Shifter Planet (11 page)

Chapter Fourteen

W
inter was coming. That’s all anyone seemed to want to talk about lately. The fleet had rediscovered Harp in the middle of summer, with the weather mild and the days still long.

Now summer was gone, and fall was drawing to an end, and Amanda found herself sitting in an outdoor café, watching the people of Harp go crazy. At least that’s what it seemed like. Harpers were normally friendly and easygoing, along with very hardworking. They’d made a go of it on the difficult planet and slowly progressed to the point where life wasn’t a constant struggle. The absence of technology, which was enforced by their erratic sun and isolation from the rest of humanity, still kept life at a slower pace, however. And the city of Ciudad Vaquero rolled up the sidewalks when the sun went down, except in summer apparently, when restaurants and stores stayed open a whole hour later.

Which made it even more remarkable that tonight the sidewalks weren’t rolling up at all. It was the last blast before winter, an annual celebration that brought the population out in force. Every restaurant and bar, from the tiniest five-seater to the big restaurant on the edge of the Green was lit up like a laser array. Even the palace up on the hill was glowing. She figured the entire city must have been storing up solar energy all year just to power this one holiday. And that didn’t count the candles burning on every table, carefully shielded within glass pillars in deference to the surrounding forest.

Everywhere she looked there was dancing, drinking and general merriment. The celebration had its origins in the early days of the colony, when winter had meant being cooped inside for months at a time. The fact that this was no longer true had absolutely no effect on the holiday spirit.

“Where’s Fionn?”

She glanced over at Tonio who was sitting across the table from her. His pretty wife, Nadia, sat on his lap, her big pregnant belly dwarfing her diminutive frame. “He’ll be here,” Amanda said. “He’s always late, you know that.”

He snorted. “I don’t know what you see in that guy.”

Nadia laughed gaily and said, “That’s because you don’t have the right equipment between your legs.”

“You’ve never complained about my equipment before.”

She only laughed harder and placed a big wet kiss on his mouth. “I love your equipment, sweetheart.” She placed her hand over his on her swollen belly. “Although if this one doesn’t pop out soon, I might be less fond of it the next time.”

“Fionn’s only a friend,” Amanda said quickly, wanting to set the record straight. When they both looked at her, she changed the subject. “Boy or girl?” she asked Nadia.

“A big shifter boy, by all that’s holy,” Nadia replied, shaking her head. “I swear this child will weigh more than I do by the time he’s born.”

She smiled at the two of them, so happy with their baby shifter on the way.

“There’s his highness now,” Tonio said, nodding behind her.

She looked over her shoulder and saw Fionn walking through the crowd, trailed by the ever-present Nando. She knew the other shifter well enough. He was always friendly when Fionn was around, and politely cool when their paths crossed without him. He was a classic sycophant, and she wondered what Fionn saw in him.

She knew what Nando saw in Fionn, however. He drew the eye of every woman he passed and every man as well. It wasn’t just his looks, it was his personality, and, of course, who he was and what he could do for them. He claimed to grow tired of it. She didn’t believe him. Fionn came to life in a crowd. He loved the attention, regardless of how much he complained about it. She stood up to greet him, shaking her head as he was waylaid yet again by a small group of admirers. Looking around idly as she waited, she caught sight of Rhodry sitting alone at a table on the edge of the café. He had a glass of wine at hand and was reading a book. She glanced over at Fionn, who was still engaged in conversation, then turned quickly to Tonio and Nadia. “I’ll be right back,” she said and walked over to Rhodry’s table.

“Happy whatever you all call this celebration, de Mendoza,” she said in greeting.

He looked up, then tucked his book under one arm and stood, his golden eyes gleaming in the candlelight. He smiled slightly. “We don’t call it anything. We just enjoy the party.”

The waiter came by, and Rhodry handed him some money with murmured thanks.

“Are you still training?” he asked her.

“Of course. I have a lot of catching up to do.”

