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Doppelganger

Chapter 29

"Change back," Etienne whispered.

"If I do, they'll leave me behind," Azrian whispered back. "Or else kill me. Would you rather they killed me?"

Etienne was silent. He lay in the grass beside Azrian, bound at the wrists and ankles, his long golden mane mussed and falling across his face. Azrian thought he looked beautiful lying there in the moonlight. She could see a bit of his muscular belly and chest, for his shirt was torn from the recent struggle. He wasn't wearing his pants or his drawers, and his great penis wobbled heavily when he twisted discreetly against his binds.

Azrian was wearing Etienne's coat and had taken on his appearance. The confused mastiffs had wrestled them both into submission, and Etienne fought so hard, they had to knock him out.

The mastiffs had surprised them earlier that evening as they slept in the forest. Azrian couldn't help but suspect that Ti'uu had guided the mastiffs right to them. And what was more, she hadn't been able to stop them. They shot her in the neck with a dart. She ripped the dart free and tried to retaliate, only to discover that her elemental powers were gone. She could not cast fire or lightning nor use any magic that was remotely offensive. But she could still copy souls. One of the mastiffs tried to run her through with a sword, and more out of reflex than anything, she leapt back and morphed into Etienne. The mastiffs shouted, and as they stood flabbergasted, Etienne grabbed her paw and they ran. And ran. But the mastiffs were fit and fast.

Etienne gave Azrian his coat and made her promise to keep running no matter what: he intended to fight the mastiffs so she could escape. But she refused to leave him. They fought the mastiffs together - and lost - and were arrested and taken to Howlester.

Now they were in the shadows of a little park, hidden among a wreath of bushes. The trees were blossoming pink and white, and the petals littered the grass. Azrian had never been inside the doglands before. She found the park confounding with its fountains and benches and neat rows of flowers. It was unnatural to see nature so . . . tamed. The little trees had little fences around them, as if they were caged. The earth had been flattened with cobbled walks.

Azrian listened to the soft rush of the fountain with a thudding heart. What was going to happen to them? Eventually, the dogs would figure out which one of them was the real prince. And then what? Perhaps they would kill her.

Azrian and Etienne were guarded by four mastiffs with rifles and swords, while yet another stood some feet away, peering through the bushes as if awaiting someone. The fifth mastiff was called Captain Carnell by the others. He was a stern, no-nonsense sort, with bushy brows and a stiff way of walking. Azrian didn't like him.

"In my coat pocket," Etienne whispered, "there's a necklace . . ."

"Shut up," one of the mastiffs grumbled. Azrian saw his boots pass near her through the grass. His boots turned to face a bush, and then a hot yellow stream hit it. The mastiff sighed as his urine trickled.

"Don't talk to his majesty that way," scolded another.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said the urinating mastiff, voice dripping derision. "Shut up, your majesty."

The mastiffs chuckled, but their captain hissed a curse at them, and they fell silent. The first mastiff jiggled himself dry and Azrian could hear him buttoning his trousers. She noticed with a small smile that one of his peers was watching him tuck his penis away. He was the youngest of the group. The others called him Cambridge.

Cambridge was scrawny and hardly spoke. Listening to the others talk, Azrian knew he was a sharpshooter . . . and a "pillow biter." She caught his eye as he dragged his gaze from the other mastiff's penis, and he coughed nervously.

"It's in my coat pocket," Etienne repeated in an undertone.

Azrian's cheek was in the grass, and she peered sadly at the prince through the rise of green blades. His lip was cut where a mastiff had punched him. She watched as he licked the blood away and wanted to heal him. But she knew she wouldn't have been able to.

"It's a necklace of shells and pearls," the prince whispered. He smiled and his eyes peered warmly into hers. "I want you to have it."

Azrian smiled slowly. "You know such a necklace is part of a wedding custom?"

"You don't say? Well, I thought you promised your father you would marry me. So I might as well acknowledge your ways. Anything else I should know about? Dances? Prayers? Ritual lickings . . .?"

Azrian looked at him fondly. "If we get out of this, you can lick wherever you desire."

Etienne lifted his brows. "If we get out of this, you'll be calling me Daddy. All night. Every night."

"Shut up," Azrian whispered as the blush crept up her cheeks, and Etienne laughed.

Azrian's lashes fluttered as she tried to imagine being married to Etienne. It was true that she had given in. She told Ti'uu she would submit and go to Wychowl, if only he would remove Ayni's curse. Ti'uu didn't say a word - he simply vanished, leaving the mural blank and cold in his wake. Azrian took Etienne's paw and was relieved to discover she could touch him without burning. They left Ti'uu's shrine together and began their journey back to the waterfall and its cave. It was when they stopped to rest that they were captured. They made love under a tree and fell asleep together - Azrian smiling in the strong arms of her love, his coat spread over her like a blanket.

Etienne scooted closer and kissed Azrian. Slowly and tenderly.

"Ah!" complained one of the mastiffs. "Cut that out!"

Etienne didn't stop, but Azrian - suddenly embarrassed - pulled her lips away. She had to wonder why Etienne didn't find it bizarre, kissing himself. But the prince watched her shying back with a small smile on his lips, and she knew he was thinking of kissing her again.

"How conceited are you," Azrian whispered, "to want to kiss me so desperately when I look like you?"

