Free Making Monsters by Nikki McCormack Page B

perfect image of a noble woman. Quite out of place in the dank, dirty cavern.
    The woman knelt beside Shai and stroked her head. The sensation was pleasant, like the comforting touch of a mother’s hand.
    “The partial paralysis will wear off. It’s a side effect of the healing draught. You got very lucky. The girl’s body broke your fall.”
    The girl’s body! What did that mean? What girl?
    Another whimper.
    The woman’s brows pinched together and she touched her fingers to her lips. “Oh, dear. I suppose that wasn’t the best way to put it, being as that was your body. Please, don’t be alarmed. I will find you a better body, but it might take some time. I had to put you somewhere in the interim and the dog was the best option.” A pleased smile brightened her face. “It’s truly remarkable that you’re even alive. I’ve never moved a human consciousness before.”
    Bile rose in Shai’s throat and she swallowed hard. She couldn’t be in a dog’s body. That was impossible. She wouldn’t believe it, even if her attempted objection did come out as a growl.
    The woman huffed and rose, walking out of view. “That’s gratitude for you. It isn’t as if I expected the two of you to drop in. I come down here to practice the craft. If I did it anywhere else, I’d be caught and burned as a witch.”
    Shai moved her head and was both relieved and dismayed when it responded. For the first time, she managed to focus on the long dark snout sticking out before her eyes.
    “I don’t see why only men should be allowed to practice anyhow. It seems foolish.” The woman stepped back into view, looking down at Shai with objective curiosity. “I see you can move some now. There’s still enough dog left in there that moving should come naturally when you’ve recovered more.”
    The effects of the draught were wearing off faster now. Shai rolled up to rest on her chest and forelegs and looked around. The chamber wasn’t large, though sizeable enough to contain a few long tables and a number of cages that weren’t close enough to the lantern for her to make out what was in them. More books than Shai could imagine ever having in her possession at one time littered the tables amidst vials, mortars, cooking pots, and other peculiar paraphernalia. This woman was wealthy in more than her attire.
    The smells were most distressing. Some were enticing and rich, stirring new senses and drawing a pool of moisture into her mouth. Others were thick and rank, like sweaty unwashed bodies or a dead animal left too long in the sun.
    Shai shook her head to rid herself of that second group of smells and long ears batted against the sides of her face. A wave of disorientation made her head spin and she sank into blackness again.

#
    Kurth’s calloused hand touched her cheek. “Don’t be afraid, Little Bird. After we get the mask, we’ll never have to steal again. We’ll be rich beyond our dreams. We can have a home together wherever we want.”
    Shai managed a shaky smile, knowing that anything more, or less, might incite his anger. It frightened her that she almost wanted them to fail just to prove him wrong, despite what that would mean for the rest of them.
    “How will we get into the manor, and if we do, how will we get out again? I hear Lord Ithar runs that place like a fortress under siege.”
    “My little flighty one.” She stiffened when he kissed her forehead. “We are thieves. We will sneak in, steal our fortune, and sneak out again.”

#
    Such a condescending smile he had given her. Shai growled.
    Though she still felt shaky, she managed to pull her paws up under her. There was something carnal in this body. An instinctive power, strong and refreshing. She stood a moment, relishing the unfamiliar sensation.
    “Wonderful.” The woman clapped her hands in delight. “What determination you must have to be up in under an hour. Come, I’ll sneak you into my chambers. I don’t think you’d be,” her gaze swept the