Youngest daughter of seven, Edya helps her older sister Naya calm her nerves before her Other ritual. The shifting ritual all fledgling witches undergo to come into their magic. If only Edya can convince Naya not to choose a tiger.

The family frowns on such bold choices, not to mention the Witches' Council which works to protect witches in society. Keep the magic secret. Keep the magic safe.

But Naya aches to be a tiger, no matter what Edya suggests.

Like a calming meditation in the backyard. Breath in, breath out, relax and let go.

Until the magic exerts its own will and Edya discovers a big surprise in the contemporary fantasy novella Sudden Shift.

Part of Were-Creatures & Conundrums, an Uncollected Anthology.