by Tesha Geddes
“Don’t try to catch up to where you think everyone else is,” Sophie admonished her. “Just focus on getting yourself to where you need to be.”
It was good advice, but like all good advice, it was easier said than done. Kaida practiced partial shifting, and as Sophie had said, it was much more difficult than a full shift. In spite of the difficulty, she did make progress. She started off not being able to hold the partial shift at all to being able to hold it for a few minutes at a time. By the time dinner rolled around, she was exhausted and still had homework to do.
Chapter 12
“You’ve improved quickly,” Mathis commented later that week as Kaida finished stitching the binding on her first magical book.
“Thanks, but I still feel like I’m so far behind everyone else,” Kaida said as she put her book in the book press.
Mathis gave her a stern look. “In spite of what school teaches you, the only person you should use as a measuring stick for your success is yourself. It doesn’t matter how accomplished other people are –– the only thing that matters is how far you’ve come. And Kaida, you’ve come a long way.”
Kaida thought about what he said as she painted glue on the spine. He was right, but she’d spent her whole life being compared to others and constantly coming up short. It wasn’t going to be easy to change that mentality, but she was determined to try. She looked at the text block drying on the press and smiled to herself –– she had come a long way. At the beginning of the week, she’d barely been able to hold onto her power for a few seconds. Now, she’d only dropped her power once while stitching the spine.
“Well done,” Mathis nodded approvingly. “Make another one before you go home for the day.”
❀
Kaida flopped onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling in amazement. Her first week of college was over. When she’d stepped onto that bus out of Drake City two weeks ago, she’d never have been able to imagine her life right now. Her only hope when she’d boarded that bus was that her new life would be somewhat better than her old one. And it was –– so much better than she could’ve imagined. She could eat as much food as she wanted. She had cute new clothes. She had a job and was learning a trade she could continue for the rest of her life, if she chose. She was learning more about her powers, and best of all, she could spend as much time as a dragon as she wanted.
She completed almost all of her textbook readings as a dragon. She spent every night curled up on her pillow with her head tucked under her wing and her tail curled around her. Her dragon was happier and more active than she’d ever been. Her dragon still begged to go outside for a good romp, but Kaida wasn’t ready for that yet. It was one thing to trust her roommates with her secret, it was another to trust the world at large. Even then, she’d only trusted her roommates because she’d had no other choice. She hadn’t planned on telling anyone what she was, because even though her roommates seemed like good people, that didn’t mean they were good at keeping secrets. The more people that knew her secret, the greater her chance of discovery.
She was startled from her reverie by a knock on her door.
“Kaida,” Tanya called, “we’re going out to celebrate the end of our first week. Want to join us?”
Tanya couldn’t begin to imagine how much that simple invitation meant to Kaida. She mentally calculated how much she had left in her account and nodded to herself –– as long as they didn’t go anywhere too expensive, she should have enough to cover her dinner.
“I’d love to,” Kaida said as she opened her door. “Where did you have in mind?”
“Depends on what everyone feels like eating,” Tanya replied. “My vote is pasta and breadsticks.”
“I want something I can sink my teeth into, but no pork,” Erica said. “Maybe barbeque.”
As a boar shifter, Kaida could understand where her roommate’s aversion to pork came from.
“I want sushi,” Sophie said.
“What about you?” Tanya asked Kaida. “What do you feel like eating?”
“I’d be happy with anything,” Kaida answered truthfully.
Maribeth had never taken her out to a restaurant, and she was excited to see what she’d been missing.
“Does barbeque sound better,” Sophie asked, pulling a face, “or does sushi?” she added with a smile.
“I’ve never had sushi,” Kaida said, “so I can’t really answer that.”
“Then we’re doing sushi,” Tanya said. “We can all introduce you to our favorite rolls.”
Erica gave a mock scowl. “Maybe they’ll have some tempura chicken.”
They did have tempura chicken… on the kid’s menu, and Erica promptly ordered three plates of it.
“Shifter appetite,” Erica said in response to Sophie’s good-natured teasing.
Kaida was at a complete loss –– there were so many different rolls to choose from, she had no idea where to start.
“I prefer the tempura rolls,” Tanya said. “I’m not a big fan of raw fish.”
“Weaklings,” Sophie scoffed.
In the end, Kaida picked one tempura roll with shrimp and lobster and one regular roll with salmon and avocado. It didn’t take long for their food to come out, and Kaida’s dragon began drooling at the sight of the avocado topping one of her rolls. She carefully watched how Sophie and Tanya used their chopsticks and did her best to copy them. Erica, on the other hand, decided to forego chopsticks in favor of a fork.
