Chapter 226 - Change of face

Cam knocked lightly on the old, weathered door of Jos's cavernous home. She only had to wait a brief moment until she heard movement from inside and the door was opened. Her eyes scanned her friend quickly as the door was pulled open. "How are you feeling?" She asked when the silver-haired girl smiled up at her weakly.

Jos shrugged as she stepped out of the way so Cam could come in. Jos brushed back some of the fallen strands of her hair as she looked away in embarrassment. "I'm sorry you had to witness all that."

Cam frowned as she noticed the dark bruises across her friend's wrists. Her gaze quickly moved down to the girl's boney ankles that were barely visible from under the plain dress she wore. Cam quickly pulled Jos into a tight hug. "There's no need to be sorry! I can't imagine not having control over my shifted form!" She leaned back to meet the bright, slightly misty aqua eyes staring uncertainly up at her. "I'm only glad that I could be of some help... though it doesn't seem like it helped enough." Her attention moved back to the bruises on Jos's wrists. "Sorry you were hurt."

Jos let out a wobbly breath as she pulled Cam into another hug. "Thank you for coming back. I was worried you would have been too afraid..."

Cam laughed, "I'm a wolf! A few tentacles aren't going to scare me away!" She bumped Jos playfully with her elbow as she winked. "Besides, you're my best friend." After the girls shared in a giggle, Cam grew serious. "Which brings me to the reason for my visit." She grabbed Jos's hands in each of hers. "Jos, it's finally happened. Ales is an alpha! Not only can we be together but will be coronated as the crowned prince and princess on the next full moon! You have to come!" Cam all but bounced beside her as she squeezed Jos's hands.

Jos frowned, "I've told you; the wolves wouldn't want me around." Jos looked away in embarrassment and dread. "Cam you know what I am... you understand what that means... you said yourself you'd heard tales even as far north as Norway." Her sad eyes met Cam's. "I've killed many of their families over the years. They hold me personally responsible for any ship that doesn't return... to any ship that has been sunk when out to sea."

Cam furrowed her brows as she bent closer to Jos. "But you aren't responsible for every life lost at sea and you can't control it when it is the Kraken."

Jos shook her head. "The people of this island don't see it that way... they don't care which is me and which aren't, and they would never believe I don't have control over that form. To them, I'm simply a monster that is capable of hiding behind a pretty disguise." She shrugged. "Besides, people will always hate what they don't understand and can't control. It's a simple fact of life..."

Cam tilted her head. "A pretty disguise... You've mentioned before this is just a chosen form... What is your real form? Can you choose other forms?"

Jos nodded. "Yes... why?"

Cam stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Well, they identify you as this girl, right? Couldn't you change to another form when you need to get supplies or... to come to my coronation..." She sent Jos her widest, saddest puppy eyes she could manage.

Jos sucked in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "I could shift into a different form, but for the most part, I still look the same... I'll still have the same color hair and eyes... I'll basically only look like I've aged... unless I change genders, but honestly, I'd probably still look similar and smell the same."

Cam looked Jos over. "You could try it and at least see. We could go to town and test it out right now."

Jos blew out a breath in defeat. "I suppose if nothing else, this can at least prove my point to you..." Jos pulled the door back open and stepped out looking around.

"What are you doing?" Cam asked following her out.

"Looking for Raven. If there's any chance of it working, we'll need her help." Jos answered as she climbed the bank leading to the top of the falls. "Ah, there you are. Would you like to help me shift into a boy and prove to Cam the wolves will still recognize me... probably by scent?"

Raven opened one eye as she arched a brow at the two girls staring down at her. "Can't even enjoy a day off with the two of you..."

Jos rolled her eyes. "You're my guard... my only guard, for another 100-plus years. You don't get days off."

Raven shrugged as she pushed herself to a standing position. "Fair point..." She arched a brow as a mischievous smile curved her lips. "So, you want to look like a boy? What age are you going for?" She waggled her brows at Cam. "You already trying to make your man jelly?"

Jos rolled her eyes in irritation. "Do you have some clothes that could work or not?"

Raven's smile widened. "Sure do... if you think you can shift enough to fill them out." She winked.

Ten minutes later Jos was stepping out from behind a set of dressing screens. She lifted her arms out straight as she looked over her body and the outfit. "I tried to stick to a similar frame as yours... as a male though of course..." Jos mumbled as she stepped farther into the room.

