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“Enter,” Luca called through the door.
Benji smiled as he stepped into the room, delighted that it was like a miniature version of the library where he’d spent the last two days. Instead of reading tables, the center of this room featured an enormous desk set for an elaborate lunch. Instead of the intricate stained glass windows, the outer wall had large windows and double doors that led to a balcony. Luca smiled and rose to extend a welcoming hand toward Benji.
“Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, Your Highness,” Benji started as they shook hands. The custom seemed strange, but then, he spent most of his time having talons instead of hands. “I’m Benjamin?—”
Luca held up a hand. “I remember who you are, Benji, and I greatly appreciate your patience. Please call me Luca, at least in informal settings. I’m still adjusting to the title.”
Benji nodded. “Yes, Your…er, Luca.” His voice trailed off, and he was unsure of where to start his story. There was much he needed to tell the king.
“Please, sit.” Luca gestured at one of the comfortable-looking visitor chairs at the desk. “Join me for a meal, and let’s get to know one another before we get into the reason for your visit. I must admit I’m curious about your people. I have never met an owl, and the legends are quite mysterious.”
Benji could sense the king’s unspoken question and grinned. He understood curiosity. “Would you like to see?”
Luca grinned with the enthusiasm of a young boy. “I’d be lying if I said no. I know many eagle shifters, and they are smaller than their human forms, only four or five times the size of their wild cousins. I’ve heard that owls are different. Do you mind?”
The thin, sandy-haired man enjoyed the opportunity to show off for his king. “Not at all, Sire.” Benji’s Therian form was spectacular, especially if the king had never seen an owl Therian shift. “Do you mind if we step out on the balcony?” He set the bag containing the historical books he’d borrowed on the floor. “I prefer the open air.”
Luca nodded and stood. “So do I, and we would have to anyway. It’s one of the few places in the palace you can shift without activating the defensive wards.”
Benji’s eyes widened in surprise as he followed Luca outside. “You have witches here? I’ve heard about them and have always been curious about the magic they wield and their ties to Therian bloodlines. I should very much like to meet one if the opportunity presents itself,” he requested as he stripped.
“It’s not a problem. I will ask Remy to introduce you. He’s been out of the country arranging crucial appointments and making travel arrangements for the next few weeks, but you met him this morning. I highly recommend speaking with him. The man is a veritable font of information.”
Therians weren’t bothered by nudity. It was a fact of life. He closed his eyes and centered his mind. His owl form felt more natural, so the shift was fast.
In place of a tall, gangly man with large yellow eyes, Luca saw an owl larger than Benji’s human form. The bird turned his head to stare at him with the same eyes. He spread his wings and shook out sand-colored feathers before settling down and looking longingly at the sky. Luca stared at the magnificent creature, astonished. Benji took a few hopping steps toward the balcony’s rail, spread his wings, and leaped into the air.
I’m sorry, Sire. Since my arrival, I have not taken my true shape, and I can’t resist a quick breeze through my feathers.
Luca couldn’t blame him, and if his schedule hadn’t been so tight, he would have changed forms and joined the owl for a leisurely flight. He contented himself with watching Benji’s aerial acrobatics.
The owl rose to dizzying heights before executing a perfect twist that sent him rocketing back toward the ground at breakneck speed. He stopped short of slamming into the balcony with another mid-air roll. Benji changed as his body spun and finished the roll on human feet, grinning at his king.
“That was outstanding!” Luca exclaimed. “I’ve never seen a Therian who could match your precision flying. Dragons are far too large to make such tight turns.”
Benji donned his clothes. “Your Majesty, it’s all physics. Your size prevents some of the special maneuvers I can perform, but if you hit the right speed and angle, you could fly as precisely. It is an art among my people, and I would consider it an honor to teach you.”
“Absolutely,” Luca agreed. “I’m not sure when I will have time, but Remy and Niletean know every second of my schedule, and between the two of them, I’m sure they will make it happen. For now, let’s go back inside and eat. I’d love to hear more about your people.”
The palace’s cooks had prepared an impressive lunch. Benji ate with gusto, enjoying the foreign flavors. Luca watched in amusement as his guest tried some of everything.
“I wasn’t sure what you would like, so I asked for a wide selection.”
Benji swallowed his current mouthful and smiled during the pause before another bite. “Everything is excellent, Your Majesty. Food is the one area where my people are not brilliant. Give us any technology, and we will master and improve it in short order. Present an unsolvable problem, and we will deliver a solution, but we never developed spice and flavor combinations like the humans in our territory. This is delicious.”
Luca sat back in his chair and watched the other man. “How is it that we know so little about your people?”
“That, Sire, is a very long story. I suppose I should begin now. What do you know about the origins of Therians, witches, and magic?”
Luca was quiet as he considered the question, then shook his head. “Virtually nothing, I’m ashamed to say. Navigating life in the present under Nikoli’s rule was hard enough. I didn’t have much opportunity to examine our origins. Recent events have given me cause to wonder about them, though.”
Benji understood the sentiment, even if he had no frame of reference to relate to it. Curiosity was one of his fundamental traits. He always wanted to know more and couldn’t imagine letting anything stand in the way of knowledge. He had to learn how and why things were the way they were and welcomed any chance to share that information.
“For many of our kind, we have simply always been, so the origin of our various species was never questioned,” Benji continued. He removed the books from the shoulder bag and laid them on the desk. “I’ve been reading Therian history for a full day now, hoping to reconcile what my people know of the early years of our evolution with the more recent information in your archives. When we retreated from the world after the Rending, we never imagined the knowledge would be lost.”
Luca focused his intense blue gaze on Benji. “You’ve got my attention. Please continue.”
“It would take days to impart the details, but I can summarize the most important facts. There are other universes and other dimensions, Sire. I don’t speak of other planets with life, though those also exist. To put a visual to it, imagine bubbles floating in a void. Each universe has its path, and they infrequently collide. When that occurs, a metaphysical link forms between the two dimensions, sometimes with disastrous results.”
