Page 58 of Shifters Unifying
Yet, I didn’t know if the barren place was because it was often used as the spot for the Death Rite or if traditional funerals happened here because the grass simply did not grow here. Which came first: the funeral pyre or the bare spot? More importantly, how many more bodies would soon burn in this place because of my emergence as the multimorph?
“Emma?” Dr. Wise pressed. “How did you know how to link with the others?”
I took a breath. “Listen. If I see something done, I can usually do it on my own, even if I don’t officially understand thehowof it. It’s… It’s…”
“Instinctual,” Dr. Wise interjected.
“Yes, I think that must be some of it. It’s not that I can do it immediately after seeing something done, but it’s more that I can figure out how to do it when the need for it arises…afterI’ve seen something done.”
She gestured toward the drive. “I’ve also discovered information about a possible relic, and its location. We should determine if we can locate it. It will be necessary when the final battle comes.”
“Ah,” I said. “Relic for the win.”
But Dr. Wise missed my sarcasm. Instead, she retrieved her recorder and took a series of audio notes about me, behaving as though I wasn’t there while I looked on, awkwardly. The older woman was more than accomplished at what she did as a shifter historian. However, she cared nothing about normal societal behavior. Though, to be fair, she’d been married to a shifter fordecades, and normal shifter behavior was nothing like human society.
“Have you heard from Sheila?”
“Hmm?”
“Logan’s cousin, owns Vixen’s in town. Makes the best drinks around. Have you heard from her? I couldn’t stop in to see her the last time I was in Willow Creek.”
Dr. Wise deposited her recorder in her bag once more, carefully situating it inside. “Oh, yes, she’s well. Still learning about being the shifter historian after I pass.”
I frowned. “Are you dying?”
“Each of us will die, and it’s good sense to prepare for it.” She said it as though it was the most natural thing in the world. “If we’re lucky, we die with honor.”
“You mean if we die in battle?” I snapped.
She tilted her head to consider me but didn’t comment.
“What if we die from old age?” I continued, needing her answer. “That should be honorable, too.”
She lowered her attaché case and met my gaze, her eyes tearing up once more. “You know, old age is an honor all its own, one that many are never afforded.” She took a breath. “So, as we age, we live on in defense of those who have gone before, keeping the good alive, pouring good into the world around us for as long as we are able, each of us often tasked with reminding those who will come after us what good can be.”
I didn’t know how to respond, so I said nothing. It was the most I’d ever heard her say. Maybe it was her credo—the reason why she compiled the histories.
“Really, that’s all any of us can do,” she added, finally. “No matter how long or short our lives wind up being.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, holding up the flash drive, but meaning so much more.
She squeezed my shoulder. “Now I must interview the shifters you linked with. It’s certainly an incredible time to be alive… History in the making.”
Then she hurried away without another word, leaving me to stand beside the barren spot while birds flitted between trees and sang overhead.
When I finally made my way back toward the main complex, Olivia met me at the rear corner of the building. She stopped in front of me and crossed her arms. “Where do you think you’re going, Emma Carter?”
“Where I please,” I answered, not caring if my answer held bite. I needed a break to process my place in the coming days. “It’s my right after all.”
She snickered. “After your stunt in the gym, Six-Mile needs to see its multimorph in a good mood, so I’ve organized an impromptu barbecue. Phil’s working on hamburger and hot dogs now. They’re all on the patio by the gym. Maybe you can ease the concerns about your growing power. They could all do with seeing you laugh, seeing you as a regular shifter.”
My scowl didn’t dissuade her. “Didn’t you see what I did in there? There wasn’t anything regular about that, and I could have easily hurt them all permanently.”
“Yeah, it was impressive, and the rumor mill is already making it that much more incredible.” She quirked an eyebrow and tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder. “Which is great for your reputation. I hope it spreads to the rest of the clans.”
“What?” I snorted. “If I’m not careful, I’ll be no better than Acheron. I’m just the reluctant hero on a different side of the battle, and I want some space to process it all.”
“Is that so?” She didn’t look like she believed me.
