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A Lick Of Frost :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 74 из 184I'd never seen it braided before, like a Goth version of a candy cane, black, gray, and white. I guess they'd had to keep his hair away from the wound on his back somehow.
Frost sat on the seat opposite Doyle. Galen moved to take a seat, but Doyle said, "Take the second SUV. Rhys will take the first. We have too many guards who know only faerie. Be their modern eyes and ears, Galen."
Rhys patted him on the back. "Come on."
Galen gave me an unhappy look, but he did as he was told.
It was Frost who said, "We need Aisling in here."
"And Usna," Doyle said.
Frost nodded as if that made sense to him. It didn't to me, not yet. But then I hadn't had centuries of battle to get me past that shock and disorientation that seemed to follow like a fog.
The door shut, and we had a few minutes while Rhys and Galen fetched the men they had asked for. "Why them?" I asked.
"Aisling was exiled from the Seelie because their sithen, their faerie mound, recognized him as the king in this new land, not Taranis," Doyle said. His voice sounded normal, not even a hint of tightness. Only his arm in its sling tied tightly to his chest and the bandage across his face showed what his voice should have held.
"So he needs to know that Hugh is trying to give away his kingdom," I said.
"No," Abe said from my lap. "It is not Aisling's kingdom now."
"But the sithen used to choose the ruler," I said.
"Yes," Abe said, "as the Lia Fail stone did once for the kings of Ireland. But the sithen can be a fickle thing. It liked Aisling more than two hundred years ago. He's not the same man who was exiled. Time has changed him. The Seelie mound may not want him now." Abe's voice sounded tired, trailing off around the edges.
I put my hand against his cheek. That one small touch made him smile.
"Usna's mother is still a favorite at the Seelie Court," Frost said, "and she still speaks to her son."
"So Usna might know if Hugh was part of a plot to get rid of Taranis," I said.
Frost nodded. Doyle said "Yes."
I looked at both their faces, so distant and cold. It reminded me of the way they had been when they first came to me. Why were they being like this? I was royal, so I shouldn't show weakness by asking. But I was also in love with them, so while there was only Abe to witness it, I asked. "Why are you both being so distant?"
They exchanged a look, and even through the bandages on Doyle's face I didn't like that look. It promised nothing that I would want.
"You are not with child, Meredith," Doyle said, voice still so controlled.
Frost sat on the seat opposite Doyle. Galen moved to take a seat, but Doyle said, "Take the second SUV. Rhys will take the first. We have too many guards who know only faerie. Be their modern eyes and ears, Galen."
Rhys patted him on the back. "Come on."
Galen gave me an unhappy look, but he did as he was told.
It was Frost who said, "We need Aisling in here."
"And Usna," Doyle said.
Frost nodded as if that made sense to him. It didn't to me, not yet. But then I hadn't had centuries of battle to get me past that shock and disorientation that seemed to follow like a fog.
The door shut, and we had a few minutes while Rhys and Galen fetched the men they had asked for. "Why them?" I asked.
"Aisling was exiled from the Seelie because their sithen, their faerie mound, recognized him as the king in this new land, not Taranis," Doyle said. His voice sounded normal, not even a hint of tightness. Only his arm in its sling tied tightly to his chest and the bandage across his face showed what his voice should have held.
"So he needs to know that Hugh is trying to give away his kingdom," I said.
"No," Abe said from my lap. "It is not Aisling's kingdom now."
"But the sithen used to choose the ruler," I said.
"Yes," Abe said, "as the Lia Fail stone did once for the kings of Ireland. But the sithen can be a fickle thing. It liked Aisling more than two hundred years ago. He's not the same man who was exiled. Time has changed him. The Seelie mound may not want him now." Abe's voice sounded tired, trailing off around the edges.
I put my hand against his cheek. That one small touch made him smile.
"Usna's mother is still a favorite at the Seelie Court," Frost said, "and she still speaks to her son."
"So Usna might know if Hugh was part of a plot to get rid of Taranis," I said.
Frost nodded. Doyle said "Yes."
I looked at both their faces, so distant and cold. It reminded me of the way they had been when they first came to me. Why were they being like this? I was royal, so I shouldn't show weakness by asking. But I was also in love with them, so while there was only Abe to witness it, I asked. "Why are you both being so distant?"
They exchanged a look, and even through the bandages on Doyle's face I didn't like that look. It promised nothing that I would want.
"You are not with child, Meredith," Doyle said, voice still so controlled.