Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Biting her lip, she brought her second knee up and then, moving as slowly and gently as she could, she at last was able to reach the crystal.
Just before she touched it though, she remembered Commander Sylvan saying it was dangerous for a woman to touch the crystal with bare skin. She looked around for something to wrap around her hand, but there was nothing. Well, other than the silver sheets the Emperor was laying on, but she couldn’t steal those.
What about a pillow case? The old man was propped up on a large puffy pillow with a golden embroidered case but there were several smaller pillows on the bed as well. Phoebe examined a few of them but the pillowcases, which were embroidered with gold and silver thread, were sewn on. So there was no choice—she was just going to have to grab it.
Reaching over the old Emperor’s head, she snatched the crystal and held it tight in her fist. She half expected it to burn her but other than a light tingling sensation in her fingers and palm, there were no ill effects.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Phoebe was about to climb back off the bed when a cracked voice said,
“So, have you come to steal from me…or kill me?”
27
SIREX
Sirex was not having the best time. His mount, Gerrr, had a mind of his own and he didn’t have any intention of listening to instructions.
Riding a fire drake was easy compared to this! he thought, yanking on the long leather reins again to try and turn the wayward gallumpher back towards the pack.
With a fire drake, you just had to look the beast directly in its eyes and assert your will. Once you formed a psychic connection and the drake acknowledged you as dominant, you simply climbed on its back and it took you wherever you told it to go. Since Sirex was naturally extremely dominant, this had presented no difficulty at all—he had tamed the drake he’d ridden in mere minutes.
But it was different with the gallumpher. The beast he was riding had no intention of going where he told it to and there was no way to form any kind of connection to it. In fact, its main emotion seemed to be irritation that it had to carry him on its back.
At present they were soaring through the air—something he would have very much enjoyed, (he loved flying)—if they had been going in the right direction. But the main group of gallumphers was flapping away to the east while Gerrr was taking him to the west.
“Heel! Turn! Come about, you stubborn beast!” Sirex tugged uselessly on the reins. For some reason his mount was determined to leave the group behind.
After a little while, he found out why. As Gerrr gave a high, shrieking cry it was answered by an ululating warble. A moment later, a smaller gallumpher with shiny blue feathers and a pink beak flew into view. It clattered its beak at Gerrr, who snapped and clattered his beak back.
Abruptly Sirex remembered what the stable boy had said about Gerrr wanting to seek out the wild gallumphers for mating. Seven Hells! If he didn’t do something quickly, he was going to be in the middle of the mating dance of two huge sky predators!
“Gerrr! No!” he roared, tugging on the reins again.
But it was useless. His mount was already diving to meet the blue female who was lifting her wings enticingly and showing him flashes of a red underbelly with a pulsing purple slit.
Sirex had a feeling he was going to be up here, soaring through the pink sky, for a long, long time…
28
PHOEBE
“Well? Why have you come to me? Are you an assassin sent by Thruck?”
The old Emperor stared up at Phoebe, blinking his faded blue eyes.
“No, of course not!” she exclaimed. “I’m not here to hurt you—I swear!”
“Then you’re a thief! Come to steal from my private collection,” he accused her in a cracked, wavering voice.
Phoebe couldn’t exactly disagree. She was holding The Finger of the Goddess in one hand, so it was kind of obvious.
“Not steal exactly. I’m here to recover an artifact that rightfully belongs to the Kindred,” she told him. “It came from their very first home planet called First World. I’d be happy to buy it back from you, if you’ll sell it to me,” she went on quickly. “My partner, er, Master, has an unlimited line of credit—we can pay whatever you ask.”
The faded blue eyes looking up at her suddenly softened.
“If you would pay me, then pay me with my freedom,” he begged hoarsely.
“Your freedom?” Phoebe asked, frowning. Then she looked down at the soft restraints tying his wrists together. “Do you want me to untie you?”
The old Emperor nodded eagerly.
“Please! But first take this damn needle out of my arm! Thruck has me hooked up to an aging drip—he’s been sucking my life away for months now!”