Page 24 of Obsidian Prince

Liliana held her breath, waiting and hoping. All it would take to change everything would be for Ben’s curiosity to overcome his polite nature.

From the corner of her eye, Janice watched Liliana, waiting for a signal.

Ben looked at the knothole, a tiny aperture into the never-glimpsed backyard right next to his. It would be rude to look, breaking a strict social rule. But Janice’s quick glance through that knothole told him he could see. It was right there if he wanted to look.

The teacher looked around, making sure no one else would see him breaking that social rule.

Liliana ducked behind the chimney, continuing to watch him with her fourth eyes.

This was the moment. From here, all of Ben and Pete’s futures branched. If Ben’s polite, do-as-I’m-supposed-to, believe-what I’ve-been-taught nature was stronger than his curious, find-out, learn-something-new nature was, then Pete might as well walk away, and when his broken heart began to heal, find someone new.

Ben bent over to put his eye to the hole.

With a broad grin, Liliana punched the sky where Janice could see.

Janice smothered a triumphant grin. “Sam, why don’t you play chase with Wendy a little in rabbit form so Kayden can see she isn’t dangerous.”

But the kid was ahead of her. As soon as Sam saw Liliana’s signal, he ran around the yard once on his four bunny legs.

The dog chased him, her tail wagging.

Then, he shifted form. The long bunny ears vanished into a blonde head. Limbs lengthened and fur vanished leaving a normal-looking little boy. “See, no problem,” Sam said to his baby brother.

Ben rubbed his eyes. “But …” He stood there for another long moment staring through the hole at the perfectly normal child that he knew well… who had been a rabbit a moment before.

Kayden squirmed out of his mother’s lap. Standing next to his big brother, he said, “Safe?”

Sam patted him on the back. “It’s fine. Wendy won’t hurt you.”

Kayden shifted to his tiny, fluffy bunny form, standing on hind legs to look at the now huge in comparison dog.

Wendy bent down and touched noses with the baby rabbit.

Sam scratched the dog behind the ears. “See, Kay. She won’t hurt you.” He got a messy lick in the face as a reward.

Kayden shifted back to human form. “Safe!” he said, loudly.

Janice handed the boys back their shorts that had been abandoned in the grass earlier.

They pulled them on.

She gave Kayden a quick hug, whispering, “That ought to do it,” in his ear. “Let’s go inside and make a pie, boys. I’ll let Kayden stir the crumble topping. Sam, you can roll out the dough. What do you say?”

Both boys cheered and followed their mother into the house. Wendy followed, wagging her shaggy blonde tail.

“How …” Ben stopped as if uncertain how to finish. He stood up from the hunched posture he’d needed to see through the knothole. Jaw slack, he stared into space.

After a long moment, he said, “I need coffee.” He tripped on his back steps on the way into the house. “Or maybe something stronger.” His tablet and stylus lay abandoned on the picnic table.

Liliana looked into Ben and Pete’s future. She smiled as many of the former paths disappeared, fading into better paths. In one strong possibility, she saw the two men dressed in tuxedoes saying vows while surrounded by flowers.

She nodded in satisfaction. She’d done what she could for Pete’s future.

Ben Harper’s curiosity would do the rest.

Chapter7

The Opposite Of Dying

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