Shifty by Fanny Valentine Darling

Author:Fanny Valentine Darling
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dragon Moon Press
Published: 2016-04-11T17:31:05+00:00

Twenty-Four

Because of her visit to her parents’ house, it took hours before she could get to Peyton and Paxton alone, and Shifty’s performance at the meet suffered for it. Distracted because all she wanted to do was sit around their living room and make a plan to hide her from the creatures that may or may not be coming for her; her landings weren’t as rock-solid as they usually were, she even hit a stumble-hop at the end of a mat pass, something she hadn’t done in years. Though she took home a medal, hers was not the top score.

Coach was more befuddled than angry. She listened to him stammer around, asking her if she felt okay, did she think she was coming down with something? Had she gotten enough sleep? Eaten a good breakfast? Was she having a fight with her boyfriend? Did she have something weighing on her mind?

Shifty stifled a grin and a laugh when she considered telling Coach exactly what she had on her mind. The look on Coach’s face would almost be worth a trip to Dr. Miller and the seventy-two-hour psychiatric hold the monologue would bring with it. Almost.

“I don’t know,” Shifty lied. “I felt fine all the way here and I didn’t do anything that should have taken away from my performance out there today. I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to let the team down.”

“No, no,” he softened immediately in response to her chagrin. “Everyone has an off day, Gilbert. Just bring your A-game next time. We’re still ahead for the season. That’s the important part!” He thumped her on the back and rumpled her hair. “Go home and rest up. There’s practice in a couple of days. We’ll run the floor routine a few times and see if we can find out what went wrong out there today. Tighten it up. That’s all it needs.”

“Sure thing. Thanks, Coach.”

Shifty scanned the crowd making their way down from the stands and out into the gymnasium proper for the faces of her friends and family.

They were all together, her parents and the Devlins. They chatted amiably, Paxton’s mom laughing at something Adara said. Shifty lifted a hand to wave at them, but only made it halfway to her shoulder before she let her arm drop to her side. She wondered…If she concentrated, could she see through their glamours? She found it didn’t even take much concentration. She focused on them, separating them from the crowd in her mind, and their coloring began to change. Knowing what they looked like under the glamour helped, sure, but it wasn’t only that.

The magic was getting easier.

Whatever spell Nelda had lifted from her had been powerful. Now that it was gone, her instincts took over and using her gifts felt as easy and natural as a back walk-over. Once she knew which muscles did what, everything fell into place. For the first time since the big talk with the Devlins, everything made sense. While using her sight as a hairn, she felt normal.

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