that the borrowed energy would work, I took a deep breath and thought
about the physical training wing, praying I wouldn’t drain my battery before I
got there and end up splashing down in the woman’s waste removal throne along
the way.
* * * * *
I didn’t splash down in a disgusting place, but where I
ended up was almost worse. Sound and movement returned and I looked around,
only half believing I’d landed where I’d wanted to. The floor was covered in
thin mats and the walls were adorned with all manner of blades, firearms and
even more prehistoric weapons. The entire back of the place was a shooting
range, with a clear, soundproofing wall dividing it from the rest of the
facility so the people using the range could be observed.
One whole side of the remaining space consisted of an
interesting assortment of barriers and obstacles for space-shifting practice. I
couldn’t help wishing I’d had access to that course before I’d tried to use my
fledgling shifting power for the first time.
I still vividly remembered what it had felt like to be
embedded inside that worm-headed demon in the Shadows.
I shuddered at the memory.
The place at first seemed to be empty. But then my gaze lit
on movement in one corner and I turned toward it. That was the moment I
realized there were more horrible things in life than being embedded inside a
demon.
“Bleurgh.” It’s a frunkin’ wonder I didn’t go blind from
what I saw.
Aubrey and Myra guiltily jumped apart, their angelic
countenances blushing an attractive pink from being caught in a fiery lip lock.
Myra quickly cast off her discombobulation and favored me
with a glare, as if it was my fault she got caught climbing Aubrey’s delicious
torso like a slut monkey. “Stop skulking around, Astra, and get over here.
You’re late for your training.”
I grinned. She wasn’t going to distract me from making fun
of her. “Fortunately you weren’t bored waiting for me.” I started toward them.
“Is that even legal? I mean, aren’t you guys a thousand years old? That’s just
disgusting.”
Aubrey laughed but Auntie Myra’s glare turned lethal. “Mind
your own business, Astra.”
I snorted. “Yeah, like you always mind your own business
where my life is concerned.”
“That’s different. I’m your elder.”
“My point exactly. You’re way too elder to be thinking about
doing the chunky monkey with old Aubrey here.” I grimaced, shaking my head. Her
outraged gasp nearly made me laugh out loud. I was having way too much fun,
despite the fact that their amorous embrace was burned inexorably into my poor
retinas…never to be scoured off.
Aubrey touched Myra’s hand. “I’ll see you later, Myra.”
Despite her anger at me, my auntie favored her hot boyfriend
with a soft smile before he blipped away. There was no trace of it left on her
face, however, when she turned to me a second later. “That was uncalled for,
Astra.”
“What was uncalled for, Auntie? Me catching you in the act
or daring to admit I caught you in the act?”
Her glare deepened. “Never mind. Let’s get started.”
I shook my head. “I just came to tell you I’m leaving.”
“You can’t leave. We’re just getting started.”
“I know. But I’m running out of time. I need to get back to
Earth.”
She stared at me for along moment and then sighed. “Dialle?”
“Yeah. I don’t know what’s going on but he’s changing and it
scares me.”
She expelled another breath and indicated the seating area
at the front of the large space. We walked over and sat down on a couch
together. She grabbed my hand and, without my having to ask, proceeded to amp
me up.
The process hurt less than it had in the beginning. Gus had
shown me some tricks to make it easier, but talking helped keep my mind off
what essentially felt like fingernails scraping over my aura. “Do you have any
idea what’s wrong with him?”
Myra shook her head. “I can only guess. This is all
uncharted
about the physical training wing, praying I wouldn’t drain my battery before I
got there and end up splashing down in the woman’s waste removal throne along
the way.
* * * * *
I didn’t splash down in a disgusting place, but where I
ended up was almost worse. Sound and movement returned and I looked around,
only half believing I’d landed where I’d wanted to. The floor was covered in
thin mats and the walls were adorned with all manner of blades, firearms and
even more prehistoric weapons. The entire back of the place was a shooting
range, with a clear, soundproofing wall dividing it from the rest of the
facility so the people using the range could be observed.
One whole side of the remaining space consisted of an
interesting assortment of barriers and obstacles for space-shifting practice. I
couldn’t help wishing I’d had access to that course before I’d tried to use my
fledgling shifting power for the first time.
I still vividly remembered what it had felt like to be
embedded inside that worm-headed demon in the Shadows.
I shuddered at the memory.
The place at first seemed to be empty. But then my gaze lit
on movement in one corner and I turned toward it. That was the moment I
realized there were more horrible things in life than being embedded inside a
demon.
“Bleurgh.” It’s a frunkin’ wonder I didn’t go blind from
what I saw.
Aubrey and Myra guiltily jumped apart, their angelic
countenances blushing an attractive pink from being caught in a fiery lip lock.
Myra quickly cast off her discombobulation and favored me
with a glare, as if it was my fault she got caught climbing Aubrey’s delicious
torso like a slut monkey. “Stop skulking around, Astra, and get over here.
You’re late for your training.”
I grinned. She wasn’t going to distract me from making fun
of her. “Fortunately you weren’t bored waiting for me.” I started toward them.
“Is that even legal? I mean, aren’t you guys a thousand years old? That’s just
disgusting.”
Aubrey laughed but Auntie Myra’s glare turned lethal. “Mind
your own business, Astra.”
I snorted. “Yeah, like you always mind your own business
where my life is concerned.”
“That’s different. I’m your elder.”
“My point exactly. You’re way too elder to be thinking about
doing the chunky monkey with old Aubrey here.” I grimaced, shaking my head. Her
outraged gasp nearly made me laugh out loud. I was having way too much fun,
despite the fact that their amorous embrace was burned inexorably into my poor
retinas…never to be scoured off.
Aubrey touched Myra’s hand. “I’ll see you later, Myra.”
Despite her anger at me, my auntie favored her hot boyfriend
with a soft smile before he blipped away. There was no trace of it left on her
face, however, when she turned to me a second later. “That was uncalled for,
Astra.”
“What was uncalled for, Auntie? Me catching you in the act
or daring to admit I caught you in the act?”
Her glare deepened. “Never mind. Let’s get started.”
I shook my head. “I just came to tell you I’m leaving.”
“You can’t leave. We’re just getting started.”
“I know. But I’m running out of time. I need to get back to
Earth.”
She stared at me for along moment and then sighed. “Dialle?”
“Yeah. I don’t know what’s going on but he’s changing and it
scares me.”
She expelled another breath and indicated the seating area
at the front of the large space. We walked over and sat down on a couch
together. She grabbed my hand and, without my having to ask, proceeded to amp
me up.
The process hurt less than it had in the beginning. Gus had
shown me some tricks to make it easier, but talking helped keep my mind off
what essentially felt like fingernails scraping over my aura. “Do you have any
idea what’s wrong with him?”
Myra shook her head. “I can only guess. This is all
uncharted
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