SIAN WATCHED WITH PRIDE AS Cat and Alek walked out of the doorway. The shocked gasp from the audience of castle people was drowned out when the horn blowers began. Sian stared at the strangers under centaur guard.So many people, she thought, I don't seem to recognize anyone! Turning her attention back to Cat and Alek, she almost jumped when Loi pinched the back of her hand.'Ready?' Loi hissed.'Oh yes!'One, two, three, thought Kassie.The three of them shifted to their Elemental forms, striding across the courtyard with the men of the Griffon Guard behind them, the Lieutenants of the Cavalry, and the General Guard behind them. They stopped before the platform that the Royal couple walked toward; a hasty creation of several stone benches and a heavy slab of wood over the top. Elena already stood on it and Sian thought she could feel a hint of the Sorceress' energy stabilizing the wood.The expressions of those in the audience were hilarious. She spotted Citaan and Ada beaming a
THOUGH THE ROOM SHOULD FEEL familiar it felt more like a distant dream, the one you caught snippets of throughout the day that left you wondering about it. I knew these rooms. I knew this space. But it wasn't home yet. Walking past the double doors to the enormous wardrobe, I entered the bathroom with a sigh of relief at the sight of the beautiful mosaic door that led to the shower. This was something I remembered well.Movement made me jerk around, and then laugh at my sheepish expression in the mirror. After expecting to be attacked so often in the last couple of months, I could imagine I'd be jumpy for a while. Watching myself, I reached back to straighten the chain mail at the back of my neck then getting the angle right, drew open the seam. With a jiggle I dropped the top to the ground, glimpsing my bandaged breasts. The bras Ada had created were great, but hadn't held up to the extreme treatment of war. I couldn't wait to burn the horrid bandage, but it had lasted surprisingly w
THE SCENT OF THE FRESH clean sheets had Sian pressing them to her face, inhaling deep. Snoring quietly beside her, Daron lay in the same position, having not budged all night. Or rather, all early hours, she thought to herself; it would have been one or two when we got to bed. Spreading her limbs out Sian stretched hard gritting her teeth against the pangs from her protesting muscles then relaxed them all. The pleasurable sensation drew her back into sleep before she could consider anything.RIRAE'S SOFT CRY WOKE CITAAN. Before she could lift her head from his chest Gredel smoothed a hand across her forehead.'I'll get her.'Rolling off him onto her front Citaan watched as he climbed off the large bed to stand beside the cot where Rirae lay kicking her legs, her whimpers of hunger gathering strength.Watching his face soften to adoration as he bent to scoop his daughter up made a lump rise in her throat, tears silently tracking down her cheeks. He turned with Rirae cuddled agains
LYING DAZED ON THE HARD-WET cobblestones, Elena stared in horror as Duke Ryher raised the flanged metal mace high. Throat paralyzed in fear her vision swirled, blackness sucking her down as the mace fell.'Ellie, Ellie!'An urgent but familiar voice broke into Elena's mind, shaking her from the nightmare. There, sitting on the edge of her bed, Verani smiled down at her.'Looks like I arrived a little too late!'Elena pressed the back of a hand to her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut to stop any possible tears.Opening her eyes, she found her sister regarding her warmly. Verani extended her arms and shuffled forward to hug her tight though Elena wouldn't allow herself to do the same.'Oh, Ellie. It's done. You did it. With both intact!'Nodding, lips twisted tight to hold back cries, Elena tucked her head in the crook of her sister's neck, and then, only then, did a tear escape.'Thank you so much for coming, Rani.'WALKING THROUGH THE COURTYARD I realized then just how much da
'RASHID!' LISPED A YOUNG VOICE that brought an instant smile to the Lieutenant's face. 'Wait, wait for me!'On his way outside, Rashid paused as young Dekan ran panting after him, fair face flushed pink. Walking briskly after him came the chambermaid, Lucia, a mother of three other tykes, whom Rashid had asked to watch the little orphan. Catching the wee boy by the back of his shirt, she bobbed her head to Rashid about to drag the protesting child off.'Wait,' Rashid said with a smile. 'Is he fitting in well?''Oh yes, sir,' the woman released her hold. Dekan darted to his side, clinging to the back of his pants by the knees, hanging on tight. 'He's got along well with my three, though he hasn't slept much. I'm expecting to find him asleep in the corner sometime soon.''Nooo!' Dekan shouted. 'I'm not sleepy!'Both adults chuckled and Lucia made a motion to the boy. 'Come on Dekan, let's leave the Lieutenant to his business.'Dekan clung tighter to Rashid's pants. With a smile R
LESEACH SMILED DOWN AT THE child who chattered away to the ardwyr. It seemed interested in the child, in an almost protective manner bringing rise to memories of the night she'd sooner forget. 'Sseach?' The young high voice made her glance down in surprise, not realizing she'd been looking off into the forest. 'Yes?''Do you see something?' The child spoke in a loud excited whisper, peering the way she'd been staring.About to answer no, Leseach spied something in the brush.Pulling the pliable leather sling from her belt, she squatted, snatching a large pebble from the ground. Setting the pebble into the back of the sling she gave it a sharp twirl then released. There was a faint whistle as it flew then a thud. The serealil dropped from the tree it had been feeding in, hitting the soft forest floor and bouncing once. Uttering urgent growls, the ardwyr charged over to the small six-legged mammal and seizing it in its large jaws, hurried back to Leseach's side. Ears relaxed now,
WRAPPED SNUGLY IN A KNITTED blanket, Rirae cooed from where she sat safe in a sling that crisscrossed her father's broad chest. They'd strapped her facing outwards so she could kick her legs and Citaan giggled as the baby had a sudden active spell, tucking her knees up with her feet close to her backside then thrusting them down, repeating the whole motion several times in a row fast.'I think she's enjoying that,' Citaan said to Gredel, smiling at her little girl. 'Are you having fun?'Rirae squealed, the high pitch making both her parents flinch and did the move again, this time adding fist pumps.'Don't encourage her,' Gredel said with laughter in his voice. 'It isn't comfortable!'Tipping a hand to her mouth Citaan giggled at the pained but adoring expression her husband wore while he caught his daughter's tiny hands as they walked along the corridor toward the Griffons Quarters.They'd sought permission from Elena to get back to their manor for a few days. Instead, they'd bee
'NO, MORE FORMAL.''Oh, come on, this is formal!' I scowled at Alek as he peered into my dressing area to see what Maeri and my dresser Serryn argued with me over. I'd picked out a calf length navy dress that gathered comfortably at the waist but looked sleek. The perfect solution to being able to sit and listen to councillors in comfort instead of fantasizing about yanking the stabilizing bones out of the dress and stabbing the droning idiots with them. After weeks of travel and fighting, I didn't think they would have me in full day meetings only five days back.I was wrong. Very wrong. 'What are we discussing today?' I snapped the words, trying to shake off the urge to voice my real thoughts.The last thing I wanted to do today was sit for hours.Before Alek could respond bangs and shouts rang out from further down the hall. The redesign of the Griffon Guard Quarters and the Elemental Quarters was in full swing.Kassie and Rumal had vanished to Delanta to avoid the rebuild wh