“Cut ’em off me. I’ll try not to weep at the loss of my wardrobe.”

Gruffly, sarcasm in the tone, he said, “Good. I hate it when you whine.” Eli slid his arms around my back and shoulders and sat me upright. I gagged with the pain. He pulled a blade that looked sharp enough to shave with. “Good arm first.” He cut up the sleeves of the uninjured arm and across to the neck opening, though he left the lapel in place. He eased the jacket and shirt off the shoulder and peeled it toward my back. He started at the lapel on the injured side and cut through to the shoulder, before he pulled all the slashed cloth forward and created a modified sling with the cut clothes, placing them under my broken arm as support. He secured the messy sling with knots and zip ties.

“Ingenious,” I said. I was glad I’d worn ugly, heavy sports underwear for the weather.

“Of course.”

“You unhappy that you and Mike won’t be hooking up?”

“Oh, we’ll be hooking up, just not the way I planned. Though I may wait a bit. Hospital dates are awkward.”

I tried to grin at his small joke and winced.

“I heard you on the helo’s comms system. Brief me.”

“Leo’s pissed. He’s on the way to the mainland LZ. He has two helos shuttling now. Someone will read Marco tonight. Leo will heal Bambi. Del is sending an armed team to check on the CEO of Madderson Construction—armed in case they were colluding or are in trouble. HQ is taking no chances.” Eli stood and walked back to the stairs, his feet silent on the old floors. Partway down, he stopped and his voice floated back into the vaulted room. “Edmund’s on the way too.” I hurt too much to respond. “Babe. Alex says you threw him down the stairs, out of harm’s way. He’s pissed at not getting in on the fight.” I said nothing. Softer, Eli added, “Thanks for protecting him.”

“My pleasure. Scoot.”

He went on down the stairs. And once again I sought the Gray Between. It was cool there, the lights silvery gray with darker gray motes shooting through. My own magics, the ones now moving in a star pattern inside me, expanded.

The shift started. Pain slammed through my arm. Claws ripping my skin. Nails being driven into my broken bones. Painpainpain . . .

* * *

• • •

Woke up tangled in Jane clothes. Pants and inside pants and cut shirt and stupid tight inside shirt. Stupid human clothes. Scratched off cloth tied around front leg. Claws tangled in cloth. Snarled. Ripped off pants and inside pants. But could not get off inside shirt. Shirt Jane called jog and bra. Was stuck. Growled. Calling Eli. Eli did not come. Growled louder. Eli did not come.

Whistled kit call. Eli! Eli! Eli!

Eli did not come. Eli did not know kit call. Screamed kit call. Eli! Eli! Eli!

Eli called, “Jane? Beast?” Sounded afraid.

Eli should be afraid. Beast is best hunter. But Eli would laugh human laugh at sight of Beast in Jane bra. Growled softer. Thought about jumping out of window. Was hungry. Wanted to hunt fish in curling water, what Jane called gulf water. Water did not run one way like river water, but rolled everywhere, and to land. Was strange. But. Wanted bra off. Was too tight on Beast chest. Did not know why Jane wanted to wear bra. Growled again, uncertain.

“You planning on eating me if I come up? I have a raw steak.”

Beast’s ear tabs perked up. Eli has dead cow?

Beast padded to stairs, pawpawpaw. Smelled blood of dead cow on air. Warm meat. Stuck head around stair wall and saw Eli, sitting on stair with plate and small slab of meat. Alex sat on bottom stair with white-man gun and tablets, working. Guarding Beast’s den. Good kits. Good guard.

Humans with hammers made loud noises. Hurt Beast’s ears. Loud scream of saw hurt too. Snarled, showing killing teeth.

Eli went stiff. “Jane?”

Am Beast! Am not Jane!

“Beast? Okay. Beast. What’s wrong? Is it your arm? Didn’t it heal right?” Eli smelled of worry like mother big-cat to kits. “Can I look?”

Snarled again, but backed away. Eli would laugh. Beast would swipe him with paw, claws sheathed, and knock him down. And then eat steak.

