Streamfield Shifters: Hide & Seek

Chapter Fourteen

When I awoke the next morning, it took me a minute to realize that my legs weren't hurting. Throwing back the covers, I peered at my inner thighs. Well, would you look at that—the redness and soreness was gone! I was definitely smuggling that ointment tin back home.

Rachael was already up and perched on the window seat, looking down on the street below. She waved me over. Rubbing sleep from my eyes and giving a great yawn, I padded over to the window and squatted down beside my cousin.

"It's like watching a movie ... but we're in it," Rachael breathed, leaning up against the window. "Horse-drawn carts, folks in dresses and trousers, quaint little shops, elves ... !" She trailed off and ended up just shaking her head.

I ran a hand through my hair, which had a tendency to stand up in odd places during the night. "I know," I agreed. In many ways, it was truly fantastical.

"Do you think we can look around later? After we've found Jimmy?"

As much as I agreed with her, I had to play the party-pooper. "I don't think that would be a good idea. There's a reason why Leihalani has us trooping around looking like cultists."

Rachael sighed and tossed her hair over one shoulder. "Yeah, I know that. But maybe after the Convergence?"

That was a tougher question. "I don't know, Rach." I sighed and shifted on the floor. Knowing how the general human population reacted to the mass coming-out of our supernatural community over a century ago, I didn't have high hopes for an open-armed welcome. I told Rachael as much.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Rachael curled her arms around her knees, drawing them up to her chin.

I stood up and tapped her lightly on the knee. "Better take a bath and get dressed. We're supposed to have breakfast with Leihalani."

"You go first. I want to watch for a little while longer."

Shrugging, I trudged into the bathroom. Our set up was the same as Leihalani's, except far less ostentatious. My quest for a bath was immediately put on hold because, as I realized with a start, there was only one spigot on the tub. You couldn't tell me that in a world where they used runic magic to pump water through pipes that everyone was taking cold baths.

As I puzzled over this dilemma, I noticed an oval-shaped stone about the size of my palm sitting on a corner of the tub. Hmm, I thought, picking up the lava rock. Was this some sort of pumice stone? Or ... I dropped it into the tub. As soon as it hit the water, it began to bubble.

"How about that," I marveled as a gentle steam rose from the tub.

Pleased to have figured out the bath puzzle, I stripped and sank into the warm waters.

Some time later, washed and dressed—with cloaks—Rachael and I made our way down the hall to Leihalani's room. I knocked on the door and stepped back.

A muffled shout from what sounded like Leihalani echoed behind the door. Rachael and I exchanged shocked looks. Before we could do anything, the door swung open mere seconds later. But the person standing in the doorway was not Leihalani.

It was an elven man.

He was tall, at least six feet, with golden brown skin, silvery eyes and long, dark brown hair that was caught back in a short queue at the base of his neck. A silver circlet of oak leaves and acorns rested on his brow. All of the elven men I'd seen on our journey had been good-looking, but this one was on a whole new level, with a strong, square jaw that was somewhat toned down his high cheekbones. And when he smiled, butterflies involuntarily fluttered in my stomach.