Page 88 of Spar of Hearts

“Believe it or not, this isn’t exactly new to me.”

Really? Anya cocked her head.

“My…I’m not sure what to call her. We killed a few paladins together. I suppose that makes her my friend. Carolyn Wright. She helped me get Millicent out of the dungeon below the basilica. She can shift like you.”

Carolyn Wright? The tailor!? Happy yips echoed in the cavern. Anya seemed to completely ignore the little part about killing.

He nodded.

She’s my favorite designer! Lady Rowan and I order her dresses from the mainland! She can do this too?

“Yes, she can. And I’ll be sure to introduce you when we get back to Balcott. Now put those paws to work. You said you had an idea?”

Right. Right. Anya swept her alabaster tail from side to side as she re-positioned herself over the prints. She jumped up and down a few times, shifted her paws, lifted them one at a time, and even tried moving off and back on, but nothing happened.

Damn it, Anya growled. What else could it be?

Roderick surveyed the carving on the wall. “The wolf on the wall is howling. Try that.”

Anya dropped the growl and perked her ears up. Of course!

Roderick watched as Anya planted her paws on the prints, then threw back her head and howled. It echoed through the cavern like the curves of a bugle, turning an already beautiful, somber note into a song of its own.

A vibration ran beneath their feet, then deepened into a roar.

Chapter 30

Anya Delemond

The cave rumbled and shook as the wall of stone before them slowly sank into the ground, giving way to a sliver of light that grew by the second. Chirping birds and riveting insects filled her ears, carried on a temperate breeze that smelled of flowers and dewy grass. She had to close her eyes and squint to adjust to the blinding light at the end of the passage.

“You did it!” Roderick scrubbed the sides of Anya’s flank like one would a dog, but she didn’t even care. Aquillas was sprawling out before them, ripe for exploration.

Let’s go! Anya barked. She tore down the passage.

“Wait! Don’t you want your dress?”

Wind whipped through her fur as her paws pounded on stone, then ice, then grass, finally bringing her into the warm sunshine of Aquillas. Snow-capped mountains towered on either side of them, scarfed by thick forests of trees. Rolling fields of wildflowers spread as far as she could see, painted with white patches of melting snow and blue glaciers that seemed to burst straight out of the ground. A little creek meandered through the field, then disappeared behind a hill.

She swore she’d never breathed before. Not compared to this. This was freedom in her lungs, life beneath her feet! What laid behind those mountains? Or at the bottom of the hill? Or deep in the chirping, calling woods to the west?

She bounded to the creek and dunked her muzzle in. The water was ice cold, the most refreshing drink she’d ever had, better than the finest wine or the sweetest mead. She lapped and lapped until she was finally sated, then laid in the grass, panting contentedly.

Roderick finally caught up and knelt beside the creek. He cupped water in his hands to drink, then splashed his face and slicked back his fiery hair.

“Ah. Divine, that feels incredible.” He blinked the water from his eyes and looked over at her. “You look happy.”

She snapped her panting jaws shut. Manners were not second nature in this body, and panting as a wolf was the equivalent of…well, panting. Most unladylike.

“I didn’t mean that as an insult. Truly, I enjoy seeing you smile.” He chuckled, then added, “In one form or another.”

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to run like this, Anya said, staring down at her paws. These paws still don’t feel like my own. More like a dream.

“I do have your dress, in case you feel like running on two legs again.”

Oh. Right. Yes, please hand it to m—

He tossed the dress onto her face.