Stolen

by Evangeline Anderson

  “And that’s how it’s done,” the big Hybrid said, grinning at her.

  Penny shook her head.

  “You amaze me, V’rex. Where did you learn to do that?”

  “Same place I learned to pick a pocket, sweetheart—on the streets.” He shrugged. “It’s amazing the skills you pick up when you’re trying to survive.”

  Penny didn’t know what to say. She felt bad, as always, when he talked about his rough childhood. It made her wish she could go back in time and rescue him somehow, though of course that was impossible.

  “V’rex—” she began but he cut her off.

  “Here, give me your hand.”

  “Why?” Penny asked, holding it out.

  “So you can wear this.” V’rex put it on her and smiled as she admired it. “There, sweetheart. That’ll give you something to remember me by after we part ways.”

  Penny felt her heart sink at the idea of them splitting up, but she tried to smile and keep her voice light.

  “Now I have to trade for something to give to you, so you can remember me too,” she’d said.

  V’rex had stopped walking and turned to face her. Tilting her chin up, he looked into her eyes.

  “Sweetheart,” he said softly. “I could never forget you. I’ve got your name carved over my heart—remember?”

  In that moment, Penny had wished desperately to hug him, to feel those strong arms wrapped around her again.

  “Oh, V’rex,” she’d whispered, looking up at him. “I…I just…”

  But just as she was working up the nerve to say she wanted them to be together, the big Hybrid had changed the subject.

  “Well, we’d better continue your lesson,” he said. “Come on, we’re going to the other end of the marketplace and I’m giving you another meat ball. And this time, you need to barter it for something better.”

  * * *

  Now, as they stood in front of the carved double doors, gilded with gold, that were the entrance to the Fox’en Chieftain’s private residence, Penny hoped she could barter as well with Lady Bright Coat as she had with her second meat ball.

  She had wound up with one of the little colorful boxes which put out puffs of blue smoke when you lit the bright blue rocks inside. Apparently you were supposed to breathe in the smoke and happy visions would appear in your mind. Penny hadn’t tried it yet—and wasn’t sure if she would. But it was certainly worth more than a meat ball and V’rex had been proud of her.

  The big Hybrid hadn’t repeated his show of emotion, but Penny couldn’t help thinking about it. He had looked so serious when he talked about never forgetting her and for a moment she’d almost thought he was going to kiss her…

  “Welcome, to the residence of Chieftain Swift Tail and Lady Bright Coat,” a voice intoned, breaking into her train of thought.

  Looking up, Penny saw that a servant Fox’en had opened the door and was bowing them inside. He wore a kind of collar around his neck—a thick black leather band. Hanging from it was a golden tag with the name, “Sure Paw” engraved in flowing script.

  He must be the head butler or something, Penny thought as the servant ushered them through the house—which was carved entirely from the natural stone of the mountain. The walls glimmered with streaks of gold and silver and the moss with the natural luminescence covered the ceilings, shedding a soft golden glow over everything.

  Penny could certainly see why the royal Fox’ens would have picked this particular house for themselves out of the whole city. It was lovely and so natural—like it had been grown rather than built.

  The furniture was all low to the ground and when they walked into the dining room, she saw that instead of chairs, there were puffy red cushions arranged around the low table.

  “Please wait for Chieftain Swift Tail and Lady Bright Coat to enter before you are seated,” the servant told them. Then he left the room at a dignified pace, his long tail swishing behind him.

  Penny and V’rex stood by the table but they didn’t have to wait for long. Soon enough, Chieftain Swift Tail and Lady Bright Coat entered.

  “Ah, Merchant V’rex and Lady Penelope,” Chieftain Swift Tail smiled at them.

  “It’s so nice to have you in our home. Thank you for coming,” Lady Bright Coat added. She was still wearing the Eye of Ten’gu on a chain around her neck.

  Penny wondered if the Chieftain and his lady were really as happy as they professed to see herself and V’rex. Both of their tails were wagging which seemed to be a clear sign of sincerity, so she decided they must be.

  “Thank you so much for having us,” she replied, smiling at them both.

