Time Shift

by J. L. Weil

  She took a moment to respond. “Confused and hurt. He thinks, of course, that you’ve run off with that boy, but don’t you worry about him. I will smooth things over.”

  I didn’t like that she was lying and covering for me, but I understood her desire to keep my father as far from this world as possible. Hadn’t I done the exact same thing with my friends? If I ever saw my dad again—correction, when I saw my dad again—he was going to kill me. “I will do everything in my power to make this right.”

  “Don’t worry about us. Be safe. We miss you.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I miss you too.” So very much.

  I hung up, a raw sob rising from the depths of my soul as I stared at my phone. I didn’t want to cry, but my emotions got the best of me and I let my guard down. Tears rolled over my cheeks, pooling at my chin line before dropping to the bed.

  “Don’t cry,” Devyn murmured, moving to sit beside me. I hadn’t even heard him come into the room, but I was glad he was here. He pulled me against him, burying his face alongside mine. “It rips me up inside,” he whispered into my hair.

  Our cheeks touched, my tears soaking his skin. “I’m sorry. I hate crying.” A shudder rolled through me, the sobs I fought to suppress racking my shoulders.

  “It’s okay. Just hold on to me,” he said softly.

  And that was exactly what I did, clenching the front of his shirt. Everything piled on me and I had no choice but to let it go—to release the mounting emotions. He picked me up and moved us into the bed, keeping me close as the waterworks continued to fall. I wanted to stop, knowing he could feel the deep ache inside me, but it took till quite a while later before I had cried myself dry, dropping into an exhausted slumber.

  I woke with the mother of all headaches, as if someone had slammed my head into a brick wall. My whole face hurt from the sob-fest. Devyn was gone, and the sun streamed bright and gloriously through the large window, gleaming off the white snow like a suncatcher. It was as if Mother Nature was trying to tell me it was a splendid day and I should get my butt out of bed.

  But it didn’t matter how beautiful it was outside; inside I felt like crap. All I wanted was to pull the covers over my head and go back to sleep, but this no-energy feeling weighing me down wouldn’t go away until I forced myself to move.

  Throwing on my only other change of clothes, I padded downstairs and began going through the motions of daily activities. I did whatever I could to keep my mind from turning to home, otherwise I would go crazy. I let myself gorge on pizza, and bummed on the couch, watching a Pretty Little Liars marathon—Ha, it reminded me of my life—and I ignored my phone.

  Who knows how long I could have gone on doing absolutely nothing, but forty-eight hours after touching ground in Switzerland, Devyn finally had enough of my moping around. I couldn’t blame him. I just didn’t know what to do … get a job, start a blog, read every book in the cabin, or continue to shut out the world, be withdrawn and miserable.

  He entered the den, sitting beside me on the couch. I didn’t acknowledge him, keeping my eyes glued to the screen, because I was afraid I might start crying again—the very last thing I wanted to do. I found myself in a deep rut and couldn’t figure out how to get unstuck.

  “Hey, Kitten,” he greeted me, trying to gain my attention. It was easy to see I’d been crying. Again. He wiped at a tear, which had trekked down my cheek. “It won’t always be this bad.”

  “You swear?” I muttered, my head angling toward him.

  He reached over and twirled a piece of my hair around his finger. “You want me to be honest?”

  I relaxed under the slight contact. “I should say yes, but in this situation, you have my permission to lie.”

  “Good. Then yes, I promise,” he responded, a hint of a smile on his lips.

  “I don’t know what to do here,” I admitted.

  “You could start with a shower and food.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “Are you telling me I stink?”

  He tugged at the end of my hair. “I don’t think it’s possible for you to smell bad, but I thought it might be relaxing.”

  I laid my head on his shoulder. “You relax me.”

  Resting his chin on my head, he draped an arm around my back. “I’m always at your service.”

  I grabbed his side and gave it a playful squeeze, trying not to smirk. “So you’re like my personal slave?”

  He grinned down at me, and I recognized the wicked gleam in his eyes. “Depends. What kind of slave are we talking about?”

