Spike's Day Out (2 page)

Her mother asked, “Sicily, who was that swan?”

“His name is Albert, Mom. Roger is checking his credentials, but he says that he is here at the request of the council. He gave me some bull about me being the last of my species.” She shrugged and smiled at the teen who handed her a plate loaded with fried chicken, potato salad and carrots.

Her father leaned around his wife. “What?”

“Keep your voice down, Dad. It is probably nothing.” She looked up the hill where Roger and Albert were approaching. Sadly, they were both fully clothed and each had a grim expression.

Casual nudity was one of the perks of being a shifter. You could take the measure of those around you simply by looking. Their inner animal disclosed their attitudes, so once you had shifted with someone, you had a good idea of their psyche.

The men stopped next to their blankets. Roger made the introductions. “Edgar and Verona Markum, this is Albert Argent from the Shifter Council. He is here to protect Sicily until something can be done to find another hedgehog. Officially, she is the last of her kind until we find someone else, and the council is looking.”

Verona and Edgar looked at each other. Edgar asked, “But, Sicily is a random. Won’t there be more?”

Roger ran his fingers through his tawny hair. “No one knows. You know as well as I do that the mechanism by which randoms occur is not understood. With the mythicals, of course, they always keep a steady population, but with standard creatures…I don’t know that this situation has ever occurred before.”

Albert smiled at Sicily and asked, “May I sit?”

She sighed and tried to be gracious. “Please.”

Roger hesitated, but she gave him a serious look through her lashes.

“Thank you, Warren Master, for confirming his credentials.”

He nodded shortly and headed over to the gathering of single females who were waiting for him.

When Sicily had been in high school, she had been one of those giggling girls. Even then, Roger’s ascension to warren master had been obvious. For a while, they had dated until she had gotten the first call from the Shifter Council. At that moment, their lives had split in two very different directions.

Albert took a seat next to her and leaned back on his hands. “This is a lovely prospect.”

One of the teens came toward him and handed him a plate with a shy smile. He thanked her and she blushed furiously before she scampered away.

“Are all the women around here so charming?” Albert settled in to eat.

Sicily looked at him with narrow eyes. “Yes, but we scratch and we bite when irritated.”

He nodded and took the soda that another young woman handed him. “Fair enough.”

She sighed and picked at her meal. “What is your plan?”

“A safe house has been arranged for you where no one will expect it.” Albert smiled.

“Wonderful. That was not what I had in mind for the weekend.”

“It didn’t fit into my plans either, but unless the Goddess sees fit to put more hedgehogs in the world, you are in dire need of protection.”

“Why? Who is coming after me? ” she bit viciously at a carrot.

“There is still a consortium of elves who are interested in obtaining exotics. Their people are trying to weed them out, but it is a slow process. You have to be tucked away where they can’t get at you.”

Sicily ran through all the obvious locations in her mind as she mechanically worked through the meal. The kids started to play tag near the river under the watchful eyes of the tweens.

“This is a fairly large community.” Albert observed.

“It is. About one hundred and sixty people at any given time. Sometimes more, sometimes less.” Sicily knew that her parents were listening to every word. Rabbit ears weren’t just decorative.

Her mother leaned over. “Albert, was it? How large is your community?”

“Twenty-four pairs and sixteen cygnets. Ten cobs looking for mates.”

Her father asked, “Do you mingle with other flocks?”

“It’s a bevy, but yes.”

Verona asked, “What’s a cob?”

“Unattached males.” He finished his plate and handed it off to the young man who came to retrieve it. “Your people are well trained.”

Sicily had to smile. “It is payment for all the years hunting Easter eggs. Now that they are full shifters, they get to experience the hopping around during the event. It makes them adults in the eyes of our community.”

“Do they enjoy it?”

Sicily shrugged. “They get a voice in the warren’s elections, they enjoy the full rights of a citizen of our community and are allowed to begin experimenting with sex once they reach sixteen.”

He was surprised. “Is that encouraged?”

