“You have nothing to say to that?” Tyrrell grunted. “Relax, it’s just a tradition, something for the Winter people to celebrate. The Historical Society is almost done with everything.”
Tyrrell’s voice brought Jatred back to reality. “Yeah?” He sounded semi-interested.
“You don’t seem impressed.” Tyrrell’s laugh rumbled through the basement. “I know. It might feel a bit intimidating.”
“A bit? That’s an understatement. The whole idea is out-of-date.”
“Jatred, you’ll be fine. Everyone knows it’s just a tradition. You’re not expected to do much,” Tyrrell said, scanning his retina and the palm of his hand on the security device by the vault entrance.
A heavy gate slid to the side with a low whoosh. They entered the small chamber. Jatred reached to the back of his neck and unfastened the clasp. Tyrrell opened the safe, and Jatred gently deposited the Amulet inside. He exhaled loudly, closed the hefty door to the safe, and turned the knob to lock it.
“Done.” Jatred stated with a nod, his face somber.
“Done.” Tyrrell mimicked him, his eyes almost iris-free in the darkness.
***
Human World, November 17, late afternoon.
“Go from the other side!” Erik yelled to Bogdan as he started to ride his skateboard down one of the park’s concrete slopes. The board smoothly slid over the bottom and up the opposite wall. When he reached the top, Erik brought the board up to a jump with a twist of his legs. He took a complete turn mid-air, his gray t-shirt bunching up at the hips over his baggy-fit jeans.
Bogdan rode his skateboard down over the edge, just as Erik started to ride back from the opposite concrete slope. They passed each other on the bottom with a shout, and each rushed up the wall across from one another. At the top, Bogdan turned the board in a fast motion, bending his knees and briefly grasping onto the front part with his left hand. He let go of the board and rolled it down the slope toward Erik who was fast approaching from the opposite side. Both Shifters wore baseball hats positioned backwards on their heads. Erik’s blond strands escaped from under his cap, gently curling away and then up.
“Go, babe! Woo-hoo!” yelled Lusia, scooting closer to Georgeta and watching Bogdan.
The girls sat under a large, brightly-colored umbrella. Georgeta giggled. “Wonder which one will fall first.”
“I bet it will be Bogdan.” Lusia laughed.
“I wouldn’t be so sure, you know.” Georgeta shook her head, and her dark curls bounced. “Erik is good, all right, but he gets too crazy. He pushes his limits too much.”
“I guess he didn’t learn from last year’s fall when he broke his arm.” Lusia snorted. “Thank Goddess for Doctor Bigbee and his staff. If a human physician saw Erik’s X-rays he wouldn’t have a clue what’s going on with this boy’s bones.”
“I can only imagine what they would think of the Shifter’s bone structure. But I suppose Erik tries to be semi-careful. He realized he couldn’t play football for a while with another injury. And he would have to wear that cast and pretend he’s healing slowly, like humans. Remember? Just like last summer. He hated it, but we wouldn’t let him out of the house without the cast.”
“The humans would freak out that his bone was intact just one week after it got broken. Oh, I remember it way too well.” Lusia rolled her eyes. “Erik was as grumpy as an old woman.”
The small park on Queen Anne was deserted due to rain and cold. The four teenagers had the place all to themselves. The boys continued various acrobatics with their skateboards, and the girls chatted and laughed.
“Bogdan, your cell’s ringing.” Lusia shouted.
“Pick it up,” Bogdan yelled back, smiling widely at his girlfriend.
Lusia shrugged and reached for the phone. “It’s Jatred,” she said to Georgeta, looking at the screen, and then pressing the green button.
“Jatred, this is Lusia. You’re okay. I was so worried. Bogdan said he saw you this morning. But I was still freaking out, you know me.”
She murmured something in response to what Jatred was saying to her, nodded a few times with a low “Uhm,” and finally said in a mock exasperation, “Then come over here,” and then, “Yes,” and “Good. We should still be here. Just get your butt over as soon as you can, geez. I hate this rain, and those two clowns are set on riding their skateboards, no matter what.”
“Is he coming?” Georgeta asked, as soon as Lusia hung up.
