Pair Alleles by Jennifer Ellis

Author:Jennifer Ellis [Ellis, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Moonbird Press
Published: 2016-09-18T23:00:00+00:00

*****

It was clear to Mark from the grumbling that came from Frank and Francis as they made their way through the dense forest, heading for the sloping hill of the volcano, that they didn’t think much of his plan to go to the City in the Sky.

It had grown dusky over the past two hours, and Frank and Francis occasionally switched into their bear forms to forage in the trees, while Mark munched on the remnants of the pheasants which he had bundled into a dirty handkerchief of Frank’s and placed in his pocket. The prospect of both the meat touching the likely germs on the handkerchief and the grease from the meat getting onto his pants had required at least ten minutes of deep nose breathing, but Mark had managed to convince himself that eating was better than not eating, and more important than germs or grease, but only just barely.

It took Mark a long time to build up his courage to ask Francis a direct question. Frank loped through the trees beside them, his hulking bear form crashing through the underbrush. It occurred to Mark that perhaps they were taking turns switching in order to provide the party with some protection. He felt for the energy in the air and was relieved to find that while it wasn’t as readily available as it was by the Madrona, he had plenty of firepower to draw upon, not like when he was tied to the mulebra. He should be reaching out for his mother, but after Ms. Beckham’s warning, he was afraid to try. What if he didn’t have sufficient emotions, sufficient connection, to find her? What if in picking through the signals, he alerted someone, the wrong person, to their presence?

“What did you mean I’m quarter switcher?” Mark managed to get past his lips. The words came out mechanically, and he was glad for the gloom of the forest so he didn’t have to look at the other man’s face.

Still, he could sense Francis’s squinted eyes even in the dark. “Sylvain is half switcher,” Francis replied. “Your mother’s a full witch, which makes you three-quarters witch, one-quarter switcher. Didn’t you know?”

Mark shook his head.

“Well, I guess it’s not that surprising. Interbreeding still gets tongues wagging, and it has to be sanctioned by the Council.”

“Why?” Mark managed to ask after several more steps.

“Because for most of our ancestors, it diluted their powers. Most halfs and quarters weren’t able to switch or perform magic. But interbreeding still happens in the more powerful families—they’re the ones most likely to maintain their abilities. Usually one form of magic comes out as dominant. Your father is one of the first halfers who can switch and still draw power from the mother, although I’ve heard his magic is limited. I’ve never heard of someone who’s a quarter switcher being able to take on their animal form before…” Francis paused. “Sometimes quarters will feel a particular connection with a species, dreaming about them and feeling they’re misplaced in their own body and the like.

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