The House Of Gaian

kitchen,” the maid gasped. “Something terrible.”
    Breanna moved toward the servant’s door. This was her brother’s home. These servants were her brother’s people. Since he wasn’t here to deal with this, she would. Somehow, she would find the strength to deal with this.
    When she walked into the kitchen, she saw the cook and her helpers pressed against one side of the room, staring with terrified eyes at the black-haired woman bent over one end of the work table. Her black overdress and trousers were dirty and torn, and her breathing was as rough and ragged as her clothes.
    “What do you want?” Breanna asked.
    The woman spun around, snarling.
    Not a woman , Breanna thought as her blood chilled. No longer a woman . Leathery skin. Sharp teeth.
    Talons at the ends of its fingers. But the dark eyes that stared at her... The woman was still in there, still aware, still fighting against what she was becoming.
    The creature raised one hand. “Hot blood. Strong spirit.” She shook her head fiercely, then turned away.
    “What do you want?” Breanna asked.
    “Food. Drink. Grain for the horse.”
    Mother’s mercy. “Sloane, ask one of the footmen to fetch a small sack of feed from the stables.”
    “At once, Lady Breanna.”
    The creature twisted around, stared at her again.
    A chilling calm settled over Breanna. “Cook, bring out a wheel of cheese—and one of the carry baskets Elinore uses.” She took a step toward the table. The creature moved around to the other side. Moved away from her. Which gave her enough courage to keep moving forward. There was bread on the table, along with a cold beef roast and some vegetables. The cook had started to make a beef broth for the wounded and a heartier soup for anyone who could take more solid nourishment.
    “Bring me some butter and a jar of preserves.” She sliced bread, carved the meat. The cook crept to the table, handing her things as she asked for them. By the time Sloane returned with the sack of grain, she had built two generous beef sandwiches as well as a butter and preserve sandwich, cut a thick chunk of cheese from the wheel, wrapped it all in the white napkins that were used at the servants’ table, and placed it in the basket.
    “Do we have any canteens?” she asked Sloane.
    “There are a few that are not in use,” he replied.
    “Fill one with water, the other with ale.” Breanna looked at the creature who had watched her in silence.
    “Is ale acceptable?”
    The creature hesitated, then nodded.

    While Sloane filled the canteens, Breanna repacked the basket to fit the bag of feed in one end. No point having those talons ripping through the cloth and having the feed spill out. If the woman inside still cared enough about her horse to ask for feed, it would hurt her to have nothing to offer because of what her body had become.
    When the canteens were placed on the table, Breanna stepped back. “If there’s something else you want, take what you can gather.”
    The creature made a hideous sound that Breanna realized was meant as laughter. Cruelty filled those dark eyes for a moment before it was battled back by a strong will. “I can gather armies.” She reached for the basket, then hesitated. “Breanna.”
    Breanna swallowed hard and wished Sloane had never spoken her name.
    “The witches in the Old Place. In the circles of light.”
    Her heart pounded, throbbed in her temples. “My m-mother and grandmother.”
    “They have gone to the Summerland.”
    Tears pricked her eyes. Keely’s and Nuala’s spirits were out of reach now. Safe.
    Grabbing the basket and canteens, the creature hurried toward the open kitchen door. Then stopped. “
    Have you seen the Hunter?”
    “I’ve seen the Hunter.”
    “Tell her ... Warn her that the Gatherer has come.”
    Breanna saw the dark horse waiting a few steps beyond the open door, saw the creature mount and ride away ...
    The Gatherer has come.
    ... felt the floor disappear ...
    ... and heard someone saying, “Bless the Mother, she’s all right. She just fainted, is all.”
    Fainted? How embarrassing.
    “Nothing to be embarrassed about, Lady Breanna. Never saw anyone with so much foolish courage.”
    She didn’t remember speaking, but she must have since Liam’s housekeeper was answering her.
    Her eyes popped open. They’d carried her to Elinore’s morning room. A smell of burnt feathers stung the air. She’d never understood why gentry households thought burning feathers was so