Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 67092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
“Wait a minute, baby girl.”
“Wait for what?” Kara asked. “I’m finally going to shrink my fangs.”
“I know that’s what you want but I have a bad feeling about this.” He squeezed her hand for emphasis and Kara could almost imagine him looking at her seriously with those silver-ringed eyes of his. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
“It’s all I’ve ever wanted—ever since these stupid fangs grew in the first place,” Kara told him. “Now please, Raak—let me do it.”
“All right.” She could almost see him shrugging. “It’s your body, baby girl and I’ll support whatever you want to do. I just want you to be safe—that’s all.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” Kara assured him a touch impatiently. She was afraid if she didn’t get this done soon, the power of the xanthos would wear off and she would be forced to eat another one of the slimy poop balls—which she did not want to do.
Closing her eyes—though it made absolutely no difference in her vision—she concentrated as hard as she could on the sharp, curving, double set of fangs she had where a human would have their canine teeth.
Smaller, she told them. Shrink down or retract or whatever you have to do but look like a normal person’s teeth! Oh, and don’t bother me so much anymore—I don’t want to have the urge to bite people all the time. Just leave me alone and be normal!
At first she didn’t feel anything but then there was an itching sensation in her upper jaw.
Kara put her fingers up carefully and found that the sharp points of her fangs were blunted. Not only that, they seemed to be getting smaller—shrinking under her fingertips as she felt them.
“It’s working!” she exclaimed, feeling like she might cry for joy. “They’re getting smaller—I can feel it happening! Oh, I wish I could see it!”
“Ah yes, I forgot how much you meat creatures depend upon your sense of sight,” Qi said. “Please feel free to exit my palace if you like so that you can observe your new dentition.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much!” Kara jumped up from the invisible chair, which was suddenly not there anymore the minute she stopped touching it. “Raak?” she said anxiously. “Do you know the way out?”
“Of course, baby girl. We just walk back the way we came until we come to the end,” he told her, his deep voice sounding slightly amused. “Come on—hold out your hand.”
Kara reached for him and soon enough found his large, warm hand gripping hers.
“Thank you again, Qi,” she said formally to the invisible being. “You’ve changed my life—you really have!”
“You are most welcome, meat female,” Qi told her with a rustle of its branches. “Only remember, that which cannot flow outward, must flow inward. I hope that your new dentition will bring you joy.”
“It will! I know it will,” Kara told it. “Come on, Raak,” she added, tugging at the big Unbondable’s hand. “I want to go see my new teeth!”
Twenty-One
They found their way back to the invisible door, which opened when Raak touched it, and out into the brilliant light of Xephron Five once more.
Kara blinked, trying to get her eyes adjusted to the brilliance which felt blinding after the soft, ambient lighting of Qi’s palace. At least she wouldn’t have to look around to find a mirror, she thought. They were literally surrounded by reflective beings on every side. As they emerged from the Palace of the Unseen, the Xephronians surrounded them.
“Did you enjoy your visit with our Kaji?” one asked.
“It is said that Qi is all-powerful and completely unseen,” another chimed.
“Yes, indeed—I enjoyed it very much,” Kara told them, as she pulled the silver uniform shirt back over her head. “Um, could I look at your leaves for a moment?” she asked the closest plant person.
“Of course, meat creature.” The Xephronian held still and allowed Kara to peer at her reflection in its broad, mirror-like leaves.
At first all she could see was that she had dark blue lips—and a blue tongue and blue all down her chin as well.
What in the world? she thought, wiping at the blue stains. Then she remembered the raw egg yolk liquid inside the last squishy ball she’d eaten. It must have been blue—though of course she couldn’t tell that when everything was invisible.
She managed to get most of it off her chin and then examined her teeth anxiously. They had a blue sheen too but despite that, she could tell that her fangs were definitely smaller. In fact, they could hardly be called fangs at all anymore. They just looked like regular canine teeth—like any girl might have.
Nobody would look twice at her now, she was certain—her awful fangs—the bane of her existence for so many years—were finally gone. Or at least shrunk down so small that nobody would even know they were there.