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"It can’t be Not yet" Gwen frowned and felt Maria’s sweaty forehead "There’s a bug going around"

Maria gasped and doubled over The edges of her forhed, but the sound came out as a succession of aniht Maria washer first shift And months earlier than anyone had anticipated We hadn’t prepared her She wasn’t ready

Gwen clutched her daughter to her Her panicked face turned blindly back and forth between Mab and irl’s shoulder "You told ull, reulls"

"No!" Maria jerked away Her voice was nearing hysteria "I don’t want to shift I can’t! I want ht her voice "Mommy, help me!"

Gwen stood stiff as a post I’d never seen my sister look so helpless She hadn’t shifted in over a dozen years

My turn "Maria, it’s okay You won’t do this alone Listen to what Mab said Think about a seagull, soaring out over the ocean"

Energy built Downy feathers sprang froull"

"I’ll get Anne" Mab rushed back toward the patio

"What about a cat, then?" I said brightly, like this was supposed to be fun "Reraceful, like dancers?"

Maria didn’t answer, but a tail--an orange tiger stripe--began to sprout froan to stretch into wing shapes

This was bad If Maria didn’t focus on one form, the shift could tear her apart It could kill her

"Maria" I kept ull or a cat or whatever you want But you need to choose"

"No, I don’t want to I changed my mind!" she wailed "Mothened Whiskers sprang forth, and her ears changed shape and her on her head At the same time, feathers sprouted all over her body Her ars shriveled and shortened, like a bird’s

The energy continued to build When Mom and Mab appeared, Kane close behind, it was ally She wasn’t going to survive

Maria screay blasted out

"Stop" Suddenly, I saw the scene froy and held it Fraglove lay on the ground "I will not see one of my children destroyed in this way" The words issued froreed with every word

Maria looked at me with a face that was part-cat, part-bird, part-child Her wide eyes h above my head She looked directly into Ceridwen’s eyes "Can you help me?" she whispered

"I can," Ceridwen answered in my voice "But you must choose"

"I already did But II didn’t tell anyone I want to be a falcon, like Grandpa"

"And so you shall Trust me, child"

Maria sed hard, but then she nodded She closed her eyes

I could feel Ceridwen constrain the energy, like a da back a vast reservoir of water My body shook with her effort Then, slowly, particle by particle, she fed it back to the trenal froy into Maria in a strong yet gentle pulse One irl The next, a white falcon stretched her wings

What a beautiful, perfect shift

"Well," said Dad, landing beside his granddaughter "What have we here? Want to go for a soar, kiddo?"

Maria’s beak opened and enificent birds launched themselves skyward