A Caress Of Twilight   ::   Гамильтон Лорел

I had put a belt around the middle of the sundress and threaded a side holster through it to hold my own gun. It ruined the line of the dress, but if things went really wrong, I'd rather survive looking a little silly than die looking perfect. I had two folding knives in thigh sheaths under the dress, and a smaller gun in an ankle holster. I'd been deemed unworthy even of a nonmagical blade by both courts.

Rhys had his sword on his back, the one he'd used of old, Uamhas, Dread Death. He had his axe belted at his side, because with only one eye his depth perception just wasn't up to a sword. He had daggers on him, but I wasn't sure I'd want to be standing to the side of whatever he was throwing at. When you're missing an eye, there's only so much you can compensate for.

Nicca had a sword that was almost identical to Galen's, standard knight ware, beautiful, deadly, but not powerful. Nicca had two guns on either side of his shoulder holster. I had reason to know that he used either hand equally well. He had added a third gun to the small of his back, and a dagger on the opposite side from his sword. Maybe it was standard issue, too, like the sword.

Kitto didn't know enough about guns to be trusted not to shoot his foot off, but he had a short sword belted across the back of his Wile E. Coyote T-shirt.

Sage had a tiny sword that gleamed bright silver in the sunlight. He would not give us the name of it. "To know the name of something is to have power over it," he said.

There was a rumbling sound, and the ground seemed to swell up as a portion of Maeve's wall fell inward. The Nameless had cheated. It hadn't gotten past her wards; it had destroyed what she attached them to.

The shimmering thing moved through the hole while a few shots rang out, and officers in charge yelled, "Don't shoot, don't shoot!"

Doyle was striding forward. "I will use the daggers. They must strike true, as is their nature."

"Can you get close enough and still stay out of reach?" Frost asked.

Doyle gave a small glance back. "I think so." He kept walking.

Frost moved me away from him, his hands gentle on my arms. "I must go with him. If he falls, I must be there."

"Kiss me first," I said.

He shook his head. "If I touch your lips, I will never leave your side." He kissed my forehead quickly, then jogged after Doyle.

Rhys swept me up into his arms while I was still too surprised to react. He kissed me, thoroughly and completely, and ended up wearing most of my red lipstick on his lips. He sat me back on my feet a little breathless.