Read Online Sons of Destiny Prequel Series 003 - The Shifter by Jean Johnson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jean Johnson
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will tell him everything about yourself."
Kenyen slowly licked his lips, then gave Traver a feral grin. Zellan lifted his brows briefly at the younger shifter, then looked back at the chained man. Traver swallowed, touched the cuffs on his wrists with a soft clink of his chains, and nodded. "I... I'll do it. Just don't hurt her. And you will let me go, right?"
"As free as a bird, once the elders get what they want... and once I get paid in my cut of the prize," Kenyen agreed, doing his best to sound like a hardened, uncaring criminal. "Of course, the more I know about you and how to be you, the less I'll have to beguile her with a tumble. They smell so tasty when I tumble them, too..."
Zellan shot him a quelling look, then tossed the waterskin he had brought to the manacled youth. He lifted his chin at Traver. "Start talking, boy."
Traver looked between the two of them. "Um... what should I talk about?"
"Start with your family, follow it up with a typical day in your life, and work your way outward from there," Kenyen ordered, holding up the steel mirror so that he could start practicing not only Traver's face but his facial expressions as he spoke. "Things that you like, things that you don't like, childhood memories that you remember with fondness, things you remember with fear... but start with yourself and your family."
"And you won't hurt me?" Traver asked.
Kenyen leveled a firm look at the slightly younger man. "If you don't try my patience, no."
"Um... I'm Traver Ys Ten. Son of Ysal Trud Hen and Tenaria Tev Kee," he explained. "I have two older brothers, Belseth Ys Nar—their mother was Narian, she died before I was born—and Sellah Ys Nar. They both have their own farmholds farther down the Valley. My older sister is Namya Ys Ten, and my younger brother and sister are Tellik and Tinia Ys Ten; we all live at home with our parents—they all look like me, of course, brown eyes, wavy brown hair, not too stout but not too slender..."
Hours later, when Kenyen was tired and Traver was resting in silence, his voice rendered hoarse, unable to say much more, the Mongrel shifters finally left the two young men alone. Sort of alone. Hints of the gray light of dawn filtered down from the open trapdoor, mingling with the steady glow of the lightglobe and the flickering glow of the rush lights upstairs. Knowing that they didn't have much time, Kenyen shifted close enough to clasp Traver's hand.
The two of them exchanged worried looks, though the Shifterai tried to convey hope toward the Corredai. Traver breathed deep, gave the opening to the upstairs a wary look, then shifted his hands toward the waistband of his clothes. Frowning in confusion, Kenyen watched as the slightly younger man pulled at his laces and... bared himself? His disbelieving expression earned a pointed glare from the Corredai male. Traver pointed firmly at his manhood, then tugged on something hidden on the underside of his flesh.
A ring. A beaded one, which pierced his foreskin. Deeply disturbed—ears and noses were often pierced on the Plains, but never that —Kenyen watched Traver carefully remove it, trying his best not to make his chains clank. When the youth held it out to him, Kenyen recoiled a little. Rolling his eyes, Traver grasped his hand and dropped the ring in it, mouthing something. Unable to make sense of it, Kenyen gave up and leaned close.
"Solyn expects me to wear it," Traver breathed. "She'll know you're a shifter without it. You have to wear it."
Face hot with embarrassment, Kenyen reluctantly accepted the metal loop. What kind of a maiden—outkingdom or otherwise—would demand her betrothed wear a ring on his... his...? And I have to wear it, if I'm to be successful at pretending to be this man?
Footsteps overhead warned both of them that the gray-haired elder was returning; hurrying, Traver relaced his trousers, hiding himself once more. Zellan had gone upstairs to sleep a few hours back, and the other man—still
Kenyen slowly licked his lips, then gave Traver a feral grin. Zellan lifted his brows briefly at the younger shifter, then looked back at the chained man. Traver swallowed, touched the cuffs on his wrists with a soft clink of his chains, and nodded. "I... I'll do it. Just don't hurt her. And you will let me go, right?"
"As free as a bird, once the elders get what they want... and once I get paid in my cut of the prize," Kenyen agreed, doing his best to sound like a hardened, uncaring criminal. "Of course, the more I know about you and how to be you, the less I'll have to beguile her with a tumble. They smell so tasty when I tumble them, too..."
Zellan shot him a quelling look, then tossed the waterskin he had brought to the manacled youth. He lifted his chin at Traver. "Start talking, boy."
Traver looked between the two of them. "Um... what should I talk about?"
"Start with your family, follow it up with a typical day in your life, and work your way outward from there," Kenyen ordered, holding up the steel mirror so that he could start practicing not only Traver's face but his facial expressions as he spoke. "Things that you like, things that you don't like, childhood memories that you remember with fondness, things you remember with fear... but start with yourself and your family."
"And you won't hurt me?" Traver asked.
Kenyen leveled a firm look at the slightly younger man. "If you don't try my patience, no."
"Um... I'm Traver Ys Ten. Son of Ysal Trud Hen and Tenaria Tev Kee," he explained. "I have two older brothers, Belseth Ys Nar—their mother was Narian, she died before I was born—and Sellah Ys Nar. They both have their own farmholds farther down the Valley. My older sister is Namya Ys Ten, and my younger brother and sister are Tellik and Tinia Ys Ten; we all live at home with our parents—they all look like me, of course, brown eyes, wavy brown hair, not too stout but not too slender..."
Hours later, when Kenyen was tired and Traver was resting in silence, his voice rendered hoarse, unable to say much more, the Mongrel shifters finally left the two young men alone. Sort of alone. Hints of the gray light of dawn filtered down from the open trapdoor, mingling with the steady glow of the lightglobe and the flickering glow of the rush lights upstairs. Knowing that they didn't have much time, Kenyen shifted close enough to clasp Traver's hand.
The two of them exchanged worried looks, though the Shifterai tried to convey hope toward the Corredai. Traver breathed deep, gave the opening to the upstairs a wary look, then shifted his hands toward the waistband of his clothes. Frowning in confusion, Kenyen watched as the slightly younger man pulled at his laces and... bared himself? His disbelieving expression earned a pointed glare from the Corredai male. Traver pointed firmly at his manhood, then tugged on something hidden on the underside of his flesh.
A ring. A beaded one, which pierced his foreskin. Deeply disturbed—ears and noses were often pierced on the Plains, but never that —Kenyen watched Traver carefully remove it, trying his best not to make his chains clank. When the youth held it out to him, Kenyen recoiled a little. Rolling his eyes, Traver grasped his hand and dropped the ring in it, mouthing something. Unable to make sense of it, Kenyen gave up and leaned close.
"Solyn expects me to wear it," Traver breathed. "She'll know you're a shifter without it. You have to wear it."
Face hot with embarrassment, Kenyen reluctantly accepted the metal loop. What kind of a maiden—outkingdom or otherwise—would demand her betrothed wear a ring on his... his...? And I have to wear it, if I'm to be successful at pretending to be this man?
Footsteps overhead warned both of them that the gray-haired elder was returning; hurrying, Traver relaced his trousers, hiding himself once more. Zellan had gone upstairs to sleep a few hours back, and the other man—still
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