Post by Roberta Hadi Atwood on Apr 10, 2015 17:33:53 GMT -5
The heat of spring had not permeated the thick stone of the alpha’s quarters, even with all the doors and windows flung open wide to allow the faintest hint of spring-sweet air to drift inside. Birds chirped just outside in the courtyard and Rob could hear her Ninth killer, Lacy, laughing as she tossed them crumbs of bread. Some had been rolled in dried powdered poisons and she had said she planned to test the potency of her new concoctions before she dashed out with a loaf under one arm. Her laughter mixed sweetly with the chatter of songbirds, although soon it would be replaced with delightful cawing as Lacy reaped the benefits of poisoning her prey.
Roberta sat in a high backed chair, pushed far into the shadows of the room so the roaring blue fire in the hearth would warm her from the lingering winter chill. Especially since, as usual, Rob was wearing a loose silken robe. It was dark blue, and decorated with shimmering gold chrysanthemums and bared far too much of her warm skin to wandering eyes for human tastes. Fortunately only other shifters had come to see her on this day, and while some eyes drifted across her exposed shoulders, thighs, and the gentle curve of her breast, not a single one of her people seemed particularly upset about her attire. And if it seemed lax for an Alpha to dress so scantily she had made up for it wholly by the extravagance of her hair, all curled lavishly about her shoulders with a lock of tarnished brass around her head in a twisted sort of mockery of a human’s crown.
In one hand, Rob held a tall glass of rose hips ices tea that had been carefully infused with flowery oils that had been set alight with cool black fire, a thing that a fire elemental like herself could easily digest. With her other hand, Rob trailed her fingers through her Third Killer’s hair. Kaito was sitting on the stone floor beside her, tuning a harp in his lap and smiling faintly to himself. He wasn’t officially there to protect her, Benny and Albin on either side of her door were there to kill anyone who might aggress her. But it was comfortable to have the bardic Terrka at her side.
”Ah, Benny, is anyone else coming? Or are we done here for the day?” Rob asked as she finally let her hand fall from Kaito’s hair. She uncrossed and recrossed her long legs as she adjusted herself into a more regal position. She had seen many of her people, even though the day was still relatively young but even so, Rob did have other aspects of her work that she had to pay attention to. Specifically, the alliance with humans.
”Give it another half hour, my lady, then I will close the doors,” Benny’s said mildly, though her eyes glimmered with mild amusement.
Roberta sat in a high backed chair, pushed far into the shadows of the room so the roaring blue fire in the hearth would warm her from the lingering winter chill. Especially since, as usual, Rob was wearing a loose silken robe. It was dark blue, and decorated with shimmering gold chrysanthemums and bared far too much of her warm skin to wandering eyes for human tastes. Fortunately only other shifters had come to see her on this day, and while some eyes drifted across her exposed shoulders, thighs, and the gentle curve of her breast, not a single one of her people seemed particularly upset about her attire. And if it seemed lax for an Alpha to dress so scantily she had made up for it wholly by the extravagance of her hair, all curled lavishly about her shoulders with a lock of tarnished brass around her head in a twisted sort of mockery of a human’s crown.
In one hand, Rob held a tall glass of rose hips ices tea that had been carefully infused with flowery oils that had been set alight with cool black fire, a thing that a fire elemental like herself could easily digest. With her other hand, Rob trailed her fingers through her Third Killer’s hair. Kaito was sitting on the stone floor beside her, tuning a harp in his lap and smiling faintly to himself. He wasn’t officially there to protect her, Benny and Albin on either side of her door were there to kill anyone who might aggress her. But it was comfortable to have the bardic Terrka at her side.
”Ah, Benny, is anyone else coming? Or are we done here for the day?” Rob asked as she finally let her hand fall from Kaito’s hair. She uncrossed and recrossed her long legs as she adjusted herself into a more regal position. She had seen many of her people, even though the day was still relatively young but even so, Rob did have other aspects of her work that she had to pay attention to. Specifically, the alliance with humans.
”Give it another half hour, my lady, then I will close the doors,” Benny’s said mildly, though her eyes glimmered with mild amusement.