Page 87 of Shift of Morals
I moved away from the back porch and headed farther back into my property, far enough away from the house that if things went wrong, I wouldn’t destroy anything. To avoid prying eyes, I sank onto the ground and dug my fingers into the soil, communing with the earth for a few minutes. When all the stress of the last twenty-four hours had sunk into the ground, I called the earth to form a barrier of plant life around me, ensuring I had enough room to practice and move around. The earth rumbled and cracked, and new trees and plants and vines rose from the ground, and I let it go until it was about ten feet high.
Take that, spies.
The only negative about the thick wall of protection was the lack of light. I folded the top barrier down, opening the area wider until I had enough daylight to see by.
Then I sank into my magic and practiced, determined to get it right this time. I let go of all my fear and all my worry and allowed the Chimera magic to function as it was supposed to.
I could barely muster an armful of feathers the first couple of hours, but by the time lunch rolled around and the sun was high in the sky, I managed a partial shift. A couple of hours after that, a half shift.
By evening time, I was sweaty and dragging ass but still trying to perfect the shift. From what little I knew of Chimeras, I should be able to shift into anything, animal or plant life. I stayed mostly in the bird family because my animal form was a wren, switching back and forth from wren to human to see if shifting to my fae form could help the shift to another one.
No dice. My fae magic was different from the Chimera and felt different. Shifting to a wren felt like second nature. The other magic felt like an unused, atrophied muscle I was trying to work out, stiff and unyielding.
I plopped onto the ground and lay like a starfish, arms and legs akimbo. My breath rattled in my chest, and every muscle in my body hurt. Why couldn’t I do this? What was I missing?
Not having another Chimera to teach me the ropes was aggravating, but if they were all like Finn, I was better off learning on my own. With a groan, I rolled onto my side and got back up.
I’d give it a few more tries before I gave up for the day.
An hour later, just as I was about to throw in the towel, I decided to try something different. I wasn’t just a shifter. I was a Chimera, and a Floromancer, and half-fae. Maybe the key was there?
Every time I tried to shift, I was standing up. My feet were locked onto the soil, but maybe I needed more contact. I frowned and thought what the hell. What could it hurt?
I dug a small channel with the back of my heels and planted my feet inside, digging my toes deeper into the earth. When I touched my Chimera magic, the change was immediate. Mybody exploded in a shower of light, and the shift rolled over me, power exploding in my veins.
Every cell in my body changed. Feathers rolled over my skin, and my head morphed into the sharply angled head of an eagle. I opened my mouth to scream my delight only for a loud screech to emit, startling me with its intensity.
Holy shit.
I flexed my wings, the size putting me off balance for a moment while I adjusted. A wren is a tiny bird. An eagle was a massive change from my normal form. But I could feel the strength in my wings and my claws.
A few test flaps later, and I launched myself into the air, screeching with delight. My heart beat a thousand miles per hour as I soared high into the air.
This was incredible!
Completely stunned at the transformation, I sailed through the sky, keeping to the boundaries of my property even as I yearned to explore everything. I could see everything. I rose high above my property, looking over Joy Springs at night. It was early enough for downtown to still be active, and the warm glow of lights cast the city in a magical haze.
I flew for a little while longer before landing, my body knowing what to do immediately.
Then I was Evie once more, my clothes thankfully still on, which was a cool trick.
“Awesome,” I breathed. Maybe being a Chimera wouldn’t be so bad after all. Not if I could do cool stuff like that all the time.
The protective barrier sank back into the ground after a quick command from me, and I hurried into the house. I was starving and had no idea if I had enough food in the fridge to scrounge up dinner.
I checked my phone to see a text from Caelan that simply said,Continue with the red and white centerpieces and bouquets.
I cringed but typed out an affirmative and asked how much leeway I had with the bonding ceremony bouquet. Not my wedding. Not my circus. Caelan was paying me handsomely to do what he asked, and that’s what I would do.
Make it your own.
Are you sure? Not red and white?
I’m sure. Whatever you think I would like as long as it has your spin on it.
I grinned and put my phone back down, ideas already spinning in my head. The best part of owning a flower shop was people trusting me with a vision.
Dinner first, then I’d head into the shop tonight to put some things together.