“So you remain determined to enter the trials,” he concluded, not bothering to mask his disapproval.

“Tell me something,” she said impatiently. “Why are all of you so opposed to me even giving it a try? The worst that can happen is that I’ll fail and prove all of you right. So where’s the downside?”

“Maybe some of us are worried that you’ll get hurt,” he said, his eyes meeting hers solemnly.

She found herself caught in the grip of that golden gaze, unable to look away. Her heart raced, and it was suddenly hard to breathe. She took a step closer and rested one hand lightly on his broad chest.

“Is that why
you
—” she started to say.

“Amanda!” Fionn’s voice carried across the crowds, cutting her off and drawing everyone’s attention, which was probably what he’d intended.

Her head swiveled, her hand slipping away from Rhodry’s chest. She waved. “I’ll be right there,” she called, and turned back…to find Rhodry was gone. If it wasn’t for the faint, leftover sensation of his shirt on her fingertips, she might have thought he’d never been there at all. She searched the restaurant and the trees beyond. There was no sign of him, of course. There wouldn’t be. Not if he’d headed into the forest, which he probably had.

“Damn that man,” she cursed softly. Though, she might as well have been cursing herself. Why couldn’t she let him go? Especially since she’d never had him in the first place. It wasn’t as if Harp had a shortage of beautiful men. So why did she have to go and fixate on the one guy with…
issues
? Whatever the fuck they were.

She sighed in disappointment. She’d hoped to at least thank him again for his help with the weapons master. She’d been practicing with her new bow, and even her unskilled hands could tell the difference between the one the old man had originally given her and the fine piece of craftsmanship she now owned.

And even if she hadn’t trusted her
own
assessment, Fionn’s stunned reaction upon seeing the new bow had told her everything she’d needed to know. Fionn, her good buddy who’d never told her about the master’s shop, even though the old man had confided proudly to her that the Ardrigh and his son bought all of their weapons there.

Amanda had wasted all of two minutes being disappointed in him, and then moved on. Fionn was who he was. And so was Rhodry. Even though he disapproved of what she was doing, he’d stepped in to help her. She figured it had gone against his sense of fair play for the weapons master to cheat her. Just as he’d made a point of proctoring the exam the day she’d taken it. She wanted to believe he did all of these things because he cared about her. If only she could be sure that was it.

“Amanda.” Fionn’s voice was closer, impatient.

“That’s my name,” she said drily, as she turned to greet him. “You’re late.”

“I’m always late, and you love me anyway.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I’m loveable.”

“Not that, you idiot. Why are you always late?”

“You’re in a mood. De Mendoza has that effect on people.”

Expecting to hear another one of Fionn’s charming excuses for his habitual lateness, she was only half listening, still brooding about Rhodry, and about what he’d said.

“Are you worried about me?” she asked Fionn abruptly, pulling him to a stop as they threaded through the crowded restaurant to their table.

“Worried about you how?” he asked in confusion.

“About the trials. Are you worried about me?”

“Not really. I’m convinced you’ll come to your senses long before then.”

“Great. Thanks.”

“Come on,” he said, giving her a hug that included rubbing his face against her neck like a big cat leaving his scent. It was typical shifter behavior for a lover, which he decidedly was not.

“Stop it,” she murmured. He knew she didn’t like when he did that. They weren’t lovers and weren’t going to be in the future, either. He just liked to show off in front of the crowd, letting them think he’d claimed her for himself. Not because she was desirable. Because she was one of a kind, the only Earther female on the planet. A rare collector’s piece to be trotted out and showed off to strangers. She pushed him away firmly. She didn’t want to embarrass him or herself any further.

“You
are
in a mood,” he said, pulling her over to the table and urging her to sit. “Why don’t I get us a drink. Sweeten you up a little.” He didn’t wait for an answer, simply gestured to Nando, and headed off toward the bar, while running the usual gauntlet of well-wishers to get there.

