“Youass,” she hissed. “You absolute cack-headedfuckwit.”
He threw up his hands. “What have I done now?”
“Have you not talked toanyoneelse here? Have you not talked toher?For fuck’s sake, Moss!”
“What?!”
She’s not going to get better! She always looks like that!”
His body went numb. “What?”
Pania spun him around and pushed him against the wall. He barely felt the thud, or her finger as she jabbed it against his chest. “Her boss told me. She’s been like that ever since her shark emerged.”
She always looks like that.Carol’s shark eyes and razor teeth were part of her.
And he’d told her—
“I’ve got to find her.”
He raced to the door. Ataahua was right behind him, her mouth an angry line. “What did you say to her? What did you do?”
The cold night air hit him with a slap that he deserved. He took a deep breath, opening his senses to the ocean.Where is she?
I have to find her. I have to make this right.
The ocean would know where she was. Its salt-song had wanted to tell him everything about her from the moment he’d first set eyes on her. If he’d listened to it, would it have told him this? Why hadn’t he listened?
Why didn’t she tell me?
The salt-song was too loud, a symphony crashing to pieces. He breathed in again, concentrating.Show me her.
There—a single melody. A sweet, simple refrain, achingly beautiful. His Carol.
But before he could follow it, a flurry of golden scales exploded against his chest.
“Preep EEP! Preep EEP!” Maggie clung to him with all four sets of claws, her tail lashing. Distress poured off her.
“What’s wrong?”
She clawed up to his neck, trying to bury herself under his collar. “Eep! Eep!”
Emotions barraged his mind. Sparkly water. Horrible waves. Brave brave brave. Horrible waves. Spiky-teeth cuddles and warm.
“You’ve been with Carol?”
It wasn’t the big dragon. It smelled like him, but it wasn’t him. Someone else wearing his magic, stealing up, stealing his magic, dangerous dangerous—
An image. Carol, her eyes wide as she threw Maggie into the air. “Go!”
And something rising up behind her from the waves.
Moss went cold. “Get up!” he roared, whipping out with his telepathic voice as well. “We’re under attack!”
Everyone in the house had relaxed with relief when Carol said Maggie was safe. Now they exploded into action. Lance called something, but Moss was already gone.
He raced for the path to the beach. Something struck him in the shoulder and he stumbled, swearing. He looked down and stumbled again.
Ataahua swore. “Get Maggie inside!”