Raven nodded as she studied her. "Not bad... I mean we'll have to tie your hair up into a more manly style but other than that..." She narrowed her eyes at Jos's boyish face. "Do you think you could pop out some facial hair or something?"

Jos arched a brow in irritation. "It doesn't really work like that. I'd have to have time for it to grow out. I can't magically cause hair to grow or shorten. She turned her attention to Cam. "What do you think? Do I still smell the same?"

Cam forced her eyes up to Jos's and her mouth closed. "My gods Jos, you ARE a man... Can I touch?"

Jos took a step back with her hands out. "Wait! What are you wanting to touch?! I did this to prove a point about the people in town not to be groped!" She dodged a curious hand as it reached out to squeeze a biceps.

"Ah come on killjoy, just the normal places... nothing weird." Cam argued as she reached out for a fill of a solid peck.

Jos brushed her hand away as she moved again. "It's already gotten weird, stop!" Jos jerked and jumped to the side as she backed into a waiting hand and it squeezed her backside. "Damnit you two! You don't even like men!" Jos growled as she narrowed her eyes on Raven.

Raven shrugged, "Yeah but you're also not a man... so..."

Jos swatted at the fairy's arm hard before crossing her own. "Stop messing around or I'm shifting back... both of you."

Cam giggled as she shot a mischievous glance toward Raven. "Can her body and mind shift into separate things? Cause I think her brain shifted into a grumpy old man!"

Jos narrowed her eyes, "If the two of you are finished..." She lifted a thick arm and pointed toward the door.

Cam nodded as she skipped to Jos and laced her arm with hers. "Lead the way, my handsome friend!"

Raven smacked her ass as she hurried by Jos. "Yes, lead the way, my tight cheeked friend."

Jos let out a heavy sigh. "You two aren't going to make this easy, are you?"

Cam giggled, "Doubtfully!" She took a few seconds to study Jos's new form. Jos had been right, most of her features were very similar. She still had the same large aqua eyes and pale silver and turquoise hair, but her jawline was now wider and held no trace of the fragile feminine one Cam had become so accustomed to seeing. She brought her finger up to poke the protruding Adam's apple. When Jos smacked her hand away again, Cam tilted her head. "What should we call you while you're in this form?"

Jos crinkled her brows in thought. "I'm not sure... I hadn't really thought about it... Jo maybe? Josh... I don't know..."

Cam thought it over. "I kind of like Josh, what about you?"

Jos shrugged her wide shoulders, "It's close enough, it should be easy to remember, and I shouldn't have to think too hard about responding to it..." Her eyes moved ahead to Raven. "Do you have any magic that could mask my sent?"

Raven shrugged. "Not offhand, but if you decided to use this at the coronation, I could probably come up with something by then."

"Ow! I could see if Ales has any clothes you could borrow. That would give you more of a familiar smell to the people coming and you would blend in with the crowds more!" Cam threw in excitedly.

Raven narrowed her eyes. "And what's wrong with my clothes?"

Cam looked Jos's new frame over studiously as she stroked her chin. "Well, it's not that it's not nice clothes... but it seems more like something one would wear to the hunt which follows the coronation rather than the coronation itself." Her eyes brightened once again. "I have an idea!" She grabbed Jos's hand and began running toward the palace. "We'll go through the back as not to attract attention!"

Jos's eyes widened as she realized Cam's plan. "Cam, no! I can't go in there!"

Cam glanced back as she continued running. "Why not? It will be the perfect way to test whether this works or not!"

Jos blew out a strained breath of air, "Because they will lock me in a cell and throw away the keys IF I'm lucky, turn me into the council or kill me themselves if I'm not!"

"Nonsense!" Cam argued as she tugged the taller more solid frame behind her. "Besides, I want you to meet Ales! The day of our coronation shouldn't be the first time the two of you meet. After all, you're my best friend and he will be my husband someday!"

Raven looked around the castle grounds as they began to enter, her nerves beginning to stand on end. "Cam, for once I'd have to agree with Jos... We're being watched."

Cam looked around then waved to the hidden guards. "It's alright they are with me; they are my friends!" She called loudly.

Raven rolled her eyes as she drew closer to Cam as the girl led them through a back door into the palace. "Jeez, you're determined to get us killed!"

"This way, it leads to our private study. Ales should be there now." Cam didn't take no for an answer as she trudged on ahead. Pushing open a door and looking around inside before entering, she didn't release her grip on Jos as she dragged her along. "Ales you're here! There's someone very dear to me I'd like to introduce you to!"