“That could take a while,” Tonio observed.

“Why don’t you help him,” Nadia said, scooting off his lap and onto her own chair. “I could really use a fruit juice, and the waiter is nowhere to be seen.”

“I think Nando can—” Tonio caught the look on his wife’s face. “Sure thing,” he said instead. “You want anything in particular?”

She shook her head. “As long as it’s fresh. You know what I like.”

“Besides me, you mean?”

“Go away.”

Amanda tilted her head curiously at Nadia as he walked away. Nadia knew full well that the waiters would pay plenty of attention to them once Fionn sat at the table.

The other woman smiled at her. “I wanted a minute alone.”

“I figured.”

“Amanda…”

She braced herself for another lecture about why she should give up her pipe dream of Guild membership. It seemed a popular theme tonight.

“I know the guys are all after you to quit,” Nadia said.

“Tonio doesn’t say much.”

“No, he wouldn’t. He’s a sweetie like that. I heard what Fionn just said to you, though, and I know he’s not the only one.”

She didn’t say anything, just waited.

Nadia’s hand stroked over her belly absently. “I just wanted you to know that there are some of us who applaud what you’re doing. Women mostly. We don’t want to join the Guild or anything. We also don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t be able to try. Does the possibility of one woman in their precious Guild threaten them that much? It’s ridiculous.”

While it might have been nicer if Nadia hadn’t felt the need to express her support in secret, she still took heart in knowing that not everyone was against her.

“Wait, you said
mostly
women. Are there shifters who agree—?”

“Oh, no,” Nadia said quickly. “I mean, sure, one or two like Tonio who have a live-and-let-live philosophy in most things. I didn’t mean them. There are a few non-shifter guys who’d like a chance, and they figure you’re blasting through a door they won’t have to open later on.”

She had a moment of panic. This was exactly what she
didn’t
want to happen. The few shifters who didn’t hate her already certainly would if they found out there were other norms who hoped to follow once she’d forged the way.

“Look, Nadia, I’m not trying to change—”

“Good thing, darling,” Fionn drawled, dropping down next to her. “Because my mind’s made up. This is your first Harp celebration, and we’re making the most of it. We’ve got drink,” he said, setting a trio of glasses on the table. “Now we need food, lots of food. I’m starving.”

“What else is new?” Nadia quipped. “You guys are always starving. My little guy isn’t even born yet, and he’s got me eating all the time.”

Amanda sat quietly as her friends ordered the enormous amounts of food shifters routinely consumed. She had other thoughts on her mind tonight. Old worries and new. Mostly thoughts of the coming winter, and of the spring to follow. She had four months until the trials resumed, four months to prepare for the biggest challenge of her life.

And that wasn’t nearly long enough.

Chapter Fifteen

The Year 4669, Earth Reckoning

A
manda leaned against the tree trunk, her cheek crushed to its rough surface, arms outstretched as though to embrace the ancient wood. It was warm against her skin and she closed her eyes, imagining the tree as the living thing it was—sap flowing like blood through its veins, its branches like arms stretched out to the sky, almost touching, always reaching.

“What are you doing, Amanda?”

She jerked upright, startled and embarrassed at being caught unaware. She pushed away from the tree, feeling her face flush. “What do you want, Fionn?”

His laughter drifted down from above, and she tipped her head back trying to find him in the dense clutter of the canopy. The foliage was thick enough, or he was traveling high enough, that she couldn’t see him, and she hadn’t been tuned in to the trees enough to pick up his presence.

“Just passing through, darling,” he teased. “I thought you might have fainted.”

“Very funny,” she said, sitting down to rummage in her pack. There was no point in straining her neck trying to find him if he didn’t want to be found.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready?” His voice drifted from somewhere deep among the trees. “Tonight’s the big night.”

