Page 48 of The White Dragon's Dilemma

“Nothing’s happening.Does it take this long normally?”Tilly asked Wally and Rose.“You guys shifted immediately and--”

“Guys, you can’t look at me.I can’t do this with you all looking,” Caden pleaded with them.

“But I want to see you shift!”Tilly cried.

Wally reached back and patted Tilly’s shoulder.“Another time, Tilly.Let’s look away and give Caden a little privacy.”

“Is that normal?”Tilly grumped.

“There’s a lot of weight on Caden’s shoulders, Tilly,” Rose said and Caden both wanted to kiss her for knowing that and yell at her for reminding him.

All three of them turned in their seats and looked to the other side of the street.It was incredibly weird to see the backs of their heads.But Caden shook it off.

“Take Tilly back to High Reach, Wally,” Caden reminded the Rat Shifter.

“Rose and I will keep her safe as houses!”Wally assured him without turning around.

Caden shook his hands, rolled back his shoulders, cracked his spine and prepared to shift.

Okay, let’s do this, Iolaire!

Iolaire rustled its wings and stood up.The two of them then… waited.

Nothing is happening, Iolaire!

Iolaire shifted its wings again and Caden saw an elderly lady had just come out of one of the homes lining the street.She was heading towards the end of her driveway where her newspaper was waiting for her in its plastic wrapping.Caden watched with growing horror as she moved about two inches with every step.She shuffled then stopped to catch her breath, shuffled again and stopped.He gauged the length between her and the paper.

Thirty feet.It’ll be hours before she gets it,Caden realized.

“What’s happening?Is anything happening?”Tilly said in a stage whisper, which probably meant that even the old lady could hear it.

“There’s a person,” Wally muttered.“Oh, boy. This will be a while.”

If we do nothing!

Caden dashed over to the paper.The old woman looked alarmed and brought her bird-like arms near her chest.She likely thought he was stealing her paper, not understanding that most people read online.He jogged up to her, a smile plastered on his face, hoping that he looked harmless.

Like I am if I can’t shift!Iolaire, we have to do this!

“Were you looking for this, ma’am?”Caden offered the paper to her.

She blinked behind thick coke-bottle lenses at his face before looking down at the paper as if it was a mimic and might transform into a monster.She was looking up at his face again.

Maybe she thinks I’m the monster…

“Can I help you back to your door?”Caden’s voice was getting a little high and tight.

We have to get out there and find that bomb, Iolaire!

The elderly woman took the paper from his hands.“Oh, my, that’s quite kind of you.”

She twittered and held the paper close to her chest as if it was a sacred object.She then slowly tottered to face her door.Caden’s eyes gauged the distance now between her and her door.Could he just leave her at the step? Did he have to hold the door open for her?What if she wanted to chat?

“You look a lot like my brother Billy,” she wheezed as they seemed to crawl at a crab’s pace to her front door.

“Oh?”He hoped if he kept his responses short then she wouldn’t continue the conversation.He was sorely disappointed.

She stopped.Two feet from the front step! She turned to him, smiling vaguely, as she clearly remembered some fond memories.

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