  “We have been so looking forward to sharing a meal with you,” V’rex added.

  They all sat down at the low table with Penny across from Lady Bright Coat and V’rex across from the Chieftain. As soon as everyone was settled, the servant came in again bearing a tray full of steaming bowls.

  When the bowl was set in front of Penny, she examined it apprehensively. Knowing the kind of things the Fox’ens seemed to enjoy eating, it seemed certain that this was going to be an interesting dinner to say the least.

  Filling the deep bowl was a kind of bone broth—with actual roasted bones floating in it. There was also a generous amount of blue and green herbs sprinkled over the rich-smelling broth, which was a pale amber color.

  Chieftain Swift Tail and Lady Bright Coat immediately put their muzzles directly into their soup bowls and began to lap with their long tongues. Penny wasn’t sure if she and V’rex ought to do the same or not. She was just about to lean over and try to sip from the edge of the bowl when Lady Bright Coat looked up.

  “Oh, I do apologize!” she exclaimed. “You’re dressed in such lovely fur outfits, I quite forgot you flat-faces don’t eat the same way we Fox’ens do.”

  Flat-faces? Penny thought. But before she could ask any questions, Lady Bright Coat clapped her hands and the servant appeared at once.

  “Sure Paw,” she said to him. “Pray, bring Merchant V’rex and Lady Penelope some suckspoons so they may enjoy this excellent bone stew.”

  The servant bowed and returned at once with two long, silver straws that had tiny silver spoons at the ends of them. They looked a little like Slurpee straws to Penny, except they were considerably fancier, with delicate filigree carvings all up and down their lengths.

  “You can suck up the broth with the hollow shaft and then use the spoon attachment to dig the marrow out of the bones,” Lady Bright Coat explained. “Well, go on—give it a try.”

  She was watching intently so Penny was sure they had no choice in the matter. Hesitantly, she put the spoon end of the suckspoon into the broth and took a sip.

  The steamy liquid was actually quite delicious. It was warm and salty and meaty and the blue and green herbs tasted like chives and garlic.

  “Mmm!” Penny took another sip and looked up at Lady Bright Coat. “This is delicious! I especially like the herbs. They really add to the meaty notes of the broth.”

  “Oh, I’m so glad you enjoy it!” Lady Bright Coat smiled, her tail thumping against the cushion she was sitting on. “And I’ll tell you something about those herbs, my dear Lady Penelope—they’re called ‘breedalot’ and they’re extra good for fertility.”

  “They are?” Penny asked, unsure if this was a good thing or not.

  “Oh, yes! I’ve been having my cook put them in simply everything,” Lady Bright Coat said. “You see, Chieftain Swift Tail and I are trying to have a litter. We so want four or five roly-poly little cubs to brighten up the house!” The look of longing on her face made Penny’s heart ache in sympathy.

  “I hope you can have a, er, litter soon,” she said, smiling.

  “Oh, I hope so too! Have you and your mate had a litter yet?” Lady Bright Coat asked.

  “Well, er, not quite yet,” Penny admitted. “Though of course with us, uh, flat-faces, we usually just have one baby at a time.”

  “That’s right—I do think I heard th
at somewhere.” The female Fox’en nodded. “That’s such an inefficient way to get things done, though. With us, we have all our children at once and then we never have to bother with it again.”

  “That does sound really, uh, efficient,” Penny said though the idea of having four or five babies at once sounded overwhelming to her. Though maybe one wouldn’t be so bad, if it was with the right man…

  Her eyes strayed to V’rex and then she made herself look away and take another sip of the delicious bone broth. She wasn’t sure at first, if she ought to drink it, considering it was sprinkled with fertility herbs. But it really was wonderful and she convinced herself it would be all right.

  Probably the breedalot herb only works on Fox’ens, she thought, as she slurped down the last swallow. And whatever it is, it can’t possibly be as bad as the chemicals in the Mother’s Milk they made us drink in the Compound.

  Speaking of the Mother’s Milk, as she finished the soup, she began to feel a strange tingling in the tips of her breasts, just as she had when her nectar had been coming in. Surreptitiously, she looked down, but all she could see was the black fur suit she was wearing. What was going on down there?

