Page 60 of The Mating Frenzy
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Today,their fifth day after her mother had been turned into ice, Ella spent the morning pouring over the digital files of the scrolls to try to find a clue where the crystal was hidden. Every morning she and Kieran combed the files for hints. Every afternoon, they came up withnothing.
Obviously frustrated, she buried her head into herhands.
“This is pointless. How are we supposed to find this crystal when there’s miles of beach to explore? It’s not like it will pop up with a metaldetector!”
Kieran closed her laptop lid. “Let’s take a break and go for aswim.”
He went with her to the beach. As she sat in a chair, enjoying the sun and the refreshing breeze blowing off the Gulf, Kieran stood on the sand near the dunes. Sea grass swayed in the breeze. A gull flew overhead, giving its haunting cry. Or was it something more than aseagull?
This world with all its peculiarities remained a mystery and he hated it. He felt ill-equipped to handle emergencies in his Skin suit. The swim trunks hugged his male parts a little too tightly. Terrific. Now he had sweaty balls. He’d be fortunate if he ever got to father anykittens.
Restless, he paced back and forth, his jaguar growling to be free, run down the sand, perhaps play in thesurf.
“I’m going into the water. Want to come?” he askedElla.
She waved the paperback she’d been reading. “You go. I’ll watch. I’m at the goodpart.”
Reasoning he could keep an eye on her, he waded into the water. Bits of sea shells peppered the smooth sand, and green seaweed drifted on the incoming tide. He smelled brine, a dead horseshoe crab nearby, the suntan oil Skins used to cover their pale flesh, and in the distance, gasoline from a passingboat.
Kieran dove in. Salt stung his eyes, but he relished the feeling. It made him feel awake, aware and alive. He swam in the surf, strong, steady strokes, wishing he could shift into his jaguarform.
And then he stopped, treading water, keeping an eye on theshore.
Something disturbed the water next to him. He whirled, and saw a dark-haired, bearded man, floating on his back. The man had bright blue swimtrunks.
“Kieran, the jaguar. So, big cats do love the water,” the manquipped.
“Who are you?” He tensed, uncertain if this were friend orfoe.
“Drust. The Coldfire Wizard. I’m here to check on you. Xavier and Gideon are busy, and Tristan wants to spend time with Nikita.” The dragon shifter lay on his back. “This feels mostdelicious.”
“Which wizard areyou?”
“I keep watch over dragons. Right now my charges are all behaving.” Drust flipped over to his stomach. “I warned them if they did not, I would turn them into crispy tatertots.”
He didn’t know whether to be grateful or annoyed at the presence of the powerfulwizard.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” he confessed, deciding he might as well ask for help as long as it was offered. “I can’t protect her in this…” He plucked at the flesh on his arm, though it was tight against his muscles. “Skin suit. I have no claws, nofangs.”
Drust stood up, water beading in the thick, black hairs of his chest. “You have the most important weapon of all.” The wizard tapped his own dark hair. “Your brain. Your beast cannot think as well in animal form. But in this form, you can, and use the beast’s intuition andsenses.”
“But I can’t. In the Winter Kingdom, if I felt the need for the jaguar, I simply shifted.” It had been as fluid as the water now lapping up against theirbodies.
“You are not accustomed to this world, Kieran. But it will come to you. You are intelligent and filled with courage. The goddess would not have chosen you otherwise. Look upon this as learning for yourself, to adapt to remaining in thisworld.”
He didn’t wish to remain. He wanted to return home after his assignment ended, though the thought of leaving Ella here, alone, painedhim.
“Is there something you’re neglecting to tell me?” hedemanded.
Drust did not answer at first, but stared intently at the northern part of thebeach.
“Dark creature on the beach, coming up fast. Damn, I didn’t think they were out this early. They’re nocturnal.” Drustfrowned.
Kieran craned his neck and his bloodchilled.
Walking on the beach, seemingly innocent, was a woman with a bright pink stroller, the top pushed back. Inside the stroller was a small furry dog. People smiled at the woman and thedog.
