Strife In The Sky (Book 7) by Craig Halloran Page B

you aren’t sleeping well, are you?” He glared at Samaz. “It’s his fault. Every time he says weird things, you’re unsettled for days.” He pointed to Samaz. “I should take you out and give you a good throttling.”
    Samaz huffed a laugh and said, “Don’t forget what happened the last time you attempted that.”
    Rerry popped up out of his seat.
    “That was years ago!” He whisked a small dagger from his belt. It flashed and twirled in the air. “I’ve gotten bigger and stronger, while you’ve gotten fatter and slower.”
    “Enough of this, please,” Sasha said, rising from her seat.
    “Mother,” Rerry said, taking her by the hand, “I’m sorry. Let me fetch you some Wizard Water. It will refresh you.”
    She pulled away, crossed the room, and stood in front of a mirror that hung over the fire. She noticed something. What is that? She rubbed the winkles in the corners of her eyes. I have crow’s feet! Her head dipped into her chest. She was almost fifty now, and she felt like a hundred. She made her way over to Bayzog’s grand table, a great circle made of elven wood inlaid with precious things such as topaz, sapphires, onyx, emeralds, silver, and gold.
    “What are you doing, Mother?” Rerry said. “Are you going to give us a lesson?”
    “No,” she said, grabbing one of Bayzog’s ancient books. 
    “No?” Rerry looked back at his brother. Samaz had a concerned look on his round face.
    “Why don’t you go play with your sword or something?” she suggested.
    “But,” Rerry said, “you never want me to play with my swords.”
    Sasha didn’t hear what he said. She was thumbing through the pages.
    There must be a way to get rid of these wrinkles.

 
    CHAPTER 27
     
     
    “He’s exquisite, isn’t he?” High Priestess Selene said from her backless throne chair.
    Kryzak shrugged his wide shoulders. In his heavy hand he held a large yellow stone that swirled with mystic energy.
    In between her and Kryzak stood Gorlee. The changeling wore dark grey robes that covered everything but his head, hands, and wrist. His pinkish skin and white hair intrigued Selene. In all of her centuries, she’d never encountered a changeling before, so far as she knew. She knew of them, but like most, she knew little about them. The changelings were even more introverted than the dragons. She tapped her fingertips together and showed a wolfish smile.
    “I can’t imagine why this creature would aid Nath Dragon,” she said, “but I’ll understand soon enough.” Her eyes ran up and down Gorlee. “Like finding a diamond in the sewer.” She rose from her chair, made her way down the steps, and studied Gorlee. He stood tall but listless as an empty vessel. His face was well-featured, his frame lithe but well-knit. His pale green eyes sparkled with intelligence and curiosity, but the fires that had ignited them with derision toward her were gone. “Do you understand me?”
    Gorlee nodded.
    She rubbed his arms with her hand and caressed his body with her tail.
    “Do you have a name?”
    He shook his head.
    “Do you have a tongue?”
    He shook his head again.
    “Speak,” she demanded. “Do you have a tongue?”
    “Yes,” he said in a soft voice as polished as stone.
    “What are you?”
    “A changeling,” he answered.
    “But you don’t know your name?”
    “I cannot recall it.”
    She glared at Kryzak and said, “I hope you did not overdo it.”
    He held out the bright yellow stone.
    “The Chamal Stone has a mind of its own.”
    Selene turned her back on Kryzak and faced Gorlee.
    “Change into an orc.”
    “A what?” Gorlee said.
    Selene’s eyes flared and her fists clenched.
    “He doesn’t even remember what an orc is?”
    She spun Gorlee toward Kryzak.
    “Change into him!”
      Gorlee’s pale eyes narrowed to slits, and his body changed and contorted. In seconds, he was a mirror image of Kryzak, but in different robes.
    “Excellent!” She clapped her hands. “You’re going to need