“I guess so,” Lusia said, scratching her spiked hair. “He sounded weird… I don’t know, just… just not like himself.”
“He’s been through a lot with the Goddess.” Georgeta bit her lower lip and looked away.
“I know. I wonder what’s going on. Are we still going back to that mansion tomorrow? To talk with Jasmira?”
“That’s what Erik said after flirting with Penelope on the phone for an hour.” Georgeta rolled her eyes. “Do you think it’s a good idea after all?”
“We need to find out what’s happening. I mean, when we went there last night, we didn’t even know for sure where Jatred was, and what Crystal was planning to do. But now he’s back so I don’t know. You’re not so sure yourself?”
“Nope. Let’s see what Jatred has to say.”
Bogdan kicked his skateboard forward and casually walked behind it toward Lusia and Georgeta.
“Who called?” He squeezed between the girls and put his arms around Lusia. He pulled her close him and kissed her on the lips.
“Eww, not in public. Get a room, you two.” Georgeta covered her eyes in pretend repulsion.
“Jatred will be here any minute.” Lusia caressed Bogdan’s cheek. “But he sounded strange, like he was unfocused or something. It was hard to get a straight answer from him.”
Bogdan grunted and pulled his t-shirt off. He wore a lose-fitting long-sleeve shirt underneath and started to remove this one too, but Lusia stopped him, laughing. “Oh no, you don’t. You forget there are humans around? For them it’s cold, you know. At least pretend you’re one of them.”
“What humans? Do you see anybody?” Bogdan took his hat off and tousled his hair with his hand.
“He refuses to wear a jacket even when we snowboard,” Lusia said to Georgeta.
“I can’t blame him. I prefer to dress lightly myself, even in the snow. A t-shirt or two is all I can stand.” Georgeta snorted.
“You see? No pretense.” Bogdan gestured at Georgeta. “That’s what I like about you, little one.” He put his arms around her and squeezed.
“Who are you calling a little one? You’re not so big yourself. Just tall and scrawny.” She wriggled out of his arms.
“I was referring to your age.” He laughed. “You’re barely fifteen. Just a little puppy.”
He grinned. Lusia giggled.
They heard a long piercing whistle and turned their heads toward the sound. Jatred rode his skateboard on the sidewalk. He wore baggy knee-length shorts, frayed in places, and a loose t-shirt. A blue and white bandana was tied snug around his forehead in a wide head-band style. Strands of jet-black hair escaped from under the fabric and hung loose past his earlobes.
“Jatred!” both girls shrieked and jumped to their feet, running to him.
Bogdan’s face broke into a wide grin. Erik hopped off his skateboard and strode to join the rest of his friends, his steps long and bouncy. He wiped sweat off his face with his sleeve and said, “Good to see you, stranger.”
Jatred removed his ear-buds and stuffed them into his shorts pocket, next to his iPod. “Hey.” He smiled at the approaching Shifters. The girls jumped onto him, screaming and laughing. He was forced off his skateboard and staggered, bending his knees and stretching his arms out to the sides for balance. “Wow, wait,” was all he was able to say before he fell backward onto the grass next to the sidewalk, with the girls sprawled on top of him.
“The guy gets banged up a little, and look at this welcoming committee! Where is a basket with cookies?” Erik laughed, lif
ting Georgeta up to her feet. Bogdan grabbed onto Lusia’s waist and pulled her small body off Jatred with ease.
“Well?” Jatred lay on his back, his face set in an expectant mask. He extended his arm and looked eagerly from Bogdan to Erik.
“Come on, you big baby.” Grinning, Bogdan grasped onto Jatred’s hand and pulled him up. He clapped Jatred on the back, and Erik did the same.
“Good, you’ve got your board. Wanna do some runs?” Bogdan asked.
“Yeah.” The corners of Jatred’s mouth twitched.
“Wait a minute. Are you gonna tell us anything? What’s going on with Crystal?” Lusia asked.
“Lusia, I already told you everything,” Bogdan said. “Let him do a few runs on the board first.”
Jatred nodded and kicked his skateboard in front of him.
