Heir of Starlight (Sea of Stars) by Kimberling Nicole

Author:Kimberling, Nicole [Kimberling, Nicole]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Published: 2013-06-25T05:00:00+00:00

Karl felt a rough hand seize his shoulder and his eyes flew open. He hadn’t realized he’d been sleeping. He wouldn’t have thought it would be possible to sleep, but his diurnal orangutan body had needs.

“We have your body. Come quickly.” Lord Wexley stood over him, smiling like a madman. He had a black eye and a ring of dried blood encircled his left nostril. The spare keys to Karl’s apartment dangled from Wexley’s hand.

Karl descended the outside stairs at breakneck pace, easily outstripping Wexley. As he entered the main house via the kitchen door, Karl saw three animal wranglers from the Integrity Foundation waiting in the greatroom beyond. One held a simian leash. “We have everything ready.”

And just like that, the moment had arrived. He would be separated from the orangutan—from the other Karl.

“Can I have a moment to say goodbye?” he signed to Wexley.

“Of course.” He seemed suddenly somewhat deflated. Karl wondered how much of an adventure getting the body back had been.

Karl waited for Wexley to go ahead then focused deep inside. He pictured himself—as he knew his body to look—and also Karl the orangutan. He called to Karl, waking him from deep sleep.

He signed, “You’re going to be set free now.”

Karl seemed confused. He signed, “Where you go?”

“To my own body. Don’t be scared.”

Karl knuckle-walked into the greatroom. Laid out on the sofa, looking placid against slate and ivory brocade upholstery, was a body—his body. It appeared to be unconscious but not visibly hurt. Drake sat on a matching ottoman, fiddling with his rings. The three animal wranglers stood beside the couch, alongside a Foundation physician. Wexley was there as well, speaking quietly but intensely into his phone.

Making legal arrangements, no doubt.

Karl had attended this scene dozens of times, standing by, watching this or that soul become reunited with its flesh in the dead of night. There was always a magician, a physician, a lawyer, and at least one wrangler.

And this time there was also Tom Gantry, who stood behind Drake, peering down at Karl’s body.

“I’m sure I could do it,” Tom was saying.

“I don’t know that this is the right time to practice,” Drake replied.

“It’s not like I haven’t done it before. Madame Gantry instructed me. I have my provisional license.”

“Just because you have a provisional license doesn’t mean you’re any good at working,” Drake returned. “Ah, there he is. We’ll let Karl decide.”

“Decide what?” he signed.

“Shall Tom or I perform your transfer into this fine vessel?” Drake reached down and patted Karl’s body’s shoulder.

Obviously, Karl would have preferred Drake but Tom seemed so hopeful. He’d grown fond of the kid—well, not really a kid—over the last few days.

“What methods do you use?”

“We both use the breath-transfer method,” Tom said. “It’s the oldest and the most humane.”

“So I suppose it’s just a matter of who I’d rather wake up kissing?” Karl was rewarded with a slightly lewd laugh from Wexley, who was still on the phone.

“You could put it that way.” Drake narrowed his eyes slightly at Karl in an assessing fashion Karl had never seen Drake use on him before.

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