Page 28 of Gold & Shadow

“I’m a walking weapon,” he argued, his tone softening.

“You’re very scary,” I agreed, trying to look solemn rather than amused. “But we need a small army to infiltrate Victor’s offices. My sisters are that army.”

“Fine,” he huffed, bending so I could climb onto his back.

It turned out that bears could run rather fast, and it took less than an hour to reach my cottage. The owl had decided to join us, hooting as he followed our progress and helping me remind Orson that he was more than a bear when he started to wander off course.

“What is with you and this owl?” I asked, scowling up at the creature. “How long exactly have you been friends?”

“He comes and goes,” Orson panted, continuing to run as we spoke. “But he always returns to these parts.”

It was twilight when we arrived, orange and purple shadows cast across the snow. Orson growled like a feral beast when he saw my sister.

“It’s just Izzy,” I said, relief flooding me to find the cottage and my sister both untouched by Victor’s wrath. I slid off Orson’s back and leaned down, wrapping him in my cloak as I took his muzzle in my hands. “Kjære,” I said, pressingmy forehead to his.

The growling stopped, Orson licking my cheek. “I’m back.” I patted his nose before turning to face my irate eldest sister.

“Put the rolling pin down, Izzy,” I called out, biting my lip in amusement as I guided Orson forward. “He’s a friend.”

“You’re friends with a bear?” came a second high-pitched voice I recognized as my second youngest sibling. Calli poked her head out the front door, her silver-white hair falling over her shoulder in an untidy braid. “What have you done now, Lis?”

“I see you have a reputation,” Orson rumbled, low enough that only I heard. I elbowed him in the shoulder, making him huff a laugh as he prowled forward, keeping some distance between himself and my sisters.

“You’d better all come out here,” I said, wishing we could enjoy the cozy warmth of the sitting room. With seven full-grown females, the house was really too small, but we couldn’t afford to move, and the location offered us the privacy we needed in our line of business. I had been perfectly warm on Orson, but now I missed his furry heat. “Clearly, I have a lot to explain, and Orson doesn’t want to get too close in case he loses himself.”

“Loses himself?” Izzy asked, looking murderous. A thundering from the house floor made her sigh. “Gods, here comes the cavalry.”

My four remaining sisters raced down the stairs, a mixture of curiosity and hesitation on their faces.

“Ella is at school,” I reminded him, gesturing to the five females who were studying him. “And Izzy you met.” Izzy raised a brow and patted her rolling pin. “And this is Lena, Mora, Sera, and Calli.”

“A pleasure,” Orson growled in a way that told me he would rather have run straight for the city and skipped this little rendezvous.

“Everyone, this is Orson Asbjørn,” I added. “He was the mark I was supposed to be stealing from.”

“You were hired to steal from a bear?” Sera asked.

“He’s a shifter,” I corrected, bristling at my sister’s lack of tact.

“I’m guessing the plan went awry?” Lena asked, her lips curving in a slight, knowing smile. Lena was unnervingly good at sensing the truth, and strangely intuitive when it came to us. She must sense my conflicted feelings for Orson.

“You could say that,” I hedged, biting my lower lip. “The item allowed Orson to control his shift. He needs it back.”

“No offense intended,” Calli started, her skeptical expression making me wince. “But weren’t you hired tostealthis item? Not retrieve it?”

“It’s complicated,” I replied, looking to Orson for assistance.

He rolled his eyes at my inability to confide in my own sisters. “I offered your sister triple what Victor Gold would pay to retrieve it.”

Sera whistled, and Izzy narrowed her eyes as she looked Orson up and down.

I turned to Orson, bending to speak in his ear, which was at my shoulder. “I can’t take your money now,” I whispered. “Not now that we’re…involved.”

“I said I’d take care of you,” Orson rumbled back. “And your sisters. This changes nothing.”

“So you’re friends?” Mora interjected, her expression one of innocent interest. “Ormore?“ Her eyes glazed over, and panic struck me.

“Don’t you dare, Mora,” I snapped, turning to my younger sister. “No memory reading!”