Kaida carefully picked up a piece of the salmon and avocado roll and put it in her mouth. Her dragon went crazy, demanding more. Next, she tried the tempura roll –– it was good, but not as good as the first. Next thing she knew, her plate was picked clean. She eyed her empty plate mournfully.
“I take it you liked it,” Sophie said with a smile.
“Did you even taste it?” Tanya asked. “You practically inhaled two entire rolls.”
Kaida looked over at her roommates and realized that in the time it had taken her to eat two rolls, they had only managed a couple pieces each.
“It was really good,” Kaida replied sheepishly. She should have taken the time to enjoy the rolls instead of scarfing them down like her dragon demanded.
“Here, try some of mine,” Sophie said, sliding a piece of each of her rolls onto Kaida’s plate, and then Tanya did the same.
Kaida tried to take her time to enjoy the pieces, but it was difficult when her dragon was demanding more. Everything she tried was delicious, but her favorite was still the one with the salmon and avocado. She checked the menu quickly –– the Howling Mountain roll. She promised herself she’d come back and have more another time.
“I would call this a rousing success,” Tanya said, grinning at Kaida.
Kaida grinned back –– she refused to feel guilty for enjoying her food. Though, next time, she should get three rolls, maybe more. She made a mental note to make room in her budget for her new-found love of sushi.
❀
Kaida looked at the list in front of her with a frown. Her latest paycheck had been deposited, but she needed a few things, and it wasn’t enough to cover everything. Most of these things were one-time purchases, or things she’d only need to purchase every few months. She needed a decent pair of shoes –– her tennis shoes were falling apart, and she couldn’t wear the sandals forever, the straps were already beginning to fray. A few more shirts and pants –– ones without holes and patches –– wouldn’t go amiss. She sighed. Maybe she could find something nice at a thrift store. She looked at the last item on the list –– that one would take a long time to save up for. A laptop. She was still using the library and computer lab for her computer needs, but most of her class assignments were digital, and she’d prefer to do them from the safety and comfort of her own room. The school computers were a good resource, but using them always made Kaida feel exposed, and sometimes it was difficult to find an open one. She shook her head. She’d just have to deal with it –– there was no way she’d be able to affor
d her own laptop any time soon.
She left the apartment and it locked with a quiet snick behind her. She would have invited one of her roommates to come with her, but Tanya and Erica were working, and Sophie was at the potions lab, so it looked like she would have to take a solo trip.
❀
She wandered the thrift store, amazed at the quality of clothing people threw out –– some of them still had their original tags attached. In the end, she found three pairs of pants, and a handful of blouses and T-shirts that fit her and looked good. She grabbed a decent pair of shoes, and even found a purse and wallet she liked. She smiled –– now she wouldn’t have to carry her ratty old backpack everywhere.
It didn’t take her long to finish shopping, and everything she picked up managed to fit in her backpack. It was still a few hours before sunset, and Kaida didn’t have any homework left, so she decided to visit one more shop.
“Kaida!” Celicia exclaimed when she walked in.
“Hey Celicia,” Kaida said softly as she inhaled the moist, floral scent of the magical plant nursery.
“It’s good to see you again. Are you looking for anything in particular, or just browsing?” Celicia asked.
“Just browsing,” Kaida replied.
She didn’t intend on buying anything, but she loved the way this shop smelled and felt. She’d lived her whole life in a desert, and this place was an oasis. She wandered through the shop, keeping her hands to herself –– she did not want a repeat of last time. A row of potted plants caught her eye. The plants were about eight inches tall and had many small, shiny, dark green leaves. The flowers were a rich orange, and fish-shaped. As she watched, the flowers detached themselves from the plant and swam around in the air above before swimming down and reattaching themselves. This made the plants look like they were in an aquarium of goldfish. Kaida checked the name card: Goldfish Plant… an appropriate name.
“Kaida, welcome back,” Joan greeted her warmly. “Anything caught your eye?”
Kaida shook her head. “I’m just looking. I had a bit of time to kill after getting some necessities, so I thought I’d come by.”
“Well, come by any time,” Joan said. “I sent those Sunstar flowers off for testing, and I hope to hear back any day now.”
Kaida’s brow furrowed in confusion. What did the flowers need to be tested for?
“Every batch of Sunstar flowers are unique, as the magic around them when they bloom is unique,” Joan explained, picking up on Kaida’s confusion. “While they all have some healing properties, their specific properties are different. They need to be tested so we know where they would be the most useful.”
“I see,” Kaida said.
“Oh, Kaida,” Celicia chimed in, “we’re having another pack barbeque tonight, you and your roommates are welcome to come.”
“Thanks, I’ll let them know,” Kaida said.
“Yeah, just send me a text if you’re going to come,” Celicia said with a smile.
