Undertow by K.R. Conway (1st book in trilogy)

Chapter 16

"She can be so . . . prickly, at times,"I said, now standing in front of the monstrous floor-to-ceiling bookcases stuffed with leather-bound books.

"I know, but it's not really her," replied MJ, trying to defend Ana. "Last year she even looked different – long hair, a touch of lip-gloss. She is very different now."

In some ways I knew this was the truth. That somewhere under all the anger, and probably pain, was a different, though no less bold, Ana.

While I was certain that the loss of her father was a tremendous blow to her, I didn't think it was the trigger for her current personality disorder. Her dysphoria, I was fairly certain, had something to do with Kian. I was dying to find out what went on between them because Ana KNEW him, but I managed to control my urge to blurt out a million demanding questions.

 I looked over at MJ who was systematically pulling out books and flipping through them, looking for the diary.  He glanced at me, as he placed yet another book in the reject pile. "How many books do you think are in here?" he asked.

"Honestly, I don't want to know," I laughed.  I started pulling books from the other end of the wall, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the lowest shelf. Book after book was typewritten and nothing like a diary.

Novels, battles, history books, geography.  A few were even art books. It took us nearly an hour to get through just the first shelf during which I got a most fascinating, though abridged, history of MJ's Chinese ancestors. I still was having a hard time even believing he could change.

"Thus far, I have only learned how to shift into the Black Shuck that you've come to know," said MJ. "I chose that because I was a big fan of Sherlock Holmes novels and the Hound of the Baskervilles. I guess I thought it was appropriate for taking on the Mortis, as a shuck is supposed to be a supernatural creature. Plus, people wouldn't be shocked to see a dog named 'Marsh' walking around town.  It's short for my full name, Marshall James. If I chose something with more, uh, flair I guess, I would have stood out like a whale on the beach."

"So you're saying you could turn into other animals? Potentially?" I asked, my attention rapt. MJ's ability was too damn cool.

"Potentially is a loaded word there. Turning into a variety of animals, rather than just maintaining one, takes an enormous amount of focus and training. I just don't have what it takes," replied MJ, humbly. 

"My Chinese ancestors on my mom's side were known for being able to shift seamlessly between multiple creatures at once. Almost like a domino effect of changes, one right on top of another. To be able to do that, without pausing to come back to your baseline human form, just blows my mind. I have a tough enough time trying to stay focused long enough to pull off one change into just a dog. Those Therians were legends. They were freakin' gods," he said, awed. "But me? I'm just an oversized dog with a fast reaction time when it comes to the soulless."

He grabbed yet another book from the shelf, flipped through it quickly and tossed it aside. The pile behind us was growing exponentially and yet, no diary.  Thank you Elizabeth for making this so darn easy.

I set another book aside and looked at MJ. "Okay, first of all, YOU have an incredible, mind-twisting skill. And I fully believe there is a shape-shifting god in you somewhere," I said, confident in my assessment.

I tossed aside another book on some small, stick-legged bird called a Piping Plover. I could have sworn I saw a bumper sticker about those birds tasting like chicken. Cape people are so strange.

"I really appreciate your confidence in me, but it's unwarranted. I'm not a superhero."

"Well, last time I checked, I was the figurehead of this train wreck and if I say you are a superhero, you are. Heck you're, um. . ." I stopped to think of an appropriate comparison. "You're Underdog!"