“You know, I have barely used my bird or any flying form, Miss Miakoda.” Casey snickered and ran her hand down her partner's back. “We discussed how animal forms ge, but nothing ih about flying.” Casey flittered her hand like something flying. “So, generous teacher…” Casey kissed Sylvie on the cheek, “…What do I do to make it easier?”

  Taking Casey by the hand and pointing into the boughs of the various pines and oaks, Sylvie paused for a moment, slightly fused. “You did it easy enough on the back of the motorcycle." Sylvie then saw the look emanating from Casey's sunlight eyes.

  -Taini, you are missing the point. She wants your devoted attention.-

  Sylvie grinned widely and expined what she did. "For me? First, I imagine being in the branches. Then I think of the bird I like most, which is a bluejay.” She looked at her progeny, “I ’t expin why, bluejays have always just spoken to me.” She touched her blue rows, “I guess that's why my hair is blue and gray.”

  “Adorable, by the way.” Casey tied up her coppery hair into a small bun. “Alright, picture myself iree and then pick a bird.” Closing her eyes Casey thought about all the times she stood outside her family home that had been built along a small ke and surrounded by huge trees. After a couple of minutes, Casey peeked open one of her shining golden eyes and looked at Sylvie. “I guess it would help to know birds.” She shrugged, “I am a marine biologist. I know the critters in the o.” Making a silly fish face for a couple of seds, she ended her antics with a blown kiss to her partner. “Wait. I have an idea.” Reag into her back pocket, the neire pulled out her phone and began tapping on the s. “Why do I keep fetting that I have the information at my fiips?”

  Laughing lightly, Sylvie stepped behind Casey and watched her flip through the various types of birds. “It might help if you pie native to this area.” She paused, “Or ohat is worldly. That way, you don’t stand out as an odd bird.” Sylvie kissed Casey’s neck, “It would look strao be a seagull in say the desert of Nevada or Arizona.”

  Thinking to herself, Casey rationalized that Sylvie did make sense. “Humm, let’s see.” She paused, “I take it this be ged as well? I don’t have to stay as a cardinal if I choose?”

  Shaking her head, Sylvie firmed what her lover asked. “No, but it is stupidly difficult sin theory you are supposed to fly more than anything. So, it’s like breaking a habit. I suppose you could also get withdrawal. I think it is why many vampires never ge, it’s just that hard.” She sighed and looked at the stars once more, “Before there were cars that could get us pce to pce quickly, when I was younger…” Sylvie briefly recalled the air and thick forests that her tribe used to live in, “…It was easier to fly everywhere as a bird or bat.” She pulled Casey tightly to her, “I used to fly all over the p a single evening. I let the wind spirits take me where they wanted me to go.”

  “Got it.” Casey turned around in Sylvie’s arms, “Remembering a better time?” She inquired as her eyes glinted happily with sunlight. “Sounded like an easier time.”

  Shaking her head, Sylvie closed her moon-shifting eyes. “No, it wasn’t better, really. It was just different.” She took a deep breath, “It was a more rexed time, I think. When I was living, the tribe worked diligently for the winter months, but it was ever the emergency that things now seem to be. We had lots of fun as well.” She huffed, “I guess if we removed the industrial things now, it could be the same.”

  Having no clue about business or eics, Casey nodded and shrugged. “I think I found a bird I like.”

  “I still think we discussed this before.” Sylvie quipped pyfully.

  Casey looked up from her phone and lightly bit Sylvie’s lower lip. “Let’s pretend that we didn’t. Even if we did, I don’t remember and I don’t recall flying anywhere. So let’s start from scratbsp; Deal?”

  Raising her eyebroointing to her lip, Sylvie let out a little cute whiil Casey relinquished and gave her back the ability to speak. “It’s a deal.” She winked. “Do that again bamm, that felt lovely.”

  Handing Sylvie the phone, Casey poio a bird. “Since I lean towards the more predatory type of things, I thought this would be great.” She poio a picture of a hawk. “It’s a red-shouldered hawk, and found all the way to the Mississippi, up through ada.” She paused, “How’s that for diverse?”

  “Red to match that copper-strawberry hair of yours?” Sylvie questioned.

  Nodding in agreement, Casey closed her eyes and tried to follow Sylvie’s suggestion. While able to see herself irees, it was the picture of the lovely bird stalking its prey that kept fshing in Casey’s mind. Seds after seeing the majestic bird diving towards its target, she felt a slight dip in her blood reserve.

  “You did it.” Sylvie cpped excitedly and held out her arm for Casey to nd on. “Massive cws my dear. Alright, let’s get on the move.” Sylvie watched as Casey spread her wings and with a push, nearly rocketed into the sky, cirg the area. “Waiting for me, huh? This should be fun to see. A hawk and bluejay.” She giggled and instantly turned into the small blue and white bird, and headed off to the army base.

  A few minutes passed as the two birds both made their way to the warehouse and pyed with each other in the air. Sylvie spotted the top of the building and dove for one of the metal boxes that housed the air ditioning unit or the heater. Landing without any sound, Sylvie poked her blue head around and looked for video cameras. Spotting a couple aimed at a service door, she determi was dark and safe enough where she’d nded.

  Shifting to her human form, Sylvie squatted low oal box and waved for Casey. She watched as Casey nded beside her and shifted as well. “I swear, rose-muffin..you were born to be a vampire.” Sylvie poio the four cameras that kept sing around the door. “It appears that the security has improved since I was st here.” She giggled, “I guess that is what happens when you break into a military base and they don’t know what happened.” She poio the intake vents, “We turn ghost form and the into the main bay as quickly as possible.”

  “Roger that, My blueberry-blossom.” Casey added and kissed Sylvie before quietly running to the vent and ging.

  Everything seemed to freeze in Sylvie’s vision. Casey stopped moving, the air went cold, noises of vehicles stopped. She knew what was ing.

  -Oh no…a snap vision…-

  She mao say before losing all sense of time.