  My stomach flipped and I raised my brows. “Not what you’re thinking.”

  He winked. “Bet I could change your mind.”

  Probably so. Devyn and sex went hand in hand in my brain. Things between us seemed to escalate easily. “What are you proposing?”

  He leaned forward so our lips were a mere breath away. “Not what you’re dirty mind is thinking. A run.”

  My brain was fogging with the scent of him as confusion flashed in my eyes. “What?”

  “It might be wise to get a layout of the area.” He wanted to scope things out, make sure we were safe here.

  I on the other hand, had been thinking about his lips and getting cozy inside on the couch. “Or we could do that,” I mumbled. “You really know how to get to a girl.”

  “Just one in particular,” he replied and kissed the tip of my nose. “And they’ll be plenty of time later for the other stuff.”

  Now that he had brought up going outside, the fox inside me perked up to the point I couldn’t deny a shift of skin would be a great distraction. “I hate when you’re right.”

  His chest let a soft rumble. “Which is always.”

  “Not helping.”

  “Well, I hate seeing you like this. Your happiness means everything to me.”

  That made two of us. I wasn’t normally a person who stayed down. Pulling my legs up on the couch, I tucked them underneath me. “Do you ever miss home? Your family?”

  “Sometimes.” He shrugged. “But not like what you’re feeling. You have to understand I left home at a very young age to train in the Thornland. There was no place for feelings. We trained day and night, honing our gifts and strengthening our weaknesses. The only time I spent with my family was a few days a year during the solstices.”

  That sounded so callous. My heart ached for the boy Devyn had been, lacking the warmth and support of family, instead only dependent on himself to survive. No one tucked him in at night, made his favorite breakfast on his birthday, or made him smile when he was having a shitty day.

  And still, with me, he had compassion; that surprised me considering his upbringing. “Solstices?” I prodded.

  He nodded. “Twice a year, during summer and winter.”

  I had wondered if there were holidays on the Second Moon. Did they have the same calendar as we did? “So no Christmas?”

  He chuckled. “No. The holidays here on Earth are not celebrated in the Otherworld. Our holidays are based off the sun and the moon deities, Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi.”

  “Your life is so different than mine. How have you been able to adapt?” I thought about the day I would have to step foot in Katsura. It would come, one way or the other … if I didn’t die first.

  My thoughts drifted to the pixie I’d seen the first night we arrived. Why hadn’t I told him about the enchanting encounter with Tink as I’d named her, not having gotten her actual name?

  Maybe because a part of me wondered if I had actually seen her, plus she hadn’t tried to kill me. There were a lot of crazy fae from the Second Moon, but Tinker Bell? She seemed like a fairytale. I stared at my nose, where she had bitten me—going cross eyed—a reminder she had been very real.

  There was a pause before he answered. “Some of it was my training, but a lot of it was from you—from the dreams I had of your life. It gave me insight into your world and you.”

  My cheeks heated. It was personal and intimate, knowing he had been able to witness
my life through dreams. “Do you still have them?” I asked softly.

  “Not nearly as much,” he replied, sounding a bit sad. “Do you think it’s odd?”

  I shook my head. “No, I only wish I could have dreamed of you … of the Second Moon.” Then it might not seem like such a fantasy. I didn’t exactly have the greatest picture of the Otherworld; it was tainted by the constant threats on my life. In my head, it seemed like a harsh, chaotic land. How could you justify killing a family?

  “You wouldn’t have liked what you saw, so it’s better you didn’t,” Devyn said.

  “I would like to meet your family,” I told him.

  “You’re my family now,” he murmured.

  My heart toppled elatedly in my chest.

  Chapter Four

  Mountains stood high and proud, jutting up to the pure summer sky, and making me feel so small. The air was crisp and intoxicating as I took a greedy gulp, letting the cold breeze tickle my face. An urge rose inside me, begging me to let my furry companion free. She wanted to be let loose, conquer the land set out in front of her, and I wanted it too.

  Devyn stood beside me, watching me with interest and mischief. He saw the gleam that had sprung into my eyes and felt how much I was looking forward to the shift.

