Page 84 of Echo and the Homicidal Sea Panda

“Echo’s gone into heat,” Mael told her. “We weren’t exactly in control.”

“Lovely,”Tempest growled. “We’d best get the fuck out of here before round two comes.” She paused. “I assume there’s a round two and dolphins aren’t one and done.”

“There’s a round two, three, four,” Echo murmured, his face warming. “And sometimes five and six.”

“Well, Mael, I hope you’re up to the task, old man,” Tempest said, a hint of humor in her voice. It was gone when she spoke again. “Why aren’t you moving? Let’s go, let’s go!”

As soon as Tempest left, Mael slowly withdrew from Echo and transformed back into full human. Echo attempted to do the same.

But couldn’t.

“Mael? I can’t shift back.”

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Mael moved the flashlight so he could see Echo better. His chest tightened, and panic clutched at his heart. After shoving the flashlight under one arm, he collected both sides of Echo’s face. “You can. You can shift.”

Echo shook his head.

Mael nodded. “You can. You’re in control. It’s your body.”

Echo trembled, clearly terrified. He took a deep breath and tried again.

No luck.

“Oh fuck,”Echo said.“I can’t change back.”

Mael’s eyes widened. “Try again.”

Echo squeezed his eyes closed, his body tensing. Nothing happened.

“Try shifting fully into your dolphin,” Mael suggested, hiding his fear from Echo as best he could. “Andthenback to human.”

“What if I get stuck in dolphin form? We’re not close to the water leading. You’d have to carry me through to the next chamber.”

“I’ll do what I need to do if it comes to that. Justtry.”

Echo cracked his neck, his breath coming in short gasps before shifting into his dolphin with what seemed like ease.

Mael sighed with relief. One down. One to go.

“Can you return to human now?” Mael asked.

Echo closed his eyes before letting out a painful squeak. Toes peeked out at the ends of his flukes, which slowly morphed into feet. He was shifting, but much too slowly. From the spasms of Echo’s body, Mael sensed he was in pain.

“Just stop,” Mael said. “Go back to dolphin and I’ll carry you out.”

Echo either didn’t hear him or refused to stop. The torture went on. A shift that normally took seconds was stretched out. He could hear Echo’d bones crunching and popping under the flesh. Echo’s chest puffed out, gasping painfully between sections transforming. Once past his waist, Mael lifted him. They needed to get out of there and possibly medical attention. Echo could continue his transformation as they moved.

“I’ve got you, baby,” Mael murmured. He carried toward the chamber opening. “I’ve got you.”

Echo trembled against him. By the time he reached their tanks in the previous chamber, Echo’s face and head finally returned to human. Sweat coated his forehead, his eyes barely able to open.

“That hurt,” Echo whispered.

“I’m so sorry, baby.” Mael carefully set Echo on the stone floor and pulled his scuba tank onto his back. Flashing the light close, he noticed how pale Echo seemed. Scarily pale. It broke Mael to see him like that.

Echo weakly reached for his own tank and his wetsuit, but Mael stopped him.

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