Shifter's Storm by Carol Van Natta

Author:Carol Van Natta [Van Natta, Carol]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781946165176
Publisher: Carol Van Natta, LLC

9

Dauro clung to the treasure in his paws and dropped through the portal.

Unfamiliar heat and very familiar pain wracked him. He was being force-shifted to human as he fell.

To his deep shame, he couldn’t hang on to Chantal as his body remade itself. With the ground rushing toward him, he regretted not telling her that he loved her. Once again, he’d waited until too late to say important things.

Instead of smashing into the oddly colored water with a bone-shattering impact, it felt like sinking into a lake-sized pillow. Inexplicably, he now faced up, dizzily looking at the tops of trees and puffy white clouds in a brilliant blue sky.

In that instant, his physical and magical senses came online and overwhelmed him.

Magic surrounded him, soothed him. The hilly land had little water. Millions of colors everywhere, and so bright that his eyes watered.

But the smells were awful. Dirt, grass, cactus, dung, fresh urine, decay, metals, salt… He was learning there were drawbacks to context memories. He tried rolling over to bury his nose, but the multicolored fluff supporting him was no help. Waves of hot and cold nausea hit hard, making him heave involuntarily.

He tried telepathy, but no one answered. He’d sometimes wished to be alone in his head, but this was exactly the wrong time.

“Chantal!” His voice sounded pathetically raspy. “Kelvin! Nibi!”

Still no answers came as he struggled to half swim, half crawl in the magical fluff.

Unmistakable retching sounds came from the right. He shifted his direction. The stench would probably kill him, but he had to help.

Dauro? Chantal’s tentative voice in his mind flooded him with relief.

Chantal! Are you hurt?

No, just hungry. Or I was, until everyone started throwing up. How about you?

Miraculously well, considering the long fall into whatever this is. But the smells are overpowering.

I felt your forced shift and saw the others. I think it’s magical rebound, now that you’re not having to follow the demesne’s rules. I know it hurt, but it’s probably better not to have to explain how aquatic creatures appeared on dry land. I’ll ask the pool to bring everyone to shore.

The colorful fluff became a gentle wave that pushed him backward. He maneuvered himself around until he was facing the right direction, and counted his lucky stars for Chantal’s phenomenal magical gifts.

Moments later, his fingers brushed mud. Dropping to his knees, he found purchase on the ground and crawled out of the fluff and onto dirt that smelled of everything it had ever touched. He fought another heave and tried to be grateful he hadn’t eaten that day.

His gaze landed on Chantal, beautiful in the full vibrant color of his human vision, still wearing her visor hat, still carrying Nessireth’s book in one arm.

She smiled when she saw him and launched into a quick trot, headed his way.

“Stop.” He buried his nose in the crook of his elbow. “Sorry. I can’t handle any new smells right now.” It would be an inauspicious first scenting if he promptly threw up on her.

She ground to a halt, frowning.

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