Malek chuckled and nodded in the direction Gina indicated. “We’ll talk later, and I’ll answer whatever questions you have.”
“Promise?”
Malek nodded. “Promise.”
The boy’s hands shot up in the air in victory, and with a loud yell, he ran toward the front of the caravan. Gina brushed her wet curls away from her face and picked up her furred daughter. She placed Nallia in the wagon and then gracefully leaped over the side.
Sabine climbed in behind her, and Malek joined them. A minute later, Blossom flew into the wagon and landed on Sabine’s shoulder.
“Can we keep the clouds for the rest of the trip?”
“The sun needs time to shine too, Blossom,” Sabine reminded her and sat cross-legged in front of Gina. Nallia scooted closer to Sabine and rested her chin on her lap, twitching her ears in Sabine’s direction.
“She likes you,” Gina said with a trace of a smile.
“I like her too,” Sabine replied and rubbed Nallia’s ears. “I’m guessing you wanted to join us so we can try shifting her?”
Gina nodded. “I’d feel better if she was in human form before we arrive at the next desert camp. We usually try to keep our distance until we can ascertain whether they intend us harm, but Nallia’s always at risk.” Her nose wrinkled in distaste. “People either confuse her with a dog or try hunting her. We’ve had quite a few close calls.”
“It’s better to do it now and in private anyway.” Sabine motioned toward her bag. “Malek, would you mind getting out my water? There’s not much left, but I’ll likely need it afterward.”
He nodded and started rummaging for it.
Gina bit her lip. “Will you tell me what’s involved? Both Bruin and I had to learn to shift naturally. It was a painful and messy process the first time. He wanted to be a part of this, but I didn’t think it would be a good idea. I’m not sure he can handle seeing Nallia suffering during her first change.”
Sabine smiled. “I understand, but she won’t experience any pain. I can spare her from it. I’ve heard it can be a little uncomfortable, like wearing a shirt that doesn’t fit quite right. Once the first shift happens, it’ll get easier and she should be able to change back and forth at will.”
Gina’s shoulders relaxed, and she nodded. “Good. It’s difficult after the first shift. The pain makes you reluctant to return to your animal form. If we stay as a human for too long…” Gina’s voice trailed off, and she shuddered.
Malek frowned. “What happens if you don’t shift back?”
Gina hesitated, darting a quick glance at her daughter who was regarding her with a measure of fear. Using a trace of her magic to accompany her touch, Sabine rubbed Nallia’s ears again in a soothing motion. The kumili relaxed immediately and sighed in contentment.
Gina gave Sabine a grateful smile before turning back to Malek. “It starts off innocently. We simply become irritable and short-tempered. If we continue to delay changing, the shift comes upon us violently.” She paused, darting another worried glance at her daughter. “We risk losing ourselves to the animal when that happens. Some of us aren’t ever able to return to human form.”
Nallia’s body shook again, and Sabine wrapped her arms around the kumili. In a soft voice, she infused her words with power to set Nallia at ease and said, “That won’t happen to you, Nallia. My magic will help you transition. This is how it was meant to be centuries ago when your people first embraced their other form.”
Blossom landed in front of Nallia and patted her nose. “It’s okay, Nallia. Sabine will take care of you. She took care of my little sister when the main vein of her wing snapped. We didn’t think she’d ever be able to fly again, but Sabine’s magic fixed it. She’ll help you too.”
Nallia looked up at Sabine, a question in her brown eyes.
Sabine nodded at the kumili and said, “She’s right, Nallia. You have my word.”
Malek leaned back against the wall of the wagon. “Forgive me for asking, but I’m unfamiliar with the kumili. I’ve known several other shapeshifters, and their abilities are innate. How can Sabine help with the transition?”
Gina tossed back her dark hair. “We are a relatively new people, created by the Fae just as they were created by the gods. We were here before the Beastpeople. While we are true shapeshifters, the Beastpeople remain trapped between animal and human forms. They still remain as slaves to the Fae.”
