"Okay, okay, I get it," I said, leaning away and holding up a hand. "I don't need to be graced with all the details."
"Well, you asked."
My eye twitched irritably. This was another reason why I didn't ask Nero. I got the feeling he was making fun of me or judging me for being ignorant.
There was more I wanted to ask, but it wasn't appropriate with Zak around, and I was past my annoyance threshold with Nero's explanation anyway.
Maybe Ididneed to figure all this out myself.
It would be easier than scrounging for bits and pieces of information. Theory always confused me anyway. I was always better at learning with hands-on experience.
But where was I going to find somebody with enough patience to deal with my dumb questions? In all my time living in the canyon with my mother, I hadn't run into any more shifters of any kind, except the ones Nero lived with. Or maybe I had and I just wasn't able to tell. How could I? I didn't even know the signs.
Ugh, this is all so complicated…
"How about we do something fun we can all enjoy, like swimming?" Nero suggested.
Zak gasped in excitement. He instantly abandoned his sand project and bellyflopped into the water with a loud splash that drenched my hair again. Like father, like son, I suppose. Though it was a lot cuter when Zak did it.
I could go for a swim," I murmured, combing through my hair.
"Great! Come on."
Nero launched himself into the air, then shifted halfway through his dive, transforming into a magnificent shark that cut through the water like a sword. He was so elegant and graceful as he swam, yet radiated power with his strong muscles and jaws lined with teeth.
And what did I have? Golden scales that matched my hair. I was beautiful, sure, but I was barely more than a glorified goldfish.
Nero is a shark, his son has the ability to breathe underwater, our father is some mystical water spirit and what do I get? A big mouth to eat fish flakes with. Thanks, Dad.
Still, I was determined not to let my mood get the best of me. I sighed and shook it off, then slid into the river. I stood there with my toes in the sand, letting the cool water lap at my waist.
"Bro, why aren’t you shifting?" Nero asked. His voice was rough like sandpaper in his shark form.
"Just give me a minute," I said, a bit snappy.Not everyone is a pro at this like you.
I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly. My skin tingled as a warm feeling almost like a static shock ran through me. My body shrank, folding in on itself like it was the most natural thing in the world, even though I still thought it was crazy. I heard a splash and felt coolness all around me. When I opened my eyes, they were the eyes of a koi fish and I was underwater.
Every time I shifted, I still had the slightly panicked instinct to try and hold my breath, even though logically I knew I didn't need to. But part of me fought against that panic, like I was harming myself by trying. Was that my inner koi telling me to relax? It was a nice idea, if a little whimsical.
The water streamed around me like air. The push and pull was like a rhythm, a heartbeat. It calmed me and soothed my nerves. Despite everything, I had to admit it did feel good to be in my animal form. It was like a secret, one I shared only with myself.
Nero swam up to me. I had an instinctual flash of fear—who the hell wouldn't when a massive shark rushes up to you underwater?—but didn't swim away.
"Looking good," Nero said, grinning with his hundreds of teeth. "You're just as handsome like this as you are as a human."
"Thanks," I said, though I wondered why everything always had to be about my appearance. It would have been nice to be acknowledged for any of my other qualities.
My crappy thoughts were interrupted as Zak paddled over, giggling and splashing. His paws slapped the water, sending sudden ripples over the surface. I felt the vibrations deep in my bones. It was a surreal sensation. Were all fish this sensitive?
I swam in a circle, showing off my long, flowing tail fins. Zak excitedly slapped them with his paw, trying to catch them, but I was too quick. Even though he’d inherited the powers of the water spirit, Zak was still a wolf pup. He would never be as nimble and agile in the water as a fish.
“Let's have a race!" Nero suggested.
I didn't really want to. I knew that it would end in him winning. He'd always been the more athletic one out of the two of us. While he was stomping around on the football field and getting all sweaty, I always hung out with the cheerleaders on the bench, more content to watch than to participate.
But I knew that if I turned him down, he would think I was being no fun.
"Okay," I said. I swam up to him, where he'd stopped by a branch jutting out of the shore, using it as a starting point. "Zak, why don't you go be the referee?"
