Page 70 of Shift of Morals
She lifted a slender shoulder in a shrug. “I dunno. Maybe to peek in on him in the shower?”
“Perv,” I said affectionately, closing my eyes again. “I’ll try a bird first.”
“Not a wren. That’s cheating,” Hazel said.
“Nope. Something cool.” I inhaled and thought of a bald eagle.
Nothing happened.
“Focus,” Hazel urged. “Clear your thoughts of everything except the animal or plant you want to be.”
It took a while, but the first tingles of a shift pricked over my scalp. Not knowing what it would feel like, I waited, but when those tingles stopped, I opened my eyes to see Hazel staring at me in horror.
Moira choked on a piece of her popcorn and was bent over trying to exhale it from her lung.
“What?”
Hazel blinked. “Err. Whatever you were trying to do didn’t work. All the way, at least.”
I reached toward the top of my head only to feel silky, bony feathers. My face was still me.
A quick look down revealed the rest of me was still there, too. “Shoot.”
Moira’s laughter had died down to soft snickers.
“Try again,” Hazel encouraged.
I tried to become an oak tree next, only for the wind to pick up and a great groaning sound to rocket through the forest. I opened my eyes to see all the trees bending toward me.
“Shit.”
“Let go of the magic,” Hazel urged.
As soon as I did, the trees straightened.
“That’s a new one,” Hazel murmured to herself. She stood before me and held me by the arms. “I’m going to guide you through a relaxation exercise. Think of nothing but my voice and the actions I tell you to take. Ready?
I nodded.
Hazel’s accented voice guided me through a series of deep breathing until her words tuned out and all I could hear was the sound of my inhale and exhale.
“Try again,” she urged.
This time, the tingles from last time were all over my body, and I felt my arms and legs lengthen. My back morphed until I was hunched over, and I knew something was happening.
When I opened my eyes, Hazel and Moira wore equally horrified expressions. I tried to speak, but my words came out garbled due to the mouthful of fangs. A quick look down revealed scaled skin, feathered wings, and a long tail, but when I tried to take a step, I promptly keeled over, right into the pond.
As soon as I touched the water, my form melted away, and I was myself again.
Soaking wet this time.
Hazel hauled me out of the water. “Not quite what I expected, but a good effort.”
I spat out a mouthful of water. “Was it?”
The witch laughed. “Yes. You become something other than yourself. That’s definite progress.” She positioned me where she wanted me to be. “A few more times and we’ll go inside.”
“But it’s cold,” I whined.
