Free Shifting Currents by Lissa Trevor

and she swallowed hard to soothe the burn.
    “There is plenty for everyone.” Lisa held up her hand, and they rested against a large boulder.
    Three long blasts of an air horn was the conclave’s summoning signal. It appeared that the big event was going to take place after all. Lisa started to get undressed.
    “What are you doing?” Bethany asked.
    “These are the only clothes I have with me. You can stop giving me that prissy look. I enjoyed the hell out of earning them.”
    Bethany flinched back at her tone. “I’m not judging you or your brother.”
    Lisa sighed. “I know. I hate being poor. Can you put them in your pack for me?”
    At her nod, Lisa’s form shifted, and the white Great Pyrenees dog was back beside her, wagging her tail happily. As they walked to the conclave’s gathering place, Bethany’s neck tingled as if there was someone sighting down a gun barrel at her.
    “Bethany!” Maya said and rushed from where the other elders were huddled together on a raised dais.
    Bethany cringed as over two hundred people turned to look at her. Maya caught her in a fierce hug. “We thought the worst.”
    “How are the other Techs?”
    “Two injured, two who weren’t in the cabin are fine. But the rest…Bethany, the rest are all dead.” Maya gripped her tighter. “How did you escape?”
    “The bed landed on top of me, and I crawled out the windows before the gas took me.” Bethany hugged back. Twenty people dead. “Why? Why did this happen?”
    “We don’t know. But for now you need to stick close. I don’t want you to go anywhere alone.”
    “I’ll be fine,” Bethany said. Then shivered. Five Techs remained in the entire Northeast.
    “I don’t care,” Maya said. “I’m putting our Shifters on guard duty.” She waved her hand, and two big men came over.
    Bethany recognized them as George and Steven. They were lovers and they did anything Maya asked. She suspected that they would even kill for her. She grew a bit uneasy.
    Maya snapped her fingers at them. “You shift right now and protect Bethany. You are not to leave her alone, and you have my authorization to kill anyone who tries to take her from our tribe.”
    “Maya!” Bethany said, even as the men dropped their human forms. There was a lot of sniffing and growling going on between them and Lisa, but it evened out into a dull roar.
    “You are a very valuable commodity,” Maya said. “Especially now. Our tribe can’t afford to lose you.” And with that, she made her way back up to the podium. Bethany could see the other chiefs congratulating her good fortune that her pet Tech was still alive. Stepping over the wolves, Bethany grabbed a seat on a log. With her entourage, no one was able to sit close enough to talk to her.
    “It’s nice to be wanted,” Bethany said sarcastically and dug into her pack for some dried meat. She nibbled on it and offered some to the Shifters while the conclave was called to order and the opening statements began. She scouted the sky for a glimpse of an eagle or anything that might be Lucas. Closing her eyes, she started to drift. It was like last night was just a dream. All she could feel was pain, and it hurt to breathe. Bethany tried not to cry.
    This was only her third conclave, but it started out no different from the last two. Thank you all for coming. We’re the inheritors of the Earth. Our survival is crucial on our working together. Keep the lines of trades open. Yada, yada, yada. And no fighting among the tribes.
    The last bit caused some stir with the crowd. Chief Alexander of the Mid Region got up to speak.
    “We believe that a group of assassins calling themselves the Purebloods are behind the cowardly attack on our Tech cabin. They have banded together to murder anyone that they consider not to be human.”
    Bethany’s eyes popped open, and the pain burned away as she seethed with anger. Somewhere a radio began to play music. When Chief Alexander looked pointedly at her, Bethany