Free Forging Day (Crucible of Change Book 1) by Noelle Alladania Meade Page A

second, and the only sound was the wet feasting of the dinosaurs and several people sobbing. Korembi said, “Stella?” and the raptor, now flesh and blood, cocked her head and looked at him. She shook her body, settling her feathers, and then stalked over to him, gently butting his chest with her head. Her eyes followed Berto as he came toward us, but she made no move to attack. She made a chirruping noise at Korembi, and returned to Derek’s remains.
    I fumbled with Tessa’s ropes, nearly chewed through by the compys, and finally got her free. She braced herself and yanked the tape off of her mouth, wincing at the hair it took with it, and pulling out the washcloth they’d used to gag her. I stumbled my way to Mikah and Berto. The remaining Beast Lords, now truly part Beast, watched, but kept their distance.
    Berto had tears in his eyes. “He’s breathing. He just has to wake up. You hear that Mikah? You need to wake up now.” He looked at me then, and his eyes got wide. “Olivia?”
    “What?”
    “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore. Olivia, look at your arm.”
    I did, and rubbed my eyes again. My arm was gleaming obsidian. The hair straggling over my shoulder was fine, and white as snow. My ears had finally stopped itching. I touched one ear cautiously. It was elongated and came to a delicate point, sticking out through my new hair.
    Berto and Mikah looked normal to me, but Tessa was not quite herself. She had tiny, ivory horns peeking out of her hair. The pupils of her eyes were vertical crimson slits. Her bodice was mostly tatters, and leathery black wings curved up from her back. A barbed tail lashed back and forth with agitation and excitement. She gave me a wicked look, and suddenly I wanted her again—as urgently as the first time. If we were doing a dungeon crawl, I’d have said she was a succubus. As soon as the word popped into my head, I knew I was right.
    Korembi came up to us, eyes still on the raptor. “I think Stella be fine now, mon. Our first raptor. Ain’t she a beauty?” He looked me over. “I’d say you be making a fine Dark Elf yourself, Olivia. Maybe we wake up tomorrow, and maybe we don’t, but I always knew I was Troll to the bone, mon.” He drew my attention to his companion. She looked like a Seal Point Siamese—all creamy fur darkening to rich brown around her hands and muzzle, delicate pointed ears, and she was wearing Kat’s clothes. I stared, and it was Kat staring back at me from the delicate feline face.
    “Miss Kitty? Oh my god.”
    She hugged me tight. “Olivia, what are we going to do? I’m a cat. I can’t be a giant cat. And dinosaurs don’t just show up and eat people, no matter how much they deserve it.”
    If anyone needed a drink right now, she did. What was I saying? We all did. “We need to get out of here. We need to get home.”
    Berto stroked Mikah’s forehead, whispering quietly. A soft golden glow followed the wake of his hand, and the broken skin on Mikah’s forehead visibly knit itself back together. Mikah’s eyes fluttered open, and his face glowed with love as he gazed up at Berto. “You fixed my headache. I always said you have magic hands.”
    None of Derek’s people tried to keep us from leaving their camp. I think seeing their leader being eaten by a Utahraptor had a deleterious effect on their morale.
    My jeans were loose, and too long on my new body. Elves really were smaller. The strap from my quiver would be pressed into service as a belt the second we returned to our camp.
    The druid camp was surrounded by a shimmering gold dome. I hoped they were okay, but I wasn’t going to stop and ask.
    We were putting the last few things in the cars, and suddenly I couldn’t stop laughing. I laughed until I couldn’t breathe, and only stopped when Berto gave me a shake. “They sent Cordie to the CDC. I don’t think there’s going to be a miracle vaccination for this one.” I snapped a selfie and added a quick text to Cordie.