Chapter 82

“Zeke, would you like to do a glamour for us?” Lee asked.

“Sure. Who do you want me to be?”

Paul chuckled, “Do Vic.”

Zeke changed before their eyes so quickly that even Lee was surprised. Zeke was now some 20cm shorter. His build was rangy, and his skin darker. He looked about fifty, with prominent laugh lines around his eyes, big ears and broad lips.

He gave them a crooked grin and then said more seriously in a different voice as he waved a finger at Paul, “Now, young Paul. You will put them tools away in their proper place, or I’ll tan your backside.”

Paul laughed loudly, “Damn it, Zeke. How many times have you tricked me with that glamour?”

Zeke flashed back to normal. “I ain’t telling.”

“Amazing,” Harry said. “Zeke, you even smelt different.”

“Well, if you’re going to impersonate someone, you have to be convincing. Learn their mannerisms, speech patterns, what they like to wear, favourite deodorant, foods, how they move, and their body language. Vic is easy for me as I’ve known him most of my life.”

Zeke flashed and became Kyle. He sauntered over to Lee and wrapped an arm around her waist loosely.

Using Kyle’s American accent, Zeke said, “Hey, Cuzz, let’s blow this popsicle stand. I’m bored.”

Lee pushed him away as she laughed. “Zeke, you are a dangerous man. That was so, Kyle, it was scary.”

Zeke changed back. “Like I said. You have to be observant. So, teacher, what else have you got for us. I’m having fun.”

Lee decided to move on to using illusions to hide things in plain sight.

Zeke was at the refreshment table at the first break when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He held still for a moment before slowly turning to face the man who sired him. He studied his face, picking out the parts that reflected back at him in a mirror. His skin wasn’t as olive as his father’s, and he was also a good 15cm taller.

He knew he looked more like his mother’s father and had his eyes and build. But his father’s genes had left their mark on him. He had his mouth and ears. His hair curled the same, even though it was a dark copper. He even smiled the same.

“I’ve been waiting to meet you, Zeke. I know it’s a bit late, and I could give you lots of excuses, but they won’t cut it. I just hope you will give me the chance to get to know you.”

“Kyle and I had a rocky time to start with. I was injured and lost contact with his mother. Your mother was a different story. I was never told she was pregnant. Just that she left Luna after they told her I was dead. It took me a few years to trace her to Mars.”

“By then, we were both married to other people. The investigator said she was happy and had three kids. He didn’t tell me that Frank wasn’t your father and the birth date he supplied for you, was wrong by a year.”

“It was quite a shock when Lee told me of your existence. I thought it bad enough that I left Kyle without a dad, and then I found I had another son. I wasn’t happy when I learned how Frank treated you. I can only apologise for not checking the facts I was given.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered, Antonio. You’d have only made it worse if you had turned up. As Lee says, things happen for a reason. Mayhaps, I needed a bad father to make sure I learnt how to be a good person.”

“Plus, I had my brothers and mother to protect. I was also where I needed to be to find my items. Kyle seems to have turned out alright. He probably had to be where he was, just as you did. Would you have your current job, magical items, or wife if you had stayed with his mother or mine?”

Antonio looked into Zeke’s face and nodded in satisfaction, “You are a deep one, Zeke. I like you already. Would you like to meet your little sister?”

Zeke smiled broadly, “Yes.”

Kylee took one look at Zeke and was in his arms. She did let him eat as long as he fed her, too. She wasn’t happy to give him up when he had to go back to do the exercises.

Lindsay gave Zeke a big grin, “Daddy material if I’ve ever met one.”

“Huh! Keep that up, and I’ll get Kyle to kiss you. Tean will be able to tease you mercilessly about having a bulging belly.”

“Oh, Carly will change too. You can double-team me.”

Zeke chuckled, “Yep, then you will have fraternal twins. Knowing my luck, you will have my twins and Carly’s baby. I can just see us with triplets.”

“Awesome,” Carly said as she latched onto Zeke’s arm. “As long as he is having them. I think I need a couple more years before I have kids. Although, I’m sure I’ve grown a centimetre in the last three days.”

“Your boobs have,” Lindsay commented.

“And your hips. But you do need to eat more. You are still thinner than your bone structure suggests is good for you. If you’re growing, we will need to up your calcium and protein intake,” Zeke informed her.

“I’m happy to give you protein,” Lindsay leered at her.

Carly smirked, “I’m sure you would. I should have turned around this morning. We wasted that donation.”

“By the time we finish today, we will both want to donate,” Zeke told her.

“You’re on. With luck, Sean will get Lee to go home. Do you think your mother would mind swapping rooms, so we get your cabin back? I like our bed.”

“We will see,” Zeke said and gently hugged her.

They separated to join their teams.

It wasn’t until Zeke was nearly finished in the Physics area that he knew something was different.

Naomi was the teacher in this area. Zeke had been having fun as he had never used most of the spells Naomi was teaching them, since he had never lived near a large body of water. He waited until the bell that signalled a break before approaching Naomi.

“Naomi, how many different animals can a shifter change into?”

“Well, that depends on several things. But for most, they have two that seem the easiest, often a predator and a grazing animal. Depending on the parents, you would think four, but it is common for the parents to share a similar animal. So, three is more likely.”