The fat, green toad shifter bulged out of her arms as she squished it to herself. Stunned, I was trying to figure out how to get her to drop it when the toad flicked out its long tongue and nabbed a leg of roasted meat by the fire. That startled Evie into loosening her hold.
“Do they eat meat?” she asked.
“I didn’t think so.” I gripped the handle of my cooking knife just in case it decided to tongue her next.
Evie slowly put the toad down and edged away. “You’re still cute.” She patted its head and the toad happily hopped off without a word to us, the sickening munching of bone following in its wake.
“You actually looked like you were having a lot of fun today,” she said carefully, sitting a short distance away as we watched the rest of the deer cook.
“Well, I would have rather—” I stopped myself. I had fun today. I didn’t need to apologize or make myself small. Maybe we needed the day to reset. “Did you have fun today?”
“It was… different. I didn’t have to worry as much about you. Or me, I guess. They all think I have answers and I hate to break it to them. I’m just me. They probably need to leave before we get to the next relic. Won’t it trap them again?”
I hugged her to my side, and she allowed it. “I’m not sure. That box you showed me is affecting the relics, so I can’t say what the latest relic has done to you, or what it will do once we find the next one.”
“Nothing good. And then you… nevermind.” She looked away from me, ducking from under my arm.
So that was what was wrong, something to do with her snake. I replayed what had happened after she showed me. We were teasing each other… or I was teasing her. I poked at the fire, glad everyone else chatted in their own group across the circle.
“Never ‘nevermind’. Tell me.”
Her hands tied in knots. “Back in the bath. When you laughed at me. I- I know I’m hideous, but?—”
I stopped her. “You could never be hideous. You were too adorable to not express my joy at any form you take.”
“I’m still not comfortable with all this shifter stuff. Nothing against being a snake, but a snake with legs? What even is that?”
I put my hand on her knee, needing contact. “Something wonderful the Harrowlands has never seen, mate. I'm sorry. I didn’t intend my teasing to cut your pride. Really, I couldn't care less if you had ten legs or none. It’s been my privilege to meet the real Evie on this trip. The one who is kind and clumsy and gathers a raft of shifters to her side.”
She studied my face, deciding if she believed me. “I'll work on accepting that. It’s still hard for me to understand the mate bond makes me beautiful to you.”
My bear’s low growl erupted. I definitely needed to kill all the people who made her doubt the splendor she held inside. “Not the mate bond, Evie. You.”
She still looked uneasy. It made me restless, even though I finally understood what was bothering her all day.
“I’m not eating another relic. I’m done with that. Who knows what the next one will do? I’m handing the next one to you like a normal person.”
I ripped off some of the back strap of the cooked deer. Evie didn’t hesitate to take it off my fingers instead of grabbing it herself. My bear rumbled in approval. “It would only make you more stunning. Did I neglect to mention that part in the bath?”
Her shoulders released some of their tension.
“And powerful. Can’t you feel it, viper?” I did, the moment she finished the dragon scale. An unprecedented surge of power flowed through me. Greater even than my mage magic. “The relic must have given you more than legs. You should test it on our merry band here.”
“Like do what? Get them all to play bingo?” she asked.
“I know you’re worried about this impromptu army. If you can control their shift, then you should be able to control the Goddess’ influence over them and they can actually help in our quest. It would be a start at least.” I stood and lifted her onto a nearby log.
“There’s so many of them.” Evie looked around the camp.
I shrugged. I didn’t know if she could do it, either, but it was worth trying before we were fighting for our lives. “Just try, viper. You can’t hurt them.”
“I’m going to need a new nickname now that I come with legs,” she grumbled and raised her voice. “Attention! This is a test of the Veretis network. This is only a test. Please shift, everyone.” Declan and Brightpaw chuckled at her. Noora smirked from the other side of the fire.
“Evie. Don’taskthem to shift.Tellthem to shift.” I tapped her chest.
Taking a deep breath, she screwed up her face. With an otherworldly resonance, she barked, “SHIFT!”
I slid off my feet in a rush of power, my bear falling on his rump in confusion that he was out without permission. Declan and Brightpaw peered at us with their animal’s eyes. It sent Declan yipping around the fire. She wobbled on the log. Her cheeks flushed red as a cherry. I sat stunned at her strength.
