The Falcon Prince by Karen Kelley Page A

a virgin, but that’s something you won’t be finding out for yourself.”
    “An impure is the offspring of Symtarians and another species. We are trying to bring them home to protect them.”
    “And I’m part Symtarian?”
    He nodded.
    She grinned. “And I need protecting?” If this was some kind of new pick up line, it was way over the top, and it was so not working.
    “There are rogue Symtarians who would like to see all the impures dead.”
    “And that’s what happened to my so-called father?”
    “I don’t think you believe any of this.”
    “You would be correct in your azz…azzumpshun….” Her tongue did not want to cooperate. “You’re right about that.” She finished off the beer.
    “Does your animal guide not talk to you? Explain things?”
    “Ruffles doesn’t do anything ’cept lay under the bed and sleep. Lazy cat.”
    “The animal guide is inside you. She is a part of you. You would hear her voice.”
    Told you so, Shintara said.
    The world around Ria began to spin out of control. How did he know about the voice inside her head?

Chapter 6
    “S omeone told you about the…the voice that talks to me. Admit it. That’s how you found out,” Ria said, then quickly made sure there was no one within hearing distance.
    Mary Ann was the only one remotely interested in them. At the moment, she was casting cat-in-heat looks toward Kristor, but she hadn’t made a move yet. She couldn’t possibly hear what they were talking about. And if she could, she certainly wouldn’t be flirting with him. Maybe Ria should suggest Kristor take her to his planet.
    “No one had to tell me,” Kristor said, capturing her attention. “Every Symtarian has an animal guide.”
    No, he was lying. Of course he was lying. He had to be lying. Anything else was totally ridiculous. “There are no such things as aliens or animal guides or a planet called New Symtaria.”
    He’s not lying. This is who you are. I’ve been trying to convince you all these years that I’m real. Except you wouldn’t freakin’ listen! And it’s been driving me crazy! Now we both have answers.
    “Shut up.” Great, she’d spoken out loud. Kristor didn’t seem to think anything out of the ordinary had happened.
    Too much beer. That was it. It never took more than one-and-a-half longnecks to make her tipsy, and she’d downed two as if the Budweiser plants were filing for bankruptcy tomorrow.
    “You are part Symtarian,” Kristor reinforced.
    “No, I’m not, because it would make me as crazy as you.” She stomped to the tub and grabbed another beer. Maybe sinking into oblivion was what she needed. If she thought too much about what Kristor was saying, then she might start to believe him.
    Set me free, Shintara cried out.
    Go away! Ria chugged the beer, trying to drown out Shintara’s voice.
    I’m not schizophrenic, Ria silently screamed to herself. Then more quietly, she added I’m not.
    But what if she was? Maybe there was a society of schizophrenics, and they searched each other out. There could be whole towns. Her forehead puckered. And you’d only need a few people to create one. One person could literally take on more than one role.
    That is so not funny, Shintara said.
    Ria didn’t think so, either.
    A couple of guys pulled out guitars, one a fiddle. Her dad set up the microphone. Good, she needed distraction.
    Her parents lived on five acres on the outskirts of Miller Bend, and since the neighbors were at the party, no one worried about noise. Right now noise sounded good. Anything to drown out her thoughts.
    She glanced around. The crowd of people had grown to over sixty and she suspected it would continue to grow as the night wore on. There was beer, hotdogs and chips, and boot-stompin’ music. Half the town would probably end up in their backyard, bringing a couple of six packs, or something to eat, as their invitation.
    Ria wanted to lose herself in the music, in the crowd, and keep her distance from Kristor. Mary