He meant the Founders Ball. The annual celebration to recognize the men and women who’d survived that catastrophic landing, the ones who’d taken on the unknown planet and made it work. It was the rite of spring, a two-day festival that culminated in a huge elegant ball at the Ardrigh’s palace. The ball was the most sought-after invitation of the Harp year, a chance for the ladies to break out their finery for the new season. There would be music and dancing, with servers and footmen and all the beautiful people. Her mother would have loved it. She, on the other hand, not so much.

“Amanda?” Fionn’s impatient voice from above reminded her that he was waiting for an answer.

“You’re the one who should be getting ready,” she said. “Your mother’s probably worried by now,” she added in a mutter, knowing he’d hear it. Shifters had very good hearing.

“She knows I’ll be there,” he replied dismissively. “Besides, there’s plenty of time for me to get dressed. It’s you ladies who need extra time to primp.”

She wasn’t interested, although…she wondered if Rhodry was going to be there. He might be worth a little primping.

“Come on, everyone’s going.”

Would Fionn tell her if
everyone
included Rhodry? Probably not.

There was a crashing noise in the branches of a tree behind her, followed by the unmistakable sound of lethal claws on rough bark. The noise was intentional. Like every other shifter, Fionn could move through the trees in perfect silence when he wanted to. She spun around and waited.

Moments later, he strolled toward her—barefoot, wearing only a pair of baggy cloth pants that hung loosely on his narrow hips. His long, golden blond hair tangled loosely over broad shoulders, and turquoise eyes sparkled with laughter.

She sighed. There was no question that a half-naked Fionn was a lovely sight. So why was she far more interested in seeing a certain other shifter in all of his naked glory? Especially when the chances of that seemed pretty slim.

“So, you’ll be there tonight?” he asked.

“Maybe. It’s not like you’ll be wanting for partners, and I need a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow’s the—”

“The trials,” he interrupted with obvious impatience. “Gods forbid I should forget the precious trials. That doesn’t mean you can’t spend one damn hour dancing with me.”

“Maybe,” she repeated, not at all surprised by his attitude. Fionn would never understand why she was so determined to become a Guild member. After the months she’d spent training, he no longer doubted her determination, and he still didn’t approve. Maybe it was what Rhodry had said, maybe Fionn was worried about her, too. He did care for her in his own self-centered way.

They both looked up as a sudden flurry of birds taking flight had the trees rattling violently. The distinctive eerie wail of a banshee followed, quickly answered by another and another until the forest was alive with the creepy sounds. It was banshees those fleet personnel had been hunting when they’d triggered the catastrophic explosion which had hastened the fleet’s departure. The animals looked somewhat like an Earth monkey, with prehensile tails and long gripping toes. They also had the vicious, ripping teeth and long, knife-sharp claws of a carnivore and their diet was almost exclusively meat.

“Unusual to have a pack so close to the city these days.”

She spun at the sound of Nando’s voice. He’d come up so quietly behind her that she hadn’t noticed, though Fionn would have.

“Amanda,” Nando greeted her politely.

“Hey, Nando. Guess you guys are going hunting.”

Fionn gave a scowling glance upward, and said, “We have to check it out. We’re on perimeter patrol.” He gave her braid a hard tug. A little
too
hard. He was making a point. “Be there tonight, Amanda.”

Before she could protest, he was stripped and shifted, a golden blur of motion as he followed Nando, who was already out of sight. She heard a faint scrape of claws as one of them took to a tree and climbed rapidly, and then nothing.

She stared after them, envying Fionn’s liquid grace, his shifter ability to climb trees as easily as she climbed stairs. She scolded herself for still dreaming the impossible and turned instead to a different dream, one that was about to become reality. So what if she didn’t have a shifter’s fur or claws? The Green spoke to her, and tomorrow she would become the first non-shifter, and the first female, ever to undertake the Guild’s final trials. It was her big day. She had a lot to get done tonight before she slept. And none of it involved putting on a dress and dancing at the Founders Ball.