Sabine bristled at the comparison. “They don’t consider themselves slaves, Gina. Servants, perhaps, but never slaves. Balkin Lioneyes, of the Lion Clan, is my sworn and bonded protector. He has always been the father of my heart, and I would never consider him a slave. Neither would he.”
Gina arched her brow. “Then you are rare for a Fae. Many of your people use and abuse the Beastpeople as their divine right. That’s why my people rebelled against yours centuries ago.”
Unwilling to argue, Sabine fell silent. Nallia was listening very closely, and Sabine didn’t want to upset the child before she attempted to shift for the first time.
Gina turned back toward Malek and continued. “The Fae wanted creatures who could blend in with the humans and do their bidding. Using the magic of the gods, the Fae evolved the animals of their forests and gifted them with a variation of their glamour ability. That’s how the first kumili were born.”
Malek let out a low whistle. “I had no idea the Fae had created an entire race of shapeshifters. Why did your people rebel and leave Faerie?”
“To protect our young,” Gina said, the love in her eyes staggering as she gazed at her daughter. “When our children were born, they would be claimed by a particular family. That family would aid in transitioning the kumili into their human form at a very young age. Many times, the parents of the child were excluded from the same family’s service and my people were never allowed to see their children, except at a distance.” Gina’s jaw hardened, and her tone took on a sharp edge. “They began taking our children younger and younger. Oftentimes, they were stolen away from their mother’s arms when they were little more than nursing pups.”
Malek gaped at her. “They would take your children away from you?”
Gina nodded, her hands tightening into fists. “That was why our people rebelled. We had the unique ability to blend in with the humans, so it was easier for us to escape. After we left Faerie, the Fae created the Beastpeople and corrected their mistakes. They will never be accepted into human society.”
Sabine sighed as the weight of her people’s failings fell heavily upon her shoulders. “It’s impossible for me to make amends for everything my people did to yours, but I will help Nallia.”
Nallia whined, and Sabine ran her fingers over her head. “All will be well, Nallia. I can help you transition without binding you to me. I would never take you away from your parents.”
Gina nodded, but there was a trace of worry in her eyes. “It will be all right, baby girl. Just do as Sabine says. You saw her energy. She doesn’t mean you any harm.”
Blossom patted her nose again, distracting the kumili. Sabine took the opportunity to withdraw her knife. Nallia tensed again, but Sabine said gently, “This is for me, not for you. I will accept the pain of your transition so you might enjoy your true nature without any suffering.”
Using the tip of her blade, Sabine pricked her finger until her blood welled to the surface. She lowered her hand enough to hold it in front of Nallia’s nose. The kumili whined and cocked her head in a silent request for permission.
Sabine gave her an encouraging nod. “It’s all right. Go ahead.”
Nallia leaned forward and licked the blood off Sabine’s finger. With her other hand, Sabine dug her fingers into Nallia’s thick pelt until she could feel her magic taking effect within the kumili. Nallia trembled slightly and Sabine pulled her hand away, not wanting to risk interfering with the shift. Sabine took a steadying breath and drew upon her power to mentally will the kumili to find her human form.
A nearly blinding s
ilver light filled the wagon, and Sabine looked away from the brilliance. When it was gone, she turned back and saw a young girl no older than eight or nine crouched on the floor of the wagon. Long, dark, curly hair fell around the girl’s shoulders, and she blinked up at Gina with wide brown eyes.
“Mama!” she cried and leaped into her mother’s arms.
“Nallia! You’re even more beautiful than I imagined,” Gina whispered, wrapping her arms around the naked girl and holding her tightly. Tears streaked down her cheeks, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she rocked the child.
Nallia clung to her mother and then leaned back. With a grin, she wriggled her fingers. “Look! I have fingers!” She stuck out her feet and repeated the gesture. “Toes too!”
Gina laughed and kissed Nallia’s fingertips. “Yes, you do, my baby girl. Ten of each.”
“It didn’t hurt at all, Mama.”
Blossom sniffled. “She’s so pretty. You did it, Sabine! You made her human!”
