“The name does translate to ‘large terror,’ ” Dra’Kaedan informed the duke, who was loving all over the appreciative beast.
“Is she really a baby?” Worth asked.
“I would think so,” Rorie responded. “But they do not grow much larger in their base form, so I may be wrong.”
“Base form?” Brogan asked.
“Yes, if angered or protecting their young, they can grow many times bigger to attack,” Rorie explained. “Please, Worth, you must put her down.”
Not appearing happy about it, Worth did as he was told. Instead of the llerka’irro running off, she brushed against Worth’s legs. Rorie bent to shoo her away, and she did just as he feared, morphing into attack mode. Baring her teeth, her blue tongue was visible as she growled at Rorie. The creature went from being barely above his ankle to a being the height of his waist, and he swore his blood froze. No one moved a muscle except for Worth. Either brave or stupid, he rested a hand on her head and crooned to her.
“It’s okay, no one is going to hurt you or me.”
To Rorie’s shock, the llerka’irro glanced at him, then reverted to her normal, tiny size. Worth scooped her up, and she disappeared under his jacket. “How did you manage to tame a llerka’irro while the rest of us sat bored during thesiramenv’airsell nioll?” Rorie demanded.
Worth laughed. “I don’t think I tamed her, but we may have come to an agreement of sorts. I think she likes me. But I probably wet myself when she morphed into a giant fucking lion.”
“What’s with this family and scary damn animals?” Kendrick asked. “First wolves, now something actually named ‘large terror.’ Why can’t you people get guinea pigs or hamsters?”
“I think I’m going to name her Asteria,” Worth remarked, ignoring the incredulity of Rafe’s brother. “Her eyes remind me of stars, and Asteria was the Greek goddess of them.”
“I think that’s an awesome name, and so does Mortis,” Rafe commented.
“Oh good, the wolf approves,” Kendrick retorted with a roll of his eyes. “Can we go taste whatever fancy Fae food Drekkoril has ordered and try not to add any more weird-ass pets to our collection?”
“The wolves are sentinels, not pets,” Alaric argued.
Renny grabbed Rorie’s hand, and they fell into step with the rest of the D’Vaires as they made the short walk back to Sindrell. “I think it’s cute that Worth has adopted a cat, but it’s not going to eat him, is it?”
“If you find nothing but a pile of bones in the morning, do not say I did not warn you. Fae avoid llerka’irros.”
“The same way only one fairy and bemollo have tamed a Faedrekan?”
“I will concede you have a point,” Rorie told him once he’d stolen a kiss. “Will you have a bath with me later? I promise to wash all of you.”
“There they go flirting again like the rest of us are deaf,” Brogan bemoaned.
“Oh hush, let them enjoy themselves,” Saura admonished, and Rorie threw her a grateful smile. The last thing he needed was for anyone to remind Renny of his fears, and Rorie wanted absolute harmony between them.
∞∞∞
“Protector Roriethiel, might I have a word with you?” Sioskallo Kedetyn asked from the doorway of the library.
“Do come in. What is it you want?” Rorie asked. Although he didn’t wish to have an audience with a sioskallo, even one who had been friendly to him in the past, Rorie would not shirk his duty.
“I must speak with you about the rising crime in Sindrell and elsewhere on the Fae realm.”
“You should take your concerns to the Noble Protector,” Rorie stated and was pleased when Renny smiled at him.
Kedetyn walked in and took a seat opposite where Rorie and Renny were sharing a small sofa as they read books. “I must confess I was most hesitant to speak with the Noble Protector, given that it was Volzi and Gonisa who worked tirelessly to gut the prison and military in the first place, but I had an audience with him. He instructed me to come to you.”
“Are you sure?” Alaric asked from across the room where he was sitting with Chander.
“Yes, Lich Sentinel. I spoke with the Noble Protector this morning.”
“What is the problem with the rioell setieons?” Rorie asked.
“The crime rate is soaring, yet we have a depleted force to round up offenders and the only prison left is far from Sindrell. I fear it is crumbling away to nothing while we cannot entice new bemollos to join the setieons. The ones we have are frustrated by how overworked they are and ignore crimes and take bribes. Without such checks and balances in our system, I fear people will increasingly turn dark. Valiant Defender Hibozeth must be grateful for the rise in his population as we race toward lawlessness.”
