How dare he take what wasn’t his?! How dare he take children?! How dare he?!
Sage dropped her face into the pillow and raged silently until someone came to get her.
23—Vyanya
Hours later, Sage sat in the backseat of a minivan being driven by a Van Crimson male whose name she didn’t know. Paisley was next to her, dressed in pajamas, asleep in her car seat, and Frannie was on the other side of Paisley, also asleep. Mina sat up in front. In the very back seats were two young cousins and their dad, all asleep.
The skies were dark, and they were all quiet. They’d been driving through Serenity for an hour, waiting for the signal that it was their turn to enter the estate where thevyanyawould be held.
A cellphone rang and the guy driving answered it, then said, “Got it,” and hung up.
“We’re next,” he said. “And last.” Arrivals were staggered to avoid drawing attention to the event.
Sage leaned forward, trying to lose herself in the moment. Avyanyawas sacred, always dedicated to Rhen, always held in the same location, and always mysterious and awe-inspiring. This would be her fourthvyanya,and Paisley’s second, but Paisley had been an infant the last time and did not remember. Not allfoxenattended eachvyanya.Nana White never did.
They drove west on the old highway, then veered onto a hidden road and followed it through alternating forest and cow pastures until they reached a massive and dramatic gate, built from tree trunks and meant to replicate the gates into the Meadow that Slinger Van Crimson, a Vvyndicate member and notablefoxenauthor, had seen in a dream. The Vvyndicate owned this property and always had. Deep in the heart of the estate full of forest and fields of undeveloped land was a ravine,and at one end of the ravine was a geophysical feature known as the Throne of Seven Foxes.
Foxenconsidered the land sacred, gifted to them by Rhen.
They drove through a gate and Sage scanned the trees, knowing they were being watched by Vvyndicate security, but she saw no one. They parked under a massive White Oak tree. Sage got out and stretched, then gently shook Paisley awake.
“We’re here,vi,” she said.
Paisley woke slowly, rubbing her eyes.
“Vyanyatime,” Sage said, smiling.
Paisley wiggled her arms and legs, waking up quickly now. She craned her head to see out the window, singing, “Vyanyatime,vyanyatime.”
The others got out of the van and Sage put Paisley’s shoes on, then unbuckled her, thinking she would keep Paisley right next to her, they could hold hands while they were being suited up—but Frannie ran over and picked Paisley up and ran off with her into the night. Sage sprinted after them. They followed the well-maintained forest trail to where it met a twelve-foot-high privacy wall, and then they followed the wall around to the door.
Inside the door was a short corridor, which dumped them out in a large, circular, open-air yard with a bonfire burning brightly in the middle. The fire threw warm light on the surrounding circular privacy wall, which was lined with trees, and tended garden paths. They were in the Forecourt of the Females, a sacred place open to all femalefoxen, and the beginning space of eachvyanya. Nearby was the Forecourt of the Males, where they would do their own rituals, and the two groups would meet up in the Opencourt for the run.
In front of Sage, Frannie and Paisley abruptly stopped to stare all around. The yard was dimly lit by strings of fairy lights along the top of each fence-like wall. The pink andpurple lights threaded through boughs of fragrant flowers, and the wood smoke smelled citrusy, like someone had tossed dried orange peels onto the fire. The trees created a high canopy with stars and the moon peeking through, and dozens of their family members mingled near the flowers.
Sage, Paisley, and Frannie couldn’t shift, so they, and the others who couldn’t, were provided with fox suits which they donned in the Forecourt.
Thevyanyastarted now.
Sage’s Aunt Bristol gave a whistle, and everyone quieted down and moved to one covered section of the wall, where several body suits and robes were hung.
Sage followed Paisley and Frannie, but Rissa grabbed her hand and pulled her another way.
“You’re with me,” she said. “Mina is taking care of Paisley. Now strip.”
Sage stripped down to bra and panties, her eyes on Paisley. Mina was also watching Paisley like a hawk, and that gave Sage some measure of comfort. If Khain showed up, Sage would grab Paisley and run, while the females who had no young would gather around Khain to tempt, fight, or distract him until the females with young escaped the area. The males would come in fighting, and that was the signal for the females to break and run, although Sage knew Mina and Rissa and the others would never leave the males to fight Khain alone, even if that’s what they were supposed to do. Khain would kill or enslave all who stayed to fight, but most likely, the mothers with young would get away. That’s how it'd been done for millennia. That’s whatfoxenwere taught from the moment they were born, from parents, in school, and in pup-tales.
Rissa smacked her on the arm to get her attention, then winced and rubbed the spot she’d smacked, saying. “Paisley’s okay, she’s good. Now let’s get you suited up.” She snatchedSage’s clothes from her and gave her a crimson-colored bodysuit and a hair tie. Sage pulled the suit on, then tied her hair in a ponytail. Rissa fastened the back of the bodysuit. Sage pulled on black gloves and shoes, then Rissa brought a robe, helped Sage into it, and fastened the corners of it to specially added buttons on the bodysuit.
Sage’s eyes were on Paisley, as her suit was put on by other females.
Bristol whistled again and they began to chant.
Uruh oo uruh ee
Voxen you, vixie we, voxen vu and vixie ve
Paisley looked around at all of them in wonder, a true picture of absolute innocence. Sage smiled, especially when Paisley realized she knew the words to the chant, and she joined in, her face shining with joy.
