Page 75 of The Mating Frenzy
He sat on the chair’s armrest and stroked her hair. His touch calmed her, made her claws retract, though she sensed the tension thrumming through him. “Tellme.”
When she finished, he relaxed. “It was not a spy, I think. A true spy would have remained, or would never risked eating where Skins could seehim.”
“Unless he was reallyhungry.”
Kieran kissed her, his mouth warm and firm. Her nerves tingled with awareness of him, his clean scent of sharp snow and spice, his protective, alertmanner.
“In that case, he would have been over here, knocking on our door and asking if we could serve him some Mouse Flambé with a side of cockroaches.” His teasing smile didn’t lift her spirits. “It’s all right, Ella. You are becoming more proficient at using your true sight. It is part of the process. You will grow accustomed toit.”
“I don’t know if I like it. Seeing lizard-things eat live mice is one thing. What about the really nasty creatures you say are out there? The ones that attacked my mother? The ones that attacked you? How many of them roamaround?”
Kieran nuzzled her hand with his cheek, like the way Darcy used to do when she sensed Ella wasupset.
“They are everywhere. Some are harmless, escapees from the Dark Kingdom who flaunt their magick in daylight, but commit no crime. So the wizards cannot punish them. But they are the most susceptible to the Dark Lord’s influence. His followers are everywhere, Ella. This is why you must not confront one on your own, or acknowledge them. Even if they disgust you, show no reaction. If they think you are still Skin, and ignorant of the world of Others, your chances of being left alone aregreater.”
He pulled away. “Let’s get back to work. Have you finished analyzing the translation I gaveyou?”
She nodded. It had been a bizarre passage. “The wizard whose light is crystal will find his refuge in the calm waters guarded by the shards of glass amid the trees thatfloat.”
The Gulf of Mexico usually had calm waters. Trees that float? She gave Kieran a questioning look. He rubbed hischin.
“Mangroves have roots that go into the water. They look like they arefloating.”
“They form roots in the water and then sprout into an island,” she mused. “But calm waters? The Gulf can get churned up, so it’s notcalm.”
He sat back on his haunches. “There’s a possibility. The bay. There are many mangrove islands and the bay is quieter and calmer than theGulf.”
Kieran removed his cell phone from his shorts pocket. “I’ll reserve a boat fortonight.”
“Maybe sooner.” Ella stood, squinting at the darkening sky. “We’d best hurry if we are going to beat thatstorm.”
An hour later, they were at the marina. Darcy had taken to the skies in the form of a bird to patrol thearea.
The boat he rented was a 15-foot catamaran with a flat bottom, ideal for skimming shallow water. Kieran spent a few minutes chatting with a marina employee. After a crash course in operating the motor, Kieran took the helm and they sped off. Briny spray splashed Ella’s face as she sat near the bow, laughing with delight. She loved the feeling of speeding in thewater.
“This is fun! It feels like I’m flying!” She spread out herarms.
“Oh? That’s nothing. Just wait,” he calledback.
They passed several small mangrove islands. Kieran seemed interested in none. A great blue heron waded on the sandbar near one island, and a few pink birds nosed in the water as if searching forfood.
It was quite pretty, but nothingodd.
Kieran kept going and slowed as they approached another mangrove island further south. “This is it,” he told her. “Has to be here. That man back at the marina said it’s rumored to be haunted. No one, not wildlife experts or people swimming in the bay, comeshere.”
Menacing black birds dove and skimmed the water around the island, their eerie cries sending shivers down her spine. They seemed like ordinarybirds.
Ella shrugged. “If this is the island where the crystal is hidden, it’s not very secret. Nothing to protectit.”
Kieran pointed. “Look not with your Skin vision, but yourwolf’s.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them. The birds were translucent, as if made from glass. Her breath caught as she watched one dive down and claw another water fowl. Salvia dripped from the attacking bird and in a minute, there was nothing left of the other bird but bones. The predator bird flew down and began crunching on thebones.
They’d found the island, but could not access it. Not without losing theirskin.
“Wait,” he said quietly. “Let’s watchthem.’
For a moment they watched the birds. He pointed out that even though the birds roosted in the mangroves, they did not hurt the trees. Not did their saliva seem to penetrate thewater.