“I know. I’m glad you’re fine though.” Lusia shrugged and hooked her fingers around Bogdan’s jeans pocket.
“We were worried about you,” Georgeta chimed in.
Jatred bit his lower lip. “I know. Thanks, guys. This whole thing…” He took a deep breath and shrugged. “I’m a little wigged out. It’s crazy. Well, let me skate a bit. I could use some fun for a change.”
Erik clapped Jatred on the back. “Come on.”
Lusia and Georgeta sat down under their umbrella, watching the boys do their skateboard acrobatics.
“I still can’t believe this whole thing has happened. He fought the Garhanan and then he was frozen in Winter Realm. I would’ve never thought something like that can actually take place.” Georgeta shook her head and pulled two Twix bars from her shirt pocket. She offered one to Lusia.
“I know.” Lusia sighed, accepting the bar. “And he doesn’t say much. Well, guys keep things inside and never chat like we do.”
“You’re lucky. You can eat these and nothing sticks to your bones.” Georgeta pointed to Lusia’s bar. “I shouldn’t even sniff chocolate, but I can’t help it. Mom says I don’t have the Shifter’s metabolism, just the human one. Dad thinks that selected Shifters are losing some of their natural attributes. But that’s still really, really rare. Thank you, Mother Nature.” She rolled her eyes and took a bite.
“You’re not alone. Look at Bogdan and his dad. They both have issues with their vision. And that’s totally uncommon for Shifters,” Lusia said. “But you know…” She fell silent when her eyes rested on the approaching Penelope.
A thick scarf was wrapped around Penelope’s neck and chin. She was dressed in a white Michael Kors puffer jacket zipped up to her chin. She wore blue knit-mittens and a chunky hat in a matching color.
“Look who’s here. I bet Erik called her,” Lusia whispered.
“Nice boots. I love those Uggs,” Georgeta commented, crumpling the candy wrapper in her hands.
“Nothing but the best on Penelope. You can tell right away she’s a Summer Shifter. She looks cold even stuffed in all those clothes.” Lusia snorted.
Penelope approached them with a smile. “Hi.”
Both girls said their “hellos”, but Penelope had already stridden toward the boys. Erik saw her, and his face broke into a wide grin. He completed a complicated jump-and-turn on the skateboard and hopped off it, right in front of her. He lifted her into a tight embrace and kissed her on the cheek. Penelope beamed at him.
“Thanks for coming, Pen.” Erik put her down.
“Wouldn’t miss it for a million.” She let go of Erik. Her eyes slid past him to rest on Jatred. She tried very hard not to frown.
“I want to do a few more tricks. Wait for me?” Erik looked expectantly at her.
“Sure,” she said and walked over to sit down next to Lusia and Georgeta.
“I like your coat,” Georgeta commented. “And the boots too.”
“Oh, thanks.” Penelope shrugged. “So, is Jatred seeing a human girl now?”
Lusia’s eyes opened wide. She seemed to forget she was holding a piece of a Twix bar as her hand halted on the way to her mouth.
Georgeta turned sharply toward Penelope, surprised. “What?”
“I saw them today. Her name is Savannah. She lives on my street,” Penelope answered matter-of-factly, her eyes on Jatred.
“Wait a minute.” Lusia regained her voice. “What about Jasmira?”
“What about Jasmira? They aren’t together anymore. Haven’t been in a while, you know that.”
“Well, in fact—” Lusia started to say.
“What are you talking about?” Georgeta interrupted. “We all know they broke up, but a human girl? Are you sure it was Jatred you saw?”
“Absolutely.” Penelope nodded.
“No, that’s just insane. I’ve known him since preschool. He’s never dated a human girl.” Lusia puffed and looked at Jatred, who brought his skateboard into a high jump and a sharp midair turn.
CHAPTER 32
Human World, November 17, late afternoon.
“No, man. Don’t start again.” Jatred was getting frustrated. “I’m not going there with you. Look… I really don’t remember her, I told you.”
Bogdan opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it. He shot Erik a glance. Jatred never got so easily irritated.
Erik smiled. “Relax. Nobody’s making you do anything you don’t wanna do, bro.”
