“Archie!” Paige tried to grab him by the scruff of the neck, but only got a handful of shredded t-shirt. “Stop that and shift back this instant!”
Archie was clearly not about to turn human anytime soon. Shaking off the last remnants of clothing, the bear snarled at Conleth, fur bristling all down its back.
They were starting to attract attention, Paige realized. All around the square, conversations were dying out as other staff turned curious eyes in their direction.
A cold thread of real fear cut through her embarrassment. If people realized Archie had lost control over his bear—andthat she hadn’t been able to stop him—they could both get into trouble.
“Archie,” she pleaded, throat tight with apprehension. “Archie, please, you have to calm down. Right now.”
Conleth appeared to have realized the issue too. He shot her a swift, piercing look, then glanced around at their growing audience.
“Right,” he said under his breath. “New plan. Archie!”
The bear growled, lips wrinkling back from sharp teeth.
Conleth straightened his jacket, looking remarkably composed for a man metaphorically poking a very real bear. “Catch me if you can.”
With that, he took off at top speed.
Backward.
Paige’s mouth dropped open. Archie, unfortunately, didn’t share her astonishment. Letting out a roar, he chased after the retreating manager.
Conleth easily stayed ahead of the enraged bear, threading his way neatly around startled counselors as though he had eyes in the back of his head. In a matter of seconds, he’d drawn Archie around a corner and out of sight.
Paige blessed the camp manager’s quick thinking. She broke into a run, pelting after the pair.
“Sorry!” she called as she dodged through the gawking crowd. “No need to worry, we’re just, uh, playing a game. Excuse me, coming through!”
Conleth clearly knew what he was doing. Paige trusted he would lead Archie somewhere more private. Then she’d be able to calm her brother down.
And then, once he was human again, she could strangle him.
“Archie!” she called, lungs burning. Conleth had easily outpaced her brother, but bears could run a lot faster than humans. “Archie!”
Running backward through a crowded camp while being pursued by a justifiably furious bear were not the ideal conditions in which to formulate a plan.
But if there was one thing Conleth was good at, it was thinking fast.
Within two steps, he had the glimmering of an idea. After five, he had a plan. By the time he’d drawn Archie away from the central square, he’d refined it, considered several potential contingency scenarios, and was ready to act.
Timing was key. He was only going to get one shot at this.
Conleth sped up a fraction, opening the gap between himself and Archie. Making sure the bear could see where he’d gone, he ducked behind a cabin.
Pegasus abilities tended to be hereditary. His father, somewhat unusually, possessed three distinct powers, though none particularly strongly. He’d passed them down to his sons in varying proportions.
One power—the ability to track people down—Conleth had never been able to do at all. And his ability to sense living creatures was embarrassingly limited compared to most pegasi.
But the third talent…thatone was a different matter.
Now, he told his pegasus.
And the whole world stopped.
Dust motes glittered in the suddenly still, heavy air. Sounds distorted, going long and low, as if underwater. A bird hung in the sky overhead, wings barely moving.
In reality, of course, time hadn’t slowed.
