Mistress of the Night - Don Bassingthwaite [121]
The fight with the copper falcon… how far had the sounds carried in the silent mansion?
"Stay back," Keph snarled.
"Sir," the head butler called, "what are you doing?" "I'm fixing a mistake," Keph answered. He took a slow step forward. "Get out of my way."
The underbutler already on the stairs started to retreat back down them, but the head butler moved forward and began to climb.
"That book is from your father's study. I can't let you-"
"I said get out of my way!" roared Keph.
Maybe some of the dark force of the slates had wormed its way deeper into him than he had thought. The head butler turned pale and stopped. The underbutler actually choked, pressing himself so far back against the banister that for a moment Keph thought he might fall over. All the other servants cleared away from the bottom of the stairs.
Keph tightened his grip on the book of slates and marched down the staircase. When he reached the bottom and turned to the doors, the servants parted to make an aisle for him. The entrance hall was deathly quiet.
When he opened the doors, though, sound rushed in. Yhaunn's night was alive with distant cries and screams. Many of them came from the direction of the Stiltways. Keph tottered forward. Strasus's wards had been designed to keep people out of Fourstaves House, not in. The green lines of magic that flared briefly as he walked out shimmered and shriveled just as the wards in the north wing had. The stone dogs actually cowered away from him.
Whispers crashed inside his head once more, and Keph let them crash, holding them at bay rather than thrusting them back. Staggering like a drunk man wading in the surf, he jogged into the night toward Moonshadow Hall.
***
Feena could hear howls. She could hear screams. She could hear Julith crying for her and the splashing as the young priestess reached into the water of the sacred pool-and a shout of surprise as she leaped back.
She heard all of it a fraction of a heartbeat before.dazzling moonlight burned away the haze that had stolen her vision. Feena gasped-and in gasping, drew the moonlight into herself. Selune was inside her, burning in her flesh and blood, knitting her together, and making her whole. The touch of the goddess exploded through her. Feena threw back her head and howled- not out of pain, but out of sheer joy.
The wolf within her howled right along with the woman. And somewhere in the silver brilliance of Selune's light, Feena could hear a whole chorus of wolves and beasts raising their voices along with her.
The New Moon Pact was reborn!
Feena felt stone under her feet and kicked out. She shot up through the water and into the night, still howling. Shining water streamed from the fur of her hybrid form. She felt stronger and more alive than she ever had in her life. Everything seemed brighter and more vibrant. Growling with fierce ecstasy, she threw back her head and howled at the sky.
"Feena!"
She looked down-no, just across. Julith crouched beside the sacred pool and Feena stood within it. The water was no more than waist deep. But it had felt as though she had been so much deeper! She snarled in awe. There were things to be seen by moonlight-
She surged forward through the water and heaved herself out of the pool. Julith was still staring at her in amazement.
"How…?"
"Later, Julith," Feena said. "There's a battle-" "Feena, you're talking!"
She froze and reached up with tremendous, clawed hands to touch her face. A wolfs muzzle, a wolfs ears, a wolfs head, and yet-
"Moonmaiden's grace," Feena gasped. Her voice was deep and resonant, but she could speak just as well as she – could as a human. "Oh, Bright Lady of the Night!"
A chilling howl broke through her awe. Julith paled. Feena's head snapped around. One of the Sharrans' otherworldly dogs. The sounds of it raised the hair on her neck and all the way down her spine. Up on the rooftop, she could see Selune's clerics scrambling back.
"Julith, gather anyone you can and arm yourselves. We're taking the fight to the Sharrans!"
She didn't wait for a