Special Attraction (The Coursodon Dimension Book 3)

by M. L. Ryan

  Sebastian shook his head. “You only changed into you a few moments ago.”

  “Come on, I know I transformed in there.”

  “Oh, you transformed, carisa,” Alex assured, “just not into yourself.”

  The form-bend did seem different from usual, but I didn’t even know it was possible to change into a second animal. “What did I turn into then?” Given the way they were looking at me, I really, really hoped it wasn’t something nasty like a Star-nosed Mole or a Blob Fish.

  “Well, we’re not exactly sure. You looked like a giant hawk,” Alex explained.

  “When you say ‘giant,’ do you mean oversized for a raptor, or big-ass for any bird?”

  Sebastian snickered. “Definitely within the big-ass range, my dear. Oh yes, I nearly forgot,” he added, “you breathed fire.”

  Now he was teasing me. “Sure, and monkeys flew out my butt, too,” I scoffed. But neither Alex nor Sebastian looked like it was a joke. “What are you trying to tell me, that I turned into a damn dragon?”

  “No, of course not, that would be ridiculous,” Sebastian said. “Dragons are mythical creatures. Besides, you had no scales, only feathers. And there is still some debate whether the flames emanated from your mouth or your wing tips. We were too busy moving out of the way as fast as we were able to tell for certain. Anticipating that your fury was unlikely to be contained, we felt compelled to get to a safe distance. Consequently, our observations are leavened with conjecture.”

  Surprisingly, I was way less freaked out about this new development than I might have expected. After all, it wasn’t that much weirder turning into a fire-yielding mega-hawk than my normal hawk form. I still needed to know what happened. “Okay, then what?”

  Alex pulled his head back slightly and narrowed his eyes at me. “Good to see you are taking this so well, carisa.” I wasn’t sure if he was surprised I wasn’t overly bothered or convinced I was, but was trying to cover it up. In any case, I waved my hand in a circle, signaling him to answer my question.

  “We are not entirely sure. As Sebastian said, everything happened so fast and we were focused on getting out of your line of fire, no pun intended. However, shortly after you started blasting away at Keem, he disappeared, and all of us were deposited out here.”

  “Define ‘disappeared’.”

  “Well, he wasn’t out here with us, and there’s nothing left of the warehouse.”

  With Alex’s help, I stood up and walked over to where we’d originally found the outer edge of Keem’s hideout. Except now, it was a gaping pit.

  Sebastian joined us. “It seemed much bigger when one was inside,” he remarked while peering into the tennis court-sized hole.

  “Alex smells like ice cream, and you smell like grass,” I noted. “The praseodymium must be gone too.”

  “Yes, it may have been obliterated or sucked back to Dekankara. We will get some Xyzok to investigate this further, but I do not feel any magic whatsoever. I would guess Keem is either dead or went back to his dimension.”

  As we contemplated the ramifications of being flung out of a disintegrating magical conduit to another dimension, Ulut trotted over and dropped something on my foot. I reached down and grabbed a chunk of what had been my egg-holding ankle band. It must have broken apart when I shifted forms, but the section Ulut found still held the stone egg. I removed it from its metal holder and rolled the blue shiny rock in my fingers. It was cool, like you’d expect a polished stone to be, and there was not a twitch of energy to be detected.

  I showed the egg to Ulut. “It’s not warm anymore. Does that mean Keem is dead?” He moved his furry head up and down. It was odd to see a dog nod.

  Sebastian asked, “Could it be cold because Keem is not in our dimension anymore?” Ulut moved his head from side to side this time.

  Ding dong, the witch is dead, I thought irreverently. “What’s next?”

  Alex squeezed my shoulders. “First, we get you some food. You must be starving after bending into an animal with all that mass.”

  That didn’t sound very attractive. No woman wants to hear her significant other tell her she had a lot of mass, even if it was in the past tense. “Just how big was I?” I inquired, not positive I really wanted to know the answer.

  “Like an elephant with wings,” Sebastian offered.

  “But much, much slimmer,” Alex quickly added. He knew me so well.