Jos ran a hand over the back of her neck as she looked away awkwardly. "Maybe you shouldn't introduce me as someone dear to you while you hold my hand... to your future husband?!" Jos whispered harshly.

Ales's eyes shot up from his books and quickly studied the three individuals standing before him. His eyes widened as they locked on the connected hands of a tall, silver-haired young man looking to be around his own age or older. The brilliant blue of his eyes tented red as he neared. "Who is this?"

Cam smiled brightly up at Jos, "This is my best friend I have told you about. This is Jos!" She moved her gaze to Ales, but her smile instantly faded. "Ales?"

Raven quickly grabbed Jos's other free hand and pulled her toward her. "I told you this was a shitty idea! Both of you!" Raven pulled Jos behind her and prepared herself for a fight.

Cam rushed forward and placed her palms against Ales's chest as she studied his angry expression and fiery eyes. "Ales? Will you not hear me out first?"

He forced his heated gaze away from the strange man in the room down to Cam's sweet pleading face and instantly calmed. He nodded, not taking his eyes off Cam's. "I apologize, I've overstepped and am being rude to your guests. Please, introduce your... friends..." The words dragged out with a sharp bite.

Cam only removed one hand from his chest as she leaned into his body more. Resting her head comfortingly against his chest she pointed past Raven. "That IS my friend Joslyn." She giggled as she glanced up at his now confused features. "And that is her guardian, Raven. Raven is fae and Jos... well she's a bit special..."

Ales stepped away from Cam, his curiosity peaked. "She looks amazingly like a male... how did you do it? Is it a costume trick?"

Cam followed behind him as she watched him study Jos. "Well yes kind of. She borrowed clothes from Raven, but I suggested borrowing clothes from you instead so she can come to the coronation without anyone there recognizing her." Cam frowned as she laced her hands behind her back and kicked at the carpet with the toe of her shoe. "The town's people don't like her much..."

Ales looked away from Jos back to Cam. "It's a magnificent costume to be sure, but you probably should have given her wolf ears so that she could blend more instead-" his words cut off and his attention shot back to Jos. "Did you just extend the length of your ears?!" He asked in amazed disbelief, studying the wolf ears.

Jos shrugged toward Ales as heat built in her cheeks. She shot Cam a questioning look. "You... you haven't told him about me all that much... have you?" She asked her own husky voice surprising her.

"I only told him what I felt was important..." Cam went on.

Ales arched a brow. "You let on as if she were a child..." He pointed toward the tall man. "A small child male or female would make more since hanging out with you than THIS!" He bit out as he began to turn away from Cam and back to Jos. This time he stumbled backward as he gasped. "What in the name of the gods?!"

Cam pointed toward Jos who now resembled a ten-year-old boy. "Well, you did just say it would be better!"

His eyes widened as he stared in shock at Jos. "What in the world is she?!... He... It?!"

Cam stomped over to Jos and wrapped her arms around her. "SHE is my best friend... I thought you'd be more understanding..."

"Camila, I am trying my best! But you storm in here and what?! What me to help you trick all the people of our kingdom?" He straightened his clothes. "IF 'she' is in fact your friend, then let her introduce herself to me in her true form."

Cam nodded to Jos, but Jos shook her head rapidly beside her. "NO! I agree with Raven, this was a bad idea..." Jos clung tightly to Cam. "Can we just go now?"

Cam furrowed her brows, "I promise, he isn't like other people. Let him meet the real you and I'm positive he will grow to like you! Just as I'm sure the rest of the town would if you'd ever give them a chance to get to know you."

Jos frowned as she began shifting into her usual form of a twelve-year-old girl. The clothes she wore now swallowed her tiny body. She crossed her arms nervously in front of her flat chest as she moved her eyes up to meet Ales's.

His eyes widened as he whispered two simple words. "The Kraken..."

Cam smiled. "So, you already know of her then?"

His shocked eyes moved from Jos to Cam. "You befriended that monster?" He pointed to Jos, but instantly regretted his words... the words he'd heard whispered around town for years now... Tears were streaming down the young girl's cheeks as she turned her embarrassed face away from him and pushed away from Cam trying to prevent her from seeing. "I... I'm sorry..."

Jos walked toward the door as Raven followed, sending Ales an irritated glare. Raven's gaze softened as she met Cam's. "Told you it wouldn't work... can't teach old dogs new tricks... Nothing Jos will ever do will change the way the people of this island see her."