Moonlit Feathers by Sarah Makela

pranks many wouldn't expect from a town with people capable of magic and mayhem.
    I dipped lower to the ground, and when I was about a foot away from the grass near the gravel driveway, I shifted into my human form.
    Cody had been watching my raven form with a stern curiosity. His heartbeat was racing, but when I shifted my form, a weight seemed to be lifted from his shoulders and relief lightened his expression. He ran to me, and I put up my arms, a little freaked out. The last person who ran at me had been trying to kill me. But I knew he was just happy to see me. He'd never hurt me on purpose. Not like I was about to do to him.
    "You're here. You're...alive!" Sighing, he wrapped his arms around me, burying his face into my shoulder. "God, I was so scared. What happened? Are you all right?"
    I let my arms hang down at my sides, and bit my lip as tears caressed my cheeks. Why did he have to do this? Why did he need to cause such feelings in me? I didn't want to have to do this, but it was for the best, for both of us.
    "I..." My throat was raspy and kind of sore, probably from the screaming earlier. "We need to talk."

Chapter Nineteen
     
    Cody
    I pulled back a little. To say I was worried was a vast understatement. First she'd been kidnapped right out from under me, and now she was back. Why had they let her go? Had she managed to escape? It didn't make any sense that she was here. Her cabin was the first place someone would look for her.
    "What's wrong?" I said slowly. Carefully. From the look on her face, I didn't think this was a conversation I wanted to have with her, but I supposed I needed to know where her head was at.
    She nodded toward the house. "It's cold. I...I should get inside." Without another word, she turned away from me, and while I enjoyed looking at her body, I couldn't say I took a lot of pleasure in it right now. I was still worried about her, and she had bruises sprinkled all over her. I looked back at the road, where the tire tracks still glared at me. I should just go and try to find out what I could. Maybe I could find who had taken her and get some justice, since she didn't seem to be particularly into that herself right now.
    I didn't think going to the police would be our best option, not until I knew what was going on with her. Her shoulders were slumped forward dejectedly, and she was holding herself like she’d given up. I wanted to put my arm around her shoulder, but she didn't seem very receptive to that at the moment.
    I carefully opened the door for her, making sure not to damage it further. Once she was inside, I set it carefully back on the frame and locked it to keep it in place. Not that it'd do too much good if whoever had broken down her door decided to come back.
    She walked to her bedroom, and I hung back a little, letting her do what she needed to do. I heard the shower start, and I grimaced. Looked like I'd be hanging out for the moment, left wondering what was going on. On the kitchen counter was a closed laptop, with a set of papers next to it. I was trying not to snoop into her things, so I'd kept myself mostly away from it before, but now I wondered whether that was the right decision, for her sake. I walked closer to better inspect it. The envelope had my name on it, and I opened the folder to see general information about me and my family. There were pictures of me and my family members, my birth certificate, and my mother’s passport information.
    I wondered for a moment if maybe those people had taken her because of the commotion the golden rocks had created. Could they be after my family's talisman?
    Anger burned in my veins, and I let out a low growl.
    "What are you doing?" Morgana asked.
    I looked up at her, just then realizing the water had stopped. She was dressed in yoga pants and a tank top, with a towel covering her black hair. "You... Sorry. I saw my name on it, and I..."
    "It's fine. We talked about most of what's in there already, but that's not what I