The World in Flower

39. On the Fly

"I don't know what happened," Asa stated, kneeling next to the kindergartner. "Ms Darlene says he suddenly screamed, ran to look out the window, shouted something, then collapsed. I've been trying to keep him stable, but he had a seizure just before you got here."

Adam nodded and looked up at Blaine. "You're going to get your first lesson in scrying. Do we have any mirrors?"

"I will get you one," Nalah volunteered and headed for the room next door where they'd moved all the kids. Adam could hear him ask, "Does anyone have a mirror? Perhaps for makeup?"

"I do," a voice answered. Adam thought it was Xander's granddaughter, Yaya.

Rob walked in with Miya and Nate, who'd arrived at the school at the same time they had. He'd paused to talk to them while Adam had continued on to the classroom to assess the situation. "You were right. The dog was Cordelia."

"I'd just stepped out for a moment. I didn't even see her go through the door before that thing was dive-bombing us," Nate explained.

"You really think Gray and Delie are connected somehow?" Miya asked, kneeling next to Grayson's head.

"I think he tried to protect her by hurting the tirvit," Adam replied, then turned his attention back to Blaine as Nalah handed him a small mirror. "All right. I need you to Sing what I'm Singing, okay?"

***

Tim shifted back to human form as soon as Amberly slid from his back. They found the lirgalin curled around a nest of sticks, twigs, and grass on the ground somewhat back inside a thicket. Her sides were heaving in pain and she barely lifted her head as Tim and Amberly approached. Small, high pitched peeps emerged from within the nest, hidden by her body.

"Hi, momma. Let's see what's going on with you," Amberly said gently. "It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you."

***

"Gray, honey, you have to stop," Miya spoke gently. "Delie is okay. They've got her out at the farm where we stopped. Remember? Where we left the horses and goats and everything? They spotted Delie and they rescued her. Now she needs you to stop hurting the big bird thing that took her. Okay?"

Adam looked at the image Blaine was projecting from the mirror and shook his head. He couldn't be certain, but things looked to be worsening, despite the efforts of Rob, Asa, and himself.

"Gray! Stop now!" Nate's voice was more commanding. "You're hurting yourself when you hurt the bird thing. You need to stop now."

"Maybe he doesn't know how," Rob offered.

Adam thought of the first time Tim shapeshifted into a tirvang. "Maybe. Nalah, use my phone and call Austin. Maybe Austin can talk him through how to disengage."

"Assuming he's listening."

"We have to hope he is."

***

"Damn, that kid is ripping through this thing like a tornado." The sweat stood out on her brow. "We're going to lose her soon if this doesn't stop."

"Did you hear that?" Tim asked his phone.

"We did. We're trying," Adam replied.

***

Adam wiped sweat off his forehead.

"I know you're mad at her," Austin's voice spoke. "But stop for a moment and feel her. Do you feel how hungry she is? She's been going without to feed her babies."

Grayson made a whimpering sound.

"She's been working so hard, but the woods she was used to hunting in? It's gone now. Instead there's our town, and the only animals here are ours. But we've scared her away now, so everyone's safe. You don't need to hurt her. So I need you to give her a big hug in your mind to tell her you understand, okay? And then think about being back in school."