JК
A Caress Of Twilight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 20 из 236The goblin mound is full of bones and rotting meat."
"He's only half goblin, Rhys," I said.
"Yeah, his father raped one of our women." He was staring down at Kitto, though all he could have seen was perhaps a pale hand or arm.
"His mother was Seelie, not Unseelie," I said.
"What does it matter? His father forced himself on a sidhe woman." His voice held heat enough to scald.
"And how many of our sidhe warriors took their pleasure on unwilling women, even goblins, during the wars?" Doyle asked.
I glanced at Doyle and could see nothing through the dark glasses. I looked quickly at Rhys and saw a pale blush chase up his cheeks. He glared at Doyle. "I have never touched a woman who did not invite my attentions."
"Of course not, you are a member of the Queen's Guard, her Ravens, and it is death by torture for one of her Ravens to touch any woman except for the Queen herself. But what of the warriors who are not members of the personal guards?"
Rhys looked away, his blush darkening to a bright, deep red.
"Yes, look away, as we've all had to look away over the centuries," Doyle said.
Rhys's neck turned slowly, as if every muscle had gone suddenly tight with anger. Last night he'd had a gun in his hands and he hadn't been frightening. Now, just sitting on the edge of my desk, he was frightening.
He did nothing; even his hands were loose in his lap, just that terrible tension in his back, the set of his shoulders, the way he held himself as if he were a blink away from some terrible physical action — something that would rip the room apart and paint the sparkling glass with blood and thicker things. Rhys had done nothing, nothing, yet violence rode the air like a kiss just above the skin, something to make you shiver with anticipation, even though nothing had happened. Not yet, not yet.
I wanted to look behind me at Doyle, but I couldn't turn away from Rhys. It was as if only my gaze kept him in check. I knew that wasn't true, but I felt that if I looked away, even for a moment, something very, very bad would happen.
Kitto was pressed so close to my legs that I could feel a fine trembling all along his body. My hand was still on his curls, but I don't think it was a comforting touch anymore, because I could feel the tension in my arm, my hand.
Rhys's face turned milky as if something white and luminous moved under his skin, like soft, glowing clouds — moved not across his face but underneath the skin of his face.
"He's only half goblin, Rhys," I said.
"Yeah, his father raped one of our women." He was staring down at Kitto, though all he could have seen was perhaps a pale hand or arm.
"His mother was Seelie, not Unseelie," I said.
"What does it matter? His father forced himself on a sidhe woman." His voice held heat enough to scald.
"And how many of our sidhe warriors took their pleasure on unwilling women, even goblins, during the wars?" Doyle asked.
I glanced at Doyle and could see nothing through the dark glasses. I looked quickly at Rhys and saw a pale blush chase up his cheeks. He glared at Doyle. "I have never touched a woman who did not invite my attentions."
"Of course not, you are a member of the Queen's Guard, her Ravens, and it is death by torture for one of her Ravens to touch any woman except for the Queen herself. But what of the warriors who are not members of the personal guards?"
Rhys looked away, his blush darkening to a bright, deep red.
"Yes, look away, as we've all had to look away over the centuries," Doyle said.
Rhys's neck turned slowly, as if every muscle had gone suddenly tight with anger. Last night he'd had a gun in his hands and he hadn't been frightening. Now, just sitting on the edge of my desk, he was frightening.
He did nothing; even his hands were loose in his lap, just that terrible tension in his back, the set of his shoulders, the way he held himself as if he were a blink away from some terrible physical action — something that would rip the room apart and paint the sparkling glass with blood and thicker things. Rhys had done nothing, nothing, yet violence rode the air like a kiss just above the skin, something to make you shiver with anticipation, even though nothing had happened. Not yet, not yet.
I wanted to look behind me at Doyle, but I couldn't turn away from Rhys. It was as if only my gaze kept him in check. I knew that wasn't true, but I felt that if I looked away, even for a moment, something very, very bad would happen.
Kitto was pressed so close to my legs that I could feel a fine trembling all along his body. My hand was still on his curls, but I don't think it was a comforting touch anymore, because I could feel the tension in my arm, my hand.
Rhys's face turned milky as if something white and luminous moved under his skin, like soft, glowing clouds — moved not across his face but underneath the skin of his face.