“Oh.” Eli stood on floor, looking at Beast. Did not smell human laughter. Did not hear human laughter. Did not see human laughter on Eli face. Eli had warrior face on. No expression. Was good face. Eli set plate of raw meat on floor and pulled steel claw. “Want me to cut off the bra?”

Beast snarled harder. But Eli did not laugh. Beast padded closer. Sat, front legs straight, head high. Mouth open. Panting softly. Killing teeth showing through open mouth.

Eli stepped close, steel claw sharp. Eli put knees on floor. Started cutting through bra. “I’m sorry. I should have thought to cut the bra. My bad.”

Turned head and looked at Eli. Dark skin was shining. Black clothes were good for night hunting. Should take Eli hunting one night. Eli sawed. Bra came loose and Eli peeled bra down Beast legs. Bra was dead. Jane should kill bras.

Beast padded around Eli to plate and tore into food. Lay on wood floor and pulled cow part between cat feet and claws and ripped and chewed and swallowed. Was cow with water-blood, the way humans like meat, instead of fresh meat with thick blood. But was good. Beast finished cow meat and licked water-blood off of plate and off of paws, tongue cleaning pelt. Jane said Beast tongue was like paper made of sand. Beast had never seen paper made of sand.

Eli was sitting, watching. Beast butted Eli with head. Eli fell over. Beast chuffed with laughter. Beast rubbed head and jaw over Eli head. Made Eli smell like cow and like Beast. Was good smell. Eli made blowing sounds. “I’d say thanks for the love, but since there isn’t a shower on the island yet, maybe not.”

Beast chuffed. Trotted to open window. Stood with front paws on ledge and looked out. Moon was high. Not one-day moon. Not pregnant moon, big with young. But bright enough to see beach and water that curled like Beast’s tongue. Looked back at Eli. Chuffed. Looked out at night. Back at Eli. Eli did not move. Stupid Eli. Looked out and back and chuffed.

Eli’s face scrunched. “You want me to go with you?”

Beast made small sound of pleasure, like when kits first walk. Leaped out window and down. Landed with thump on porch roof. Looked back up. Eli was at window.

“Gimme a minute. I’ll be right there.”

Beast made happy sound again. Stupid humans did not understand different chuffs but understood other sounds. Beast leaped to ground, paws stretching out and landing in deep sand, front paws first, then back paws. Padded through shadows to beach. Smelled salt. Dead fish. Salty water. Could see far up both sides from house. Beast liked beach. Sat and waited for Eli. Could see many small fish in edge of water, near small dock. Could see bird floating on water, sleeping. More birds under low trees onshore. Bigger fish in deeper water? Looked at house. Eli was racing down steps into night.

“Jane?”

Chuffed. Am Beast. Not Jane. Eli is stupid kit. But Eli was kit for Beast to take care of. Did not know if Eli could swim. Beast did not like water, but Beast could swim. Could catch fishes.

“Oh. Hey, cat. Water looks good and cold. I’m for a dip if you are.”

Beast chuffed. Yes. Cat. Beast. Not Jane. Eli pulled off outside clothes and raced into water, two legs splashing loud. Made sound like owl, like hoooo, at cold water. He dived. Started swimming with head in water. Looking for fishes! But scaring off fishes with arms in air, splashing down onto water. Beast padded into water that curled and rolled and curled again and went nowhere. Slid deep, spread paw pads and swam into water after Eli. Water was cold. Felt good on Beast coat.

Eli dove deep to catch fishes and missed. He came up out of water with many splashes. “That’s either freezing or refreshing,” he shouted.

Beast was close by. Eli did not need to shout. Fishes were all gone. Eli was noisy kit. Would not eat fish today. Beast snorted through nose and licked jaw and muzzle. Eli splashed water at Beast and laughed. Beast chuffed. Silly kit. Swam to Eli and put paw on shoulder. Pushed down. Eli went under. Made laughing noises under water and swam away. Came up on Beast’s other side. Splashed Beast again. Dove. Eli was playing with Beast!

Played for long time with Eli, splashing and ducking and dunking. Then swam to shore and shook water from pelt. Eli was cold. Left Beast lying onshore to put on human clothes. And to watch new helo-copter-bird that was landing. “I gotta take care of business, Beast. Talk to you later.” Eli went to nesting spot for metal bird.