Guess Who: Stoneriver

"This is scarcely what I would call private," Kady observed.

They stood in the entrance to the Music Chamber, a large cabaret and canteen maintained to keep the students and holy-assassins-in-training to the nethergod Hadjys the Dark Judge on campus until the priests could ascertain whether the deity would confirm them or not.

A harpist accompanied by two myn on dulcimers and one on a harpsichord filled the cabaret with music.

A wide variety of seating filled the Music Chamber, Booths lined the walls, long trestle tables filled the south end and round tables the north.

A mon in an emerald and umber uniform greeted them. "Will you require a menu?"

"Lycan menus. My lady does not read Creeyan. Is there a balcony table available?"

"There's two free at the moment. One overlooking the Lover's Garden and one with an east view."

"We'll take the north one." Stoneriver offered Kady his arm and she laid her hand upon it as Cahira had instructed her.

The host snatched two menus smoothly from a counter and led them to the north side, and through an elegant carved door onto a balcony. The balcony�

"Wine?" the host asked as he laid the menus on the table, and held Kady's seat for her.

"What is your preference, Lady Maguire? Red or white?"

"Red."

Stoneriver nodded. "A bottle of Tovantè Red, preferably 1057."

"A fine year. Shall I bring a tray of appetizers as well?"

Kady nodded. "I'm famished."

When the wine and appetizers arrived, Kady filled her plate from the platter with such alacrity that Stoneriver chuckled. "Lady Maguire has an appetite."

Kady blushed. "I'm eating for two and it seems like I'm always hungry."

"Ah, I understand completely. When is the cub due?"

"Mid-Summer." Kady bit into an interesting looking pastry which proved to be fresh trout in a thick creamy sauce. "I do know a few words of Creeyan."

"Which ones?" Stoneriver sipped his wine and watched her eat with a bemused smile.

Kady blushed again. She had not expected him to ask that. "Swear words mostly. My husband uses them when he doesn't want people to know they're being insulted."

"Smart mon." Stoneriver laughed; a rich resonant sound that Kady liked instantly. "So tell me what's happening in Red Wolf."

"The Butchering Serpent killed my husband's father."

Stoneriver paced the parlor of his suite reading a report from the stack on his table. As soon as he had escorted Lady Maguire to her rooms, Stoneriver had put in an expedited request for reports concerning events in and around Red Wolf for the past year. Queiggy the head clerk had gotten them to him in less than an hour.

If there was a pattern to what was going on, Stoneriver had not found it yet. He scratched idly at the thick black hair on his chest. He wore only his soft wool trousers.

A soft knock came at his door. Stoneriver set the report down and answered it.

Larena Wiggins stood there in a filmy dressing robe over a lacy negligee. "May I come in?"

Stoneriver felt tempted to slam the door in her face, reconsidered, and called it research. "By all means, Miss Wiggins."

Larena sashayed over to his couch and settled on it, wiggling a bit as if trying to get comfortable. One shoulder of her robe slipped off, flashing him a view of her nipple which the sheer fabric could not conceal.

I've seen better. He turned his back on her, heading for a cabinet as he felt the old rage and resentment start to sour in his stomach. "Wine, Miss Wiggins?"

"Whiskey. And call me Larena."

"Larena. Right." He returned with a bottle of single malt Cair Dairmud. Stoneriver sat down in his favorite chair, unwilling to sit elsewhere despite the fact that it put him closer to her than he wanted to be. He poured for both of them.

Larena turned the bottle around to see the label. "You've got expensive tastes."

"Why are you here?"

"To get to know you better." Larena's eyes scanned the lush furnishings. "You must be a lord or something."

"Or something." Stoneriver's finger described an impatient circle on the chair arm. It's hard to believe that you're Lady Maguire's sister.

Larena flicked the tie to her robe open.

Stoneriver tried to ignore it, focused on her face rather than her breasts, but the hungry bitch look in her eyes infuriated him. "How was your shopping?"

"I bought this today. Do you like it?"

"I suppose."

That must have been the wrong thing to say, because Larena threw herself between his outstretched legs and buried her face in his crotch. All of his restraints snapped in a surge of wrath. He threw her to the floor and pounced on her snarling. "I'll give you what you want, slut. Then you'll answer my questions."

Larena screamed.

The hulking creature that mounted her was neither human nor lycan. Covered in coarse black hair, the light-tipped guard hairs gave the beast a grizzled appearance. Wicked teeth filled the long snout on its terrible broad head. The paws that gripped her shoulders had heavy claws that could rip the bark from tree trunks.

GODWAR CENTRAL

Guess Who: Stoneriver