Moon Burning - By Lucy Monroe Page 0,42

the soon-to-arrive guards to the other women’s departure.

They rushed toward the alcove, the unfamiliar long skirts getting in Sabrine’s way. “Do you have a plaid from Circin’s youth?”

“He’s still a youth,” Verica grumbled.

Perhaps in this clan, but among her people, a sixteen-year-old male would be well on his way to being trained as a warrior, especially one expected to lead. Sabrine had been fifteen summers when she picked up her first real sword, but she’d been in training and living among the other warriors for years by then. “His plaid would probably fit me without too many extra pleats,” she mused.

Verica stopped dead. “You want to wear my brother’s plaid?”

“You do not expect me to wear this long skirt in battle.”

“We’re going into battle?” Verica’s fear was right there, though she’d made a respectable effort to mask it. However, her determination did not waver.

“I am going into battle. You will take to the sky and act as my eyes.” Sabrine’s damaged wing prevented her from doing her own search of the area. “You must be very careful, but you should be able to spot an assassin hiding amidst the trees.”

“You think Rowland will have a cohort attack Earc for him?” Verica asked, not sounding like it would take any stretch of imagination for her to envision the same.

“I think he’s a puling coward and that sort of man will have an ally in the trees armed with a bow. The cohort will attempt to shoot Earc from a distance and hope to escape in the ensuing confusion.”

“I do not think he will escape Barr’s wrath.”

With that, Sabrine agreed. But Rowland was too stupid and conceited to realize it. “No doubt Rowland believes he and those loyal to him can keep Barr occupied.”

Or, more likely if his cohort was human, he would not care and had no plans to try to protect the other man.

“What will we do?”

“You will find the assassin. You will tell me where he is and I will kill him.”

Verica stared. “You truly are a warrior, aren’t you?” Somehow she must have missed the import of the words exchanged between Sabrine and Brigit, or simply refused to acknowledge them.

Sabrine stood tall and proud, her battle mask dropping over her face. “I am.”

Verica flinched and then rallied. You said you were of the royal line of the Éan. Showing she had some self-protective instincts, Verica had switched to their silent form of communication.

I am.

Is that why we can mindspeak?

Yes. Those of the royal line can do so with all the Éan.

You knew I was a raven, from the beginning.

I did.

But I hid my scent.

Very nicely, too. However, none but our line have hair the color of a raven’s feathers. The blue sheen over black as midnight did not occur among the humans or the wolves they had accepted into their clans.

Oh. I did not know that.

They had both had their instances of ignorance. I did not know any of the Éan lived amongst the clans. She would never have believed they could survive among the wolves so intent on destroying them. Our leaders are unaware of this fact.

We have much to discuss.

Yes, but now, we must save your new mate’s life.

I cannot believe he claimed me for mate just to protect Circin from having to fight Rowland.

Earc is a man of honor, even if he is a wolf.

Verica tilted her head, giving Sabrine an odd perusal. Not all wolves hate the Éan. Surely you realize this, having mated Barr. My father loved my mother very much. Though, in the end, he was not there to protect her from those who did not.

He died for his love, too, didn’t he?

That is what I have always believed. My mother warned me to never let any of the other wolves know of my double animal nature.

She was a wise woman.

She was.

They waited for the soldiers to arrive and take up their post outside Barr’s door before Sabrine used her Éan power over what was perceived to make it possible for her and Verica to duck into the healer’s room.

She rushed to a storage chest against the far wall and shoved it open.

Verica dug through the contents until she raised a plaid triumphantly. “This will fit you better than one of Circin’s plaids, for though you’re tall for a woman, your frame is slighter than his.”

Sabrine stripped out of her current clothes quickly and donned the shorter, more familiar styled plaid.

The healer moved more things around in the trunk until she pulled