  Sebastian located his pack, which held a stash of energy bars. Most were soggy, but at that point, I didn’t really care. Gorging myself with fat, protein, and carbs would alleviate the queasy, off-balance sensations regardless of how wet they were.

  After I finished, I noticed Alex scrutinizing me in much the same way Sebastian had when I first woke up.

  “Are you looking for something specific?” I inquired.

  Alex ran his hands over my lower leg and sighed. “No damage at all,” he marveled.

  I checked out the place he’d just touched. It was just as it should be, as far as I could tell. “What are you talking about?”

  “When you changed in the warehouse, you and Keem traded salvos. He managed to get in at least one that tore at the flesh on your leg. It was difficult to see clearly, but it appeared to be quite serious. But when you resumed your natural form, it must have healed.”

  I guessed that answered the question regarding my ability to repair more than just minor scrapes and bruises after a bend. But Alex seemed so concerned that I had to get more details.

  “How serious was it?”

  “As I said, it was hard to see, what with all the smoke and being so far away, but it looked like one of the bones was sticking out.”

  Now I was sorry I asked. I studied my shin more carefully, and if I tilted it in just the right way, I could sort of make out a reddish spot about halfway between my knee and ankle, but that was the extent of the residual damage. There wasn’t any pain, either.

  “Nice perk,” I remarked. “How did you all get out of the way when I was fighting Keem? You looked pretty played out before.”

  Alex’s lips curved into a small grin. “Sebastian heard your heart rate change and concluded you were about to transform. Of course, he thought you were going to bend into you and alerted me to the potential danger if you let loose. I grabbed Ulut, and we all rolled out of the line of fire just in time.”

  Cringing at the thought of almost killing those I was trying to protect, I muttered a squeaky, “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be, carisa,” he said, wrapping me again in his arms. “It all worked out in the end.”

  His nonchalance notwithstanding, I knew I was about to cry. “But I could have, you could have, you all could be dead,” I sniffed.

  “But we aren’t,” he replied emphatically. “And you are fine, and Keem is gone. It’s all good.”

  I leaned out of the embrace and wiped a stray tear from my cheek. “Did you really save Ulut?”

  “Yes. But it was the least I could do considering he distracted Keem from dispatching me and Sebastian earlier.”

  “I hope this means you are over your issues with him.”

  Alex lifted one eyebrow. “I have no issues as long as he knows you are mine.”

  “Look, Blondie, all you should be concerned about is that I know I’m yours. Or that you’re mine. You know what I mean. I love you, and no one is going to change that.”

  “I love you, too,” he whispered as he pressed his lips to mine.

  In the distance, I heard Sebastian groan. “There’s no time for this, you two. You will have ample time later to express your undying devotion to one another,” he insisted. “I have been through a harrowing day, and I am not certain I can stomach your unfettered adoration at the moment.”

  Alex pulled away, just enough so he could snap, “doprix nix,” to his mentor. I think Sebastian chuckled in response, but I was too engrossed in the continued long, satisfying kiss to be sure.

  No one thought it was a good idea to leave the ar
ea unattended even if Keem was dead, so we waited until reinforcements arrived before packing up. Fortunately, they showed up within a half-hour or so, and Sebastian didn’t have to endure our unfettered adoration for too long. In truth, we probably would have finished the lip locks earlier, but since Sebastian was such an ass about it, we soldiered on for a good ten minutes longer.

  While the newly arrived guards stood sentry, and the Xyzok engaged in their version of crime scene investigation, another group, made up of people in drab suits who I didn’t recognize, did nothing more than huddle together, whispering and pointing a lot. Normally, I’d ask who they were, but all I wanted was to get as far the hell away from there as possible. In fact, if I never journeyed to this part of Iowa-Courso again, I’d be a happy woman. I was even more pleased when I realized we wouldn’t have to hike out now that transportation was available. Unbeknownst to me, there was such a thing as a “mobile temporary marqizobaz” that could be set up wherever needed to move people in and out of remote locales. Score one for the inventions of the Courso military-industrial complex.

