Read Online The Shapechangers by Jennifer Roberson - Free Book Online Page B

mount. His eyes were flat and hard. “You remain with us.”
    “You cannot force me to stay!” she said angrily. “I have listened to your words, and I respect them, but I will not go with you. My home is with my father.”
    “Your home is with your father’s people.”
    Alix felt herself grow cold. Without thought she had spoken of Torrin, but the clan-leader reminded her, in a single sentence, she was no longer a simple Homanan croft-girl.
    She steadied her breath with effort. “I want to go with Carillon.”
    His hawk earring swung as he shook his head. “No.”
    Finn laughed at her. “You cannot wish to leave us so soon,
rujholla.
You have hardly learned our names. There is much more for you to learn of the clan.”
    “I am still half Homanan,” she said steadily. “And free of any man’s bidding save my father’s.” She challenged Duncan with a defiant glance. “I will go with Carillon.”
    The prince moved beside her, setting a possessive hand on her shoulder. “By your own words you have said she is my cousin. Iwill have her with me in Homana-Mujhar, You cannot deny her that.”
    Finn raised his brows curiously. “Can we not? Your fates were decided in Council last night, while you slept. It was my position we should keep you both, forcing you to see we are not the demons you believe, but I was overruled. My
rujholli
would have you returned safely to your uncle, who will send guardsmen to strike us down.” He shrugged. “Some even believed you would be won to the belief we are only men, like yourself, did you spend time with us, but I think you would only plan to harm us how you could.” Finn smiled humorlessly. “What would you have done, princeling, had you stayed with us?”
    Carillon’s fingers dug into Alix’s shoulder. “I would have found my escape, shapechanger, and made my way back to Mujhara. You have the right of it. I would aid my kinsman in setting troops after you.”
    “At the risk of her life?” Finn asked softly.
    Alix shivered. Carillon’s hand dropped to his sword hilt. “You will not harm her, shapechanger.”
    “We do not harm our own,” Duncan said coldly. “But does Shaine bid his men spare the life of a single Cheysuli? They are not discriminating men. If you allow them to follow us and attack, you risk the girl.”
    “Then let me go,” Alix said. “Perhaps the Mujhar would not send his troops.”
    “Alix!” Carillon said sharply.
    Finn grinned cynically. “Do you see,
meijha
, what manner of man your princeling is? Yet he would have you believe
we
are the bloodthirsty demons. I say it was the Homanans who began the
qu’mahlin
and the Homanans who perpetuate it. It was none of Cheysuli doing.”
    “No more of this!” Alix cried. “No more!”
    Carillon stepped from her and drew his sword hissing from its sheath. He stood before them with the massive blade gleaming, clenched in both hands. Alix saw the ruby wink redly in the sunlight, then drew in her breath. Down the blade ran runic symbols very similar to those on Duncan’s bow.
    “You do not take her,” Carillon said softly. “She comes with me.”
    Finn crossed both arms over his chest and waited silently, armbands flashing in the light. Alix, frozen in place, felt an odd slowing of time. Carillon stood next to her with blade bared, feet planted, his size alone warning enough to any man. Yet Duncan stood calmly before the weapon as if it did not concern him in the least.
    Her skin contracted with foreboding.
Will I see a man die this day because of me?
She swallowed heavily, wishing she could look away and knowing she could not.
Lindir’s actions set the purge into motion; if I am truly her daughter, does this not add to it?
    Duncan smiled oddly. “You had best recall the maker of that blade, my lord.”
    Finn’s teeth showed in a feral smile. “A Cheysuli blade ever knows its first master.”
    Alix looked again at the runes on the sword, transfixed by their alien shapes and the implications of