Oh, dear.
Rumble chuffs and huffs with his rabbit mouth, his nose rapidly sniffing the air, his ears still big and his tail a cute ball of fluff while the rest of his body has returned to that of a panther.
He doesn’t look impressed.
The keeper’s mouth is downturned. “Next!” he shouts.
But Riot hisses and backs away. If he could speak, I’m sure he’d say,No fucking way.
The keeper glares at him and then his shoulders hunch. “That’s fair,” he grumbles, the corners of his mouth remaining downturned. He rubs his jaw. “I’ll think on it some more and we’ll try again tomorrow.”
Riot rapidly shakes his head, as if trying again is never going to happen.
Rumble continues to chuff and huff, but the sounds he’s making are more insistent as he prowls toward the keeper, his fuzzy tail fluffing up in the breeze.
The keeper shakes his head with a firm, “No. You’ll have to wait for the partial illusion to wear off. I’m not removing it. I’ve already hit you with as much magic as your body can take tonight.”
Rumble bares his rabbit teeth in apparent displeasure while Strife makes a chortling sound from a few paces away, sounding for all the world like he’s laughing at his brother.
Rumble immediately leaps at him, the two panthers tumbling across the sand in a dark blur, Rumble proving that a cute little tail doesn’t make him any less savage or agile.
Strife doesn’t seem to care, chirping away as he leaps clear of his brother and then good-naturedly veering right back at him to bump his brother’s shoulder.
Rumble chuffs sharply before turning his button tail and stalking away with as much dignity as I’m sure any bunny-panther could muster.
I grimace after him, feeling their disappointment deep in my chest.
In the realm of bad news, there’s more to come since my ears suddenlypop.
“Incoming!” Lucian calls, he and Anarchy hurrying to join me at the bottom of the steps.
Five dragon shifters shoot across the sky and come to a sudden standstill above us.
I recognize Miku among them, her teal-and-black hair billowing about her face.
I guess it’s a crack-of-dawn inspection, then.
I’m sure they thought they’d find us sleeping and must have intended to take us by surprise.
I haven’t pulled on my blindfold, not needing it just yet, but I keep it ready, since the sun’s rays will soon break across the horizon.
All five of them alight on the beach, the other four staying where they land while Miku strides toward us. She’s holding two square pieces of matting that must be the replacements Ryuji promised for the floor.
In the distance, Strife and Rumble quickly vanish into the trees, but Riot stops and creeps quietly toward the teal-haired dragon.
He’s as quiet as a shadow. If I couldn’t see him, I wouldn’t even know he was there.
The other dragons can see him, each of them eyeing him warily, their posture indicating that they’ll step in if it looks like he’s about to make a wrong move. As for Miku, she seems too intent on us to notice him for now.
As she approaches, she casts glances from me to Lucian, a crease forming in her forehead. “You have the same eyes.”
“Good morning to you, too,” I say.
I may have spent my life in a cage, but I’m certain that’s how an early morning exchange of greetings is supposed to go.
“We have the same father,” Lucian says to Miku, apparently finding her curiosity amusing—or so it seems by the predatory smile on his face.
“The Ultima Nostra of New York.” Her distaste is clear in her tone. “Ryuji thinks you have a chance of beating him whereothers haven’t succeeded.” She gives me a hard onceover as she comes to a stop a few paces from me. “It’s the only reason he let you live.”