  “Try to keep up.” I grinned and shook my hair out right before the fox took over.

  He laughed as I shifted and the sound sent tingles over my neck. “Do us both a favor, don’t get lost.” Devyn bent down so he was eye level with my fox and gently ran his hand over my head. “You’re magnificent. Try not to set anything on fire or start a magnetic storm.”

  If a fox could smile, I did, because these new abilities within me wanted to be used. It frightened my human, but my fox craved the power, like an angel and devil sat on my shoulders, whispering in my ears.

  I took off, snow kicking up under my paws as I flew over the ground. I was fearless, leaping over the side of a cliff, my feet skiing down the mountain. Behind me, footsteps pounded as Devyn tried to keep up. He was quick, I would give him that, but my light and small frame gave me an advantage.

  Changing direction, I darted right, laughing in my head as Devyn mumbled under his breath. A flash of something in the sky caught my attention. I lifted my head, scanning the clouds. As my sharpened gaze breezed over the top of the tree line, a large shadow skimmed in and out of the pines. I slowed my pace, watching it fly. It was too big to be a bird, and there was no way the thing coming straight toward me now was Tink. Hell. No.

  Its wings—larger than the Karura’s had been—spanned either side of the reptilian creature, like a sailing dinosaur.

  What the hell is it?

  I came to a screeching halt with this sick feeling I was going to need Devyn. Tingles of fire radiated over my fur, preparing for defense mode. Pulse pounding, my gaze stayed trained on the figure, knowing deep in my soul it wasn’t from this planet.

  It was … holy shit … a motherfucking dragon.

  Time to get my Kitsune on and run like hell.

  My mind alight with panic, I hurried down the side of the snowy slope, running so fast that my paws barely touched the ground. I’d lost track of Devyn somewhere during the run, but tried to retrace my steps, following the disturbed snow tracks. On my right, a dark blur raced above my head, gaining on me.

  It let out a deafening roar that vibrated the ground under my feet. If that thing spit fire at me, I was going to be pissed.

  I dashed around a cluster of rocks, flying up an incline. In the distance, I could see the cabin. Another minute or two and I would—

  Boom!

  The earth quaked, rock and debris scattering down the side of the knoll, causing my grip on the ground to slip. I stumbled, rolling once before I was back up on my feet. A dragon landed in front of me, blocking my path and nearly sending me tumbling off the side of the hill. Icicles fell from the tree branches, puncturing the ground around us, forming a cage.

  Crap! Crap! Crap!

  The dragon’s large triangular head moved from side to side, carefully watching me with narrowed ice blue eyes, a white starburst fracturing its pupils. His skin was made of gold and brown scales that glittered under the sun. If my life hadn’t felt threatened, I might have gawked and appreciated the sheer beauty of such a creature I’d only read about in books. But I stayed as still as possible, afraid to breathe.

  I’d officially seen everything.

  Except for a unicorn.

  “You’ve got to be kidding, a voice in my head said. Really? A unicorn?”

  I glanced around, wondering who had said that. Was I losing my mind?

  “I’m as real as you, sly fox.”

  “Huh? Am I hearing voices now, or is the dragon actually speaking in my head?” I snorted. “And I am not sly.”

  A deep laugh rumbled inside my head. “Then you really are different than the Kitsunes I know.”

  This was freaking insane. I was having a conversation with a dragon. Someone pinch me. “What do you want?”

  “I was curious when I saw you. We don’t have very many three-tailed foxes running around the Second Moon, as you can imagine.”

  “Do you know who I am?” I prodded.

  “I wasn’t positive, until he showed up.” The dragon gave a nod with his big head, indicating a place behind me.

  I didn’t really want to take my eyes off the dragon in case he tried something, and besides, I sensed Devyn coming for me. “You know Devyn?”

  “Everyone from the Second Moon knows the Sin Eater. He has somewhat of a reputation, and the fact that he is responsible for you is a well-known fact. You’re quite popular.”