“It is acknowledged. They get their lectures on safe sex and dealing with babies, as well as the costs involved. Their position in the community means that they would need to support their families. Sex is sex but breeding is something else entirely. We make that quite clear.”

“Are there ever issues?”

“Of course. There are always a teen or two that thinks they can make it on their own. They are bound to their breeding partner until the youngest child is six years old, after which time, they can separate and form a new union. The next partnership has to stick and the children from the first need to be supported by the parent that relinquishes custody.”

“What happens if they don’t abide by those rules?” He was genuinely curious.

“You know what it means, it means they are out of their burrow, out of the warren and into the world on their own with all other warrens being alerted to their state. It does not happen often. We are a social people and we enjoy a calm and well-reasoned relationship to ourselves and others.”

With the picnic over, the youngsters were shucking off their clothing and back to being bunnies. The smaller children squealed and chased them around the field.

“Don’t they mind?”

Sicily smiled and leaned to one side on her knees as her cousin hopped toward her to cuddle in her lap. “They enjoy being bunnies and with all that entails. Other folks worship gods and goddesses, we worship fluff.”

Albert reached over and Scotia snapped from her position in Sicily’s lap.

Sicily sighed. “Put your hand on my thigh, palm up, and let her sniff it. Scotia is new to the shift and her instincts are strong.”

Albert did as instructed, and soon, Scotia was nibbling at his fingers and moving her head under his hand. He began to stroke her, and it was as if a call rippled through the gathered bunnies. He was suddenly swamped with fluffy bodies jockeying for position on his legs and lap.

“Uh, Sicily, is this normal?”

She shrugged. “Pretty standard. They are welcoming you to the warren as a friendly visitor.”

“What do they do to unfriendly visitors?”

“Chew their balls off.” Sicily said it with dry-enough delivery to cause Albert to give her a wild look.

Her parents sniggered.

He was sitting immobile as a writhing mass of fluffy terror rampaged over him.

Sicily waited until his arms were trembling from tension before she whistled sharply and the bunnies dismissed themselves to resume running from the toddlers.

The afternoon finally waned, and in eerie silence, they rose to their feet and flipped the blankets in the air before folding them. Albert just kept out of the way, as the silent gathering moved up the embankment and hugged each other in celebration of their day and they all went their separate ways.

Sicily led him to her car and turned. “Are you coming home with me?”

“You need to pack and I am here to keep you safe.”

“How do I know what to pack?”

“You don’t. Pack for anything.”

She raised her hand and hugged her parents. “Apparently, I am going out of town for a few days. Don’t worry, I have a bodyguard.”

Verona smiled. “I heard. You are now what we have known all along. You are one of a kind.”

Sicily wrinkled her nose. “Thanks, Mom. I will be in touch as soon as I can.”

“Be safe first. Everything else can come later.”

Her dad hugged her tightly, “What Mom said.”

She laughed and squeezed him back. “Thanks. I will be as safe as I can be.”

“Let him take care of you. You need someone to have your back.”

His whisper reached her ears as he pulled back. “Be safe, Spike.”

* * * *

Albert didn’t tell them that he would take care of their daughter. He let them have their silent moment.

The plans of the Shifter Council went beyond his being a bodyguard. The rabbit council representative had given her over to the council as an endangered species and they had called on Albert. He didn’t know why they wanted him bonded to this little ball of energy, but he did know that if they hoped that they were to get together, there was only one place to do it. The Crossroads.

Spike had her bag over her shoulder and was wearing her standard jeans and t-shirt when she faced the new arrival to her home.

“Master Transporter Krisia. Welcome to my home.”

Kris grinned at her. “You are looking well, Spike.”

“Thank you. So, where are you sending me?”

“Albert didn’t tell you?”

She shook her head. “Nope. He was on the alert for cannibalistic bunnies.”

Kris snickered. “He fell for that?”

Albert entered the kitchen where they were speaking. “No, I did not fall for it, but I didn’t want to disturb the dozen bunnies on top of me.”

Sicily smirked. “If you say so.”

