“I think I’d better not. I’m worried that you might come down without using the stairs.”
Syrill grimaced. “It’s not such a bad alternative.”
“To what?”
“He won’t even see me, Lexis.”
“Meuril, you mean?”
“He says that he will never see me again.” Syrill covered his face with his hands. “You,” he growled, “you sent Ounce to Selbis to keep me from getting killed!”
“Guilty as charged.” Lexis stretched out the other paw behind him.
“Why?” demanded Syrill. “It would have made everything so much simpler.”
“Simpler maybe, but not better. Do you know what Meuril is going to do with you?”
Syrill drew in a deep breath. “I heard today that he’s planning to make me—” he swallowed, “ambassador to Filinia.” He glanced sharply at Lexis, but the blue eyes looked back without a flicker. “Go ahead and laugh,” snapped Syrill. “All of Laven-lay will. He’s exiling me! To Filinia of all places! Don’t you see? He’s inviting you to kill me.”
Lexis did smile then. “Oh, for the last time: I’m no one’s executioner. Meuril is not inviting me to assassinate you, although I’m sure some shelts will think so. Assigning you to Filinia was my idea.”
Before Syrill could think of anything to say, Lexis continued, “Now stop wallowing in self-pity and guilt, and listen: I need your help. Many fealidae want to come live in Filinia, and I have reservations about how this will work. I’m not at all accustomed to dealing with shelts in my court, and some cats are hostile to the idea. Shelts instinctively trust and follow you, Syrill. That’s why you were so valuable to Meuril, why you’re still valuable to me.”
Syrill sniffled. “They follow me because I lead the way. I stupidly charge ahead when a more thoughtful shelt would stand back.”
Lexis purred a laugh. “Perhaps.”
“I still think some random cat will kill me, even if you don’t.”
Lexis bent his head and rubbed his nose hard against Syrill’s shoulder and the back of his head. In cat parlance, it was a highly significant gesture—scent marking that said to all who could read it: mine. “There,” said Lexis critically, “now no cat will raise a paw to you, at least for a day or so while they’re getting used to the idea.”
He rose. “What do you say, councilor?”
Syrill looked down at the city a few moments longer. Then he sighed and struggled to his feet. He seemed to have something stuck in his throat for a moment. “Yes, sir.”
Lexis chuckled. “Well, you didn’t choke on that as badly as I expected, but, still, just call me Lexis.”
* * * *
On the Sky Walk with their backs to the glowing colors of Danda-lay, Corry and Archemais stood looking out over the stretch of darkness. Dragon and Wanderer stood like colored festival lamps in the star-dusted sky, and Runner was just peaking over the horizon. Finally Corry reached into his pocket and opened his hand. There lay the flute, a glossy shell of translucent gold, catching the lights of the city.
“So,” said Archemais. “You chose.”
Corry nodded. “I have to go away tomorrow. I don’t know where I’m going. I don’t know when I’m going. How long do wizards live, Father?”
Archemais shrugged. “We don’t age like shelts, but we can die of illness or violence. Iterations do age, but more slowly than shelts. If you’re asking whether I’ll be alive where you’re going, the answer is: probably, but I don’t know.”
“There are so many things I wanted to ask you,” said Corry, “so many things I wanted to talk about, but I was stupid and angry, and I didn’t, and now there’s no time.”
“There’s tonight,” said his father.
Corry gripped the wall. Already he was feeling the weight of secrets he wanted to share and couldn’t. “There’s going to be a huge uproar tonight or tomorrow.” Whenever they find the body. “I’m not sure how long we’ll have to talk.”
“Well then,” said his father, “let us make good the time we have.” And they did.
Thank you for reading the Prophet of Panamindorah Series!
Recommended Reading Order is:
Fauns and Filinians
Wolflings and Wizards
Fire and Flood
Crossroads (short story collection)
––––––––
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed this story! You might also enjoy the short story collection “Crossroads.” It includes stories about Lexis, Sevn, Gabalon, Hualien, Syrill, and more. Caution: two of those stories are more adult than the main series (they have sex in them).
The Guild of the Cowry Catchers and Refugees are more adult series set in the world of Panamindorah. The Crossroads collection includes one story about those characters. Check it out and see if you’re interested.
If you’re not in the market for stories with sex in them, check out Hunters Unlucky. It’s an animal epic set in a different universe, although I have written one cross-over story (“Awake,” available as a stand-alone). If you liked Prophet, you’ll probably like Hunters. I personally think it’s some of my best and most original work.
