I faded until I smelled Caleb enter the room, rubbing his hand over my head. I opened my eyes to look up at him. “We can go when you are ready. I need you to be a human. Fee. Can you shift?”
I flicked an ear, this state was more straightforward, natural to understand. I wanted to sleep after revenge and killing. I had done an excellent job, killing the murderers, and deserved the sleep.
“I know you can hear me, come on Fee. Human.” I twitched my nose and closed my eyes to ignore his chattering. “Really? If you don’t get up, I will have to ride your bike, and since I have no idea how to, I will probably destroy your old bike.”
That woke me up entirely. Both eyes flipped open with a hiss. I swatted at Caleb as I got up to stretch and start the shift back to human. I didn’t really want to. The pain flared in my joints, first reminding me to pay attention to start the shift toward the human part. Bones broke, and muscles screamed as the fur melted back into my body, I turned from four legs to staggering back on my two feet and became unbalanced. I sat back on the ground with a hard thud, knocking the breath out of me. The pain flickered down into a dim memory.
“You alive in there?” Caleb asked after several minutes of me sitting and staring out into nothing. I had to refocus and center myself after pulling the kanima up from the depths where it slept. I had invoked it and killed those evildoers, but it took energy I didn’t have to use. I would need sleep and food to recover if I could manage it.
“I am here,” I spoke, the words tasting awkward on my tongue, as if I had forgotten language.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“I used too much power, but is this dealt with, right?”
“This group, for now, yes. They are using cars and ride services to Dallas to get with the mages there. But this was only the night crew, they say there are more in the organization still out there, and the head guy is loose. I have to finish clean up here, but for now, I have to get you safe. You look like crap.”
“Not a way to sugar talk to someone. I am just tired, help me up.” I took his offered arm, staggering up with the feeling of drinking far too much and no food hitting my system. He helped me put on my underwear and leather jacket, not bothering with anything else. But I could stand. He helped me walk out of the building, the magic collapsing over the walls and rooms. The doorways were no longer opened between them. Several people around were leaving, taking what they could, cleaning the area as I had seen many times before, hiding the supernatural world against outsiders. Holding the wall when we got close, I began to waver again.
“Seriously, what is wrong with you? I have seen you shift before, and nothing like this has happened.”
“I used my power.”
“I know, I saw the shift.”
“No, something else, it is not the shifting as normal. I had to learn that I could do something different, shifting into something else, dangerous. It takes a lot out of me, and right now, I am exhausted.”
“What can I do?” he asked.
“I have no idea. I usually sleep, eat, and sometimes drink some teas my local witch makes.”
“Local witch, not Anna?”
“No local tea shop, he is Wiccan and not magical in the same way as you, but it seems to help.”
“Is it magic?” he asked softly.
“Maybe, I am still learning about it.” He nodded before leaning me against the wall to return to the shelves, gathering several supplies to start a short spell over a long piece of an orange-red stone. He tore the leather off and looped it around the crystal to place over my head to swing on my neck. The sigil lit up, and the energy came rushing in, better than my morning caffeine kick and shift put together. My eyes widened, I could see and sense everything again, me nearly dropping from exhaustion a memory.
“What the hell is in this?”
“It won’t last long, Fee; it is an energizing spell being held by the carnelian. You will last a few hours before crashing just as hard as before, if not worse. Let’s get the hell out of here and get you home so you can rest.”
We left quickly; I felt like I could skip my way out of this place as Caleb jogged to keep up. Everything was full of energy, power, I could dance all night and day. Straddling the bike, he slipped on behind me, the area still empty; the mages had run free or to Dallas. We had won this battle, but it appeared others had to be taken, the rush of another hunt roared through me. I had to settle beforehand, not let the beast out again since it was ready to go back.
I felt Caleb’s hand on my waist, pulling me back into focus and smelled him, the old him of sweat and power; magic had a different scent on people than others. I wanted the former wants, and from his fragrance and body, he concurred. Kicking my leg up and around, I spun around to face him. I pushed him down against the back of the bike, licking over his neck. He held us up with a short spell, stabilizing us on the bike. I roamed my hands over his
