Page 7 of Monster's Melody

“Shadow!”Mikaela cried and dove toward Kasi’s shadow-companion, transforming as she went.

She landed as Miki-Leopard and the two cats rolled across the floor, then jumped to their feet and chased each other from our room to Mikaela’s and back again.

Shadow hurtled beneath Kasi’s bed, disappearing into the shadows and Miki-Leopard followed her.

The cats burst back into the room and dove into the shadows beneath my bed, then came exploding from the shadows in the closet.

“Shadow missed Miki-Leopard a lot,” Kasi said apologetically.

“I’m thinking Miki-Leopard missed her as well,” I chuckled.“So where’s Jahrdran?”

“With Elliot, getting food.I doubt they’ll be long.Jahrdran wasn’t too keen on me coming up here on my own.”

I snickered.“I could have predicted that.”Did predict it, in fact.“Since classes don’t start until tomorrow, I was just about to ask Mikaela to join me on a hunt.”

“What kind of hunt?”Kasi asked as the cats thundered by.

“I’ve been thinking about the wine cellar Headmistress Blackthorn mentioned last?—”

Miki-Leopard exploded from the shadows beneath Kasi’s bed, straightening into Mikaela’s human form in a split second.“Oooh, an adventure!”

“Hey, you’re not naked!”I exclaimed.

Mikaela grinned.“I know.I’ve been practicing all summer.”

“But shifters are always naked when they shift,” I said.

“Yes, but I’m also a witch with magic.And as a shadow-leopard, I have access to the Shadow Realm.So I just kind of picture my clothes going into a tiny pocket in the Shadow Realm when I shift to leopard and then when I shift back, I picture them coming with me and voila.No more involuntary nudity.”

“Wow,” Kasi said.“That must be terribly disappointing for Elliot.”

Mikaela snickered.“True, but it’s also awesome for me because Elliot still comes back naked.”

Kasi and I laughed.

“And speaking of Elliot, I’m texting him so he can join the hunt!”

“Well, tell him to bring Jahrdran too.”

Great.

When I’d pictured this hunt, I’d imagined it as a kind of girls’ adventure, culminating with the three of us, a couple bottles of wine and a lot of girl talk.

Now, we’d have their two mates along and it just wouldn’t be the same.

“Where do you think we should start the hunt?”Mikaela asked.

“I don’t know.I doubt it’s actually in the basement here, but I suppose we could start there.”

“I’ll tell them to meet us in the lobby.”

Five minutes later, Kasi and I were staring at Elliot’s wings, mouths agape.

“What did you do?”I finally demanded.

“Huh?”

“Your wings.They’respotted.”