Page 1 of Shifter King
AWAKENING
The last thing Amelia wanted to do was sleep. It reminded her of the terrors in Dry Deep, of darkness that didn't end and nightmares that took shape all on their own. But resting in Naatos's arms with the worn brown blanket draped over them in the hammock beneath the massive tree with Tacky purring delightedly at her shoulder…well, it wasn't so bad. It was good.
She snuggled closer, her cheek pressed against Naatos's broad chest. He'd removed the leather brocaded doublet and mostly unfastened the black undertunic, allowing more warmth to reach her. He'd said she was chilling before, but that wasn't the case now.
The thudding of his heart was steady, rhythmic, pleasant. She kept her eyes at most half shaded as she listened to his heart and to the fire as the logs crackled and popped in the heat.
Just knowing he was here soothed her. How strange was that?
Perhaps not so strange now. The smile pulled at her lips as she curled her fingers against the curve of his bicep.
The blue dolmaths milled about on the packed earth below, languid in their stroking and snuggling. All contented from the sounds of them. A good number weren't even insisting on being up against one of the brothers. Everyone but QueQoa slept now. And QueQoa stood guard, outlined by the firelight with three or four dolmaths moving along his feet and calves.
She frowned. The dolmaths that they'd first met in Ecekom had been so desperate and eager, clawing and tapping and circling all through the night, swarming whoever they could. These dolmaths were far calmer. They had little dapples and speckles all over their bodies and striped forelegs. A little more delicate too, especially at the feet.
Their soft pattering footsteps reached her mind like rain dancing on a shingled roof. She flattened her hand over Naatos's arm, her thumb tucked beneath her chin. Other than the fire, Naatos's scent dominated her awareness now. Oiled leather, worn cotton, smoke, musk, and woods.
Her eyelids drifted shut as she slid back and forth between sleeping and waking, enjoying the simple way that the air filled her lungs and then left just as easily. It didn't smell sweet exactly, but, after everything in Dry Deep, the sensation had a sweet pleasure to it. She'd never understood that so well as she did now.
Dry Deep had brought so much into perspective. Even if she couldn't remember it all. The weight of it hung over her, an ever-present reminder of how often escaping it had seemed impossible.
Her gaze fell to her hand and wrist, then traveled up to her shoulder.
Thin black lines and curls covered her arms. Probably the rest of her body as well, merging with the venom scars and bite marks. The final traces of the long leech venom. She turned her hand over. A few cut through her wrist elmis. Would this affect her ability to read minds or mastering her skills?
Hmmm.
Even now without even trying she could feel each member of her family in this place. Naatos slept in a state that was more exhausted than peaceful. AaQar had entered a dark calm sleep. QueQoa's watchful aura carried tinges of hope that the future that lay before them was not so bleak. Flashes of startlingly clear images reached her for a moment. Too fast to comprehend before they passed. And WroOth's presence was only a little chaotic, like a candle flame that sometimes spurted and then returned to a normal strength.
No nightmares.
Good.
So what impact did these lines and cuts over her elmis have? Range perhaps? She'd grown close to all of her family in these past weeks. Maybe discernment and nuance? Perhaps just her endurance overall?
Oh.
She let her eyes slide shut again. What if it meant she couldn't ever climax again? Wouldn't that just be perfect?
Shaking her head, she tucked her wrists back against her torso and restrained a laugh. If that was the worst to come from escaping Dry Deep, she was lucky. And there was no way to know yet. So why take on more burdens now?
Even if what was here and now was all she could enjoy, it was better than it had been a couple months ago. And that was something. Small improvements counted. Life counted.
Naatos's heart beat steadily beneath her fingers. She found it easy to slow her own breathing to match his, but sleep would not come for a long while. And that was all right.
* * *
Naatos woke shortly before dawn.That distinct stillness. The change in the air. The greyness in the sky on the eastern horizon. He knew it well, and every part of his mind had awakened.
The time for rest had passed. They had perhaps two weeks before the coming of one of the worst Grey Seasons this world had ever known. Unless someone found a way to stop it.
Laachtue had said they might find a way to stop it if the levy was paid. That made little sense. The Grey Season was a force of nature. What could possibly be done to stop it? Under AaQar's watch as Para, there had been scientists and learned scholars who sought to weaken it. A few had had some unusual theories. AaQar had always found it fascinating. He likely knew more about this.
But levies meant taxes. This government was obviously corrupt. Would they be so corrupt and cruel to allow a horrific cataclysmic event occur simply because they did not get what they wanted? Or was it merely a tactic to wring more from the people? Fear was such an effective tool.
But if the Abliatos could actually make such a threat, that meant they had a way to control it. And if they had a way to control it, that meant someone else could gain control as well.
Amelia still lay against him, her head beneath his chin and her fingers splayed out over his heart as if she drew some comfort. Her breaths at least were steady, even if they did have more of a sandpaper quality than he would have liked. The bite of Dry Deep remained on her. Slipping his hand to the nape of her neck, he pressed his palm flat. How much strength had she lost? Even now he could feel each bump in her vertebrae more clearly than ever. He closed his eyes and channeled focused healing energy into her.
