Page 19 of Blood Brother Cursed

There wasn’t much more to say on that topic, and she wasn’t sure that trying to would be particularly helpful. Instead,she was ready to voice something that she had been thinking about since that first encounter. She started to talk a couple of times, but Astrid found it difficult to voice something she had been taught not to discuss. Elliott just watched her, his eyes occasionally blinking as if he were waiting for whatever it was, she wanted to say.

She squeezed her eyes shut and said quickly, “I think we may be the same kind of shifter.”

When she opened her eyes a little, Elliott was looking at her like she had lost her mind. “I can assure you we aren’t. Lynnox is a dragon shifter family name, but the family does not have a history of producing female dragons.”

“I… know that. My father couldn’t shift anyway, which… I guess that means he came from a woman who got kicked out of her family for not being powerful.”

Elliott looked a little uncomfortable. “Elementals aren’t usually particularly powerful. I mean, they are easier to counter than someone who can walk through walls or read minds.”

Astrid put her hands on the table and leaned forward. “Holy halibut! People can do that?”

Elliott was startled by her reaction, but he soon was looking at her with humor. “Yeah. That’s one of the reasons the whole abilities thing has been so exciting. There are just so many of them, and they are incredibly varied. Even I’ve found it nearly impossible to predict the extent to which they can be used. By comparison, elemental powers are pretty well-known and understood.”

She sat back a little hard. “I always thought that what I could do was so cool. Now I just feel cheated. It’s incredibly strange to hear that because, for my whole life, I’ve been told to hide it. That it’s not something anyone else can do.”

Elliott smiled at her, “Well, not when you consider humans. There are far more of them than us. So, yeah, it’s notsomething to openly discuss. However, when you are around shifters, you aren’t going to get that much attention unless people want the weather manipulated or some round theaters created.”

Astrid closed her eyes. “Now, it is so bizarre to hear that these powers are just… blasé to everyone else.”

“Well, it means people aren’t going to expect you to do stuff like some kind of jester.”

After considering that for a moment, she said, “I guess that’s nice. Although I don’t think I’d mind. When I was little, I used to make water spouts around the yard so I and my friends could run through it.”

“You enjoyed that?”

“On a summer day when it’s over 100 degrees before you factor in humidity, yeah. It felt really good.”

He squinted a little, then his eyes widened. “Ah, Fahrenheit.”

“Yes, Fahrenheit. Why would I use anything else?”

He pushed his glasses up, “Not scientifically minded then. To your point, yes, I can see that. He pursed his lips. “But I do have a question for you.”

“Did you just insult me?”

His eyes moved around them. “How is that an insult?”

“I don’t know. Just from the way you said it, that I’m not scientific.”

“It wasn’t meant to be. I’ve just spent most of my life using metric, so it takes a few minutes to process.”

“Oh. Ok. Sorry, I had people make fun of me growing up.” She shook her head. “What’s the question?”

“What kind of shifter are you?”

Her heart dropped. “Um, I think I’m the same type as you.”

“Why?”

Even as she said it, the idea sounded ridiculous. “Because we have similarly colored eyes?”

Elliott placed his elbow on the table and rested his head on his hand, his eyes taking her in. “Eye color isn’t usually an indicator of type.”

“Oh.” Feeling foolish, she waved her hands. “Never mind then.” Refusing to look at him, she started eating.

“Are you going to tell me what kind of shifter you think I am?”

“If you aren’t the same kind as me, I don’t know what you are.” Suddenly, she felt his gaze on her. Looking up, she saw an intensity that was far beyond anything she was used to – and it wasn’t the kind of interest that indicated that he found her attractive. She moved around a bit. “Please don’t look at me like that.”

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