Damien. Jacquelyn Frank

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      Siena turned her head when the sound of beating wings reached her ears. She watched from the corners of her eyes as the familiar falcon swooped into the chamber she used for prayer, transforming on the spot so that the Princess landed at a slight run of feet instead of talons. The Queen of the Lycanthropes rose from her meditative position on her knees, pausing briefly to shake the thin gown she wore into proper place.

      Syreena stood in her nude human form, regarding her sister, whose long golden curls of hair hid the features of her luxuriant body far better than the sheer scrap of cloth she was using for a dress. Nudity meant nothing to either of them, nor any of their genus for that matter. A Lycanthrope could not change form in restrictive clothing, so they wore little to none of it. What they did wear was easily discarded either just before or during the change.

      “How did it go?”

      Syreena had not told Siena that The Pride had beckoned her, but neither was she surprised that her sister had found out. She was Queen, after all.

      “Let’s just say I won’t be invited to tea anytime soon,” Syreena responded glibly, giving her sister a half grin that Siena could very much appreciate.

      The sisters were as opposite as they could possibly be, at least in outward appearance. Where Siena was tall and carved out like a voluptuous Amazon, Syreena was petite, slim, and often referred to as willowy. Where Siena was golden-haired, golden-skinned, and a seductive beauty, Syreena looked more like a cunning calico cat with her bi-colored hair and opposite-set harlequin eyes. Siena had grown up in the thick of court intrigues and the freedom to mesh with the other Nightwalker races. Syreena had grown up in the monastery, secluded and sealed up from the real world from the moment everyone realized how different she was.

      It was not that she had been shunned or outcast. Quite the opposite. She had been overtreasured. Lycanthropes loved a good mutation, especially a powerful one like hers. She had been sent to The Pride not only for training and education, but to protect her from those who would use her as a weapon to gain power. More specifically, to gain the throne her father had held until only fifteen years earlier that, upon his death, Siena had ascended to. Siena had demanded Syreena’s return that very same day, extracting her from her sheltered existence in order for her to take her place as heir and to use her learning skills as a diplomat and chief advisor for Siena.

      They had been veritable strangers the day the Princess had come home, in spite of the constant exchange of letters between them over their century apart. Though Syreena had initially felt like an outsider, Siena had seemed to merely flip a mental switch that made her an immediately loving and doting elder sister.

      Syreena had found it easy to love her, a fact that continued to baffle her to this day. Though the Monks had guided and cared for her, they were not known for their overflow of affection or emotion. She had not realized she could love until Siena had taken her so easily into her heart.

      “I hope they were not so foolish as to be too harsh with you,” Siena said thoughtfully, crouching slightly to extinguish the incense she had been burning for her prayer.

      “If you are referring to my rather bloated lip, I would not worry about it.” Syreena touched the swollen area and shrugged matter-of-factly. “It makes for a tender beak when turning into a strong breeze or thermal, but otherwise causes no harm.”

      “I do not like the idea of anyone striking you,” Siena responded, moving closer and inspecting her sister’s otherwise unbruised body for a brief moment. “You should be afforded the same respect that they would show for me.”

      “I reminded them of that.” Syreena chuckled, her harlequin eyes twinkling with triumphant mischief. “If The Three wore shorts under their robes, you can bet they would be in a mighty big twist at the moment.”

      The remark made Siena laugh out loud. Syreena was such a staid student, full of respect for her upbringing and all the lessons she had learned in the monastery, so this was a rare side of irreverence.

      “Well, I am afraid to ask you this favor, then.”

      It was not like Siena to hedge, and Syreena narrowed her dual-colored eyes on her sister. “Ask anyway,” she said.

      “I would like you to join the scholars who are going into the Library. Most of them will, of course, be Monks of The Pride. However, since you have one foot in the monastery and one foot in the court, it makes you my best selection in bridging the gap between those two disparate interests. You will have the respect for study and religious tradition that so pleases The Pride, and you will balance that with your perspective of my interest, which I know is never too far from your heart.”

      “That sounds easy enough,” Syreena said dryly, giving her eyes a dramatic roll.

      “Ease, I suspect, will have very little to do with anything that is even remotely connected to the Nightwalker Library,” the Queen noted, a curl furrowing through her brow. “There is one other reason I wish to send you.”

      “One I suspect has something to do with the fact that I can usually manage to end up on top in a fight,” Syreena said helpfully.

      “Every Monk of The Pride can fight, I realize, though they usually do so only to protect themselves and their own interests. I am not concerned with shielding them, for you all can do that for yourselves. I also take note of the fact that you personally are far more a pacifist than you are a warrior. I have learned that much about you these past fifteen years. Discounting, of course, your recent incident on my behalf.”

      “Of course,” Syreena agreed, giving her sister a wicked smile.

      “In spite of all these factors, I am forced to consider the fact that we were forced to destroy an encampment of necromancers, hunters, and the Demon traitors that was little more than one hundred feet above and away from the cavern the Library is located in. Then there is the additional fact that this is in our territory and we will be hosting other Night-walkers in this expedition for knowledge. I need someone who has had at least some exposure to other Nightwalkers, someone who will take their safety and well-being into consideration. I cannot post military there. Not if there will be Demons about. The peace between Demons and Lycanthropes is far too young after so many centuries of war, and we Nightwalkers tend to have very long memories. Though the Demons will be scholars, there is still too much potential for a volatile outburst of some sort.

      “Also, СКАЧАТЬ