Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
“Haven’t you ever seen Aura shift?”
She shook her head, her gaze never leaving his. “You can teach me to shift my shape?” Her eyes widened. The shade of green darkened to a deeper, almost mossy forest green. “I could become a bird?”
“If that is what you would want to be.”
“Fly? On my own?” Her voice filled with excitement. “I love birds. They soar in the sky and look so beautiful with the wind in their feathers. Sometimes they look peaceful, other times so fierce. I’ve always thought it would be incredible to be able to fly across the sky the way you did over the valley when you were coming for me.”
Petru couldn’t help stroking his palm down the back of her hair. She sounded so admiring of him, when each time he thought of that particular moment, the sense of guilt and despair assailed him that he couldn’t get to that extraordinary child in time to save her from the vampire’s cruel tearing out of her heart. They each viewed the same moment from two different perspectives, as was often the case. She viewed him as a hero, while he viewed himself as a failure. He needed to take his own advice and forget guilt.
“Shifting is dangerous if you can’t keep your concentration, Safia,” he warned. “Until you are adept at it, you must follow every step and hold a very detailed image in your mind at all times. One mistake could cost you your life.”
She nodded. “I understand. I had years of practicing to attain the skills I have to defeat demons. I’m still practicing. I know when you’re acquiring that type of knowledge, it must become automatic. Your muscles have to have those memories, just as your body does when walking or talking. I rehearse in my head, going over and over the steps to open the soil so that hopefully when I practice for real, I can do it without making a mistake.”
“You will do everything I say when I tell you, Safia,” he warned. “If you don’t, I will take over. If I give you a command, there is a reason for it. I will give you that reason after, but at the time, it is imperative you obey without question. Is that understood?”
He waited in her mind, making it clear with his tone that he meant exactly what he said. She’d told him she had trouble with anyone telling her what to do. She would have a difficult time with that side of his personality, but he was not ever going to take chances with her life. Not when he could keep her safe. It was necessary for her to learn how to shift. How to open the soil. All the things a Carpathian could do, especially when she would need certain skills for the coming battles against Lilith’s army, but he would make certain she was safe while she learned.
“I’m fully aware it’s necessary to acquire the skills and talents to become as you are. I want to learn them, Petru. I also know that most of those abilities are dangerous, and it will take time to get them down. I don’t have that time, so it will be extremely important not to go off on my own as I did when I was a child. I am quite logical despite the behavior I’ve shown you.”
Petru hadn’t realized how tense he was until relief swept through him. “Since your preference is to be a bird, the little owl is a good choice. Are you familiar with it?”
Safia nodded. “I’ve seen it quite often. It’s tiny and fierce. There is a pair claiming the farm as their territory. They defend it quite fiercely.” She shared her memories of watching the owls and how much she enjoyed them.
“Study their appearance and behavior. That’s extremely important. When you’re in the owl’s body, you must be an exact replica. Anyone observing you must believe you’re an owl. If a vampire is close, he can’t suspect your spirit is inside the body of that owl. Anything hunting you can’t suspect, or anyone or anything you’re hunting can’t suspect. You must submerge yourself so completely that you’re using the senses of the animal you’ve become to do the hunting for you.”
The green in her eyes was so bright with excitement he found the color fascinating. It seemed she had several different shades of green, depending on her mood. He was going to enjoy learning every single one of them. He’d gone from a gray world to one of vivid brightness, so much so that at times, he had to mute the colors.
Petru shared a detailed picture of a female little owl in Safia’s mind. “Notice how plump and compact she is. Her head is flat on top, and the tail is short. Really study her plumage and the various shadings and patterns on her feathers. She’s grayish brown with streaks, spots and bars of white. Underneath she is pale and streaked with darker feathers. I think they are beautiful little birds. Long legs for their size, white eyebrows over their yellow eyes. They have very stern and fierce expressions.”