The Realms of the Gods Read Online Free PDF

heard a deep chuckle; a hand smoothed her curls. “I am glad that you are here and safe, little one.”
    Daine smiled, and slept.

    Waking slowly, she heard familiar voices, and thought she dreamed them.
    The speaker was a mage, Harailt of Aili. “—from Fiefs Seabeth and Seajen.” He panted, as if he’d been running. “A Yamani fleet’s been sighted to the west. The bad news is, somehow the Scanrans knew they were coming. They fled overnight.”
    â€œFather Storm’s curses!” That voice was Queen Thayet’s. “How does the enemy get his information? I’d swear on my children’s lives that there’s no way for a spy to report our plans—and yet the enemy continues to stay one step ahead!”
    â€œI’ll ask the mages to start using truthspells and the Sight, and see if we can identify an enemy agent.” Harailt sounded worn out.
    â€œPlease do,” replied the queen. “And when we find him—or her—I hope that person is good with his gods.”
    Daine opened her eyes. The little room was silent, and bathed in sunlight.
    What a strange dream, she thought, and sat up.
    There was an even stranger animal on her bed.
    At first she thought that someone had played a very bad joke on a young beaver; her visitor had that same dense brown fur. No beaver, though, had ever sported a duck’s bill. The tail was wrong, too. It was the proper shape, but it was covered with hair. As the creature, a little over two feet in length, toddled up the length of her bed, she saw that it had webbed feet. Reaching her belly, it cocked its head first one way, then the other, examining her with eyes deeply set into the skull, near that preposterous bill.
    â€œG’day, Weiryn’s daughter,” the animal greeted her. “Glad to see you awake.”
    Daine had stopped breathing—she made herself inhale. “Are you a—a god?”
    â€œWe’re all gods here, except for the immortals,” replied her visitor.
    She sat up carefully. “Excuse me for asking, but—what are you, exactly?”
    â€œI am Broad Foot, the male god of the duckmoles.”
    â€œDuckmoles? I never heard of them.” His fleshy bill was the same shape as a duck’s, but with comblike ridges inside the bottom half. “May I pick you up?”
    He nodded. “Mind the spurs on my hind feet, though. I’ve poison in them.”
    She lifted him gently. The fur under her fingers was springy and thick. Examining broad, webbed feet armed with heavy claws, she handled the rear ones—and their venomous spurs—with care. “What on earth do you eat?” she asked, putting him down.
    â€œMy people eat shrimp, insects, snails—frogs and small fish if we can get any. I usually eat the same things as my people, though gods are more venturesome. Sarra cooks the best fish stew in the Divine Realms. I spend warm seasons here, just for that.”
    â€œYou come here for Ma’s cooking?”
    His eyes twinkled. “That’s right. She sent me to tell you that she has food ready for you, if you care to dress and come out.”
    Daine eased out from under the blankets, careful not to dislodge her guest, and saw that she wore a cotton nightgown. “How long have we been here?” she asked Broad Foot.
    â€œFour days. See you in the garden.” Silver fire bloomed; the duckmole vanished.
    Four days was too long. What were Kitten, Tkaa, and King Jonathan doing now? Did they know that Numair and Daine weren’t dead? Frowning, she washed her face and cleaned her teeth; all that she needed to do those chores lay on a table.
    Looking about, she saw a simple red cotton dress at the foot of the bed. Under it lay a pink shift, under-clothes, and red slippers. She wished they were a shirt and breeches, but knew she might as well put them on. There was no sign of her old clothes, but even if she could find them, she doubted