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Mistrals Kiss :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 52 из 148Rhys with me.”
I thought someone would argue with him, but they didn’t. They followed him as they had followed him for a thousand years. My pulse was thudding in my throat, and I didn’t understand what was happening, but I was almost certain in that moment that the men would never obey me as they obeyed him. I understood, as he stalked over the softening ground — with Rhys like a small, pale shadow at his side — why my aunt Andais had never made love to Doyle. Never given him a chance to fill her belly with child. She did not share power, and Doyle was a man whom other men followed. He had the stuff of kings in him. I had known that, but I hadn’t been certain until this second that the other men knew it, too. Maybe not in the front of their heads, but in the very bones of their bodies, they understood what he was, what he could be.
He and Rhys moved toward a fringe of tall trees, their branches stark and dead against the soft, rainy twilight. Doyle was looking up into the trees, as if he saw something in the empty branches.
“What is that?” Mistral asked.
“I don’t see…,” Abe began; then I heard his breath draw in sharp.
“What, what is it?” I asked.
“Aisling, I think,” Frost whispered.
I glanced at Frost. I could remember some of the other men who had been touching the trees. Adair, for example, had climbed a tree. I remembered seeing him up in the branches in the middle of all the sex and magic. But I didn’t remember seeing Aisling after the magic hit us.
“I saw Adair climbing a tree, but I don’t remember Aisling,” I said.
“He vanished once we entered the garden,” Frost said.
“I thought he had been left behind in the room with Barinthus and the others,” I said.
“No, he was not left behind,” Mistral said.
“I can’t see what Doyle is looking at.”
“You may not wish to,” Abe said. “I know I don’t.”
“Don’t treat me like a child. What do you see? What’s happened to Aisling?” I pulled away from Mistral. But he and Abe were still between me and the line of trees. “Move aside,” I said.
They glanced at each other, but didn’t move. They would not obey me as they obeyed Doyle.
“I am Princess Meredith NicEssus, wielder of the hand of flesh and blood. You are royal guards, but not royal. Don’t let the sex go to your heads, gentlemen — move!”
“Do as she says,” Frost said.
They glanced at each other, but then parted so I could see.
I thought someone would argue with him, but they didn’t. They followed him as they had followed him for a thousand years. My pulse was thudding in my throat, and I didn’t understand what was happening, but I was almost certain in that moment that the men would never obey me as they obeyed him. I understood, as he stalked over the softening ground — with Rhys like a small, pale shadow at his side — why my aunt Andais had never made love to Doyle. Never given him a chance to fill her belly with child. She did not share power, and Doyle was a man whom other men followed. He had the stuff of kings in him. I had known that, but I hadn’t been certain until this second that the other men knew it, too. Maybe not in the front of their heads, but in the very bones of their bodies, they understood what he was, what he could be.
He and Rhys moved toward a fringe of tall trees, their branches stark and dead against the soft, rainy twilight. Doyle was looking up into the trees, as if he saw something in the empty branches.
“What is that?” Mistral asked.
“I don’t see…,” Abe began; then I heard his breath draw in sharp.
“What, what is it?” I asked.
“Aisling, I think,” Frost whispered.
I glanced at Frost. I could remember some of the other men who had been touching the trees. Adair, for example, had climbed a tree. I remembered seeing him up in the branches in the middle of all the sex and magic. But I didn’t remember seeing Aisling after the magic hit us.
“I saw Adair climbing a tree, but I don’t remember Aisling,” I said.
“He vanished once we entered the garden,” Frost said.
“I thought he had been left behind in the room with Barinthus and the others,” I said.
“No, he was not left behind,” Mistral said.
“I can’t see what Doyle is looking at.”
“You may not wish to,” Abe said. “I know I don’t.”
“Don’t treat me like a child. What do you see? What’s happened to Aisling?” I pulled away from Mistral. But he and Abe were still between me and the line of trees. “Move aside,” I said.
They glanced at each other, but didn’t move. They would not obey me as they obeyed Doyle.
“I am Princess Meredith NicEssus, wielder of the hand of flesh and blood. You are royal guards, but not royal. Don’t let the sex go to your heads, gentlemen — move!”
“Do as she says,” Frost said.
They glanced at each other, but then parted so I could see.