I may write more about the Prophet characters eventually. If you want a heads up when that happens, sign up for my mailing list. I usually offer an exclusive, free short story, although it’ll probably involve my most recent novel. Click the link for more details.
http://eepurl.com/i_pYX
Yours,
Abbie
Glossary
blue month: one cycle of blue moon, usually 30 to 90 days.
Canisaria: native country of wolves and wolflings.
cowry catchers: manatee shelts.
Danda-lay: cliff faun capital.
Diven-rah: a ruin, old shelt capital of Filinia.
fauns: shelts with hooves, e.g. wood faun (deer shelt), swamp faun (goat shelt), cliff faun (sheep shelt), shavier (pegasus shelt).
fealidae: cat shelt, also plural.
Filinia: native country of cats.
Iron Mountain: centaur capital.
Kazar swamp: home of the swamp fauns and lizard riders.
Laven-lay: wood faun capital.
lizard riders: alligator shelts.
nauns: shelts with neither hooves nor paws, e.g. manatee shelts and seal shelts.
panauns: shelts with paws, e.g. cat shelts, wolf shelts, fox shelts.
red month: one cycle of red moon, about 60 days.
Sardor-de-lor: a ruin, old wolfling capital of Canisaria before it fell to the cats.
Selbis: a ruin, the old wizard capital.
shelt: a two-legged creature having a humanoid body from the waist up and resembling some kind of animal from the waist down. Shelts have pointed, tufted ears.
watch: a period of time approximately four hours long. Shelts count four watches for the day and two watches for the night.
wolfling: a wolf shelt.
yellow month: one cycle of yellow moon, about 15 days.
Did you love The Prophet of Panamindorah, Complete Trilogy? Then you should read Crossroads - Short Stories from Panamindorah, Volume 1 by Abigail Hilton!
In the world of Panamindorah, fauns build castles, cats raise armies, and wolflings craft legendary weapons. It is a world of magic and shape-shifters, inhabited by griffins, pegasus, and centaurs. Sometimes they live in harmony. Sometimes they wear each other's pelts.
Crossroads is a collection of six stories. These stories tie into two series of novels, The Prophet of Panamindorah and The Guild of the Cowry Catchers. Whether you're a fan of the books or a newcomer, these tales of devotion, betrayal, love, and lust will entertain and surprise you. These are stories of characters at crossroads in their lives, making decisions that define them.
Caution: some stories in this collection contain more explicit content than the primary series. Stories included are: A Cat Prince Distinguishes Himself (Lexis), On the Edge (Sevn), Distraction (Gabalon), Hualien, Night in the Crystal City (Syrill),
Professionals (Silveo).
Read more at Abigail Hilton’s site.
Also by Abigail Hilton
Eve and Malachi
Feeding Malachi
Malachi and the Ghost Kitten
Malachi and the Deadly Pool
Eve and Malachi - Complete Series Boxed Set
Hunters Unlucky
Hunters Unlucky
Awake - a Hunters Unlucky Story
Water in the Desert - a Hunters Unlucky Story
Refugees
The Scarlet Albatross
Jager Thunder
Short Stories from Panamindorah
Crossroads - Short Stories from Panamindorah, Volume 1
Secret Things - Short Stories from Panamindorah, Volume 2
When We Were Young - Short Stories from Panamindorah, Volume 3
Before the Wind - Short Stories From Panamindorah Volume 4
The Guild of the Cowry Catchers
The Guild of the Cowry Catchers, Book 1: Embers
The Guild of the Cowry Catchers, Book 2: Flames
The Guild of the Cowry Catchers, Book 3: Ashes
The Guild of the Cowry Catchers, Book 4: Out of the Ashes
The Guild of the Cowry Catchers, Book 5: Shores Beyond the World
The Guild of the Cowry Catchers - Complete Series
The Prophet of Panamindorah
The Prophet of Panamindorah, Book 1 Fauns and Filinians
The Prophet of Panamindorah, Book 2 Wolflings and Wizards
The Prophet of Panamindorah, Book 3 Fire and Flood
The Prophet of Panamindorah, Complete Trilogy
Watch for more at Abigail Hilton’s site.
About the Author
Abigail Hilton is a traveling nurse anesthetist, based in Florida. She has spent time in veterinary school and done graduate work in literature. You can connect with Abbie and find all her social media links at www.abigailhilton.com.
Abbie also writes steamy fantasy romance under the pen name A. H. Lee. If that sounds interesting to you, check out Incubus Caged. Warning: those books are edgier than her epic fantasy series.
Read more at Abigail Hilton’s site.
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