“You’ll need to choose your shape,” Myra said.
He had taken a step, then paused. “What?”
She shrugged. “It will need to be something that easily blends into the mortal world.”
“Such as a man,” he said.
“Sure,” she replied.
“Yes,” Pan said.
“Or a pony?”
“No,” Pan said.
“That’s an option.” Myra threw Pan a look. “But your behavior will need to match the form you choose.”
“I see.” Avnas took two steps forward. “Then I choose this.”
The air blurred around him. Between one blink and the next, Avnas the man was gone and in his place was a small, black bull. A little taller than Xtelle, Avnas was wide and muscled and thick. A single white star was centered on his forehead, and his horns reached out and curved upward to deadly points.
He posed. Muscles popped in huge lumps and swells like a pillowcase stuffed with bricks.
“Oh,” Xtelle said.
“No,” Pan breathed.
“My Queen,” Amy said.
“Bulls don’t talk,” I said. “Neither do ponies or goats. Understand?”
They didn’t look at me, not one of them. Amy was too busy staring longingly into Xtelle’s eyes, she was too busy ogling his ass, and Pan was too busy snorting musical curse words.
Yep. What we had here was a full-on barnyard love triangle.
“Out,” I ordered. “I have work to do. You all should be at the petting zoo like you promised you would be, Xtelle. That’s a second count, if you don’t follow through.”
“Is someone inconsequential speaking?” she asked. “Did I hear my name?”
“Yep. No petting zoo, no staying in Ordinary.”
That got her attention.
“But it’s so children-y,” she whined.
“You should have thought about that before you stole the chocolate.”
“I shall be there with you, my Queen,” Amy said. His voice, low and soft, weirdly matched the whole bad-boy, miniature Spanish Fighting Bull form he had going.
“That’s not necessary,” Pan said. “We don’t need you there. Do we, my sweet?”
Xtelle blushed. It was really weird to see a horse’s hair turn just a little pinker at the cheeks. “Well, I suppose I should go to the dance with the one who invited me,” she hedged.
“And…I’m done,” I said. “Myra, would you make sure these two—”
Amy snorted.
“—or three get to the petting zoo?”
