Chronicle of the King's Blades #03 - The Jaguar Knights by Dave Duncan

Author:Dave Duncan [Duncan, Dave]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780061809774
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2004-06-29T22:00:00+00:00

2

The Widow Hermione had no need to hire a bouncer. “Who do you think my girls are, anyway?” she asked Lynx. “In a town this size? They’re daughters, sisters, and wives, making a little extra when a ship comes in. Anyone starts trouble, I just whistle for the local men.”

Lynx turned on his most winsome smile. “You’re from Grandon, aren’t you? Somewhere near the Elmbrook? I know your accent.”

The Widow Hermione thawed slightly. “After all these years?”

He said, “Oh, it can’t have been very many years…”

It had been very many, but not too many, and she did get lonely sometimes, among all the foreigners. She let Lynx dry himself at her fire. He sort-of-accidentally let her glimpse his scars. She was appalled, so he had to explain how he had lost his ward and must go in search of her, even if it took him the rest of his life. He had always been good at getting along with people, and when Hermione turned out the last of Lady Polly’s crew at dawn and sent the girls home, she offered him a place to sleep.

She was intrigued to discover that bound Blades did not sleep.

When the wind dropped, a few days later, and Lady Polly sailed away northward, Lynx remained, making himself useful, by day and by night. His toes, fingers, and teeth ached. His nails seemed darker and thicker. His hair and beard began falling out, making way for fur. Wolf had been right, telling him he must not wear the plaque, but he could not take it off now. Even when he romped with Hermione, he just turned the thong around and wore the pendant on his back. He could not bring himself to remove it, no matter what it was doing to him. It would be like cutting his heart out. Besides, he needed it to lead him to Celeste.

By the end of the first week he was having trouble forcing his feet into his boots. Death and fire!

He genuinely enjoyed Hermione. What she lacked in agility she made up for in experience, and she was still more voluptuous than blowsy. She enjoyed him too, for company and sex—neither of them called it making love. She was discreet as only a village madam could be, but she was also smart enough to notice the changes in him. They frightened her, naturally. He promised he would go away the moment she asked him to. Fortunately, Hermione was very fond of cats. Unfortunately, every cat she owned disappeared rather than share the house with an apprentice jaguar.

How long until people noticed that his hands were turning into paws?

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