Chapter 32 A new member

I was circling over the ferris wheel on Navy Peir when I saw it. It had been a rather busy day at the 'office', what with a pileup on the highway, two robberies, three gang fights, a speeding truck, and a suicidal maniac trying to jump off an El train. Not to mention the sinking barge I had just rescued not five minutes ago.

I was watching amusedly as the passengers in the ferris wheel coaches pointed excitedly and snapped pictures with their phones, when something flashed in the corner of my eye. I turned, just in time to see a white blur, moving so fast down the road that the cars around it just seemed to be standing still. I blinked, trying to make out what it was, but it was so far down the road, I could only make out that it had four legs.

On the flight back to the Nest, which is what I was beginning to call the top pf the Sears tower, I couldn't stop thinking about what I had seen. How could anything, short of an extremely fast jet, move that quickly? And along the ground? I was probably the only one that noticed, and then only due to my draconic vision. I almost managed to convince myself that I had just been seeing things by the time I settled in the Nest. The conundrum continued to occupy my thoughts the rest of the day, and all through the following week.

Ten days after I had seen what I had been mentally calling 'the phantom' (yeah, really original name, I know) I spotted it again, speeding along I 90-94. I was just going back to the barn for the day when I spotted an obviously drunk driver swerving along the westbound lane, to a chorus of honks and angry curses. I managed to pull the vehicle to a halt, then popped both the rear tires, so he wouldn't just up and drive off again before the police arrived.

I had lifted off and was winging my way towards home, when a white blur streaked down the road ahead of me. Instantly, I powered my wings, accelerating faster than I ever had, short of a dive, attempting to keep up long enough to identify what exactly it was I was chasing. However, I hadn't even built up half the speed I would have needed before the 'phantom' was out of sight. I stopped and hovered for a moment, wondering whether I should try to follow it or not. I shook my head. At that speed, it's probably on the other side of the state already!

I arrived back at the barn just in time for supper. Sniffing the air, I inhaled the scent of burgers and hotdogs frying, accompanied by the sharp smell of charcoal smoke. I de-changed and trotted into the barn, scooting the door closed behind me. Raven was in the kitchen area, which was starting to look more like a kitchen, now that Raven had gotten a job. Her work as a reporter's assistant was coming in handy in more ways than one.

"Hey, Rave." I grinned at her from the doorway, idly chewing the end of a straw.

She looked up and smiled back. "Hey! You're just in time! Supper's almost ready."

I nodded. "I know, I can smell it. Where are the boys?"

She winked. "They're out back. Dane is trying to teach Duncan how to flip burgers."

I laughed. "How is it going?"

She held up what I had been assuming was a hunk of charcoal, but which turned out to be a very burned piece of meat. "You tell me"

I shook my head, chuckling, then looked up. "I could cook the last few for you, no sweat."

Raven frowned down at the meaty lump. "No, thanks. I think we've had enough fiery accidents for one afternoon. And besides, it would be kind of weird to eat something that was cooked using your best friend's breath!"

I laughingly agreed, then left the kitchen area, climbing the ladder to the sleeping area. I walked over to my 'bed' and sat down. I was tired. After flying around saving people, catching crooks, kicking butt and taking names, as well as doing a little phantom spotting on the side, I was 'plumb tuckered out', as they say in the old western movies.

The straw under my blankets crackled as I lay back, thinking once more about the phantom, and trying to devise a way to catch it - if I wasn't just seeing things.

I had only meant to lie down for a few moments, but I closed my eyes and the next thing I knew, Raven was shouting up at me from outside. I only caught the last half of a phrase, "-don't know where it came from!"

I shot out of bed and staggered to the window, where I saw something that looked strangely familiar. A tall, gray, Arabian-looking mare was trotting in circles around Raven, each stride taking her several yards across the ground, making her seem to float. Her mane and tail drifted out behind her, wispy-like, making her seem almost insubstantial. I gasped. "The phantom!"

I changed right there, making myself smaller, then dove out of the window, pulling up just short of the ground and landing in a flurry of wings. "Raven! How did you find her?"

Raven looked confused. "What do you mean? She was just standing out here when I opened the door."

Dane and Duncan both watched the creature in rapture, though Duncan looked more suspicious than anything else. But then, Duncan always looked suspicious. Except, lately, that suspiciousness seemed to disappear around Raven. He had taken to hanging around her as much as he could, which I found slightly creepy. My weirdo brother had a crush on my best friend? It was beyond strange. I put those thoughts out of my mind, however, when suddenly the mare stopped, stock still, facing me directly across the clearing. I watched her astonishingly bright blue eyes flicker from one person to another, as if making a decision. Then suddenly, she closed her eyes, bowing her head toward her muscular chest slightly. Then, a wall of flickering, blue-white light rose from the ground around her, not flowing, like mine, but dancing, like a wall of flame, though it still sparkled like liquid starlight.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Duncan nodding slightly, as though his suspicions had been confirmed. Next to him, Dane watched, open-mouthed, as the light dissipated to reveal a teenage girl, seemingly younger than me, with long blonde hair and the same bright blue eyes as the horse. She took a step forward uncertainly, blue orbs darting all around, as if she still wasn't sure she had made the right decision.

I blinked, still feeling shocked, then smiled and held out my hand. "Hi. My name's Fiona. I take it you are another changeling."

She walked the few steps and shook my hand. "Kerata. And yeah, I guess I am. She dropped her hand, looking self-concious. "I really don't know. I've been in an orphanage all my life."

I put my hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. I didn't know anything either when I first changed."

She glanced around. "Is this where you live?"

I nodded, slightly embarrassed. "yeah, at least for now."

She smiled tentatively. "Well I - I was hoping, if it wasn't too much trouble, I could, I guess you could say, 'join up'. I don't really have any other place to go, and I thought maybe you guys might need some help." She glanced around at my three companions. "I... see you don't need help after all."

I shook my head and grinned. "Are you kidding? I need all the help I can get!"

Her eyes lit up, and she grinned back. "Thank you so much!"

I winked. "Welcome to the changelings, Kerata!"