Being a true shifter isn’t the blessing it may seem. But through pain and darkness Perdita seeks to find her own life despite the ambition of others…
Mandrake scratched his head. “Why am I thinking that’s only half a story.”
“Because it is. The ones who don’t believe in lycanthropy are no problem, as they neither look for us nor see what we are if we do meet. But the other lot are dangerous to all trueborn. They are enchanted by fae, particularly flower and frost fairies – even though they would keep the small folk in cages like songbirds. However the rest of the races would, if they had their way, be little better than enslaved labourers.”
“So why are we going among humans now?”
“Because the crowd that owns the hot springs is fully enlightened, and we are safe under the eyes of their security guards – who are trolls in their human form. And because Moth loves the hot springs.”
He rubbed his big hand up and down my spine. “Let’s go then. But I think it might be better for you to carry on driving.”
As I rather enjoy driving I wasn’t about to argue. Instead, I speeded up and we bowled down the road in fine style.
The wind was a fresh, cold northerly and I was beginning to feel the chill even through my riding suit when we got to the gates of the hot springs place. When he saw me, the security troll dropped his human simulation and saluted before letting us in.
“It’s a cold one,” he said, “snow before too long, if I don’t miss my guess.” Then he dropped his voice to a low rumble. “I’d take a private pool if I was you. Proddy young males in the big pond.”
“Thanks for the advice. What’s vacant?”
The troll checked his hand-held computer. “Sleepy hollow or High View.”
“Get us High.” Moth whispered urgently.
“Can you book High View for us please?”
He swiped the hand-held before offering it for my palm print.
“Done.”
“Many thanks.”
He grinned. “I’m here all day, if you and your dragon friend want to leave the furs.”
Mandrake offered a fist and they bumped knuckles.
“Why are we leaving the furs?” he asked.
“Because it’s a climb up to High View and the changing room is small.”
He shrugged his shoulders and climbed out of his bear fur riding gear.
I put my hand on a palm plate in the rock and the door to High View slid open. It was only about twenty stairs, but they were steep and spiral and I discovered myself to still be not as fit as I would have liked. I stood on the apron of rock at the top feeling out of breath and grumpy. Moth hovered in front of my face and smiled encouragingly.
“Is effect of bad drug. But you will better soon.”
“I hope so.” I turned to Mandrake. “I usually run up the steps.”
His smile was understanding. “I’m impressed you managed at all, after effectively being poisoned only a couple of days ago.”
Which made me feel better enough to manage a smile for them. Moth fluttered about chattering excitedly.
“Hurry. Hurry.”
I slipped off my clothes and stood shivering in the frigid air. Moth came and sat on my shoulder – taking a firm grasp of my hair.
“You ready?”
“Moth is ready. Hurry now.”
“Hold on tight then.”
I ran to the edge and jumped. We landed in about twenty feet of blissfully hot water and I swam towards a place where there was a shallow pool safe for Moth to swim in. The splash behind us was surprisingly quiet and Mandrake beat us to the ledges where the hot water ran down like healing rain.
Moth chortled. “Old dragon swims good.”
She jumped from my shoulder into a shallow pool where she could safely play and splash. Mandrake took that as some sort of invitation because he dived deep, coming up beneath me and trailing his fingertips over my most sensitive places. I reached down and grabbed him by the ears, pulling him up so my mouth could meet his. We kissed for a long time, drifting down until our feet met the stony bottom before kicking back to the surface to catch breath.
I had a sudden snap of guilt, but Moth was grinning from her steamy puddle.
“If you two plays in deep, Moth stays here.”
She grinned and we felt her telling us to play without her. I smiled my thanks as Mandrake’s hands began their magic. That was the last time I thought about much, except what exceptional breath control Mandrake possessed, for a good long time. Floating languidly I became aware of how vibrations through the water had enabled Moth to feel what we were feeling without leaving her safe place. She smirked at me and I blew her a kiss.
We swam over to the seat-like ledge beside her and for a few moments we just sat. Moth stood up and shook her wings.
“Waterfall?” she said hopefully.
“Okay. But then it’s towels and home. We’ve been in the water for long enough.”
Moth chuckled rudely. “Yes mother hen.”
She climbed on my back again and I stood up, walking carefully through a narrow passage that was almost hidden in the rocks. Mandrake followed, having to walk crabwise as the crack in the rock wasn’t wide enough for his heavy shoulders.
We came out behind a curtain of very hot water into a place of steam and rainbows. It was as beautiful as ever and the three of us stood enchanted until Moth poked me with a sharp finger.
“Must to window now.”
“Must we?”
“Yes. Is important Moth thinks.”
There is a place where the curtain of water is parted by an outcrop of rock and it makes a window from which one can look down on the main pool.
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