  We didn’t return to the Summer Palace. Instead, we traveled to the main residence of the royal family. Alex’s parents and Tannis were on their way, and Kyzal and Tjryxina were scheduled to arrive some time later. With only the staff to greet us, I was thrilled we were the first ones there. I so wasn’t up to any big get-togethers celebrating our victory. I only wanted a hot shower, a real meal, and a warm bed in a place free of massive levels of praseodymium. Maybe Hewlyxnathin would have some other explanation, but I was convinced the rare earth mineral played a big role in me turning into a flame-throwing mega-bird. Although part of me relished the idea of being able to change into a bad-ass creature that could make people stop in their tracks and wish they were wearing diapers, I didn’t like the idea of having no control over what I transformed into. I could be useful at a barbeque, I supposed.

  After I washed off all the crusty mud that accumulated from being sucked and then forcibly expelled through sodden soil, the kitchen staff plied me with as much delicious food as I could eat, and then I crashed for seven hours straight. When I awoke, Alex was curled against me, sound asleep. I didn’t move for a long time. Instead, I just listened to his breathing and reveled in the warmth of his embrace.

  At some point, I remembered Ulut was still a dog and that he’d probably appreciate help getting back to his real self. Alex was still sawing Zs, and much as I hated to move, I didn’t think it was fair to leave Ulut furry for any longer. Carefully slipping out of bed, I dressed and went to find my canine pal.

  Because I couldn’t recall how to say “where is” in Courso, the hardest part of the search was finding someone who spoke English to point me in the right direction. It turned out Sebastian had arranged a room for the Dekankaran just down the hall from Alex and mine.

  I knocked on the door and called Ulut’s name. I heard a “yip” from the other side, and assumed that meant, “Come in.” His accommodations were similar to ours size-wise, but Alex’s suite was furnished in his preferred modern-minimalist style, while Ulut’s had more of a rustic feel. I guessed the palace concierge decided a dog would enjoy that style of décor.

  Before I even said hello, I apologized. “Sorry, I feel terrible. I should have helped you shift last night.”

  Ulut trotted toward me, tail wagging, which made me feel even worse. Here he is, all happy to see me, and I forgot about him. From a table nearby, he snagged a piece of paper in his mouth and offered it to me:

  Dear Hailey,

  I tried to transform Ulut but, alas, I was unsuccessful. I may just be a bit played out from our recent hijinks. Perhaps you will have better luck. If you get this note before I see you (which now that I think of it is unlikely as I’m sure you and Alexander will be otherwise engaged for many hours), give it a go yourself. If that doesn’t work, we can attempt a group intervention later.

  There was no need for a signature. Between the unique scrawl and the sarcastic reference to my love life, it was clear the missive was penned by Sebastian. I showed the note to Ulut. “He couldn’t change you back?”

  He moved his head from left to right. Geez, I don’t think that will ever seem normal, I cringed mentally. Dismissing my aversion to human gestures from an animal—even though Ulut was a little of both—I stepped back and concentrated on scratching him behind his ear. Ulut gazed at me blankly, and I tried again. After five attempts, I knew my ability to perform TA, and by extension, my chance to give Ulut the boost he needed, was not going to happen here.

  I apologized again and told Ulut I’d come back later with Alex and Sebastian. I invited him to join me at breakfast, but he let me know he wasn’t hungry by curling up on the bed. At least, I hoped I’d interpreted his actions correctly, and he wasn’t just annoyed he was still a dog. On my way to the kitchens, I realized the lack of the mega-load of praseodymium was the likely reason I couldn’t perform. It must be my TA Viagra.

  Alex and Sebastian came in for breakfast just as I was finishing off a particularly yummy veggie omelet. The chefs, who had no problem with me being fed in the comfort and relative privacy of their domain, were practically apoplectic over the possibility of serving their prince there. They ushered us out, politely yet firmly, to the dining room, where I got to enjoy a second omelet—this one filled with cheese—while the guys ate their morning meal. If I didn’t want to end up like an elephant with wings, I’d have to run later on, but the food was too delicious to turn down.

