Altered Destiny by Shawna Thomas Read Free Book Online Page B

he’d been playing with the kittens when she walked in, the mother cat watching from a distance.
    “Is he better?”
    “Yes.”
    “Why don’t you like him?” Oren asked between bites.
    Selia sat down on the edge of the bed. “It’s not that I don’t like him. He’s, well you know, he’s a Svistra.”
    Oren nodded and took a big bite.
    “Svistra are dangerous,” she continued.
    “But not Jaden. He’s my friend,” Oren mumbled around the food in his mouth.
    “Remember the bobcat we brought in last fall?”
    Oren smiled. “Yeah, Jemima didn’t like that much.”
    “No she didn’t. Do you remember what happened when the bobcat got well?”
    Oren’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “You think Jaden will do that? He’s not a bobcat. He’s a person.”
    “He’s not like us.”
    “I know. He’s been lots of places and knows lots of stuff.”
    She let out a long breath. Oren wasn’t going to budge. “Promise me you’ll be careful?”
    “If you promise me you’ll be nicer. I think you’re wrong about Jaden.”
    Better wrong on the side of safety, especially with a Svistra. She nodded. “Promise.”
    Oren stretched. “I am feeling better. Really I am. Just the cough. I’ll help you with the customers tonight.”
    Selia hesitated. It had been busy. As the locals recovered from their maladies, they arrived earlier and stayed at the tavern longer to hear the rumors of a full-blown war with the Svistra. Though the number of soldiers hadn’t increased, their attitudes had changed. She couldn’t miss the atmosphere of expectation. She eyed Oren then nodded. “But I’ll take supper to the Svistra. I don’t want you going out in the cold night air.”
    “Okay. But his name is Jaden.”
     
    His hands laced under his head, Jaden stared at the darkness above him as he lay on his bed of dried grasses. Selia hadn’t been in a talkative mood. Not that he could blame her—she was preoccupied, and the scent of worry hung on her like a shroud. She’d said Oren was well and would bring his dinner the following night. He heard the news with mixed feelings. Oren’s simple nature was a joy to be around, but he’d liked speaking with the female barkeep. Maybe too much.
    If he angled his head just right, he could see the night sky through the gaps between slatted boards of the barn roof. The Svistra read their future in the stars. He moved his gaze to the now-familiar rough wooden walls that were his sanctuary and prison. His future appeared as hidden as the stars in the overcast sky. The wall next to him bore fourteen small slashes, one for each day he spent under the rafters. He supposed he’d missed a few days when he was unconscious, but either way, he’d been here too long.
    Had it been the human’s god, Trickster, or the Blind Weaver who had put him in Selia’s path? Perhaps it was the Nameless One, the dark god, and the meeting was a portent to both of their deaths.
    He sighed. She’d brought him another book. When he’d handed back the first volume and thanked her for letting him read it, her eyes had widened but she hadn’t said anything.
    He reached for the leather-bound book, enjoying its solidity and the anticipation of what he’d find between the covers. He could read it tonight even by the dim light, but he preferred to wait until morning. It occupied his mind and kept him from jumping every time a horse neared the tavern. He could now outrun any pursuit, but Selia would be left to explain his presence, and that was unthinkable.
    Jaden sat, then slowly stood, fighting the dizziness. She and Oren had done a good job and his body was healing, but a familiar hunger grew. Human food was not enough. And his presence here was putting them both in more danger than they understood.
    In saving his life, Selia had created a bond not even he could break; he would repay the kindness whether she knew of it or not.
    With care, he walked down the corridor between the stalls, stopping to pat Jemima’s