Etienne laughed softly. "I always want to kiss you. Doesn't matter what you look like."

Their eyes met, and they smiled.

"Hang on," said another of the mastiffs. "If one gets hard, we'll know who the prince is."

"Don't be stupid. They've both got dicks."

"But both aren't attracted to males. If we took off our clothes, the vixen would get hard --"

"Pft. I heard the prince was plenty attracted to males. It's more likely they'd both get hard, and then we wouldn't be any closer to figuring out which was which. Besides . . ." The mastiff spit and shook his head. "I'm not taking off my clothes for anything. Bet you'd like that though, eh, Cambridge? I saw you looking at my dick a minute before."

The mastiffs snickered as Cambridge looked away, but one glare from their captain and they guiltily fell silent.

"You will stop this talk now," the captain warned without turning. "I expect her majesty along at any moment, and she will not be happy to find her prince treated with anything short of reverence. Indeed, neither will the prince once he is free. You lot seem to keep forgetting that he is our prince." He glanced at Azrian and Etienne. "Well, at least . . . one of him is."

Azrian's heart leapt. Her majesty. Was the queen coming? She looked at Etienne, and his eyes were apologetic.

"If Donica comes here . . . it's over," the prince whispered. "She knows about foxes and their magic. She hails from the kingdom that invented the drug that stifles a fox's abilities."

"So that's why I can't cast," Azrian said unhappily.

"They shot you with a tranquilizer, didn't they?"

"They shot me twice," the vixen remembered darkly.

"Look, when Donica comes, don't say anything. If we both keep our mouths shut, they won't be able to tell us apart. They'll take us both to Wychowl. Then you'd be under my protection, and you could drop the charade. It's a marvel you're keeping up my appearance at all."

"I don't think I am," Azrian said, slowly realizing.

Etienne's eyes slid to their corners and he regarded her. "Ti'uu?"

Azrian nodded dismally. "I think he meant for them to find us. And if they didn't find us before . . . it was because of him."

Etienne looked at the sky. "Great. I hope your father knows what he's doing."

"Me too," Azrian muttered.

Etienne laughed dryly. "That's comforting."

"Alright, straighten up, you lot," the captain said briskly. "Her majesty approaches."

Azrian's heart thudded harder as mastiff boots stamped into place around her. Two mastiffs stood on either side of her and Etienne, straight and solemn, rifles held in both paws, staring impassively into space.

The captain stepped from the bushes and disappeared. Azrian could hear him talking with someone. "Your majesty," he said graciously. "We have them in custody right over here."

"Take me to them. There's no time to waste!" returned a female's voice.

The bushes rustled as they were parted, and a young and beautiful white dog appeared, swathed in a simple traveling dress and cloak. She was too young to be the queen, and given the look of irritation that crossed Etienne's face, Azrian could only assume she was the princess he had mentioned before. Princess Corene. Sudden irritation settled over Azrian as well, and she gave the princess a glare identical to Etienne's.

"What in the world?" the princess whispered. Her pretty eyes grew round.

"You see, your highness?" said the captain. "They look so much alike . . . I didn't want to act without your consent."

"And they're both wearing his things, aren't they?" the princess complained. "Damned magic rodents."

Azrian glared. She was not only wearing Etienne's coat but also his cravat. He'd playfully tied it around her throat as they cuddled naked under the tree. Both of them were without pants, as Etienne had taken his off to sleep with Azrian, and Azrian had never had pants to begin with. Their penises were identical, their muscular backsides, their tails and strong thighs. The princess looked at their half-nudity with blushing cheeks and swallowed hard.

"What should we do, your majesty?" the captain wondered.

The princess didn't answer. Standing at her shoulder was a short red dog in a bloody gown. Her eyes were shimmering white flames and her big red mane was a messy wreath around sunken cheeks. A nasty red gash was across her throat. She looked directly at Azrian and smiled.

Azrian glanced around, but she knew no one else could see the red dog. Only she and Corene, who glanced every now and then at her shoulder. A spirit had attached itself to the princess. It whispered something to the her, and as Corene looked at Azrian, she stiffened. Azrian felt her heart sinking when the princess pointed at her and said solemnly, "That one is him. He's wearing the ring he took from me."

Azrian's paws were bound behind her back and she wriggled her fingers only to realize with a sinking heart that the green jewel was indeed on her paw. Before she could protest, Etienne spoke.

"Etienne," the prince said to Azrian, and she realized with sudden alarm that he was pretending to be her, "they've figured it out, my prince. Know that I love you --"

"Don't be stupid!" Azrian begged, hating that her voice was Etienne's voice. "They'll kill you!"

"Yes," said Corene with a smile. "We will." She gestured at Azrian. "Take him to the carriage."

"What? No! No! I'm not the prince!" Azrian bellowed as the mastiffs closed in around her.

Twisting and struggling against the mastiffs, Azrian managed to look back and felt her heart stop. She could see the captain stepping close to Etienne. He cocked his rifle and aimed. Etienne lay on the ground, staring resolutely at the sky. It struck Azrian for the first time that they were going to kill him. Really kill him. Sudden tears blinded her as the mastiffs carried her struggling body from the bushes and toward a waiting carriage. "No! No!"

The princess gestured casually at Etienne and turned away. "Kill it."

The captain fired. Etienne's last muffled cry shattered Azrian's heart.