Chained (Brides of the Kindred) by Evangeline Anderson Page B

will start talking about you if you don’t
get there soon.”
    “Oh, all right.” Maggie sighed. “We’ll
go.”
    “Of course. But first we have to change.”
He looked at her speculatively. “I wonder how you’ll look in the spa clothes
packed by my ex-mistress?”
    “I don’t even want to think about it,”
Maggie ate another piece of the purple banana oatmeal fruit. “She’s so skinny
and I’m so…not.”
    “You’re certainly much more curvaceous.” Kor’s
eyes roved over her body appreciatively. “Is that one of her gowns you’ve got
on now?”
    Maggie looked down at the green gown she
was dying to get out of. “Yes. She said she wore it last season before she went
on a diet.”
    “Well I’m sure you fill it out better than
she ever did. You’ll do the same for all of her clothes.”
    “If I can fit into them!” Maggie shook her
head. She really wasn’t looking forward to this at all. Trying to take her mind
off the clothing situation, she ate another bite of oatmeal fruit. If only she
could just stay here and study the plants and their tiny animal inhabitants…oh
well, maybe later.
    She just hoped Lady Pope’nose had packed
something a little more reasonable and modest than the dress she was currently
wearing.

 

Chapter Nine

 
    “The time of
reckoning approaches.” Xandra the swamp witch stirred her caldron. An arctic
blast came from the bubbling, pale purple mixture—the cold of pure hate which
she poured into her brew.
    Burning red eyes rose
to the surface of her pot, staring at her.
    “Is that so, wife?
And where is our son? What do you see with your third eye?” demanded a deep,
inhuman voice.
    “The human girl has
rescued him.” The witch frowned. “She has named him and claimed him—she calls
him Kor which means ‘hope’ in the ancient tongue.”
    “All that is
irrelevant,” the Shadow Demon rumbled. “He will come when you call him by his
true name—the one you gave him as a babe. Therron.”
    “First his deepest
and most painful memories must be reawakened.” The witch smiled. “But that is
easily remedied—they are going to enter a remembrance pool.”
    “Good.” The burning
eyes blazed brighter. “Once the seed of pain and hate is planted, it can begin
to grow. He will find his way back to us, my wife. Therron will come. And when
he does…”
    “I will have my
revenge,” she finished grimly.
    “You will have more
than revenge,” promised the Demon. “Therron is the perfect vessel. When he
comes, I will be flesh again.”

 
 
    * * * * *
    “What do you mean, Maggie is missing?”
Nina demanded
    “Just what I said, doll.” Kat’s face on
the viewscreen looked worried. “Ferna and Ratner had to send her to Yonnie Six
in their place and she should have been back by now.”
    “Oh, poor Maggie.” Nina put a hand to her
eyes. “She’s so accident prone! What do they think could have happened to her?”
    Kat shook her head. “Not sure. Ferna hopes the deal with Pope’nose is just taking longer than expected. But she’s
afraid something’s wrong. Maggie has their communication code memorized and she
was supposed to call if anything happened but so far, no word from her.”
    “Well, maybe she is just taking her
time with the deal.” Nina felt a surge of hope. “Maggie’s a smart girl, even if
she is a little impractical at times.”
    “You’re probably right. I just wanted to
keep you informed because I know you two got close on the Mother Ship.” Kat
smiled at her. “Speaking of close, how is bonded life treating you? Is Reddix
behaving himself? Are you keeping him in line?”
    “Oh, he…” Nina’s cheeks got hot and she clutched
the short silk robe she was wearing tighter around herself. “He’s fine—really.
He’s, uh, behaving just fine.”
    “Uh-huh.” Kat cocked one auburn eyebrow at
her. “Okay, well, I get the feeling I might have interrupted something so I’ll
let you get back to it.”
    “Oh, no,