She cut him off again, this time gesturing with a sharp cutting motion of her hand. “No. You donotspeak for them.”
The sheriff turned a fulminating look at Suvesh, who properly stood four paces behind his mistress. “You, castratus.”
Suvesh nodded in acknowledgement, but did not glance at his Prima.
“Do the Lords cen’Vyr allow such insolence?”
Suvesh replied, his voice calm and sure, “My Lord Brannal cen’Vyr, Prime of Fangrys, commands us to serve his Prima as we would him and my Lord Gilvan cen’Vyr, Second of Fangrys, and Zullar cen’Vyr, Third of Fangrys.”
“Third?” the mayor echoed, eyes widening.
Zul bared his teeth. “Do you gainsayme?”
The sheriff’s stiff posture sagged. He shook his head. “No, my lord.”
Zul turned his head toward his mate, the curling sweep of horns causing the other males to retreat to avoid being hit by them. “Elska’adir, what day do you wish to hold this festival?”
Ursula smiled, his use of the endearment melting her reservations toward completing the mating bond. She smiled at him, a different kind of smile that still included bared teeth. She named an upcoming holiday.
“What day is that?” the mayor asked.
She explained. “I reconciled the day with the calendar on Earth.” The mayor and sheriff frowned. “The closest I could come up with is Halloween, a day my homeland uses to celebrate all things autumn.”
“Autumn?” the sheriff repeated. “What is thisautumn?”
“Autumn is a season that transitions from summer to winter in my homeland.” She figured the mayor and sheriff would not be interested in a brief history of Halloween or its many customs both commercial and occult.
The village’s two highest ranked officials shook their heads, still not understanding. However, Zul, who had traveled widely in his long life, explained the concept of seasons. “In many places throughout the universe, there are planets with only one sun that experience wide variations in temperature. Those variations create seasons. Summer is considered a season of heat, and winter is a season of cold.”
“Ah,” the mayor said, nodding his head and adopting a wise expression.
“What has this to do with Uribern?” the sheriff demanded. “We do not celebrate this day ofHalloween.”
Ursula, feeling a bit belligerent, leaned forward. “ButIdo.” Silently, she addedyou moron. “It will befun.”
“Fun?” the sheriff parroted as though the concept were entirely alien. Perhaps it was.
“Fun,” she repeated, her tone decisive. “We’ll have music. Dancing. Lots of food. Games and competitions. Market stalls for anyone who wants to sell their handcrafted wares. Children—and even adults—may dress in costume. Children will go from stall to stall and receive treats given out by the vendors. Market stalls will be decorated and festive, too.”
“It sounds chaotic,” the mayor muttered and shook his head.
“Dangerous,” the sheriff snarled. “No.”
“You can’t tell me what to do in my own home,” Ursula reminded him with a saccharine smile. She placed a hand on Zul’s muscled arm. “Only my mates have that authority.”
Zul barely refrained from standing straighter and taller and puffing out his chest, but he did slide a hand around her slender waist and gently draw her close while concealing his amusement at her verbal acknowledgement of their authority over her—an authority she disavowed in private and sometimes flouted without conscience.
Ursula glanced up at him.I’m not that bad.
Oh, yes, you are. But I find you endearing nonetheless.
The mayor bowed his head in submission to the vagrant berserker who had somehow become the Third of the FangrysTriad. Bowing to any female, even the Fangrys Prima, would never happen. Raising his eyes to meet the berserker’s he murmured, “Excuse us, my lord.”
He tapped the sheriff on the back of his shoulder and gave him a speaking look. The sheriff huffed a sigh and followed the mayor’s retreat several steps away.
“The Prima will have this festival,” the mayor whispered. “If we allow it in the village, we will retain control and ensure it does not become something shameful.”
“If we allow the festival, we will have submitted to her demand and unreasonable expectations,” the sheriff countered.