“No, she could always shift. I only helped her transition sooner.” Sabine’s eyes teared up as she watched them. “She looks just like you, Gina.”
“She does,” Malek said, staring at the mother and daughter in wonder. “I’ve never seen such a beautiful sight.”
Gina’s face filled with joy, and she smiled at Sabine. “How can I ever thank you for helping us? I’ve never seen such an easy and fast shift, not even for an adult. It takes me almost ten minutes to change.”
“Allowing us to share this precious moment is payment enough,” Sabine said gently, not wanting to accept such a debt. “Consider it a fair exchange for allowing me to travel with you. I hope this may help ease some of the pain my people have caused yours.”
“I would like to count you as a friend, Sabine. I thought the gods had abandoned all of us when the portal closed, but perhaps they still look upon us favorably if they decided to send you to help.”
Sabine gave Gina a small smile, but she knew the gods didn’t have anything to do with it. The Beastpeople were close cousins to the kumili, and Balkin had saved her life countless times over the years. In some small way, she hoped it would help balance the scales. At least it was a beginning.
Gina reached for her bag and pulled out some clothing. “Darling girl, we’ll have to get you some clothing that fits better. I thought we were years away from needing it. Try this on, and I’ll make a few alterations while we travel.”
“Aww.” Nallia pouted, still touching her skin. “But I want to see myself!”
“Remember, you have to pretend to be human when we’re around the desert tribes. It’s too dangerous for them to know you’re a shapeshifter.”
Nallia’s expression became serious, and she nodded. “Can I show Tobbin?”
“You can show him your new form as soon as we stop,” Gina said and kissed her daughter’s hair. “Now let’s get you dressed so I can start altering this outfit.”
While Gina helped her daughter change, Sabine sidled up closer to Malek. He draped his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned against him. He leaned in close and whispered, “You did an amazing thing just now.”
Her heart welled with pride. “It’s not enough to make up for what my people did to theirs, but it’s a start.”
Gina shook her head. “No, Sabine. You proved what I knew the minute I saw you. You’re not like the other Fae. You’re something far more, and I’ll be grateful for your arrival every day for the rest of my life.”
Sabine climbed out the wagon along with the others. They’d made better time than she’d expected. Gina had explained the troupe usually traveled until they located one of the desert tribes. They were never sure of how their arrival would be treated, so they would remain close to their wagons until Ryley confirmed their presence would be welcomed. Sometimes, they’d visit three or four camps before they found one that might allow them to perform.
Sabine wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but this particular camp was closer to a small village than a temporary location. A palisade had been built around the encampment within a short distance’s walk from a small oasis. It made sense, she supposed, for them to establish a place near a water source. Although, she wasn’t quite sure why these desert tribes would choose to remain so isolated.
She looked up at Malek and asked, “How do they survive out here? There are no forests to forage, no farms, crops, or even stores.”
“They’re accustomed to the hardships of the desert,” Malek whispered in a voice low enough not to be overheard. “The desert tribes are skilled at finding food and water where most people believe none exist. They send out hunting parties to gather food and such. If we’d stayed with the hunting group we’d first encountered, they would have brought us to a place like this.”
Sabine frowned, thinking of some others who had distinctive features marking them as not being human. “Is it dangerous for Tobbin and the others to be here?”
“Possibly,” Malek replied as he scanned their surroundings. His hand hadn’t left his weapon since he climbed out of the wagon. “When you were helping Nallia shift, I was thinking about Tobbin. The boy’s tail is the biggest feature marking him as a wyvern. I might be able to help him hide it.”
Sabine’s eyes widened. “You can do that?”
Malek shrugged. “Not sure. The magic is similar to mine but not identical. Levin or another wyvern would be better suited to teach the boy, but I might have some success.”
“I wonder what happened to his parents,” Sabine mused aloud, glancing around at the others in the troupe who had gotten out to stretch their legs while they waited for Ryley and the others to return.
