Child of Fur & Feathers

By A.R. Summers

Alone and on the run from a secret organization that wants me dead, I know better than to hope for friendship. Survival is everything.

But something about the boy I meet makes me long for more than simply surviving. Before I can understand my own desires, he's captured by the same organization that killed my parents.

Somehow I'm in over my head trying to look after his younger siblings and somehow free him without getting caught myself. If I can survive this, will I ever get the chance at a stable life?

• Language: English
• Publisher: A.R. Summers
• Release date: Feb 25, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224883301

Book preview

Chapter 1

Aura

Ilook around the deserted warehouse carefully to make sure no one is watching. Seeing nothing more interesting in the dusty place than a couple rodents, I take a centering breath.

Concentrating on the picture of a cute and harmless kitten, I attempt to slip into that form. My form tries to waver into my natural state, making me struggle to take on the shape I want. It’s been too long. Or more accurately, I’m becoming too weak from hunger to maintain control of my body. The last time I took on my gryphon shape was about a week ago. But with barely any food to eat, my body wants to revert to the one form I must avoid as much as possible.

Once I’m sure my cat form will hold, I slink out of the warehouse in search of food. Maybe I’ll luck out and some human will want to feed me. More likely, I’ll just have to steal something. Either way, I’m less likely to be noticed as a common stray cat than I am as a human girl. But I’d especially stand out as a creature most people believe is a myth.

My nose leads me past the industrial district I’ve been inhabiting and into a residential one. I find a house with a window open and a pie set in it. Although my stomach protests, I ignore the pie—it’s more likely to be missed than anything I intend to take. The last thing I want to do is give the humans a reason to hunt for me.

Jumping through the window to search for other options is easy enough. I slip into the space between the refrigerator and a cabinet so I can evaluate the situation. The humans aren’t in the room right now, but I need to be sure they won’t be coming in when I make my move. Closing my eyes to focus on my hearing, I tune in to the sounds in the house. A news program seems to be playing on a tv nearby. The squeak of a single body shifting on what is likely a leather couch tells me someone is in that room. Hopefully, they will stay occupied for a while.

Upstairs, water is running and crashing onto tile—someone in the shower. I should be safe for now. Keeping my ears focused, I slip out of my hiding spot into a corner of the room that can’t be seen from the window and change back into my human form. My clothes and backpack transform with me with little effort.

Back when I was younger, I had a much harder time controlling my magic and I’d often lose things like that in the shift. Now, I can even bring food with me as easily as anything else.

Carefully, I rifle through the refrigerator first for anything that may work. Towards the back, I spy a bag of carrots that is close to turning. This gets stuffed into my bag quickly. Nothing else in here that is unlikely to be missed.

I turn my attention to the pantry. Once again searching for anything that may have been forgotten or has enough surplus to not be missed. Two cans of tuna, a couple snack bags of potato chips, and an almost empty bag of beef jerky join the carrots in my bag.

I sigh as I look at the rest of the food, wanting to grab more. But this house is more organized than most, so I’m already risking a lot by taking as much as I have. I seal up my backpack and shift back into my cat form.

I realize I haven’t been paying as much attention as I should have been when the sound of footsteps approaches the kitchen. I scramble for the window, but I’m not fast enough to completely escape unnoticed.

Shoo! a man’s voice yells at me as I jump down from the window. I hear him say, Honey, I told you not to leave this open until I can replace the screen, right before he slams the window shut.

I debate trying other houses, but I quickly reject the thought. My body is struggling not to shift. Instead, I make the trek back to the warehouse I’ve called home for the past year. If I don’t eat soon, I may just end up in someone’s lab—or worse, dead, like my parents.

Back at home, I made a turn around the warehouse to visually inspect what my senses of smell and hearing already told me. This place was deserted, as usual. I shifted back into my human form before eagerly digging into the food.

I polished off the carrots and the jerky before slowing down. This food needs to be rationed at least until I can find more. After that, I allowed myself