Page 61 of Coerced

“Shift?” I blinked, trying to figure out what she was talking about.

“Yes. Rihanna said Roman nephilim who couldn’t fight, flee, hide, or shift ended up dead. What’s shift?”

“There are species of shifters, like werewolves, who have an animal spirit inside them,” I told her. “But as far as nephs go, shifting is short for shapeshifting. It’s a side skill.”

“Why don’t I have an awesome side skill like that? Oranyside skill?” she demanded, her eyebrows puckering and making her even cuter, and I hid a smile because I didn’t want her to think I was laughing at her.

“It’s a random gift. I don’t have one, either. And they have limits.”

“That’s right,” Clem interrupted. “Remember Rome, Mike Spinelli’s friend I mentioned? He can transform into animals, but only ones that are found on land. And a man I hunted down a while back could mirror anything he imagined so long as it didn’t currently exist on Earth.”

“A doppelganger?” Tara’s eyes flew wide open. “That’s a scary thought! That someone can imitate another person!”

“Not just imitate,” Amanda pointed out. “Theybecometheir physical clone, right down to how they smell. Their mind, of course, remains their own, but even a parent wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the two.”

“Incredible!” Gemma rolled her bottom lip out in a little pout. “I’m so jealous of those with side skills!”

“My power focus teacher has a theory about them,” Travis piped up. “She’s researched at least four thousand nephs over the past two hundred years and found those who have an artistic talent never have a side skill, and those who have a side skill never have an artistic talent. Her theory is that you get either a side skill from your Divine blood or an artistic talent from your human blood, but never both.”

Clem agreed with him, and the two of them rambled on, but I tuned them out. I didn’t really care.

“Will you speak with me in private?” I heard Amanda ask, and it took me a second to realize she was talking tome.

I glanced at Gemma, who smiled and nodded, so I shrugged and grabbed my jacket. Tara offered to fetch her coat for Amanda to borrow, and Clem glared at me the whole time we waited.

I didn’t need words to hear what he was saying.

“Nothing will harm her, old man,” I promised.

“You won’t live to regret it otherwise.”

“At least one thing hasn’t changed, William.” Amanda patted his arm. “You remain as overbearing as ever.”

I hustled her out the door before Clem could answer.

“Uh, where do you want to go?” I asked as we rode the elevator down to the lobby.

“Somewhere quiet. This world is noisy.” A tiny frown formed on her face. “And busy. And bright.”

“I guess it is.” I rolled my shoulders. “I don’t know too much about history, but Gemma says they didn’t have cars or electricity in your day.”

“My day was yesterday to me. ’Tis hard to believe. Like waking up disoriented after a long sleep.”

“That I cansortarelate to.” I smiled down at her, then led her to the exit doors. “Earlier, I saw a park about a block away. Let’s go there. Unless it’s too cold for you.”

“I welcome it,” she said as we reached the sidewalk. “I’ve always enjoyed the colder months.”

Then she tried to slip her hand through my arm.

Yelping a little, I took alongstride away.

“Don’t touch me!” I swallowed hard and tried again. “Uh, Gemma says to tell people it’s nothing personal, but I have space issues.”

When she swept her power over me in a glow of white, I knew she was seeingintome like Chessie Catt did, and I hated her for it.

“Don’t look, lady. It’ll only make you sick.”

“Oh, my.”

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