Jatred swore, and spit on the ground. The rain was getting thicker and colder.
The girls sat under their umbrella. Penelope hugged herself. Her thick winter clothes and warm boots looked out of place next to Lusia and Georgeta, who sported short sleeves and thin pants.
“I wonder what they’re talking about.” Lusia watched the boys who stopped skateboarding and stood with their backs to the girls.
“I don’t hear a thing. They have their mental guards on. Must be me they want to keep out of the conversation,” Penelope said with her mind.
“It’s so hilarious at school when I can hear the human kids talking,” Georgeta changed the subject. “There’s no way for them to keep a secret from me. I guess that’s why we only have Shifter teachers—so we can’t hear them.”
“You don’t need your Shifter’s hearing to know what the human girls are talking about.” Lusia said. Georgeta and Penelope looked at her with interest. “Erik and Jatred, of course. They all drool over them. But that’s because neither one would date a human.”
“I can’t blame him. I wouldn’t date a human boy even if he was the cutest,” commented Penelope. “It’s too complicated to hide from them what I am.”
The other two girls nodded and murmured in agreement.
“So why is Jatred seeing Savannah?” Penelope asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe they aren’t dating. They could be, you know… just friends.” Lusia shrugged.
Georgeta made a supportive noise, watching the boys.
“Maybe,” Penelope said, unconvinced.
“Do you think we should talk with Jasmira?” Lusia asked.
“Yeah. I know she wants to talk with you guys. Maybe you can convince Jatred to join you? I mean, she would really like that, but…,” Penelope shrugged. “She should call him, but she’s freaked out about what Amber made her do, you know, to steal that Amulet and get Jatred in so much trouble.”
The boys turned around. The cold wind gusted, flattening their thin, rain-soaked shirts against their bodies. None of them seemed to notice the chill in the air as they walked toward the girls. It was dark already but the skate park was brightly lit by tall lanterns positioned at the edges of the concrete surface.
“Hey,” Penelope greeted Jatred.
He nodded at her and said, “Hi, Penelope.”
“Look, sorry about earlier today. I just got caught off guard.”
“It’s cool.” He grunted and cleared his throat.
Erik looked at Penelope expectantly. She returned his gaze. “Oh, I saw Jatred on my way home.”
“Yeah. She saw me with a human girl.” The corners of Jatred’s lips lifted in a smile.
Everyone looked at
him, waiting to hear more. He folded his arms against his chest. “What?”
“Who?” Bogdan asked.
“Her name is Savannah. She’s just a friend,” Jatred said. “Okay, I’m starving. Do you guys want to grab some Subway?”
The girls shouted their approval for an early dinner choice. Erik wrapped his arm around Penelope and pressed a kiss onto her temple. She looked at him sideways, smiling. Bogdan and Jatred walked in front of them, talking about a basketball match they wanted to see. Georgeta and Lusia huddled under their umbrella. They brought up the rear, giggling about something.
“Hope you’re not cold,” Erik said.
“I’m fine.” Penelope leaned close to him. “I just wanna go running through the woods, but it’s so rainy.”
“You don’t like your paws getting wet.” He burst out laughing.
“In fact, no.” She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Even in leopard form I get too cold in this weather.”
“Is that normal for you guys? I mean, it’s not like freezing yet.”
“No. I think it’s just me. Nobody else seems to mind. My folks say I’ve not adapted to cold as well as the other Summer Shifters.” She shrugged, enjoying the small talk.
“So what do you do when it rains so much, like this? You stay human all winter?” Erik arched his eyebrows.
“Of course not. I shift and go running even in the rain. But I complain a lot.” Penelope laughed.
“Maybe we can go together sometime? We all usually drive somewhere where we know the humans won’t spot us.”
“I’d like that. I generally go to Jasmira’s place. Her grandma has ten acres of mostly woods—all fenced around, so no humans can see us. She lets all the Summer kids come there, and some adults too.”
“I wish we had a spot like that,” Erik commented. “We just have to be careful. But the Shifter’s hearing and sense of smell come in handy. We can spot a human from miles away.”
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