Page 5 of Whispers of the Water

“Ajabu!” Avana observed, her Malagasy accent ringing thick.

I faced her fully, breaking the connection with Rune. Avana quieted as she studied Rune, walking around him in a slow circle. She took in every detail of the fox features to replicate them onto me. We’d practiced this once before, but since this was the real deal, we all wanted it to look perfect.

Finally, she came to stand in front of me. Avana was a good head taller than me, so I had to look up slightly to hold her warm, dark gaze. Slowly, I felt the tingle of her magic reach out to me. The tips of my fingers, the top of my head, the gums in my mouth, and the top of my rear all itched as her illusion got to work. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from flailing about in an effort to alleviate the incessant itching.

The concentration faded from Avana’s face before she beamed at me once more. “All done, my dear.”

“Wow,” Akira said as his now fully black eyes trailed my body. He had transformed into his Raven Fae form while Avana worked on me, giving himself onyx eyes and large black feathered wings, which were tucked to his back due to the small space of the jet. “You look stunning!”

Bassel gave a low whistle as his gaze took me in. “Looks even better than when you guys practiced.”

“Thank you.” My mouth felt full with the sudden invasion of fangs. I knew from the previous practice that it would take me a few minutes to adjust to the feeling.

Everyone gathered their belongings and made their way to the door. Rune grabbed my arm, halting my move to follow. He waited until everyone was gone before facing me.

His eyes drank in my body, and he walked a slow, deliberate circle around me. My skin came alive everywhere that gaze of his dipped, and the air in my lungs became stifled as his fingertips barely brushed along my waist. I was flushed, throbbing low, and hungry for more by the time he finally came to stand in front of me again. There was a fire churning in his eyes, and he bit his lip as he stepped in close to me. There was an unmistakable thirst in his touch, and his gaze told me I was the only drink that could quench it.

Clearing his throat, his voice came out husky when he said, “You look absolutely beautiful. Truly. I’ve never seen a more stunning Fox.”

Swallowing hard, my breath came out fast. “Thank you. That means a lot since I’m supposed to be your chosen partner.”

Smirking, he slipped his hand along my hip, trailing it against my lower back. Suddenly, his eyes lost some of their spark, and he quickly pulled back his hand. “I wanted to see if you were okay before we went out there.”

“In what regard?”

“Any, I guess? Are you okay doing this? Are you okay after the transformation? Are you okay with things between us? Just, are you okay?”

Taking a deep, painful breath, I decided to answer honestly. “No. But I will be. Are you okay?”

A short laugh burst from his lips, but the ache in his dim amber eyes told me he found nothing funny about this. “Nope.”

Smirking, I tipped my chin up a notch and walked past him. “Good.”

I heard him sigh, but I didn’t turn back to acknowledge him. I kept my head held high as I walked down the stairs of the jet and into the autumn sun. The cool Massachusetts air greeted me, and I welcomed the slight chill amid the sunshine.

The small, private runway faced a line of trees decorated in red, orange, and yellow leaves. A few fluttered to the ground with a promise of fall, and I found it to be a breathtaking sight, one that made the waiting black limo seem like a brewing storm cloud in their midst. A man in a traditional black butler’s suit stood by the limo, watching us as we gathered around our belongings.

Rune came up beside me and slipped his hand into mine, our fingers intertwining. Swallowing down the mix of hurt and euphoria that his touch inspired, I worked to meet his smile with one of my own. Only one stranger watched us, but it was showtime nonetheless.

“Ready?” Rune asked, his voice low enough for only my ears to pick up.

I squeezed his hand and nodded. “As long as you’re with me.”

The response left my lips before I had time to think it through, and because I said it for him alone, it was clear I meant it. His brow pinched tight as he forced his smile through the ache so clearly embedded in his eyes.

Forcing myself to turn away from his obvious discomfort and my own, we followed the rest of the group toward the limo and its waiting driver.

As we got closer, the man bowed slightly. He remained stoic as he straightened to greet us. His green eyes lingered on me for a moment before traveling down to where my hand intertwined with Rune’s. When he looked back up, he gave Rune his attention. “Welcome home, Master Rune.” He looked at the rest of us and greeted, “Master Rune’s friends.”

“It’s been awhile, Edgar,” Rune said.

“Indeed, sir. Your mother and the others are awaiting your arrival. Although, I must inform you that they were not expecting six of you.” His eyes found me as he finished his sentence, and I swallowed hard at the scrutiny in his stare.

Rune released his hold on my hand to wrap his arm around my waist instead. Cheeks tinting pink at the intimate act, I looked up at him as he pulled me closer to his side. He smiled at Edgar and said, “This is my girlfriend, Bria.”

I looked at Edgar and gave a small wave. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you.”

Edgar raised his eyebrows in surprise before becoming completely impassive once more. He cleared his throat and said, “Yes, well, I do think it is best for us to be on our way now. We mustn’t keep everyone waiting.”

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