"Leaving Dohru by Jonathan L Fesmire" - читать интересную книгу автора (Fesmire Jonathan L)

_That belongs to Maroa, Garum! Oh, gods, is that her body? She left five days ago . . ._

_A convenient time to kill her. Not enough time to starve or die of thirst, though. She was either killed and then thrown in the river, or she died of fear, or from struggling -- _

_Does it matter how? She was murdered._

_We can't leave. I want whoever did this brought to justice. We at least have to tell her sister._

_If Roasa will trust us, now that she knows we're a dual._

Garum put on the necklace. With broad strokes he made his way further upriver.

_This town may hate duals, but I can't believe they would condone the murder of a simple sorceress._

* * *

A bonfire lit the center of Dohru, and the robust aroma of visair meat filled the area. Surrounding the blaze, many villagers cheered openly for having lynched the dual. Vayin peeked from behind a tree, and Garum thought he saw Aseris among them, receiving pats on the back and thanks. Vayin crept away. Fortunately, she could hide within the thick forest.

Under shadows, Vayin slipped to Garum's and her cottage. Garum felt her quick breathing and rapid heartbeat. Thankful that Vayin had taken control, that her body had come forward in the world, he enjoyed the relaxation he gained with his body enveloped in their being. When the town had caught them, _he_ had been physically there, so _he_ had suffered the beating and the freezing water.

Gazing into their home, Vayin spotted several men rummaging through their drawers. Garum's anger mounted; they could not even change out of their soaked clothes, and Vayin could become ill.

Vayin headed for Maroa's house. There she crept to a window and gazed in. She saw no one, but they noticed a light shining from the bedroom Maroa and Roasa had shared. She crept to the door, her boots sliding across the hard porch, water rubbing between her toes.

The cold latch did not budge, so Vayin picked the lock with a sharp edge of the necklace and opened the door. As she slipped in, she put the chain back on and tucked the pendant into her shirt.

In the bedroom, Roasa sat cross-legged on her furs, rocking like a child. Garum thought he heard her whisper his name. Vayin approached and nervously touched Roasa's shoulder.

Roasa jerked away. "Who are you!"

_That's right, she's never seen you before, Vayin. Only Aseris has._

_What do we do? We have to switch . . ._

Garum saw a blur and a moment of darkness; his arms tingled as though a fire washed across them, and he felt himself rushing forward. The shape change must have shocked Roasa, because she stood on her furs, perched in the corner.

"It's true," she said, "you are possessed! How else could you have survived drowning? Or are you a spirit? Why -- why have you come? I was your friend! Take the beast away -- "

Garum's eyes widened and he shook his head in surprise. "I'm a _dual_, not a demon. I survived because of this." He showed her the ring.

She stiffened. "You stole that from my sister?"

"I wouldn't steal from Maroa." His surprise turned into annoyance as his painful bruises began to throb. "They beat me for being different. I just can't stand -- "

_Garum, calm down, please._

"She wouldn't have given that ring away." Roasa's voice shook.

Garum swallowed. "I don't want to have to tell you this. I found this ring on Maroa's finger, in the river. Someone killed her."