This was going to take longer than Callie had expected. “I am telling you the truth.”
DeeDee was thoughtful. “Let me get this straight. You’re part alien?”
Finally! “Yes.”
“So that means you can shift into an animal.”
“Yes, well, I’ve only done it once, and I wasn’t very good at it. Rogar said the bunny rabbit wasn’t my true guide. We have to sort of find each other.”
“A bunny rabbit?” She cocked an eyebrow in disbelief.
Callie nodded, knowing how lame everything sounded.
“So change form, then I’ll believe you.”
“But…”
“Like I said, this is a good prank.”
“I’ll do it already! But remember, I don’t know what form I’ll take because I haven’t found my guide.”
“Fine with me.” She leaned back against the cushions and crossed her arms.
Was that a smirk on her face? Callie really hated when she wasn’t taken at face value, and DeeDee should know she would never lie. If she wanted proof, Callie would give it to her.
She closed her eyes and concentrated. Nothing happened. Maybe she should chant or something. No, Rogar said she only needed to concentrate.
“You still look the same to me,” DeeDee commented.
Callie opened her eyes and glared at her friend. “I need complete silence.”
DeeDee zipped her fingers across her lips, then pretended to turn a key and throw it away. Smart ass. Well, she would soon make a believer out of her.
Callie closed her eyes again, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. She had to relax, being tense would only make things harder. She inhaled, then exhaled as she let her mind go blank. A familiar swirling began to churn inside her.
Breathe in, breathe out.
A familiar fog began to close around her. Her arms and legs began to ache. She gasped and curled into a ball, then stretched her limbs. Vaguely, she heard DeeDee cry out, telling her to stop whatever the hell she was doing, that she was scaring her, but it was too late for that now.
The world around her went dark. Every bone in her body ached. This was worse than when she’d changed into a bunny. Her skin and bones were being stretched beyond what she could stand.
She couldn’t breath. Was she dying? She was too young to die.
Everything suddenly stilled. The pain went away.
Callie blinked rapidly. As before, it was as though she was looking through someone else’s eyes. DeeDee was sprawled across the sofa in a dead faint.
It was DeeDee’s own fault. She had certainly done everything she could to convince her friend that she was part alien, but had she believed her? Nooo…
Callie frowned. She didn’t think she had shifted into another rabbit. She came to her feet, or whatever they had changed to. The sofa creaked and groaned, then crunched. Two pillows that had been right beside her flew across the room.
Not a good sign.
She lumbered over to the mirror on the wall, accidentally bumping a side table on the way and sending the lamp crashing to the floor. Good grief, she felt as though she’d put on a ton of weight. She felt more bloated than when she PMSed.
She stopped in front of the mirror.
Well, hell.
Life was so not fair. A rhinoceros? This was no longer fun anymore. She didn’t want to be a big hulking beast. She wanted to be something sleek and exotic.
She glanced behind her. Wow, talk about having a big ass. No diet would help this one. Nope, she wanted her own body back. She was pretty sure this wasn’t her guide.
Now to change back. If poor DeeDee roused, she’d probably have a heart attack this time.
Callie closed her eyes and let her mind go blank. She began to ache, to burn as though someone had set her on fire. The damp fog did nothing to cool her. This wasn’t good. Why did it hurt so much this time? Rogar would have some explaining to do. He’d said it would get easier, but this was a lot harder than last time. Maybe because she was so big.
Oh, Lord, what if she didn’t change back to herself. Would DeeDee still be her friend? Would she take care of her, feed her? Ohh, don’t drop any pellets or she wouldn’t.
Pellets? Yeah, right!
Her pulse suddenly quickened and she found it was all she could do to take a deep breath. The world spun around her as she sank to the floor. She stretched her limbs, then drew them back close to her, curling into a ball.
She blinked, everything was fuzzy. She closed her eyes and just concentrated on breathing. Letting the change happen.
Things began to calm. When she ran her hands over her arms, she knew she had shifted back. Oh, thank God. Not that she had anything against the rhinoceros. It was a lovely animal, she just didn’t want to be one.
“Callie?”
She opened her eyes and saw DeeDee. Good, she was afraid there for a minute she had gone blind. “I’m okay. Just give me a moment.” She closed her eyes.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” DeeDee asked after a few more seconds passed.
“That one took a little more out of me than changing into a bunny.” She didn’t want to scare her friend more than she already had, and attempted to sit up.
DeeDee grabbed Callie’s arm when she started to stand and stumbled, then helped her to the sofa. Callie frowned when she saw it was broken down on one side. “Sorry about that.”
“It can be replaced.” She grabbed a throw, draping it over Callie’s shoulders.
Callie pulled it closer, then watched as DeeDee drained her drink. “I know, I felt the same way when Rogar told me everything.”
“You really are an alien, aren’t you?”
“It would seem that way.”
“And this Zerod creep is trying to kill you.”
She nodded.
DeeDee went behind the bar and made herself another drink. Callie shook her head when DeeDee raised her glass, silently asking Callie if she wanted a refill. She needed to stay sober so she could take care of Rogar through the night. She wanted to make sure his condition didn’t worsen.
DeeDee returned, plopping down on the sofa, then wrinkled her nose. “It smells like rhinoceros in here.”
“Sorry about that, too.”
DeeDee nervously began to light scented candles. Was she avoiding talking about everything that had happened? DeeDee was obsessive about her scented candles so it could be anything.
Callie suspected it was more that DeeDee was trying to decide how to act around her, now that she knew Callie was part alien. “It’s okay. I’m still the same person.”
DeeDee laid the lighter down, then looked at Callie. “Except for the fact you can change into…into an animal.”
“But none of that matters. Not really. I’m still the same person you met ten years ago.” She had to grit her teeth to keep from crying out. She didn’t want to lose the only friend she’d ever had. She would give up knowing anything about her parents, who she was, and where she came from, if it meant she would keep DeeDee in her life.
DeeDee suddenly smiled. “I remember the first time we met. Your date had taken you to the Blue Bayou. I used to love that bar. They had the best jazz band on Saturday nights.”
“Ugh, Mark Lemons. I remember him. He was a lemon!” She still had no idea why she’d agreed to go out with him. He’d been a groper.
“You pushed him away, but he grabbed you and dragged you right back, then he tried to kiss you,” DeeDee said. “My friends told me not to get involved, but I took one look at your face and knew I couldn’t stand by and watch while you tried to fight him off.”
“I’m so glad you didn’t.” By herself, she hadn’t been able to get away. “But you waltzed over with your drink and tossed it in his face. He was furious. I thought he was going to hurt you.”
DeeDee laughed. “I think he would have if I hadn’t showed him the lighter I held.”
Callie grinned. “And told him if he didn’t want to become a human torch, he’d better leave now.”