Read Online Rapture's Etesian by Charlotte Boyett-Compo - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Charlotte Boyett-Compo
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was no longer alone. Peering into the darkness, he saw a dark shape off to his left. The silhouette was about two and a half feet from ground to tip of a pointed ear. A passing moonbeam lit the silvery gleam of thick fur for a moment then traveled on into the darkness.
“I was beginning to worry, Little One,” Leksi said.
The shape came no closer, but it turned its head and surveyed the surrounding area.
“I am alone.”
“You were,” said an amused voice.
Leksi spun around to find Kynthia standing right behind him. So quietly had she approached, his warrior ears had heard nothing. But his trained eyes flicked back to the animal he thought was the lady and found he was staring into a pair of inquisitive golden eyes.
“I call him Kirkor,” Kynthia said.
“Vigilant,” Leksi responded with the old meaning.
“Aye, for that he is.”
“Your protector, milady?”
“At times. When I am in full Transition, I have joined his pack simply for the thrill of it. To run, to hunt, though I refrain from taking life. It is the challenge of the chase that I find exhilarating. Kirkor is the prime male of his pack and I believe he regards me as one of his own.”
“As a mate?”
Kynthia shook her head. “He has a mate. I am simply one of the females to him.”
Turning away from the warrior, Kynthia walked to her horse and reached up to stroke the bridge of its nose. “Did you miss me?”
The steed snorted and stretched out his neck to nuzzle his mistress.
“Was he good to you?” A nod of her mount’s head brought a sigh of relief to Kynthia.
“Did you think I would abuse him?” Leksi asked.
“No, but not every male is as respectful of a beast as its owner is,” she replied.
“Not every owner is as respectful of his beast as he should be,” Leksi countered. “I was taught that it is a privilege to possess a stalwart mount and you treat one with consideration.”
Kynthia looked over at the warrior and smiled. “That’s a good thing to learn about you, Leksi Helios.”
That smile brought a similar one to Leksi’s lips, and he dug his hands into the pockets of his breeches. “Why Aeolus?” he asked.
“Because,” Kynthia said, running her hand across the horse’s neck and along its withers, “he is as fleet as the wind and just as strong. He has served me well on many a night.”
“You only come out at night?” he asked.
“Aye, but I am not limited only to the evening. I just prefer it.”
Digging the toe of his boot into the ground as a bashful boy would, the warrior lowered his head and spoke without looking at her.
“Are you not human, milady?”
Kynthia blinked. “Why would you ask such a thing?”
He glanced up at her. “You change,” he said, and even in the moonlight, the blush stained his cheeks.
“Aye, I change, but I am just as human as you.”
Leksi narrowed his eyes and his face took on a look of confusion. “But how is it possible that you become an animal? I thought only the gods and their ladies could do such things.”
“I am a Reaper,” she said. “And Reapers have abilities given to them from a man not of this world.”
“A god.”
“No, not a god, but as close to one as you or I will ever know, I suppose.”
“Reaper,” Leksi repeated. “What is it you harvest?”
Kynthia laughed, and the warrior looked up. The humor was evident on her lovely face and as she pushed a thick strand of silvery hair from her cheek, he sighed with longing.
“I harvest nothing save a cup or two of blood each day to keep me sane,” she answered. “That is the price I pay for all the abilities I possess.”
“What abilities?”
“Keen eyesight and hearing like my lupine counterparts, extraordinary strength and endurance. Healing capabilities far beyond the normal. The ability to live ten times longer than a normal person,” she replied.
“I wouldn’t mind having such abilities,” he said.
Kynthia cocked her head to one side and studied him silently for a
“I was beginning to worry, Little One,” Leksi said.
The shape came no closer, but it turned its head and surveyed the surrounding area.
“I am alone.”
“You were,” said an amused voice.
Leksi spun around to find Kynthia standing right behind him. So quietly had she approached, his warrior ears had heard nothing. But his trained eyes flicked back to the animal he thought was the lady and found he was staring into a pair of inquisitive golden eyes.
“I call him Kirkor,” Kynthia said.
“Vigilant,” Leksi responded with the old meaning.
“Aye, for that he is.”
“Your protector, milady?”
“At times. When I am in full Transition, I have joined his pack simply for the thrill of it. To run, to hunt, though I refrain from taking life. It is the challenge of the chase that I find exhilarating. Kirkor is the prime male of his pack and I believe he regards me as one of his own.”
“As a mate?”
Kynthia shook her head. “He has a mate. I am simply one of the females to him.”
Turning away from the warrior, Kynthia walked to her horse and reached up to stroke the bridge of its nose. “Did you miss me?”
The steed snorted and stretched out his neck to nuzzle his mistress.
“Was he good to you?” A nod of her mount’s head brought a sigh of relief to Kynthia.
“Did you think I would abuse him?” Leksi asked.
“No, but not every male is as respectful of a beast as its owner is,” she replied.
“Not every owner is as respectful of his beast as he should be,” Leksi countered. “I was taught that it is a privilege to possess a stalwart mount and you treat one with consideration.”
Kynthia looked over at the warrior and smiled. “That’s a good thing to learn about you, Leksi Helios.”
That smile brought a similar one to Leksi’s lips, and he dug his hands into the pockets of his breeches. “Why Aeolus?” he asked.
“Because,” Kynthia said, running her hand across the horse’s neck and along its withers, “he is as fleet as the wind and just as strong. He has served me well on many a night.”
“You only come out at night?” he asked.
“Aye, but I am not limited only to the evening. I just prefer it.”
Digging the toe of his boot into the ground as a bashful boy would, the warrior lowered his head and spoke without looking at her.
“Are you not human, milady?”
Kynthia blinked. “Why would you ask such a thing?”
He glanced up at her. “You change,” he said, and even in the moonlight, the blush stained his cheeks.
“Aye, I change, but I am just as human as you.”
Leksi narrowed his eyes and his face took on a look of confusion. “But how is it possible that you become an animal? I thought only the gods and their ladies could do such things.”
“I am a Reaper,” she said. “And Reapers have abilities given to them from a man not of this world.”
“A god.”
“No, not a god, but as close to one as you or I will ever know, I suppose.”
“Reaper,” Leksi repeated. “What is it you harvest?”
Kynthia laughed, and the warrior looked up. The humor was evident on her lovely face and as she pushed a thick strand of silvery hair from her cheek, he sighed with longing.
“I harvest nothing save a cup or two of blood each day to keep me sane,” she answered. “That is the price I pay for all the abilities I possess.”
“What abilities?”
“Keen eyesight and hearing like my lupine counterparts, extraordinary strength and endurance. Healing capabilities far beyond the normal. The ability to live ten times longer than a normal person,” she replied.
“I wouldn’t mind having such abilities,” he said.
Kynthia cocked her head to one side and studied him silently for a
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