  Before she could ask to be excused from the table to go check, the first course was whisked away and Sure Paw, the servant, brought them platters of what looked like spaghetti to Penny. At least, it was long strands of something covered in a rich brown sauce.

  Chieftain Swift Tail and Lady Bright Coat put their long muzzles in their plates and began to slurp up the spaghetti-like substance at once. Penny was afraid she and V’rex would have to do the same but this time the servant had thought to bring utensils for the “flat-faces” so it wasn’t necessary to stick her face in her plate.

  The utensils were like three-pronged forks with the tines set wide apart, which at first made it difficult to get the “spaghetti” on the fork. But Penny managed at last and twirled up a bite of it to put in her mouth.

  The minute she did, she realized that what she was eating wasn’t pasta at all. It didn’t have a soft, giving texture—instead it was meaty and chewy. Taking a closer look, she saw that what she had taken for a strand of spaghetti was, in fact, a long, thin, tube of meat. And the brown sauce was like gravy, which gave the whole thing the texture and flavor of Salisbury Steak.

  Though it wasn’t what she had expected, it was actually quite enjoyable. And she tasted the chive and garlic flavor of the breedalot herb in it too, which added a little zing to the dish.

  Thinking of the herb made Penny realize her breasts had stopped tingling, though they felt heavier now than they had. Again she wished for a break in the meal to excuse herself and check things out, but again, before she could, the next course came out.

  This course wasn’t nearly so nice as the first two, Penny thought. It was a wide bowl full of raw bones with a side of some kind of chewy brown nuggets basted in clear brown glaze. She picked politely at the bones and ate one or two of the nuggets—which tasted like really well-done steak—as she watched the two royal Fox’ens crack the bones with their powerful jaws and slurp out the raw marrow inside.

  It occurred to Penny that this whole dinner menu was meat-based. After a month of being vegetarian, it was certainly a change of pace, but she wondered what dessert would be like— that was, if there was a dessert.

  As it turned out, there was. After the raw bones and chewy nuggets, Sure Paw brought them each a crystal goblet filled with a light, airy mousse that tasted both sweet and meaty. There was a thin, stiff strip of some kind of candied meat stuck in each puff of mousse which was salty and sweet and better than the mousse itself. At least Penny thought so. And this time, at least, there was no hint of the breedalot herb. Which was good—Penny didn’t think the flavor of chives and garlic would pair very well with anything sweet.

  “Well…” Chieftain Swift Tail sat back and patted his furry midsection after Sure Paw had cleared the table for the last time.

  “That was a most delicious meal, your Excellency,” V’rex remarked, also patting his stomach. “And so filling!”

  “Yes, very filling,” Penny agreed. “And extremely tasty.”

  “I’m so glad you liked it!” Lady Bright Coat beamed at them, her tail thumping the cushion again. “You know,” she added, looking at Penny. “That’s a lovely necklace you’re wearing, Lady Penelope.”

  Penny was relieved by her words. All evening she’d been trying to think of a way to bring up the Eye of Ten’gu without being too blatant about it. But now Lady Bright Coat had practically shoved the opportunity in her lap.

  “Thank you. I love yours, too,” she said, leaning forward eagerly. “Wherever did you find such a beautiful pendant?”

  “Ah, it was actually discovered here, when we first moved into the city,” Chieftain Swift Tail, answered for his mate. “Our explorers found it and brought it back to me. And of course, I knew at once that such a treasure could only grace the neck of my lovely mate.”

  He smiled at Lady Bright Coat, who smiled back, though Penny thought her smile looked a little strained. Also, her tail didn’t even thump once.

  Something’s wrong, she thought. And it has to do with the Eye of Ten’gu.

  But she couldn’t think of how to ask what was the matter without sounding like she was insulting the Chieftain’s gift to his mate.

  “Merchant V’rex,” the Fox’en Chieftain continued. “Let’s see your wares again. Now that dinner is over, I’ve a mind to barter.”

