Page 74 of Gray Dawn

“I’m working on that part.” I gave him room as flame erupted at his feet, licking up his calves then higher, until it consumed him. “Hey, Blay.”

The crimson daemon blinked away his disorientation, locked eyes with me, and bellowed,“Rue.”

Scooping me off my feet, he twirled me in a circle at arm’s length until I turned green, then hugged me until my spine popped to do a chiropractor proud. He smashed kisses across my cheek and slung me like a rag doll, side to side, my legs swinging until I worried one might fly off and smack Marita in the face.

“I need your help, big guy.” I wriggled until he set me down. “We need to find Dad. Fast. Are you game?”

“Blay try.” He drew a deep breath into his lungs. “Smell black magic, but not Rue’s dad.”

“How far can you jump?” Colby sounded thoughtful. “Maybe you could pick up the trail that way.”

“Blay try.” He crouched down and sprung up higher than I would have expected for his size. He gulped in air then hit the dirt with a shake of his head. “Blay not smell Rue’s dad.”

“Do you think you could airlift him?” Marita stepped up next to me. “Just a few feet, right?”

“I’m not sure, but I can try.” I cast the spell to bring out my wings again. “Hold real still, okay, Blay?”

He made one eager hop then raised his arms for me to clasp forearms with him.

“Here goes nothing.” I launched myself, circled around, and locked onto him. “Nothing’s happening.”

Try as I might, I couldn’t budge him. He was too big. I couldn’t lift so much as his toe off the ground.

“Blay bunny?” His eye brightened. “Blay cute bunny.”

“I don’t know the spell,” I confessed. “Transfiguration is tricky unless you’ve got a blueprint.”

More so if you were already a shifter, which Asa and Blay weren’t technically, but still. Better safe than sorry when it came to magic that altered the fundamental makeup of a person.

“What about levitation?” Derry rubbed his jaw. “That’s a thing, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” I landed, shook out my wings, then switched gears. “But it can go sideways fast.”

“What about that game?” Marita snapped her fingers. “Light as a feather, stiff as a board.”

“I don’t know what game that is, but it does give me an idea.” I turned to the Mayhews. “Got a rope?”

Marita snorted, and Derry cupped his dangly bits.

“Oh. Yeah.” I cleared my throat. “You’re both naked.”

Constant exposure to their nudity made it register less and less when they didn’t have clothes on. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad one, but oh well. Every friendship had its obstacles.

“We’ll have to try this another way.” I raked my fingers through Blay’s hair, fisting my hand in the ends. “I’m going to make you light as a feather.” I made sure I held his attention. “You can’t fly, not on your own, but I can lift you.” I tugged his hair for emphasis. “If I let go, you could get blown away on a breeze. Make sure you stick close.”

Bouncing on the balls of his feet, he clapped his hands. “Blay ready to fly.”

“You can’t fly,” I repeated myself to break through his excitement. “Just hold still, and I’ll direct you.”

“Okay.” He did his best to appear solemn, but he couldn’t hide his smile. “Blay ready for upsies.”

This had Bad Idea written all over it. In bold letters. In Sharpie.

And I didn’t just mean Marita teaching Blayupsieswas a thing.

Careful to maintain my hold on him, I cast the spell and tapped his chest. I let magic sink into his bones, pneumatizing them, filling them with hollows like a bird then whittling his weight down to nothing.

“Blay not-fly now?” He stuck out his arms and flapped them, which sent his hair blowing. “Blay fly!”