Krisia said, “Here you go.”

Her hands generated a column of light that grew large enough to walk through.

“Off you go, Spike. See you when they sound the all clear.”

Krisia waved her on, so Spike waved back and stepped into the portal with Albert on her heels. It was off to the safe spot that the council had chosen to stash her.

Spike stumbled a little and hands steadied her. She tugged herself free of Albert and looked around.

“Oh, you have to be kidding me.” Spike ran her hand over her hair, and she stared at the two guardians of the Crossroads.

“Welcome, Sicily. I am afraid that this was the safest place that the council could think of on short notice.” The woman was smiling brightly, her ivory hair down to her waist.

Albert spoke, “Hello, Aunt Teal.”

“Albert! How lovely to see you here. You remember Tony?”

Albert bowed. “Uncle Tony. You are looking well.”

Sicily turned with something akin to horror. “You’re related to the guardians of the Crossroads?”

“Well, two generations back. Aunt and uncle is just simpler. They have agreed to hide us here at the Crossroads, in plain sight.”

Sicily blinked. “What?”

“We have been offered positions here until things are settled.”

“Doing what?”

Teal smiled. “Housekeeping at the hostels or working at the bar and restaurant.”

Spike nodded. “I call the bar.”

Tony grinned. “Albert?”

“I suppose that leaves me with the restaurant. Do you have the bands?”

Tony went to a side table and lifted a box. “This is the strangest part of the arrangement, Albert.”

He sighed. “I know, but it is necessary.”

Tony removed a silver band from the box and slipped it on Albert’s wrist. It hung like a bangle.

“Miss, your wrist please.”

Spike extended her wrist and the cool silver slipped against her skin. To her surprise, it tightened until it was snug against her skin with no space between metal and flesh.

Albert’s band was behaving in the same way.

Tony and Teal shared a surprised look.

Teal said, “Interesting. Right, well, I suppose that you should see your quarters and then get introduced to your bosses.”

Albert touched the band. “What is interesting?”

Teal patted his arm. “I will tell you at another time.”

Spike asked, “What are the bands for?”

Teal gestured for them to follow as she headed for the door. “They serve two purposes. The first is to hide your identity from those who meet you and cover your scent. The second is to mark you as half of a mated pair that works at the Crossroads. I am afraid that even if you meet someone here, they won’t be attracted to you.”

Albert nodded. “The bands shift with us, correct?”

“Correct, nephew. They will also alert Tony or myself if anything happens to either of you. They are biometric sensors.”

Spike looked at the band with new appreciation. “Wow. Nice.”

Teal walked them through the streets until they reached a series of modest houses with small yards. “These are the mated quarters. When those who live here pair up, they need starter homes. You will be living here and pretending to be newly mated.”

Albert moved to Spike’s side, and he put his arm around her shoulders.

She fought the urge to elbow him in the ribs, and instead, she smiled up at him and handed him her bag. “Be a lamb, would you?”

He gave her a narrow-eyed look. “Of course, pet.”

Albert flipped her bag over his shoulder and they followed Teal to the home they would be sharing.

She squeaked when he lifted her with one arm to carry her over the threshold. She would have preferred that he didn’t have her tucked under his arm like a sack of potatoes.

Teal had her hand over her mouth, and when he set Sicily down, she cleared her throat. “That is the spirit. Just set your bags in the bedroom and we can be on our way.”

Spike gave her a surprised look. “Was that…bedroom…singular?”

Teal coloured a little. “Yes. These are newlywed quarters. Anyone having a guest puts them up in the bed and breakfasts.”

Spike looked into the bedroom and nodded. “Right. Couch for me then.”

Albert smiled. “I don’t mind sharing.”

She scowled. “I do.”

Teal chuckled from the hall. “Right. Come along. I will introduce you around.”

Spike bussed the tables at the bar, cleaning the seats and making each booth as pristine as she could. James was manning the bar and Chuck would be in later, after he and Ivy had wrestled a plot point, and probably each other if the look in his eyes was any indication.