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PART I

SHIFTER

Chapter One

She knew every inch of the forest, every narrow path that twisted and wound its way beneath the silver branches They never should have found her She should have been up and away long before the horses’ scent ca drifted to her ears Through the trees or in them, even above them, she could have fled in an instant, or hidden herself so well that they could scour the forest for days and never find her

Her ankle was hurt, or it never would have happened So she told herself for days afterward And even ht be true Whatever instinct th by the effort it would have cost her to move

Her forest was an old one, the earth covered with layers ofthe sky with vast foliage and wrapping thick roots around h--there were no straight lines or evenones No one would have dared blaze a trail here, and if they had they would have soon regretted it And always there was the h the ferns like tiny feathers, soround and so in hazy clouds that tried to smother the trees

Only a fool would ride here--a fool with an urgent need And so in the back of her ht, she knehat they needed She stayed where she was until the prince rode into the s and reined in his nervous horse

She kneas a prince as soon as she saw hi habit and green cape, while draed to any nobleman His face was chiseled and sharp-jawed, but a bit too drawn to be regal Nor was it his bearing He was disheveled and tired, and right before he saw her he uttered a curse that would have fit the mouth of the coarsest peasant

He reined in his horse, which was a beast fit for a king, and stared at her "Will!"

The boy who rode behind reseh to be his twin, except he was several years younger, barely in his teens He gaped "Is it her?"

"Who else could it be?" The prince leaned over his horse’s neck, and--lowering his voice as if trying not to frighten her--said, "Isabel?"

Then she tried to run She leaped to her feet and her ankle twisted beneath her, too weak to hold her weight By the ti beside her

"Are you all right, ers curved into claws The prince juonal slashes on his left cheek, and the bottom three had welled up with redness by the time he looked down at her His eyes were so dark they appeared black, wide and wary beneath slashing eyebrows

"Don’t do that," he said, not even reaching up to touch his cheek It was somewhere between a conoring the pain that shot through her ankle This tier boy’s voice was high with fear "What’s wrong with her?"

"Hush, Will" His eyes still on hers, the prince stuck his hand into his belt pouch and drew out a thin bracelet shaped of tiny metal links, with a crystal embedded in each one Most of the crystals were pure white, but every third one was deep red

"Isabel?" the prince said, very quietly, and extended the bracelet to her

Her hand went up without her conscious control, as if fro habit it knehat to do Not up to attack, but in a fluid, graceful ers liht both his hands toward hers, though her arm tensed and trembled He laid the bracelet on her wrist, and she let out a sigh when it touched her skin

The prince fastened the clasp with one smooth movement Then he took her hand, and she let hiht off the weak ankle She felt dazed

"Isabel," the prince said with a note of satisfaction in his voice "By the Shifter’s Seal on your wrist, do you swear to serve me and mine with all your abilities and powers, to defend us and protect us and keep us safe frorinned then, his dark eyes glea before it was too late It was already too late So about that wide, unrestrained sh all that," he said "The legends say we should, but--will you come to my castle withmoment she nodded

"Rokan," said Will, as still ?"

"Oh, yes" The prince kept his eyes on her face, but there was an odd glint in the to have to wear clothes, my lady They’re very traditional where I come from"

She looked down at herself, then around at the dead leaves surrounding her feet She spoke again It had been so long that she was surprised at how easy it was, how readily her voice responded to her er brother, as beet red, and then back at her "Er--I think noould be better"

She shrugged, and when he drew a pile of fabric out of his saddlebag and handed it to her, an to return "Turn around while I dress," she said

The prince raised his eyebrows but obeyed Will wheeled his horse around

She put the clothes on--green riding pants and a white silk tunic--and felt comfortable in them as soon as they settled on her They fit perfectly She tapped the prince on the shoulder

"Better?" she asked, al about it, like it was so she had done a million times before Maybe she had She still didn’t remember when, or why, but for the moment that didn’t