  “Hey,” I mumbled through a mouthful of yogurt parfait, “Did I breath fire or not?”

  Alex put down his fork. “I think the fire came from your wings, like your energy comes out of your hands when you lose control.”

  “It clearly came from her mouth,” Sebastian argued. “How could you have missed that?”

  “I was right in front of her. It just looked like it was from her mouth because she had her wings pointed forward.”

  Sebastian scoffed, loudly. “That is ridiculous, Alexander. What winged creature would do that?”

  “One that was shooting fire out of them,” Alex replied, barely containing his exasperation.

  I lifted my palms to signal them to stop. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry I asked.” From the way they were glaring at each other, I knew the debate was far from over, but I didn’t want to listen to it. “When you’re done, we need to go help Ulut. I tried, but he’s still a dog.”

  Sebastian filled Alex in on his unsuccessful efforts from the previous night, and then I told both of them how I’d failed earlier.

  “Your magic was rather… unpredictable whenever you were in the presence of the praseodymium,” Alex noted. “It doesn’t surprise me that there are things you can’t do under normal conditions.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “Hopefully, that includes the ability to morph into an oversized bird with the ability to roast a building. I can do without that, I think.”

  “Number one,” Sebastian pointed out, “you were a magnificent oversized bird and, number two, you did not roast the warehouse. You may have charred Keem, but from what I saw, the structure disappeared as we were being propelled out.”

  I turned to Alex. “Is that true?”

  “Yes, indeed. You were magnificent. As for the other part,” he added, “I don’t have any recollection of how we got outside or what happened to the building. But I believe Sebastian is correct about it not burning. Hopefully, we’ll have more information when the investigation is completed.”

  “That reminds me, who were the corporate types that were at the scene? They were too well dressed to be Xyzok or Klyzok and obviously not part of the royal guards.”

  Sebastian lifted one eyebrow. “We wondered that as well. I have already reported their presence to Karttyx, and she was similarly baffled.”

  “If Karttyx knew but couldn’t say, she’d have told you it was none of your business,” Alex said, frowning. “That she didn’t know is most concerning.”

  They began to th
rash out the identity of mystery men when I reminded them about Ulut. If I let them get started, they’d be at the table for hours discussing conspiracy theories, and our canine companion deserved to be un-dogged as soon as possible. Alex chugged the last of his faytri, and we were off to make a man out of Ulut.

  27

  Two hours and many attempts later, Ulut still hadn’t returned to his Dekankaran form. First Sebastian tried, then Alex, then both together. When neither of those attempts worked, they called in Tannis and Kyzal, with equally unproductive results.

  The lack of success by some of the most gifted talent around was frustrating. “You’re all using TA, right?” I demanded. Even though I’d explained how I made Ulut shift—including the fact that it was accidental, and I wasn’t doing anything pervy—I suspected they might be hesitant to use that particular technique.

  Kyzal huffed out a breath. “I have followed your instructions. However, no matter how many times I have poked him, he remains as he is.”

  “Me too,” Tannis concurred. “Sorry, Ulut. We tried.”

  “Perhaps Hailey is the only one that can force the transition,” Sebastian suggested, “and it must occur at the summer residence.”

  Much as I didn’t want to go back to a location where I was capable, at least in theory, of turning into a monster, I knew he made a valid point. Keeping my misgivings to myself, Alex, Sebastian, Ulut, and I returned to Castle Creepy. I worked on transforming Ulut until I was so exhausted I could barely remember what we were trying to accomplish. Nothing. Not even a flicker of alteration. While they didn’t think it would be successful, Alex and Sebastian had a go at it. Still nothing. In desperation, I suppressed my anxiety and changed—without a hitch, thankfully—into my hawk form to ask Ulut if he had any ideas. He did not.

  We bounced around a few more hypotheses, even testing some, before reluctantly throwing in the towel. I assured Ulut we were not giving up entirely and promised to arrange for Hewlyxnathin to come for a consult.