Page 18 of Obsidian Prince

She shrugged, lips tight, not denying it.

Marilyn Bradley bid them good night, even though it was early evening. She went straight upstairs as soon as they entered the house. Liliana glanced after her with her fourth eyes. Marilyn was packing. She intended to get herself and her son out of North Carolina before the Challenge. She did not believe that Liliana could win.

The spider seer approved. Regardless of whether she won or lost the fight in two nights, Marilyn Bradley and her son would be safe. The spider seer had already saved two lives and she hadn't even fought the battle yet. Liliana's decision to fight for a worthy pride-king was a good one. If she died, then it was an excellent death. If her father were here, he would be bursting with pride.

Of course, if her father were here, she would not have to fight in the dome against a big lion. He would do it instead. Liliana missed him desperately, but she could not wallow in old grief now.

She walked into the cavernous central great room of the Magoro home and marveled. As beautiful as the house had been from the outside, the exposed beams, the high roof with light pouring in from giant windows edged in beveled glass on either end of the massive central room–made her stop for a moment and stare.

For once, she didn’t have to search for something nice to say. “Your house is beautiful.”

Daniel Magoro spread his arms wide in the middle of the great room, smiling. As large as he was, he fit comfortably into the big open space with plenty of room to spare. “This was one of the first things I built once my business took off. I always hoped we’d have a big family to fill it up.” He shrugged. “Best laid plans. It’s been good to have Marilyn and her boy making it feel more lived in.”

“You are in the business of building things?” Liliana asked.

“I own Magoro construction. I’m up to more than sixty employees these days.”

Liliana opened her fourth eyes. She looked into the past.

Daniel Magoro began a business with one big pickup full of tools. He’d paid for the downpayment from his savings doing yard work as a teen. At first, he did smaller construction jobs, but they rapidly grew. Many lion-kin worked for him now, as well as the jackal-kin and hyena-kin who seemed to always live on the fringe of any pride. Beast-kin of a dozen other species, including some of mixed heritage like her. There were some in the beast-kin world who looked down on those who made children with mates outside their own race. Daniel Magoro was clearly not one of them.

The spider seer sat on a giant leather couch that left her feet dangling like a girl’s while she watched Daniel Magoro of the past with her fourth eyes. The huge lion directed his employees with authority and fairness as his business flourished.

His company built this whole suburban sub-division. He claimed a big piece of un-developed property at the back as his own. Not just the house and yard were his, but the entire cul de sac.

She saw him hold his wife’s hand through the difficult birth that nearly took her life. Doctor Nudd managed to save both mother and child but advised them against having more. Liliana watched Daniel playing in the newly landscaped backyard with his young daughter. As she grew, Daniel taught Kazi fighting skills, just as Liliana’s father taught her.

Liliana smiled, feeling a strange mix of joy and melancholy. Daniel Magoro reminded her of her own father so strongly. They looked nothing alike, but under the skin, Daniel Magoro and Simon of Nemea could be brothers. Since her brothers Petros and Jason’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren might still live in North Carolina, it was even possible there was a blood relationship between them.

They were similar kinds of men. Good men. Strong men to whom strength meant the ability to help and protect others, not the ability to force others to do their bidding. While Arel and Kazi went to the kitchen to fetch tea for her–she had no idea why that took two people–Liliana told Daniel why she was there. “All three lionesses who came to me for help believe that you would be a better pride-king by far than Tray Bradley.”

Daniel, sitting in a huge reclining armchair that fit his mass well, huffed another deep chuckle. “Tuffy would be a better pride-king than Tray Bradley.”

Liliana looked at the tiny, fierce ball of dark fluff in Daniel Magoro’s lap. “Tuffy?”

He winced, and pet the fluffball, who immediately jumped down. “Kazi was still a child when she named him.”

The dog sniffed Liliana’s ballet slipper. She pulled her dangling feet up, folding them under her. Dogs were somewhat unpredictable about how they reacted to spider-kin.

The dog jumped onto the sofa, sniffed her skirt while she held very still, then laid down next to her, seeming to decide she wasn’t dangerous.

Liliana was not quite as certain about the little dog.

“He doesn’t bite,” Daniel Magoro commented. “He just barks a lot.”

“Okay.” Liliana petted the dog’s thick fur warily. When her caress appeared to be acceptable to the little beast, she looked at the man she came to meet. “Your family believes you would be a good pride-king, but that you cannot beat Tray Bradley in the dome.”

Daniel Magoro sighed. “In my youth, I could have showed that excuse for a man the error of his ways.” He rotated his right shoulder making an audible cracking noise. “Don’t ever get old.”

“I would prefer to get old than not.”

Daniel huffed that deep chuckle again. “No argument there.”

As a final confirmation, she looked into him with her third eyes as she sipped the tea Arel Magoro gave her before returning to the kitchen with her daughter, leaving her alone with Daniel.

Bleah.

Made from concentrate. The tea tasted like overbrewed black tea that had been left on the counter for a week. She knew the social rule about not showing her displeasure, so she took a polite pretend sip and set the cup on the end table next to the couch.

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