growing wide as he realized she had <i>spoken</i>. "You talked!"
"You called for me. Did you not suspect I could answer?"
He ran a hand through his unruly locks, shaking his head. "N - no, I don't know what I expected."
She bared her fangs at him almost absently, then bent to sniff the silky, fragrant roses at her feet. "Is this a joke? Are these for me?"
"Ahhh... do you not like them?"
"Red roses are for lovers, and you don't even know my name. Facts aside that you're human and I'm not, of course." Her tail slowly twitched back and forth.
Bruno had the idea that he'd better come up with some very good reasons for being here right away. He gulped, his breathing picking up, and started to sweat. "Uh, then, what's your name?"
She suddenly leaped, catching him off guard and pinning him underneath her furry belly. One of his sandals came off as he hit the ground, and he yelped loudly.
"<i>Please don't eat me</i>!"
"Do I look like I'd do that?"
"No," he stammered nervously, backing up slowly. "You don't look hungry at all. Heh, of course not! Besides, I'm way too stringy - look! All bones, no meat. I haven't really gotten too many meals into me yet since - well, you don't care about that." A rat popped up out of his unruly hair, saw the large feline and shot back down, squeaking in terror.
"How old are you?"
He pointed at himself incredulously. "Me? What, you're worried I'm too old and dry? Because that's it, you know, I wouldn't taste good -"
She rolled her eyes and flexed her claws in his chest for emphasis while she spoke. "No. I'm curious. I'm not that young anymore, and for what I have in mind I'd prefer a certain age."
"Fifty!" He yelped, squirming under her weight. "I'm fifty."
She cocked her head at him, her glowing purple eyes uncertain. "And you have no mate? No children?"
"How..?"
"I smell no one on you but familial relatives."
"That would be, ah, correct."
She narrowed her eyes. "Why have you been coming back to this spot so often? I see you every night."
His eyes brightened. "You did - you do? I was trying to find you again!"
Her eyes narrowed even further, and a low growl emanated from her throat. "<i>Why</i>?" Her body tensed, ready to flee at any moment.
"I'm part of the family Madrigal," he said, pointing off into the distance at the huge mansion on the hill. "My magic told me you're somehow connected to a beautiful woman." He coughed, embarrassed. "I couldn't help it. There was something about you, and your <i>eyes</i>, just like hers..."
The puma trembled, and she stepped back off his body. "You're different," she said with a catch in her voice. As he watched, amazed, she transformed into the pale woman with short, purple hair and eyes from his vision.
"My god," he breathed reverently.
"My name is Elly."
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