Curse of Two-Spirit

By K. B. Forrest

Ray Mankiller is a Two-Spirit Native American. Two-Spirits are people whose bodies contain not just one soul, but two, usually a male and a female spirit. He has known this since he was a child, but it is only recently that the dreams have begun. In these dreams he sees the ancient past. He sees a Two-Spirit like him, but unlike his modern world, the ancient world was dangerous for a Two-Spirit who was also born of a witch. In this tortured world, Deer Tracks, the Two-Spirit of his visions, has visions of her own. She sees the death of the one she loves at the hands of a hated shaman, Lazy Duck. She knows he will stop at nothing to possess her, even though in body, she is a male. It is said that a Two-Spirit brings great power to the one he or she marries.

The visions are not enough to distract Ray from the problems he is facing in his own life. A newly hired professor of Ceramics at the University of Mississippi, he soon finds that one of the faculty members hates him and wants to destroy his chances of ever becoming tenured. He seeks shelter in the strong arms of Angus Tanner, a professor of Anthropology who is fascinated with Ray’s story...and with his body. When the tendrils of the past start to snake their way into the present in the form of a cursed figurine, Ray is faced with the most terrifying visions—only they are of the present, not the past. He must find a way to destroy the evil ghost of Lazy Duck before history repeats itself. Is he dragging Angus into a trap he himself set in another

• Language: English
• Publisher: eXtasy Books Inc
• Release date: Mar 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9781771114592

Book preview

The body is weak, but the spirit is strong. Two spirits are twice as strong.

Ray Mankiller is a Two-Spirit Native American. Two-Spirits are people whose bodies contain not just one soul, but two, usually a male and a female spirit. He has known this since he was a child, but it is only recently that the dreams have begun. In these dreams he sees the ancient past. He sees a Two-Spirit like him, but unlike his modern world, the ancient world was dangerous for a Two-Spirit who was also born of a witch. In this tortured world, Deer Tracks, the Two-Spirit of his visions, has visions of her own. She sees the death of the one she loves at the hands of a hated shaman, Lazy Duck. She knows he will stop at nothing to possess her, even though in body, she is a male. It is said that a Two-Spirit brings great power to the one he or she marries.

The visions are not enough to distract Ray from the problems he is facing in his own life. A newly hired professor of Ceramics at the University of Mississippi, he soon finds that one of the faculty members hates him and wants to destroy his chances of ever becoming tenured. He seeks shelter in the strong arms of Angus Tanner, a professor of Anthropology who is fascinated with Ray’s story…and with his body. When the tendrils of the past start to snake their way into the present in the form of a cursed figurine, Ray is faced with the most terrifying visions—only they are of the present, not the past. He must find a way to destroy the evil ghost of Lazy Duck before history repeats itself. Is he dragging Angus into a trap he himself set in another life?

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Curse of Two-Spirit

Copyright © 2013 KB Forrest

ISBN: 978-1-77111-459-2

Cover art by Carmen Waters

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

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Smashwords Edition

Curse of Two-Spirit

By

KB Forrest

To Arshak and Ramses, who have the spirits of wolves. May the moon light your path, and may you bring down large game.

Prologue

Deer Tracks stopped on the way to the river. In the tall brush she spotted a pair of black eyes watching her furtively. The man thought he was hidden. He probably wanted to see her body. Yes, some men found it tantalizing. She dressed and walked like a woman, but beneath the clothes, her body was that of a man. She knew from the smell that wafted to her that it was the shaman Lazy Duck who waited for her.

Get out of there. You claim to be a shaman, yet you can’t even hide yourself, Deer Tracks said.

You are Two-Spirit. I know I cannot hide from you anymore than you can hide the reason for your coming here. I think we both know why you came to this riverbank. You wanted to see if I was waiting for you again.

Deer Tracks sighed. Go away. I have no interest in you. I come for water for my garden.

A look of rage passed over his face, but it was gone as he stepped closer. He tilted his head in a way he must have thought was provocative. He was not bad looking, but Deer Tracks’ nose wrinkled.

Your wife was right. Your head smells. She told all the women of the village that is why she does not let you into her house anymore.

His eyes widened.

That’s not true. I am a shaman. I must make use of oils from animal parts for my trances. That cannot be helped. It is not true that she does not let me enter her house. I left her. He looked around as if to see if anyone could hear his words. I left because she has a problem with her woman parts. I do not spread gossip. I have tried to protect her by allowing others to believe that stupid tale. She has a great sickness down there.

Deer Tracks laughed loudly. If she has an illness there, then why is it that she has allowed We-toja to eat the hominy from the pot outside her hut? They must be rubbing their parts together as we speak.

Lazy Duck’s teeth ground out a screeching sound. You know nothing. You think you are so great because you are Two-Spirit? One day you will make a mistake, and your true nature as a witch will rise to the surface, as does the fat from a boiling hunk of meat. You would be wise to take my protection, woman!

Deer Tracks sneered and tossed her braid over her back.

I can beat that look off your face. Do not try my patience, Lazy Duck said.

Now Deer Tracks allowed herself to laugh in her deep, manly voice. I am Two-Spirit, that is true. I wear the clothing of a woman, and do the work of a woman, but my body is better endowed with manliness than your scrawny, smelly form. Deer Tracks quickly unwrapped her skirt to reveal the strong legs of a man. Do you think that the war parties take me with them solely for sexual satisfaction? Have you not heard of my prowess? You, who have never brought home a war prize dares to challenge me, the killer of scores of men?

Lazy Duck showed his teeth in a sneer, which looked more like the face of a frightened opossum. You boast, but your woman spirit is so strong that it overpowers your man spirit, and even your man body. You know you desire me. I have seen it in your eyes. I will make you my wife. You will put away that man side of you and be my wife. We will have children. My cousin has agreed to carry our child. Lazy Duck stroked himself as he spoke.

The women say your wife was bored, not sick. But I don’t care what happened, I don’t want you, Deer Tracks said. "Someday you will lose your wealth in a game of chunkey. I do not want to be the wife of a man who is poor and smelly."

I am not poor. I am a shaman. I paint the symbols of good luck on the lodges. I paint the deerskins people wear. I even painted those on the skirt you just threw down. You are jealous because people value my craft more than yours. Anyway, you are no real woman, so do not pretend to be indifferent. Why did you come here unless you wanted to tempt me? Yes, you are a woman. A woman who likes to play with a man’s desires! Enough of this foolish banter! I will take you right here for all to see. Go ahead and scream. See who will listen to you, Lazy Duck said. No one likes you because your mother was a witch and she wrapped you in cougar skins as if you were a boy. She fed you duck root and fermented hominy and now you are a witch. You think you can walk around this village and talk like a man. I’m going to remind you that you are a woman.

Deer Tracks balled her fist as his hands reached out for her shoulders. Her fist crashed into the place between his eyes, and he fell to the ground screaming. He quickly scrambled up, his hand around the bone handle of a wicked knife. Losing no time, he lunged at her. She stepped aside and he roared as his head contacted a tree. Suddenly he threw the knife. Deer Tracks saw it too late, but her body crashed to the ground. Wind knocked out of her, she saw the angry face of Charging Bear. He sprang up from the ground and fell upon Lazy Duck, who began to squeal like a trapped squirrel. Charging Bear pounded his face with his fists until Lazy Duck went limp, yellowed teeth decorating his chin.

Charging Bear looked at him with disgust. "I heard what you said, Lazy Duck. She’s not your woman. Deer