Shifting Stars by Gary Stringer (simple e reader .TXT) 📕

horse when it had supposedly been stolen by the Trickster. Catriona tied Bonnie up safely outside, and then, moving away from the immediate area, chose another old barn as the place to discreetly change back. She smiled at the sight of the Trickster tracks she had left, earlier. Mandalee was right – she did have a strange sense of fun, sometimes.

Flushed with a newfound confidence, she visualised what she wanted to do next: Reach into her pocket dimension, throw in her boy clothes, shapeshift and immediately clothe herself in her customary red wizard’s robes, all in one fluid movement. As she initiated the process, however, a small spider brushed her left ear, causing her to reflexively jump forward while trying to brush it off. In doing so, she once again failed to watch where she was going and fell into a demon trap, mid-process.

That, gentle reader, left my mother still looking a lot like Jacob, completely naked except for a strategically placed wooden staff with a large blue crystal on top. And just as before, cut off from nature, her magic simply refused to work. She was stuck. Again.

Chapter 9

Isn’t it always the way, gentle reader?

There you are, feeling on top of the world, flush with success and the next thing you know, you’re stuck in a trap with nothing but a stick to protect your dignity.

Catriona was grateful for the cover of the late evening darkness; it was the only cover she was going to get until the demon hunter, Mandalee, came along to rescue her. That was not a meeting she was looking forward to, but she knew it was the only way she was getting out.

Eventually, the young woman in white strode into view, leopard by her side. Her expression seemed to fluctuate between annoyed and amused.

“Hi,” Cat-as-Jacob said sheepishly with a small wave.

“I can’t wait to hear your explanation,” Mandalee said, hands on hips. “It had better be spectacularly good if you expect me to let you out!”

“It isn’t easy to explain.”

“I bet it isn’t!” Mandalee returned. “Well, while you’re trying to work that one out, let me ask you an easier one: Do you have a brother?”

“A brother?” Cat frowned. “No, why?”

“Because you look a lot like some guy I fished out of one of my traps this morning.”

Cat thought for a moment, and then realised who she must mean.

“Was he carrying a load of packages by hand because he’d lost his horse, by any chance?”

Mandalee nodded. “So you do know him.”

“Yes, that’ll be Jacob,” Cat replied, “and no, I’m not his brother.”

“Then how come you look so much alike?”

“Ah, well, you see, now we’re back to the part that isn’t easy to explain.”

“I can leave you for a while to figure it out,” Mandalee offered.

“No!” Cat cried. “Wait! You can’t leave me like this, it’s a bit cold to be naked.”

“Better talk quickly, then.”

“Alright, I’ll tell you, but you’re not going to believe me.”

“Try me.”

“Alright then, well, for a start, I’m not really a boy, I’m a girl.”

All trace of humour left Mandalee’s face. “What?” she demanded.

“I said you wouldn’t believe me, but it’s true: I’m really a girl.”

For some reason Catriona couldn’t fathom, Mandalee looked furious. “Are you trying to be funny? Why the hell would you say something like that? I've got a good mind to leave you in there for the rest of the week!”

“But it’s true!” Cat protested. “We met earlier,” she pressed on, quickly, seeing the demon hunter turn as if to walk away. “I’m Catriona. Cat. You said you always got on really well with cats, present situation excepted!”

Mandalee turned back around, her anger gradually giving way to puzzlement.

“You’re serious?”

Cat nodded.

“Not taking the piss?”

“No, why would I?”

“You honestly don’t know?”

“I’m sorry, I really don’t know what else I can say,” Cat admitted, “but if you let me out, I can show you.”

“Alright,” Mandalee accepted, “but if I find out you really are taking the piss, well, let’s just say Shyleen here’s feeling pretty hungry.”

With that warning, she deactivated her trap. Cat immediately felt her connection to nature restored and breathed deeply before shifting back to her natural form, ensuring her long hair fell strategically over her breasts.

Mandalee stared, wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

“Sorry,” she apologised, turning away, “but if you’re really a girl why would you ever want to—” she seemed to catch herself, “—I mean, how did you change like that? Obviously, it’s shapeshifting magic, but don’t you lose a year of your life whenever you do it or something?”

Cat looked at her, quizzically. “You’ve been reading too many books! Basically, it’s something I’ve learned to do with my druid magic. Speaking of changing, do you mind if I put some clothes on? People don’t usually get to see this much of me unless they buy me a drink first,” she quipped, trying to ease the tension.

“Of course!” The demon hunter gasped. “Sorry, it’s just a lot to take in, erm…” she started to take off her backpack, “…I think I might have something you could throw on—”

“—No need for that,” Cat interrupted. “If you could just hold my staff for a minute…” she held it out with one hand as she started to open her pocket dimension with the other.

When Mandalee, trying not to look at Cat’s now fully exposed body, wrapped her hand around the staff, there was a flash of magic as they briefly held it simultaneously, sending them and the staff flying apart. At the same time, Catriona’s clothes fell out of her pocket dimension, along with Shifting Stars, and Mandalee’s clothes fell in – even the mask and bandana were gone. Now the tables were turned, with a naked Mandalee desperately clinging to the staff to try and hide something Catriona had really not expected to see.

All at once, Cat put two and two together. Things Mandalee had said, the mask hiding her face, her reaction to the idea that Cat might be ‘trying to be funny’ when she said she was really