told me?” Gunner asked the little girl gently. He knelt beside Skylar, his small first-aid kit in his hands.
Penny held out her hand. Chace reached out, and she deposited a tiny figurine of a Pegasus into it.
“That’s my mom,” she said.
“What?” Chace looked from the figurine to her.
“Apparently, that’s what happens to the shifters that the slayers catch. They’re turned into one of those,” Gunner said. He nudged Chace aside to get to Skylar’s injured shoulder.
With reluctance, Chace moved away.
The little girl followed and pried the figurine out of his hand.
He clenched and released his fists, not liking the idea of being so close to Skylar without touching her. His attention split between watching Gunner work and the story the Pegasus shifter just told him, he addressed Penny.
“How did you turn from this into you again?” he asked.
“The Protector. She goes like this.” She squeezed it tight in one fist. “Then, we wake up.”
“You’re serious?”
She nodded.
“That’s incredible.”
“She woke up the two tigers and was supposed to wake up my mom but the griffin got us and made us fly into the sky.” The girl rose as she told her story, pointing upwards then twirling around. “We turned and turned and turned and turned and then – he dropped us!” She indicated the SUV. “But I protected the rest of them.”
“The rest of who?” Chace asked.
“Come on. I’ll show you.” Without waiting for him, she spun and trotted towards the car.
Chace didn’t want to move. Sensing he wasn’t ready to leave Sky, Gunner tossed his head towards the SUV.
“Go see. Let me work in peace.”
Chace growled but rose and trailed Penny, who was trying to pry open one mangled door.
“Wait,” he said, stooping down to pick her up. He held her against him with one arm then yanked the passenger side door open. It creaked but gave. “What am I looking for?”
Penny squirmed to be free.
“Be still. There’s glass everywhere,” he told her. “I’m not setting you down to get hurt.”
She gave an exaggerated sigh. “They’re in there.” She pointed to the seat then the floor. “I was counting them when the griffin took us flying.”
The faint light overhead illuminated dark figurines amid the glass and flecks of metal littering the cab of the SUV.
Chace took her a few feet away and set her down.
“Stay there,” he ordered.
“I’m a Pegasus, ” she returned, crossing her arms with a pout. “I don’t have to listen to a dragon.”
He leaned over to meet her gaze. “You really think a little pony can take on a mighty dragon?”
“My mom says Pegasuses are smarter.”
“Dragons are bigger.”
“I can fly faster.”
“I can breathe fire.”
“You’re not in a pissing match with a seven-year-old, are you?” Gunner called.
“Yeah, are you?” Penny echoed.
Gunner laughed.
Suppressing a smile, Chace shook his head and straightened. He returned to the SUV and began digging around, collecting the tiny figures. When his hand was filled with them, he stopped to stare.
The inanimate objects in his hand were alive. Somehow. Not only that, but Skylar had figured out how to return them to life. What was more amazing: the figurines or her gift?
A shirt dropped on his head. Chace snatched it off, looking up.
Penny had found a way to defy him. She hovered a few feet overhead in her Pegasus foal form.
“You just wait,” he told her clearly. “When I get my magic back, I’ll show you why people don’t mess with dragons.”
Penny whinnied loudly. He had the sense she was laughing at him.
Chace smiled to himself, amused by the playful filly, and set down the shirt she’d been wearing. He gathered up the remaining figurines and placed them in the shirt, growing more concerned and amazed with each one he collected.
How many shifters had been put to sleep by Caleb, Dillon and the rest of the slayers?
“The tigers said there are a lot more at Caleb’s, but I
Penny held out her hand. Chace reached out, and she deposited a tiny figurine of a Pegasus into it.
“That’s my mom,” she said.
“What?” Chace looked from the figurine to her.
“Apparently, that’s what happens to the shifters that the slayers catch. They’re turned into one of those,” Gunner said. He nudged Chace aside to get to Skylar’s injured shoulder.
With reluctance, Chace moved away.
The little girl followed and pried the figurine out of his hand.
He clenched and released his fists, not liking the idea of being so close to Skylar without touching her. His attention split between watching Gunner work and the story the Pegasus shifter just told him, he addressed Penny.
“How did you turn from this into you again?” he asked.
“The Protector. She goes like this.” She squeezed it tight in one fist. “Then, we wake up.”
“You’re serious?”
She nodded.
“That’s incredible.”
“She woke up the two tigers and was supposed to wake up my mom but the griffin got us and made us fly into the sky.” The girl rose as she told her story, pointing upwards then twirling around. “We turned and turned and turned and turned and then – he dropped us!” She indicated the SUV. “But I protected the rest of them.”
“The rest of who?” Chace asked.
“Come on. I’ll show you.” Without waiting for him, she spun and trotted towards the car.
Chace didn’t want to move. Sensing he wasn’t ready to leave Sky, Gunner tossed his head towards the SUV.
“Go see. Let me work in peace.”
Chace growled but rose and trailed Penny, who was trying to pry open one mangled door.
“Wait,” he said, stooping down to pick her up. He held her against him with one arm then yanked the passenger side door open. It creaked but gave. “What am I looking for?”
Penny squirmed to be free.
“Be still. There’s glass everywhere,” he told her. “I’m not setting you down to get hurt.”
She gave an exaggerated sigh. “They’re in there.” She pointed to the seat then the floor. “I was counting them when the griffin took us flying.”
The faint light overhead illuminated dark figurines amid the glass and flecks of metal littering the cab of the SUV.
Chace took her a few feet away and set her down.
“Stay there,” he ordered.
“I’m a Pegasus, ” she returned, crossing her arms with a pout. “I don’t have to listen to a dragon.”
He leaned over to meet her gaze. “You really think a little pony can take on a mighty dragon?”
“My mom says Pegasuses are smarter.”
“Dragons are bigger.”
“I can fly faster.”
“I can breathe fire.”
“You’re not in a pissing match with a seven-year-old, are you?” Gunner called.
“Yeah, are you?” Penny echoed.
Gunner laughed.
Suppressing a smile, Chace shook his head and straightened. He returned to the SUV and began digging around, collecting the tiny figures. When his hand was filled with them, he stopped to stare.
The inanimate objects in his hand were alive. Somehow. Not only that, but Skylar had figured out how to return them to life. What was more amazing: the figurines or her gift?
A shirt dropped on his head. Chace snatched it off, looking up.
Penny had found a way to defy him. She hovered a few feet overhead in her Pegasus foal form.
“You just wait,” he told her clearly. “When I get my magic back, I’ll show you why people don’t mess with dragons.”
Penny whinnied loudly. He had the sense she was laughing at him.
Chace smiled to himself, amused by the playful filly, and set down the shirt she’d been wearing. He gathered up the remaining figurines and placed them in the shirt, growing more concerned and amazed with each one he collected.
How many shifters had been put to sleep by Caleb, Dillon and the rest of the slayers?
“The tigers said there are a lot more at Caleb’s, but I
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