  Something in his voice, and the way he implied everyone in the Otherworld knew who I was, made my skin crawl. I took a step backward, the fire tingling through me growing stronger. My fox didn’t like this particular dragon. “I’m not a fan of the spotlight. Do you know Reilly?” I asked, remembering he had said he was a dragon shifter and we were staying at his house. I assumed their paths might have crossed.

  The dragon laughed again, a haunting and pompous sound. It was obvious he didn’t think much of Devyn’s bartender friend. He moved toward me, his clawed feet shaking the ground with each step.

  Devyn was suddenly in front of me, both swords drawn, Wrath and Fury’s eyes pulsing off the trees. He consumed my entire field of vision. His hair appeared ebony in the dappled sunlight, tousled from the breeze, and I caught a glimpse of his emerald eyes glowed in the frosty air. “You can’t have her,” he growled.

  “Inform your protector that it isn’t safe for you here.”

  “I think he kind of figured that out on his own,” I snapped back.

  “I’m not talking about me. There are other dragons and faes. Word of your arrival will spread fast and far.”

  “So you don’t mean to kill me?” Probably a dumb question, but it slipped into my head. This telepathic stuff was creepy.

  “Not yet, sly fox.”

  I shifted back into my human skin without thinking so I could talk with Devyn, but he was barking orders. “Be prepared to run back to the house. Do you understand?”

  I placed a hand on his shoulder. “I can help. Let me help you.”

  “Karina, I don’t have time to argue. There’s no way they should have been able to find us so fast, and before we go jumping into battle, I’m going to find out what he wants.”

  Well, that was a first. Devyn’s usual plan was attack first ask questions later. I wasn’t sure if I was fond of his new plan. The other way seemed to work fine. “He told me he wasn’t going to kill me … yet,” I added.

  Devyn’s gaze shifted to the side as he tipped his head just a tad over his shoulder. “You spoke with him?”

  “Crazy, right? I could hear his voice inside my head.”

  His lips pulled back. “I don’t like it.”

  I rolled my eyes. “He said he knows you.”

  He snorted. “I would expect him to. Everyone does.”

&nbs
p; Conceited much? I wasn’t sure the Shaman had an ounce of humility in him, not that it really mattered.

  The dragon watched us for a minute as we conversed, and then he caught my eye. His warning echoed in my mind. With a brief bow of his massive head, he expanded his golden wings, the chocolate veins glowing in the sun. He let out one long shriek that blew over our faces, tainted with a heat that reached us but didn’t scorch our flesh, and took off. His wings beat in the air, rising higher and higher, until he was just a blotch in the clouds that disappeared behind the tree line where he had come from.

  “Do you know who that was?” I asked.

  He stared at me, his look promising trouble. Lots of unsavory trouble. “Yeah. And it isn’t good, Kitten.”

  When was it ever?

  * * *

  I entered the den with a dark green mud mask on and my hair knotted on top of my head. It wasn’t how I thought my night would go, but life had given me a gift in the form of pampering. I had done a little snooping upstairs in the plush bathroom, and it was clear a female often stayed here. There was a stash of all kinds of beauty products from cleansing lotions to nail polish. It felt like winning the lottery when I found the hair dryer. Wet hair and cold weather didn’t go well together.

  It made me curious who Reilly brought here with him.

  Sprawled out on the couch like a king, Devyn watched TV. A fire roared in the hearth, keeping the room toasty. “Christ, you scared me,” he gasped.

  I plopped down next to him, stealing a piece of popcorn from his bowl. “Good, I was beginning to wonder if anything did.”

  “Funny. I’m glad your sense of humor is returning.”

  “God, I think I pulled a muscle today. My neck is killing me.” I rubbed at the achy spot at the base of my head, poorly trying to work the strained tissue. I winced, hitting a tender section.

  “Here, let me,” Devyn offered, rearranging his position so he was angled toward me on the couch.

  I gladly gave him my back. His fingers were like magic as they moved over my skin, massaging the sore muscle. The warmth in his fingers loosened up the tension that had built up. My body went slack, and I let my head fall back against him. “I think I just went to heaven,” I moaned.