Taking a StrollAs Lizbeth came down the stairs, Alachia grabbed her arm and dragged her to the front door. "Come along, daughter dear. It's been quite a few millennia since we've had a chance to speak."
"And now that the kids are all out the house and Father and Avon are visiting Lord Draco," Lizbeth said dryly, "you want to speak now. I've done quite well without you all these years mother."
Leading Lizbeth outside the grounds and towards town, Alachia said, "Allowing our home planet to be blown up and scattering my family to the forty-two corners of the universe? Yes, you're handling things
quite well."
"I sense sarcasm," Lizbeth said. "Although, I can't imagine why. You disappeared. For all I knew, you were dead and your family wanted nothing to do with me or mine."
"And yet you returned the favor to Dragon after she blew up home from what I understand," Alachia said. "Do not look so surprised. I'm not so old that I can't figure out a computer--especially one that has been programmed to answer any question you put to it."
Lizbeth sighed. After a few minutes, she said, "Even before your sudden disappearance, mother, our 'girl talks' usually involved you having me do something. Let's stop the bs and get to the point--what do you want?"
"Your father will not admit to it and I doubt even Avondale knows of it," Alachia said, "but a war is about to break out between the Old Gods and those like your father who follow Draco. You need to take Broden and Dragon to the Crystal Islands."
"If there's war, shouldn't all of the Dynasty household go?" Lizbeth asked skeptically.
Poking Lizbeth's temple, Alachia said, "Think, child. What have I told you about the Crystal Islands?"
"They are the homelands of your clan," Lizbeth said. "The...no. No. I will not split my family like that and I do not think that Dragon will allow it."
"She has no say in the matter!" Alachia replied. "If someone has less than a third of mermaid blood in them, they will be flayed alive and left to die on Salt Beach. Dragon herself may not even qualify with that vile Taint in her!"
Taking a step away from Alachia, Lisbeth said, "I do not believe you about the war."
"It's no lie!" Alachia said. "I saw it with my own eyes!"
"You were insane when we found you!" Lizbeth shot back. "What you saw could have only been an hallu--"
Grabbing Lisbeth's arms and pulling her close, Alachia whispered a single name in her daughter's ear. Letting Lisbeth go, Alachia stood back and surveyed the shocked and frightened look on her daughter's face. "It was no hallucination."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers"The man who did that to her," Annamarie said, pointing at Flan, "turned me into a kitsune. Next thing I know, I'm...this....nine tailed...furry thing."
When I was dangerously sick and pregnant with you, Flan said
[1] weakly without opening her sightless eyes,
he mucked with your genetic makeup.Surprised, Annamarie said, "What? Why?"
The man is insane, Flan replied, opening her sightless eyes and sitting up with a wince. To Rose, she said,
It is important that no one touch her. Can you clear the room?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back HomeAlong the trip home, Broden realized that n** had fallen asleep. Working quickly, he grabbed a syringe from inside his jacket and stuck it into n**'s neck. As her eyes fluttered open, Broden depressed the syringe and injected n** with a silver liquid.
"What the hell did you do to me?" n** asked.
"I paralyzed you from the neck down," Broden said. "You're not yourself, n**. And until we get back home to have you scanned, I'd feel better if you were unable to move."
As he was still leaning over n**, Broden was close enough to see her orange eyes turn to black. The odd underlying scent he had been smelling since n** boarded the ship suddenly became stronger.
"You shouldn't have done that," n** said.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minute Changes 2"I'll be right back," Wolf said, loping off to where the rest of the pack was.
"Larkin?" Shalimar asked the golden wolf.
"Yes it's me," the wolf replied. "Bottom jaw and all."
"But...how?" Shalimar asked. "Aunt Nogard tore that off."
"I'm not sure myself," Larkin said. "Although, I would venture to guess it's got something to do with father's bloodline." Narrowing her eyes, she added, "And it's changed you too. Change."
"What, why?" Shalimar asked.
"Just do it," Larkin said.
"Well...okay," Shalimar replied. As she began to transform, Shalimar winced painfully as her body began to take on a
new form.
Community Member