“And now you want to be more than friends?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. But I think the dance could be a good chance to figure that out. Will you convince her to let me go?”
“I’m not making any promises, but I’m happy to be there when you ask her if that’s what you want.”
“Yes, thank you! You’re the best aunt ever,” she gushes.
“I know. Now go to bed—it’s a school night.”
Smiling, I end the call. At least my niece’s love life is going well. Hopefully mine will still be intact once I tell Jared that he and I are mates.
Chapter 18
Jared
Huxley watches me with keen eyes from where he leans against the low wall that separates my back patio and garden lawn. I stand a few paces away, doing my best to ignore him. I take a few slow, even breaths to centre myself, then close my eyes. It’s easier this way. I tune out the distant rustle of dry leaves and the cool sting of the wind against my face, focusing on my magic instead.Got it. Following the tugging sensation in my chest, I walk to the end of the garden and pluck Huxley’s keys from a rosemary bush.
“Found them.” I hold the keys high, letting them jangle together. I’ve been practicing tapping into my tracking abilities for the past week, and I think I’ve finally got the hang of it. This time, I used Huxley’s now-familiar magical signature to locate where he’d hidden his keys, but he’s had me searching for all kinds of household items to test my skills.
“Excellent work,” Hux praises. “Seriously, Jared, great job. I think you’re ready to take off your training wheels.”
My hand flies up to the amulet around my neck. “Really? You think it’s safe for me to take it off?”
Hux nods. “I do. Though I recommend we get Selene to cast a ward for us again, just to be safe.” Catching onto my uncertainty,he continues, “You’re ready, Jared. You’ve worked incredibly hard these past few weeks. It’s time.”
“What about the uh, other form? You said my shift tried to take over last time I took off the dampener. What if that happens again?”
“In this case, I think it’s best to let the shift happen if it comes. It’ll be less painful than holding it back, and your first shift will help you use up any excess power that tries to surge.”
“Does shifting hurt?”
“No.” He looks up in thought. “The best way I can think to describe it is like the tension in an elastic band before it snaps back into place.”
I perch on the low garden wall next to him. “Now that you know what kind of demon I am, do you have any ideas what my shifted form will be like?”
“Sorry, without knowing your family history, it’s impossible to guess what traits you might have—even then there’d be no guarantees.”
Yet another mystery my birth parents left me to solve. “That’s OK. I’ll find out soon enough. Could I…” I wet my lips, then try again. “Would you mind showing me your shifted form? Is that weird to ask? I’ve not seen a demon in fully shifted form around town yet, and I think I’ll be less nervous if I’ve seen the process and have some idea what to expect.”
Hux waves away my concerns. “It’s fine. Under normal circumstances, it’s considered impolite to ask to see a supe’s shifted form, but this is different. I’m your teacher—it’s my job to prepare you.”
Springing to his feet, Hux shrugs out of his wool coat and drapes it over the wall. At my questioning look, he shrugs. “Most supes with wings have enchanted clothing that will change with them to accommodate their shift, but I didn’t think I’d needmine today.” His t-shirt comes off next, revealing his lithe but muscular physique. Then his skin… ripples.
Huxley grows almost a foot, black, leathery wings sprout from his back, and a long, thin tail swishes behind him. He’s alsopurple. It’s a good job I’m already sitting down.Damn. I knew he’d look different, but this is something else.
“Hot, right?” He grins, flashing me a glimpse of sharp fangs. His voice is deeper too, but he’s still the same old Huxley. Even his irises have changed colour. They’re amethyst-purple, matching the skin of his demon form, and they’re… glowing?
Rolling my eyes, I reply, “Sorry, you’re not my type.”
“Believe me, I know. You’ve only got eyes for a certain moon witch.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Not at all,” he agrees, then his skin ripples, and he’s back to his human form in the blink of an eye. “So, you ready to try taking that thing off again on Sunday?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I shrug, then hand Hux his t-shirt. “Thanks for showing me your transformation and shifted form, I’m still nervous but at least now I know it really doesn’t hurt.”
He bumps my shoulder with his. “You’re welcome,” he replies, standing and putting his charcoal-grey coat back on. “Fancy grabbing a beer?”
