Page 33 of Beach Bats

Nix darted away. It would have been funny if he couldn’t still hear Aries freaking out. Nix held up a hand toward Gem to hold off further assault.

Vin was staring up at the tree. “Aries?”

“Yeah.” Nix winced. “I think he’s stuck.”

“Stuck?” Vin’s eyes flashed red.

Oh, that was a little scary. Nix had only seen Vin mad on ice and that was when he was protecting Aries.

“What do you mean he’s stuck?” Vin demanded.

“Well, see…” How did he put it? “I think Aries missed his landing spot. He kind of got tangled in the branches.”

“Well untangle him!” Vin demanded.

Nix looked up at the tree. “He’s really high up there.”

Vin growled.

“Nix,” Evan said. “Help your brother.”

“I’ll try.” Nix shrugged and shifted again. He flew up the tree, making sure to be more careful than the first time. He had not studied the tree enough. It sure was leafy and full of sharp branch ends. Maybe he should have planned this prank better. If Aries got hurt, Nix was never going to hear the end of it. Again!

It wasn’t hard to find Aries since his little brother hadn’t quieted. Had Aries got himself more tangled?

Nix couldn’t shift back into his human form up here. There was no way. So how exactly was he supposed to help? Closing the distance, Nix clung to the branch he stood on with his claws.

Aries stopped struggling before giving the saddest sound that Nix had ever heard him make.

Being careful not to get tangled too, Nix brushed their heads together. He’d have to figure something out. Nix needed thumbs to untangle his brother, not claws. Backing away, Nix flew out of the tree again.

Everyone was standing now as they stared up at the tree.

Landing, Nix shifted again. Wow. That made him dizzy. Luckily Evan wrapped an arm around Nix’s waist. “I can’t get him.”

“What do you mean?” Vin demanded.

“He’s like really stuck.” Nix pointed above his head.

“I can fly up there and try.” Gem stepped forward.

“You need thumbs to get him out of that mess,” Nix informed them.

Everyone turned to look at Vin.

Looking near panic, Vin growled. “What do we do?”

“How are you at climbing trees, vampire?” Nix asked.

Vin growled and his eyes flashed red again.

Nix pushed back into Evan. Surely his Daddy would protect him.

“You are in so much trouble,” Evan warned quietly into his ear.

Yeah, that was fair.

Vin