The Wyvern's Spur - Kate Novak [43]
"You!" Giogi gasped, instantly recognizing the woman's resemblance to Alias of Westgate. "No," he said after a moment, "you're not Alias. Your hair's all wrong."
"Would you turn that dratted light down?" the woman growled, shielding her eyes with an outstretched hand.
"Urn, I'm not sure I know how," Giogi said, examining the finder's stone with confusion. "If you just give your eyes a minute to adjust, I'm sure they'll get used to it."
"I've cast a spell so I could see in this dark pit," the woman snapped. "Any light is annoying."
"Oh." Giogi tucked the stone in his cloak and allowed just a little light to peek out. "You can't be Cassana of Westgate, either," he mused. "You're too young. She's dead, anyway. Just who are you?"
"I'm Cat of Ordulin," she said, lowering her hand from her eyes. "I'm sorry my age and my eyes and my hair don't suit you," she continued, her tone dripping with sarcasm, "but you might at least thank me for saving your life from a stirge." She held out her hand imperiously, expecting assistance to stand.
Giogi helped her to her feet. "I didn't intend any insult," he said. "It's rather nice hair, and your eyes look fine now that you've stopped squinting, and, of course, it's none of my business how old you are. Really, though, you do have the most remarkable resemblance to Alias of Westgate. Is she a relative of yours? Or Cassana of Westgate?"
"I've never heard of either of them," Cat declared.
"Oh." Giogi tilted his head in puzzlement. Cat had the same green eyes, pert nose, shapely mouth, high cheekbones, and pointed chin as Alias. It was strange enough that two apparently unrelated women should have the exact same beautiful face. It was just incredible that he should meet both of them. Finally, remembering his manners, Giogi said, "Well, thank you for rescuing me. Funny, though, I don't remember any stirge."
"Stirge saliva numbs the flesh around the bite," Cat explained. "If you don't notice the prick when it attaches to vou, it can drain all your blood without you feeling a thing. It had drained nearly all the life from you. I only brought you back to consciousness with a potion. It was an especially powerful potion, so you shouldn't be feeling any weakness."
"You're right. I don't feel weak," Giogi said with surprise. "Thank you again."
"You're welcome," Cat said, her tone softening pleasantly. She smiled at Giogi.
Olive tried to sneer, but it wasn't in the burro's repertoire. She didn't know which annoyed her more, the female mage's bald-faced lies about rescuing Giogi or Giogi's gullibility.
"Really, though," Giogi said, "I must ask what you're doing here."
Good thinking, Giogi, Olive thought. A little slow, but good thinking.
Cat's manner became suddenly formal. "I don't know that it's any of your business," she replied haughtily. "Who are you, anyway?"
Giogi drew himself to his full height. While his gaunt frame was not very imposing, he did tower a good six inches over the woman. "I am Giogioni Wyvernspur," he declared, bowing slightly as he spoke, "of the Wyvernspurs of Immersea. These catacombs lie beneath my family's crypt. They're our catacombs."
"Do you have a deed for them?" Cat asked coolly.
"Well, no, but the only way into them is through our family crypt and-"
"And the secret, magical door, just outside the graveyard, that opens once every fifty years," Cat concluded impatiently. "I used that secret door to get in here. I was going to use it to get out, but some idiot blocked it while I was still inside the catacombs. I've been stuck here for days."
"Uncle Drone just sealed that door yesterday morning, so you can't have been in here for that long," Giogi objected.
"All right. I've been stuck here for hours," Cat amended her story with annoyance. "I'm starving just the same. You wouldn't happen to have brought food, would you?"
Giogi stared at Cat with considerable perplexity as he reached inside the picnic basket and produced a cheese sandwich.
"Wonderful," Cat said, snatching it out of Giogi's hand. She unwrapped it halfway, sniffed at it once, shrugged, and