Page 109 of Of Serpents and Ruins
Arjax bobbed his head and shrugged. "Possibly. How much time can you give us?"
"We have to leave in the morning," Kine said, still draped in Lorna’s arms.
"We'd prefer sooner than that. In the next couple hours," I said firmly, knowing every hour counted.
Arjax grunted. His gaze drifted up into the sky and then back around to all of us. "Bit of a tall order, but we’ll make it work anyway. Come on. We’re going mischief hunting."
STELLA
The energy around us changed as soon as Lorna and Arjax agreed that we were in fact going to get the spear back. My heart beat faster, my breaths lightening. It was like running into old friends from school only to find that they were even more fun and full of life than when you last saw them.
I explained swiftly what had happened, with interjections from Kine and Elias.
"Curse is moving again." Lorna deposited Kine back on the ground and set her arms akimbo. Her hands balled into fists. She scowled. "Well, let's get the spear. You can tell us all about what's new."
"Yes, little cousins." Arjax scooped the air with his arms. "I don't know if we can accomplish this in the next couple hours, but we'll do our best."
"Where do you think the spear is?" I asked.
"Basilisk nest. Almost definitely." Lorna shook her head, her mouth twisted in a wry smile. "Mischief."
My eyes widened. Mischief. That was a name. The basilisk’s name?
"And lucky for you, we're on the hunt for her anyway," he said. "Friends are coming, friends in need of basilisk venom. Not to mention it's time. She stole the spear about two weeks ago. Loves shiny things, that girl does. Almost certainly took it back to her nest with all the other treasures she steals. Once we're done gathering venom, we'll take the spear. You three can head back to our camp and wait for us there if you like."
"Would it go faster if we accompanied you?" I banded my arms tight around myself, my fingers digging into my biceps. "Maybe there's a way we could help?"
"You want to be the bait?" Arjax's heavy eyebrow arched. Then he guffawed, hands resting on his muscular stomach.
"Would it help you get the spear faster?"
"Stella!" Kine shot me a ferocious glare.
I shot him a glare right back.
Ihlkit, if I had any doubt that Kine was my brother, adopted or otherwise, it was gone now. He had a way of saying my name in that disapproving tone. It wasn’t the first time he’d chided me, but this time, it certainly held an added edge.
"Please don’t be bait." Elias pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Answer my question," I said, my gaze fixed on Arjax.
Arjax exchanged looks with Lorna then burst into another deep hearty laugh. "If you’re that determined, there might be a couple ways you could help it go faster."
"What will it require?" Kine gave me a sidelong glance but spoke in a serious tone, obviously willing to go along with whatever it was. He seemed resigned to accept that this was the best way. A weight hung over him as if this wasn’t easy.
"Doesn't matter. If our participation will help and speed up the process, then we’ll do it. I’ll do it. I’ll do anything, even if means being bait," I declared.
Arjax chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, you’d best be careful where you’re making offers like that. Lucky for you, we’rebasically kin and wouldn’t hold it against you. Come on, Lorna. Let’s take them to the spot." His voice wobbled and deepened as his body stretched and strained, dark-red scales emerging and new muscles and bones forming. A powerful fin erupted from his back as his face lengthened, a long snout filled with jagged teeth jutting out.
Lorna transformed as well, her own process far swifter and smoother, her eyes turning reptilian and amber at the very end.
Buttercup tilted her head, utterly unimpressed with the spinosaurus forms that both shifters assumed. A fierce toss of her head assured me she could take both if necessary.
The two parasaurs took a couple more moments to sniff and adjust to the presence of the false apex predators.
Elias remained beside his parasaur, shaking his head. "I just hope this doesn't make them comfortable around predators."
His parasaur's nostrils flared, and she bobbed her head.
