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myself at odds with your position, almost jealous.
Are you ill, Tellor? What could you find to envy when I ve yet to introduce
you, though I can t help but agree. She is beyond stunning with a strong heart, quick
mind, and beautiful spirit.
To say nothing of her exotic, soulful eyes, amazon build, and midnight silken
mane, Tellor finished.
Elicean s steps faltered for none of those attributes minutely described his
woman, and then Fauna s image crystallized in his mind and he barked out a laugh.
Fauna is not for me, Tellor, at this very moment our parents are searching you
out. They believe that perhaps Fauna would be better suited to you. I tried to explain
that you would not easily give up your wandering ways, but they insisted it would be a
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good match. Now, I wonder if that might just be the case. At first, I thought that was
the cause of your blue mood.
I don t understand, what happened?
Sarkinda has been accepted as my mate. There are hereditary circumstances
that make her suitable.
You won a sparring contest with father? The man who can still make us feel
preadolescent? What miracle is this and what hereditary circumstances, surely she is
not, doesn t have-- Lyfia blood. Tellor would have finished, but it was never spoken
aloud, even among immediate family. Tellor thought back to their one meeting. Why
hadn t he seen it? The marked features, slight accent, and healing gifts. A thrumming
began in his blood. He could claim Fauna for himself. None of his other brothers or
cousins would get a chance at her, and Sarkinda& he recalled his belligerent accusations
and demands that he take her far from Elicean and had the grace to flush a deep red. He
would apologize right after he saw his parents and made concurrent demands
concerning Fauna. First, however, he d warn Elicean of their conversation.
Lifthrasir gently licked the tears escaping Sarkinda s lashes. She d missed her
friend, her only friend, and took a few moments to tunnel her fingers through his hair
and scratch behind his ears in proper greeting. He had padded into Elicean s chambers
silently and calmly, having had little trouble evading the utukku most of whom were
resting at that time of day. They must hurry, Elicean had been gone for a long while
and she wanted to be well away before he returned. She had no illusions of pursuit, it
would be counted a blessing that she had returned to her people. After leaving a quick
message, they departed.
Elicean burst into his chambers followed by Tellor to find her gone. She had
acted strangely the night before but he hadn t pressed her, too preoccupied with his own
deception. She had overheard the conversation with his parents and Fauna and believed
he would toss her aside because of a few words from his father. He would be laughing
his head off if it weren t so tragic. If the Carnomians found her before he did he
shuddered at the thought. It would spell disaster on many levels. He read her scribbled
words. She believed that would be that? He would teach her differently when he found
her and brought her back if. This could be our worst nightmare come true, why
didn t I get her away as soon as I suspected her heritage? If they find her
We won t allow that to happen. You follow her scent and track her; I ll go to
father and alert the others to follow you unobtrusively. We don t want the three
families charging after her like the final prize of a hunt. Go, Elicean, I will bring
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reinforcements. They shouldn t touch her as you have performed the ancient rite of
joining, but I don t trust Morpheus and his disciples even within my sight.
Elicean followed Sarkinda at a blur, but dared not shape shift where any could
witness it. He could almost smell her fear, her terror, or was it his own?
The route was not one he was familiar with and wondered if she had spent every
waking hour away from him exploring for just this chance. He d made so many
mistakes with her. He had demanded her trust but hadn t given his in return. He was
living to regret his autocratic ways. Making arbitrary decisions for others without
understanding the full import of what those decisions could ultimately cost. He was
worse than his father and now it could cost him everything. What she had done to him
was so integral, so deep-rooted that it invaded his very soul, making him a better male,
a better being. It made him understand that all creatures, no matter how seemingly
insignificant deserved their chance at life and protection against evil. If the Soul Lifters
chose to end life then he would end theirs. Let them feel his power, let them know the
fear they inflict onto others.
For him, at that moment, it began in earnest The Order of the Mist. His doubts
about Sarkinda s happiness were put to rest as he realized that in order to keep the
surface dwellers safe required The Order s presence on the surface permanently. She
could remain in the sunlight, the rain and the wind, while he remained of the earth& and
the mist.
Advancing closer, he could feel Sarkinda s terror like a palatable thing. To hell
with prudence, he shifted into mist and rose through the molten rock to materialize
within range of her. What he saw rooted him to the spot.
Sarkinda wondered briefly if it had been a trap to keep her from fleeing. She
was surrounded on all sides by robed wraiths. One in particular stood out. Morpheus.
One by one, they flew at her trying to grab her. So far, Lifthrasir had met their attempts
for no one wanted to tangle with an angry mountain lion twice their size, only she
wasn t sure how much longer Rasir would tolerate their taunting, and attack. When that
happened the others would be free to come after her. She had to do something. I am
protected by the rite of joining. Any who come near will die beneath my mate s hand.
You may destroy me but my blood and fluids will carry my scent and act as a homing
beacon for your destruction. One by one, he will hunt you down. And if any touch my
familiar the same fate will be carried out if I have to do it myself. You will never again
be safe within your cocoon. My mate has his powers but I have my own, let me pass
and don t test them.
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The sweet little surface dweller has a bite, I see. Think you can compete with
the power of the utukku? And that farce of a mating ritual you went through may be
strong enough to keep Sumerians at bay, but we Carnomians have our own law,
Morpheus threatened.
And what would those be, exactly, Morpheus of Carnomia? Came the quiet
inquiry out of the wind.
The hooded disciples looked around in confusion. What magic was this? They
could hear the disembodied voice, but couldn t pinpoint its location. It was everywhere,
almost like a haunting. The Carnomians began whispering to each other as they strove
to slink away from the scene. This was the omnipotent power they d been promised,
but it was not among the disciples.
Elicean s senses absorbed their feelings of confusion, and fear with fierce
satisfaction. None would escape his wrath this day, but first he must get Sarkinda away.
He didn t want her to be a witness of what was to come. Tellor and three others of the
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