The two young women exchanged numbers and Kaida left to catch the bus.
❀
“A pack party!” Sophie squealed. “Are you serious? Think of all those handsome wolf shifters.”
“Think about all the delicious food,” Erica added, practically drooling.
“You can get good food anywhere,” Tanya said, waving Erica’s comment away. “But great guys are hard to come by.”
“I dunno… I’m with Erica on this one,” Kaida said, remembering the Paradise Burger.
“Do all shifters think with their stomachs?” Tanya asked, teasing.
Erica and Kaida shared a look.
“Yes,” they said in unison.
“Well, whatever,” Sophie said, “just tell your friend we’re coming.”
❀
“She’s coming,” Celicia said, shoving her phone in her brother’s face.
“Who’s coming?” he asked as he batted the phone out of the way so he could see the vegetables he was chopping.
“My future sister-in-law, of course,” Celicia teased him.
Sen sighed. “Please stop trying to set me up –– it always ends in disaster.”
“It does not,” Celicia protested. “Besides, I think you’ll really like this one.”
“You say that about all of them,” Sen pointed out. “Remember that half-troll you set me up with?”
Celicia grimaced. “Yeah, bad call on my part –– she seemed so sweet.”
“Yes, right up until you disagree with her,” Sen said. “And why are you so desperate to marry me off anyway?”
“I want nieces and nephews,” Celicia answered with an impish grin.
Sen threw a carrot at her. “There are plenty of pups back home that would love to adopt you as their aunt.”
“Fine,” Celicia huffed, “but is it so wrong for me to want you to be happy?”
“I would be a lot happier if you stopped meddling in my love life,” Sen said.
“If I didn’t meddle, you’d have no love life,” Celicia pointed out, as if it justified all the horrible dates she’d sent her brother on.
“Who has no love life?” Linus asked, picking up the tray of veggies Sen had just finished chopping.
“Why don’t you set her up with Linus instead?” Sen suggested.
“You want me to set Kaida up with Linus?” Celicia asked, arching an eyebrow.
Sen looked up sharply and asked, “When did Kaida come into this conversation?”
“From the very beginning,” Celicia said with exaggerated patience, “when I told you she was coming.”
“She’s coming? Here? Tonight?” Sen struggled to quell his panic –– they were out of avocados.
He grabbed his wallet and keys and dashed out the door, passing Rio on the way.
“Where are you going?” Celicia shouted after him.
“We’re out of avocados,” he shouted back as he climbed in his truck.
Celicia, Linus, and Rio watched Sen drive away, utterly confused.
“Okay, I’ll bite –– what was that about?” Rio asked.
“Something about avocados… I think,” Celicia said. She’d never seen her brother act like this before.
“So,” Linus said, “who’s Kaida, and why did she make your brother run for the hills?”
“He didn’t run for the hills –– he ran to the grocery store… I hope,” Celicia protested.
“Still doesn’t tell me who Kaida is,” Linus replied. “Is she really that terrifying?”
Celicia snorted and said, “You’ve met her –– she’s about as terrifying as a butterfly. You really don’t remember her?”
Linus shook his head.
“Tiny, lavender hair, amethyst eyes,” Celicia said. “First time we saw her, she looked like a hobo. Terri made her her first burger. Now she’s Gramps’s apprentice. Any of this ring a bell?”
Linus shook his head.
“Oh, is Mathis’ apprentice joining us tonight?” Amyra asked, coming through the door. “What was her name? Kaida?”
“You know her?” Celicia asked, surprised.
Amyra, a lanky middle-aged cat shifter who had joined their pack many years ago, shook her head and said, “I haven’t met her, but your brother said she really liked my new guacamole recipe.”
“Avocados!” Celicia exclaimed, suddenly understanding her brother’s bizarre behavior.
“Oh, I get it,” Linus said with a smirk a moment later.
“Nope, still lost,” Rio said, shaking his head.
“Don’t worry,” Celicia said, hugging the bear shifter, “it will all become clear soon.” She turned to Amyra and asked, “When Sen gets back with the avocados, would you be able to whip up a batch of your guacamole?”
Amyra looked at her suspiciously and asked, “For the whole party, or for a special guest?”
“A special guest,” Celicia replied with a grin.
Chapter 13
Sen growled at the produce. How was it so hard to find a ripe avocado or two?
Also, how could you tell if it was ripe? His wolf shrugged –– plants were not his specialty. He dithered at the avocado bin for a few more minutes, feeling an unreasonable amount of pressure. His wolf suggested hunting a deer instead –– surely that would be easier than trying to pick out a ripe avocado. In the end, he decided that none of them were good enough, and left to try another store.