Page 47 of Fire of the Fox

Akira laughed at that from where he sat on the love seat. “I highly doubt they are. All Land Fae within a certain area try to take note of others so we can watch each other’s backs. I don’t know of any that go to Brinkley or work there.”

My relief was instant. “That’s good to know.”

“Avana should be here soon.” Akira skipped over to the window, peeking out the curtains. “You’re going to love her, Bria. She’s amazing!”

Rune dropped into the high-backed chair, and Marlow crawled across the floor to sit next to his legs. There was a lazy, contented hold to his mouth, and he hummed a song faintly.

Strange.

“So, Avana knows that I’m human, I take it?”

“Yeah, we let her know what was going on,” Rune answered.

“She totally understood why we needed her since it’s Rune we’re talking about.” Akira laughed. “No way can Mr. Ladies’ Man over there actually have a girlfriend to take home. She thought it was hilarious.”

“Yes. Ha. Ha. So funny,” Rune mocked, shaking his head.

“She’s here!” Akira squealed, dashing to the door.

Suddenly nervous, I fiddled with the hem of my t-shirt. A warm, female voice with a heavy accent flooded into the room with Akira’s laughter. I was quick to get to my feet, turning to the door to greet the new presence.

“Avana,” Akira said, waving his arm at me. “Meet Bria. Bria, this is our good friend, Avana.”

“Salama, Bria! It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

Avana was stunning. Her dark brown skin was flawless, as was her long, black braids, which had gold ribbon threaded in them. None of that compared to her smile though. It was so welcoming and kind that all my nerves instantly melted away.

Matching her excitement, I shook her outstretched hand. “You too. So, you’re a Land Fae?”

“I am. I’m a Chameleon Fae, originally from Madagascar, hence my accent. As a Chameleon Fae, I have the ability to change a person’s outward appearance, which is what I’m here to do today.”

“Her transformations are amazing,” Bassel said, tossing a grin her way. “Give Bria a demonstration.”

Avana looked in my direction, her gaze becoming focused and steady. Her brown eyes studied me as she took in every inch of my body. After only a few moments, patches of her dark skin began to lighten. Her black and gold braids unraveled and redid themselves until she sported a blonde messy bun. Her off-the-shoulder shirt and maxi skirt shrunk against her body until she wore black leggings and a white t-shirt. Her features and skin continued distorting until I was left staring at an exact image of myself.

My eyes went wide, and a surprised gasp left my lips. “Holy shiz,” I mumbled, approaching slowly.

She beamed, twirling for me to take in all of her. Or rather, all of me.

“Pretty neat, huh?” she asked, her voice still her own.

“It’s incredible! It’s almost freaky how much you look like me.”

She laughed as her body and clothes began fading and reshaping until she stood before me as herself once more.

Still in shock, I stared at her. She was going to do that to me—change the way I looked. Granted, it wasn’t anything on the same scale as to what she’d done to herself, but the idea was both fascinating and disturbing.

Placing her hands on her hips, she addressed me with an eager twinkle to her dark eyes. “Are you ready to turn into a Fox Fae?”

I swallowed my nerves. “Is this going to hurt?”

“Not at all,” she said, waving away the idea with her hand. “If anything, it tingles and tickles a little bit.”

Rune came up beside me and addressed Avana. “You need me to change, right?”

She nodded. “I want to make sure I cover everything and get it looking just right. Being able to see what I’m trying to replicate will make it look better.”

An orange flame erupted around Rune’s body then. It traveled the length of him until he stood next to me with his fox ears, tail, and claws. Glancing at me, he smirked, which made his sharp fang peek out from beneath his lip.

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