Carter frowned. “That’s very dangerous, though.”
Kerenza rolled her eyes at him. “Young man, that depends on who’s turning who into what, and whether or not there’s anyone like me around who can tell if it’s a bad idea. If it was going to harm fish boy’s mate here if he makes her into fish girl, I wouldn’t have mentioned it.”
“How does it work?” Annabeth asked eagerly.
“He bites you while he’s in his shift form,” said Kerenza.
“Um,” said Norris.
Much as I would love to assist our mate into a glorious transformation, I see some practical problems with the method,put in his inner Dunkleosteus.
Norris clarified, “My jaws are enormous and they evolved to bite through armor.”
Kerenza rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to literally bite her, fish boy. You just have to draw blood with your teeth. She can put her hand in your mouth and press down until a tooth nicks her finger.”
“Oh!” Norris exclaimed.
“Oh!” Annabeth echoed.
He didn’t know which of them moved first. All he knew was that their hands had leaped together as if they made of magnets, and they were hurrying through the crowd as fast as they could go without barging into anyone.
They were already in the elevator when they heard Kerenza shout behind them, “Aren’t you staying for the Secret Santa gift exchange? I knitted a sweater!”
The elevator doors closed, saving them from having to reply.
“Those sweaters were absolutely ghastly,” said Annabeth. “The gingerbread men looked like Slenderman!”
“Slenderbread Man,” said Norris.
“Her sweater probably had a hairless manticore pattern.”
“Honestly? I’d wear that.”
“Not around me, you wouldn’t.”
“Hey.” Norris gave her a stern look. “Do you want to become fish girl or don’t you?”
Annabeth lifted her head high. “That’s fishwomanto you.”
