The Shifters: Katrina

"So what is this place?"

Quintin, Cory, Shae and I were all lounging around the room at this point. Quintin was nearly asleep again, occasionally chipping in to the conversation, and the other two were telling me about festivals in the compound. They were now grinning at me.

"This is the water common room. The school has one for each element, though you're not allowed to go into another element's room without specific permission from a master. Otherwise, you get attacked," Shae explained with an enthusiastic tone. "These common rooms are like territory, so our animal forms get defensive over them."

Quitin chose this moment to chip in. "Just don't go in a locked room that has a red door, green door or white door. You should be fine otherwise."

While I nodded obediently, another part of me entertained the idea of sneaking into the fire room.

Our discussion was interrupted by the sound of Willa cheering. The four of us looked over to where she was, walking around the bookshelves to join us. She approached me, holding up two blue bands.

"Found them. The bands for apprentices. If you lash out suddenly with your water, I'll feel it," Willa explained, waiting for something. I was too busy wondering if I could use fire without her knowing to realized she was waiting for me to give her my wrists until Quintin grabbed my hands.

"Dude, earth to Katrina," he muttered, offering my wrists to the master. I grimaced as she fastened the blue bands to fit me perfectly, a brief tingling appearing in my forearms.

I pouted as they continued talking, the master laughing with the others. I stared at my hands, the bands already causing me distress as I wished I could rip them off.

I should make learning fire a priority, if I really do have both, I decided, because then I may have a backup.

Even as I planned ways around the barrier, one thought remained.

Power trackers. A personal mentor.

Is this just Coraline's way of putting extra eyes on me?

Eventually I found myself on my own again, standing outside the school. I'd been given the dorm room numbers of all the water shifters I'd met, and found out that the masters of each element lived in the same building that Coraline's office was in. After filling me in on where I could find all the shifters, they noticeably began disappearing to go do their own thing, leaving me sitting on the front steps. My thoughts were swirling, my fingers fiddling with the band around my wrist.

I'm a shape shifter, and a powerful one. I can use water to my benefit, and maybe even fire.

I belong somewhere.

I put my head in my hands, unable to get the picture of my family's faces out of my mind. That, and Wally's long, serrated knife haunted my thoughts in the back of my head, reminding me that I had just gotten here. There was more to this life than I knew, and I felt myself getting mental whiplash from the huge changes.

One day I could be running around as an animal. I could walk on water if I wanted to.

A small smile appeared on my face. Daydreams of amazing pranks replaced the darkness of my thoughts, my troublemaker side saving my serious side from any further sadness. I pushed myself up, forgetting about anything else as I scanned the area.

I may be the same species as these people, but I was still my own free spirit. As a human, I began running down the road, my focus melting away from any particular topic. The sound of my light footsteps as I ran filled my head, my breath barely even catching as I sped up. Now that I knew what I was, I was less surprised as I raced through the town without a care or needing to stop. I had already gotten faster and stronger, able to keep up the speed longer than I had with Nathan. People watched as I darted by, staring at the blue bands on my wrists. I ran until I was lost, still sure that I was somehow in the compound.

I panted, a laugh bubbling up. Worries melted away -- I had to trust that the letter Kami had delivered magically would be enough for my adoptive family. Hunters like Wally would one day be only a pest to me, since I planned to train myself, my form and my elements until I mastered them. One day I would go back to the Roberts as a strong shifter who could live with them without being a burden, but for now, this was the best place for me.

As long as I kept up my lies. Few things would convince me to trust these people completely -- I barely even trusted them with my life.

But... there's a part of me that can't deny that I feel at home with them.

My laughter died away as the alien thought drifted through my head. Everyone I'd met so far, they all seemed to click with me in one way or another. Kami, Koren, Molly and the others -- they were already friends in my mind, whether I wanted to feel that way or not. Kami was even like an older sister to me in some ways, because she wanted to help me and keep me from ruining what I had here. Koren was friendly and admittedly attractive, but he was definitely the one I trusted the most so far. Then there was Coraline, who I didn't trust to see my side of things, but who I trusted to protect me if I needed her to. Even Beth and Heather had become staples in my memories, two goofy girls who had given me a bit of fun.

I sighed, leaning back against the nearest tree. Anticipation was coursing through my veins -- I'd most likely be starting shifter school anytime now. After all, that was definitely the first step for me. Training. Learn about what I am, what this place is, learn control and how to use my element.

Find a form.

A smile made its way onto my face as I daydreamed about the animals I could be. As far as I knew, we could take the form of any real-life animal. Tigers, birds, whales -- they all drifted through my thoughts, keeping them occupied and off the controversal topic of my adoptive family.

I probably would've fallen asleep against that tree if my stomach hadn't grumbled, a wave of hunger striking me suddenly.

Time to go hunt someone down and make them give me food.