A Caress Of Twilight   ::   Гамильтон Лорел

He was nearly as tall as I was,four feet eight, nine. The wings that had been lovely when tiny were like stained glass, artwork worn across the back of his body. Muscles showed under his butter yellow skin, and when he turned to look at me over his shoulder, the black eyes were the shape of almonds, and his red lips were moist and full. There was something terribly sensual as he stood there, his wings nearly filling one side of the room.

"Is he not lovely, Meredith?" Niceven said, her voice full of longing.

I sighed. "He is lovely to the eye, but in his present size sex is an even greater boon, for whosoever gets me with child will be King." I had to step to one side to see her clearly past Sage's wings. "Is it a bid for the Unseelie throne, Niceven? Is that your goal? I wouldn't have thought you that ambitious."

"I bid for no throne," she said.

"Liar and oath breaker," Doyle said. He had never moved out of the mirror's sight, as if he wanted her to remember, always, that he was by my side.

She turned a flat and very unfriendly gaze to him. "Mind your manners, Darkness."

"Give Meredith the cure as you swore you would."

"Queen Andais said the green knight was to be cured at all costs."

Doyle shook his head. "She could not have dreamt this cost. There have always been rumors that some of the demi-fey could grow larger, but rumors, fables, no truth until now. The Queen would think ill of a demi-fey king, especially one who is your puppet in all things."

She hissed at him, and in that one movement she seemed very alien, as if I'd figure out what she truly was if I thought hard enough, and it wouldn't be human. The white mouse had crouched away from her as if it feared her temper.

"You have a choice here, Queen Niceven," I said. "You can either give me the cure for Galen as you swore you would, or I can tell Queen Andais about your plotting."

Niceven looked at me, eyes narrow. "If I give you the cure, you will not tell Andais about all this?"

"We are allies, Queen Niceven. Allies protect each other."

"I have not fully agreed to an alliance merely for an offering of blood once a week. Have sex with Sage and I will be your ally."

"Give me the cure for Galen, take your blood offering once a week, be my ally, or I tell Aunt Andais what you tried to do here."

Niceven didn't look angry anymore, she looked frightened. "If I had not had Sage show you his secret, then you would not have had anything to blackmail me with."

"Perhaps, or perhaps even a little seed in the wrong place can cause a large problem.