With cool dignity and quiet pride, the servant explained, “ThePrimais a skilled potter. She sells her ceramics in the village. Her wares are much sought-after.”
Zul then realized what she had thrown at the numpty’s hindquarters and blinked in a weird mixture of admiration and fury. Howdaredthe Prima ignore her safety and jeopardize the youngling? His mouth opened, but the words of objection and condemnation remained stuck in his throat. He decided he would admonish the foolish female himself, because she obviously needed a stronger hand to guide her than the indulgent Fangrys Prime or Second applied. The idea that, perhaps, it was not his place to scold and chastise another’s mate flashed into his mind and dissipated like a wisp of smoke.
“Return to inform the Fangrys household of what has happened,” Zul declared. “Your wounds must be treated.” He thumped his chest with a massive fist. “Iwill protect the Prima until her mates return. She and the youngling will come to no danger while I guard them.”
The castratus leveled a speculative gaze at him as the warrior broke into a ground-covering trot and quickly put distance between them. Zul almost thought he heard the servant mutter something insolent like, “Good luck.”
Chapter 2
Ursula hauled on the reins to stop the numpties. The great beasts’ sides heaved as they panted, heads lowered in weariness. A stolid plod expended far less energy than a panicked gallop. A neighboring entrepreneur, who owned and operated a restaurant exited his storefront, glanced at the hoverwagon and turned a querying eye to her.
“Where are your guards, Prima cen’Vyr?”
Before answering, she checked to make sure Crow had come to no harm. Rather than being frightened by the flight into town, the boy’s eyes sparkled with excitement. She turned to her neighbor and replied, “We were attacked on the road from the manor.” She bit her lip, blinked watery eyes, inhaled deeply, and took a moment to muster the necessary calm before she succumbed to fright and grief. “I do not know who, if any of my people, survived.”
The restaurateur’s tail lashed. He extended a hand toward her. “Disembark now, Prima cen’Vyr. You and the youngling must be kept safe.”
She smiled at him. “Thank you, Mr. Gallik. Your concern for our safety does you credit and honors us.”
The restaurateur frowned. Ursula wondered if he thought she mocked him, despite the polite words. Nonetheless, she tookhis hand and descended from the hoverwagon. She held up her arms, and Crow leaped into them. The restaurateur steadied her as she began to topple over. Crow seemed to get larger and heavier every day.
Ursula set her son on the ground and turned to her fellow businessman. “Mr. Gallik, I must speak with the mayor and sheriff to send assistance. May I borrow your staff to unload my wares?”
He raised his chin and blinked his yellow eyes slowly. “Iwill alert the mayor and sheriff, but only if you retreat to the safety of your shop. Sifgul and our mate will keep you company.”
She knew he meant for his mate and his dyad bond, a slender, bookish male, to keep an eye on her and report back to him, a report he would then gladly relay to Bran and Gil when they finally returned from their latest deployment. Ursula also knew the mayor and sheriff likely would refuse to speak with her; neither approved of a female running her own business, but they would grant audience to Gallik.
Bowing to him, she said, “You are most gracious, sir. I thank you.”
Gallik nodded. He aimed a pointed gaze at the door to her shop and waited, making clear without speaking that he would do nothing until her safety was assured. Taking Crow’s hand in hers, Ursula complied with the unspoken order to retreat. When the glass-fronted door closed behind them, she looked through it and met the male’s gaze. He nodded in approval before ducking into his own store to summon his staff, his dyad bond, and mate.
Moments later, Addilli and Sifgul entered the pottery shop accompanied by two males of the same small, nimble breed as the castrati servants who managed and maintained the Fangrys manor. Addilli’s servant saw his mistress seated on a stool in the storeroom where she would be expected to stay out of sight while keeping the Fangrys Prima company. Sifgul positioned himself near the door. Ursula sniffled and wiped her tears with her sleeve.
“Thank you for keeping me company, Addilli,” Ursula greeted her friend with a warm if watery smile. She ignored Sifgul who would have taken affront if she’d acknowledged him. “Would you like some tea?”
The restaurateur’s mate gave her a nervous smile and nodded. “Gallick says there was trouble on the road from Fangrys. Are you and your youngling unharmed, Prima?”
“We’re fine,” Ursula said and sniffled.
Addilli gave the boy a fond smile as he rummaged through the toy box Ursula kept at the shop for his amusement. He had yet to understand the gravity of what had just happened.
“I worry for the castrati, though,” Ursula added. “At least one of the rosvoi who attacked us was warrior breed.”
Addilli nodded. “Yes. Gallick will see that the authorities are notified of this crime in lieu of your mates. He has already assigned two of our staff to unload your merchandise and care for the numpties.” She paused then leaned forward. “How did you get them to run? I could not believe I witnessed numpties actually galloping!”
Ursula shook her head and let Addilli’s comment distract her from her grief. “I’m not sure what really happened. One moment we were traveling as usual, the next a gang of thugs attacked.” She shook her head again and rubbed the back of her neck. “The castrati fought back, defended us as well as they could but—” Her voice cracked and she sobbed. A moment later, she again mustered her composure before Crow realized she was upset. She sighed and wiped her eyes again. “A warrior came to our defense.”
“A warrior?”
“Yes, he… he looked likeCrow.”
Addilli glanced at the child.
Ursula shook her head. “No, not my son, but one of his fathers: Crow cen’Vyr, Third of the Fangrys Triad and the Bridge who connected my First and my Forever.”
Addilli’s eyes widened. “What did he look like?”
“Big. Massive. Perhaps not as tall as Bran, but…huge.Red with black horns.”
