The water rushed over Kayla's body, the icy feeling bathing her even in her spirit form for a brief moment before she felt the warmth provided by the otter's undercoat, a layer of fur that trapped air to help keep the animal warm as well as help it float. The otter dunked once more below the surface of Manatee Creek, diving to the river bottom in its quest for food. It surprised her how thick the animal's fur was, but then she realized she shouldn't have been. After all, the animal lived in the water, barely ever coming on shore since Kayla's spirit merged with the sea otter's.
Since Kalinda showed her how to discover her spirit animals, Kayla spent a little time each day with a different one. When the tawny owl showed her the dark lines in the ground behind her house, she merged with it
