Stripes of Fury (7 page)

Holy crap, I have wings!

She reared and pawed at the air, trying to get her balance. She took a few careful steps and then cantered along to get used to her new body.

Mark stayed next to her as she got control of the wings. The moment she could manage, she put on speed.

As she moved, the wings came up and flattened for balance and stability. Mark moved ahead of her, and she watched his wings flapping and lifting him off the ground.

Her beast took the hint, and after a few fumbles, she was pulling herself upward through the air with the ground falling away beneath her.

The rush of air around her was exhilarating. She followed Mark’s lead as he cruised over the Crossroads, past their reception where folk shouted and pointed at them.

After she had gained competency with her wings, she realised that it was very tiring and she didn’t have much stamina. She circled and approached the meadow again, depending on her instincts to bring her down safely.

Her legs started running and her wings moved to slow her forward progress. She hit the ground and ran to a stop.

Her wings folded back, and she felt quite satisfied with her new skill. She shook her head, and to her surprise, her mane flipped around. Her mane never flipped, it was too brushy.

Her hind leg itched, so she reached back to scratch it with her teeth, and that is when she saw her new hide. Black with white glyphs and markings moving under the skin; it was the counterpoint to her human form.

She shivered and watched Markkios come down gracefully and without barreling for the cabanas. She took a few steps toward the cabana and started her shift. When she was naked and wearing wings, she flexed them and wrapped the soft feathers around her.

Markkios came up next to her. “You have your wings already? Wow. It took me decades to bring them to my human form.”

She smiled and rubbed the feathers against her. “I like the way it feels. It is like having a portable dress.”

He chuckled. “Well, little angel, lose your wings so that we can return to the Open Heart. I need to collect our bags so that we can be transported to our home.”

She nodded and headed back to the cabana, slipping on the silk gown and carrying the heavy dress. “Ready when you are.”

He paused with his armour in his hands. “That is a very good idea.”

He put on the silk trousers, his boots and he pulled his tunic around his shoulders, leaving it open. With his armour and sword tucked under his arm, he offered her his free arm, and they walked back to the Open Heart.

Teebie had their going-away outfits ready, and she took the gown away to prep it for transport.

Ten minutes after arriving, they were out the door with their bags sent to the Meditation Centre for them.

“So, this is your home?” Somehow, Nika had expected something more along the lines of Argus Stables. This was more of a village and less of a home.

He grinned and scooped her up in his arms. “It is our home. The outbuildings are for the hands and the student vets. We specialise in rehabilitating horses that have been abandoned and left without medical care.”

“It is a rescue.”

“It is. We travel across the continent, gathering the lost and abandoned animals who need a home and help. We bring them here and adopt out those that we can to verified homes, while keeping the others so that they can remain safe.”

She smiled. This was work she knew, just on a larger scale.

He carried her into the largest house in the village, and he held her with one arm while he opened the door.

“You don’t lock your doors?”

He shrugged. “I really don’t have anything to steal.”

She nuzzled his neck. “Do you have Wi-Fi?”

“We do.”

“Good. I have a hobby that I enjoy, and I would hate to have to give it up.”

He walked up to the second floor and along a wide walkway. “What is the hobby?”

“Digitizing embroidery. I take images and turn them into stitchable designs for embroidery machines.”

“Truly?”

She nodded. “Yup.”

By the time they finished their chat, he had opened the door to the master bedroom and walked her up to the bed, settling her on the bedding with a soft kiss. “I will work on getting your necessary supplies here tomorrow.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into the bed with her. “Give it a week. I am sure that there is a lot for me to learn around here.”

Nika ran her hand down his chest to his belt, and she worked the leather free.

“I have always been a supporter of education.” He dropped to the bed next to her, and they rolled around, wrestling free of their clothing before she rode him to a satisfying conclusion.

It was a solid start to their new balance.

Nika held the mare’s head and murmured to Sparkle as she sweated and shivered in labour. The hard blowing was to be expected, but Nika still wanted to sooth her.

Mark was on the business end and easing the tiny hooves into position. The little one was coming out slowly. When the head emerged, he looked up and nodded.

The rest was timing pulling to labour, and slowly, the little one slid into the world. The moment it was free of its mother’s body, it fought to rise with flailing legs. Mark pulled the amniotic sac away, and Sparkle struggled to her feet.

Nika and Mark would have caused more harm than good if they had been humans, but Sparkle accepted them as protective members of the herd. It was a nice feeling.

Covered in blood and liquid, Mark kissed her quickly. “I am heading for a shower.”

She laughed. “It is all par for the course.”

The vet students who had alerted them to the labouring mare were standing in the doorway and staring.

The little filly toddled over to her mother, and they met muzzle to muzzle for the first time.

Nika teared up and left the stall.

The vets were going to take care of the afterbirth when it emerged, and in the meantime, Nika could get back to bed.

Four days at the ranch had gotten her introduced to all the hands and the students doing their practicums at the busiest horse facility in the region.

A new house was being constructed on the edge of the small town. Annabella and Frennin had jumped at the chance to move once they had understood the scope of the rescue project. Both of them were uniquely qualified to capture horses that had been left alone too long to respond to humans, and they were offering themselves are retrievers.

Argus Stables was being given to Annabella’s youngest brother. Nika had never met him, but she heard he was as passionate about horse health as her mother was, so she was all for it.

Back at the house, Nika peeled off her tank top and shorts, climbing into the shower with Mark. She wrapped her arms around his back and stroked slowly downward.

“Aren’t you tired?”

She sighed. “Well, I can’t play around in other forms for a while, so I will have to make do with this one.”

He turned in her embrace, the soap and water made the move easy. “What? I had hoped to go for a run tomorrow.”

“Sorry. I can ride you, but I can’t embrace my beast tomorrow. She got what she wanted.”

His brow furrowed. “What?”

“I am carrying.”

“You weren’t in heat.” His brain was grappling with what she was telling him.

“My beast wasn’t. My human half had her own agenda.”

She paused with the mist fogging the air around them. “If you aren’t happy about it, I can sleep in a separate room for the next nine and a half months.”

He slid his hand into her hair and pulled her head back. The kiss left nothing unsaid. He was extremely happy.

It was good that he was happy, because she wanted to expand her herd, and it was going to happen one little foal at time... or a baby. She wasn’t fussy. She was a social animal no matter what shape she wore.

Teebie’s story is coming up! Hooray. Thank you for having patience with my time off. My father’s passing was unexpected, and it threw me for a loop.

Thanks one and all for the kind words.

Zenina Masters

www.zeninamasters.com

Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specialises in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.

An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.