A Caress Of Twilight   ::   Гамильтон Лорел

She was covered in blood as if someone had thrown a bucket of it over her. Her face was speckled with little drying bits, and one side of her hair was caked with blood and thicker things. It took a minute of staring to realize that she was gore soaked and wore nothing else. She was actually so covered in blood and bits that I hadn't realized she was nude at first.

I took air in through my nose, out through my mouth for a few breaths while Doyle filled the silence.

"We have had many callers, my Queen. The princess grew tired of being caught unprepared for visitors."

"Who else has been calling you, niece?"

I swallowed hard, let out the breath I'd been half holding, and my voice came out just fine, not a tremble. Good for me. "Taranis's secretaries mostly."

"What does he want?" She nearly spit the word he.

"I was invited to the Yule ball, but declined." I added the last hastily. I did not want her to think I'd snub her court.

"How terribly high-handed, and how terribly typical of Taranis."

"If one may be so bold, my Queen," Doyle said softly, "you are in an exceptional mood, despite the fact that you have obviously been indulging yourself heartily. What has so displeased you?"

Doyle was right. I'd seen Andais come back from a torture session humming, covered in gore and humming. She should have been having a very good time by her standards, but she wasn't.

"I have taken those who I deemed capable of either releasing the Nameless or calling the old ones. I have questioned them all most thoroughly. If any of them had done these things, they would have talked by now." She sounded tired, the anger beginning to leak away.

"I am sure, my Queen, that you have been most thorough," Doyle said.

She looked at him, and it was a hard look. "Are you making fun of me?"

Doyle bowed as far as the mirror would allow. "Never, my Queen."

She rubbed her hand across her forehead, smearing blood across her white skin. "No sidhe in our court did this, my Darkness."

"Then who, if not our people?" Doyle asked. He did not rise from his bow.

"We are not the only sidhe, Doyle."

"You mean Taranis's court," Frost said.

Her eyes flicked to him, and they narrowed in a very unfriendly manner. "Yes, that's what I mean."

Frost bowed, mirroring Doyle. "I meant no disrespect, Your Majesty."

Doyle said, from his awkward position, "Have you informed the king of his peril?"

"He refuses to believe that anyone in his beautiful shining court could do such a thing.