“No one knows,” Blossom said and perched on Sabine’s shoulder. “I asked Tathaln. He said a desert woman left Tobbin out in the desert to die when he was a baby. They said his tail was the mark of a demon. Ryley refused to abandon him, so they adopted Tobbin.”
Sabine frowned, her heart breaking at the pixie’s words. “So he’s likely part wyvern?”
Malek rubbed his chin. “Sounds like it. The wyverns rarely travel this far south, but anything’s possible. Not sure if he has enough wyvern in him for a full shift, but we should be able to at least hide his tail. We won’t know whether he can fly until he reaches puberty.”
Gina approached them and asked, “I was going to head over to the oasis with Nallia and some of the other women to get cleaned up. We can’t go into their village until Ryley lets us know if we’re allowed to stay, but the oasis is open to all travelers. Would you like to join us, Sabine?”
Sabine nodded. The brief rain shower had helped cool things off for a while, but she was once again hot and sticky. The lighter-weight clothing she was wearing helped, but she wasn’t used to these temperatures.
Malek placed his hand against her back and said, “I’ll find you in a bit. I’m going to see if I can work with Tobbin.”
“Even if you can’t help him hide his tail, I’m sure learning more about his heritage will be invaluable.” Sabine stood on her toes and kissed Malek’s cheek before picking up her bag and following Gina away from the wagons.
Gina arched her brow. “He seems quite taken with you.”
“Sabine’s quite taken with him too,” Blossom said with a wide grin.
Sabine frowned at Blossom, but Gina laughed. Her eyes danced with amusement as she teased, “So I’ve gathered, from the way they look at each other. He’s not Fae, is he?”
“No, he’s not,” Sabine said before Blossom could volunteer any information. She wasn’t willing to divulge Malek’s secrets without his permission. It was one thing to share her identity with these people, but it was up to Malek if he wanted to do the same. If Nallia hadn’t recognized her by her energy signature, she probably wouldn’t have revealed herself. She’d known it was only a matter of time before the other kumili identified her.
Nallia came running up and leaped over a rock to land at her mother’s feet. The girl had managed to adapt to her human form faster than Sa
bine had expected. Gina said it was normal for their kind, but it was still surprising.
“Kalli and Vervaina are already at the oasis,” Nallia said in a rush, bouncing up and down. “Some desert people are there, but they said it’s okay for us to come too.”
Gina took Nallia’s hand and smiled at her daughter. “That’s because you’re no longer in your animal form. Come on. Let’s go see how you handle swimming.”
“Let’s race!” Nallia tugged on her mother’s hand, trying to get her to run faster. Gina laughed and ran toward the oasis with her daughter. Sabine slowly walked behind them, not bothering to hide her smile.
Blossom pressed her hand against Sabine’s cheek. “Should I hide?”
Sabine nodded. “It’s probably a good idea until we’re away from these people. I’ll share my magic with you later if you’re running low. There may be plants near the oasis where you can feed. You might want to choose a form to better blend in.”
Blossom nodded, and her image shimmered into a beige moth. It was a good choice, being similar to some desert moths they’d spotted while they traveled.
As she walked, Sabine took note of some characteristics of the desert area. She’d always thought of this place as being lifeless, but that wasn’t accurate. A few spiny plants poked through the sand, and orange colored rocks littered the ground. As they approached the oasis where a number of people were gathered, she saw even more unfamiliar plants.
She knelt beside one of them and ran her fingers along the leaves. It was a deep green, with veins of silver running through it. Several small purplish fruits clustered together at the top, protected by sharp thorns. Something about the plant bothered her, but she wasn’t sure why.
“We call it a Lifegiver Brittlebush.”
Sabine lifted her head to see an older man had approached. She hadn’t sensed anyone’s presence, which immediately set her on guard. He was probably one of the oldest humans she’d ever seen, but he moved with an undeniable grace, even with his large walking stick. His tunic was extraordinary, made from some sort of fibrous material that had been dyed in the soft oranges and reds of a sunset. Beaded necklaces in equally captivating shades of color draped almost to his waist.
By Blood and Magic Page 24
