Page 85 of Dragon Rogue
Marli swallowed a sob. She couldn’t lose the librarian.
Sten caught up to her as her magic eased the pain in her spine, allowing her to increase her speed again. She still hurt, but no longer enough that it inhibited her ability to fly.
Gliding alongside her, Sten sniffed at her and huffed.
With his proximity, their magics mingled, increasing her regeneration two-fold.
She breathed a little easier, having him at her side.
Chapter 31
As they approached Aeleftheria Nisi, Marli was careful to ensure that they circled and landed together, so as not to alarm the guardians patrolling the skies around the archipelago. The nearest unit accompanied them to the landing tower.
It was already too late. The attack had cost her valuable time in catching up to the librarian, in order to intercept whomever she was going to meet, and she hadn’t seen her land.
She shifted into her human form as soon as her claws touched the stone of the landing platform.
Goddess, it’s good to be home again!
“You just got here. When did you leave again?” Launia, overseer of all guardians, ran out to meet her, snarling. “And where in the hells did he come from?”
“He’s with me. We’re here to stop an infiltrator.” Marli ran toward the change room, grabbing random clothing to dress herself. With nothing appropriate for Stenlen, she tossed him one of the robes that were always kept on hand.
“Infiltrator? Wait? When?”
“They would have arrived right after Red, Zayli and Neliah.”
“You’re the only one that landed here after them. And here you are again.”
“Me? You’re sure?”
“Yes, Marli. I’ve known you your whole life… though…” Launia’s gaze dropped to Marli’s hands. “You didn’t have any nail polish on your fingers.”
“Shape shifter, probably spell work of some kind. Known name is Sam Egan, but we can’t be sure it’s her real name. I have to find out who she’s meeting here.”
“Hey, what’s going on?” Red called as she ran over and grinned. “Bathrobe suites you, Sten, but it’s a bit small.”
“Red, the librarian is here and wearing my face.”
“Fuck. Fuck! She followed us, didn’t she?”
Marli nodded.
“This is real?” Launia asked Red. “A shape shifter?”
“Yes, alert the others without sounding the alarm. I’m going to warn my mother.” Red said as she stripped down and ran off the edge of the launch tower, shifting in mid-air. Catching an air current, she arched toward the citadel’s royal tower.
To Launia, Marli said, “I need to know where she—I—went so I can catch up to her without letting her know that we know she isn’t me.”
“Complicated, but okay. I’ll spread the word among the other guardians. We can cover more ground.” Launia considered Sten. “Sten? The one that attacked us?”
Sten held her gaze. “Yes, ma’am.”
She turned her gaze to Marli, then back to Sten. “You caused a lot of damage that day. If you so much as squish a bug while you’re here, I’ll loose my guardians on you and there won’t be enough of you left for anyone to know you were ever here.”
“Yes, ma’am. Understood.”
“Good. Marli, give him Delia’s pants from the change room. She’s tall. I think they’ll fit.” Her assessing gaze lingered a fraction too long.