  “With pleasure, your Excellency.” V’rex nodded and began pulling things out of his furry black pouch and placing them carefully on the table.

  “What I’m really interested in is that Silka spice,” Lady Bright Coat remarked as the carved wooden box came out of V’rex’s bag. “How much would you barter for that?”

  “Well…” V’rex pretended reluctance. “To tell you the truth, your Excellency, it’s really rather expensive. I was just telling my Lady Penelope, here, that a single stick of it could buy my entire ship.”

  “Expensive stuff indeed!” The Fox’en Chieftain looked shocked. “Why would anyone pay so much just for some spice?”

  “Perhaps because, as I believe I told you in your throne room, the Silka has many fine uses. It is said to impart great wisdom—visions of the future and answers to the most pressing questions in the mind of the one who takes it. I know many leaders who use it for mental clarity or guidance before making important decisions,” V’rex told him.

  Chieftain Swift Tail frowned.

  “But how could I be certain that it was really worth such an exorbitant price? And what would you ask for it in return?”

  “I’ll tell you what—before I answer that question, let me give you a small sample of the Silka to prove its worth,” V’rex told him.

  Carefully, he lifted the bright orange cushion holding the spice sticks out of the box and set it on the table. Under it was another cushion, this one plain white, Penny saw. It had a few broken sticks of spice on it, with none of the pieces being larger than the size of a Peanut M&M.

  “Once the Silka sticks are broken, they lose some of their potency,” V’rex explained. “But they are still strong enough to grant visions and wisdom to those discerning enough to see them.”

  Carefully, he chose a piece of the broken stick to give to the Foxen ruler. Then he offered a piece to Lady Bright Coat as well. She was about to pop it in her mouth when Swift Tail stopped her.

  “How can we be certain this spice will not hurt us in any way?” he demanded, frowning. “It sounds like very potent stuff! Give some to your lady first, so that my mate and I can see the effects.”

  “Me?” Penny asked, surprised.

  But V’rex only nodded.

  “Of course, if it will ease your mind, Lady Penelope will be happy to take some,” he said smoothly. “Don’t worry, sweetheart,” he murmured, when Penny looked at him with wide eyes. “It’s perfectly safe.”

  Penny bit her lip. It seemed that this was her
night for ingesting strange new substances. She wasn’t normally into experimental drugs, but the deal for the Eye of Ten’gu was hanging in the balance.

  V’rex handed her a small piece of the broken Silka stick and Penny took it doubtfully. At a motion from him, she obediently put the small, chalky piece of indigo-colored spice on her tongue, though she wasn’t sure what the effects would be.

  What else, she thought, could she do?

  Chapter 102

  At first, Penny didn’t feel any effects from the Silka spice at all, except that it took the meaty aftertaste of the meal she’d just eaten away and replaced it with a tingling heat and the intense flavor of cinnamon. It reminded Penny of some really strong cinnamon toothpicks she and her friends had liked in middle school—they burned your lips and tongue but tasted so good you couldn’t stop sucking them.

  But then, gradually, she noticed some differences. The colors around her began to bleed and run, like chalk drawings in the rain and her body felt much, much lighter than it had. All except for her breasts, which felt extremely heavy and full.

  What’s wrong with me? Penny wondered. What’s happening?

  But to be honest, she felt too good for these musings to make her upset. In addition to making everything around her look weird, the Silka spice had also had an effect on her mood.

  “I feel wonderful,” she told V’rex as he nodded at Chieftain and Lady Bright Coat, who had apparently decided the spice was safe and were popping the pieces he had given them into their mouths. “I love everyone. Especially you,” she told him.

  As she said the words, she knew they were true. She had been holding herself back all this time, telling herself that V’rex couldn’t possibly be interested in her because she wasn’t skinny or because he’d been affected by the Spice in the air at the Compound. But now she saw that none of that was true. He’d been interested in her from the first—when he saw her in the Lucky Lounge—and there was no Spice there. So the only place her size was a problem was in her own head.

  The realization felt like a true moment of clarity—an epiphany made possible because the Silka was allowing her to see past her worries and concerns to discern the truth.