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A Stroke Of Midnight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 176 из 293So how do you propose to satisfy both the ring on your finger and your queen?”
“You said any guard who comes to my bed is mine to keep, correct?”
“Yes, so Afagdu has reminded me.”
“Then I will take Biddy and Nicca to my bed. Nicca will still be my lover, but he will also be Biddy’s. Will that satisfy you, Aunt Andais?”
“I have never found Nicca able to serve more than one person in a night.”
“I can bring him back to readiness with a touch,” I said.
“Can you really?” Her voice was thick with scorn. Her eyes had gone back to being angry.
I didn’t like the look or the tone, but I answered her, because not answering was probably worse. “Yes, my queen, I can.”
“Is this some new ability that you have gained?”
“No, Aunt Andais, it has always been my gift.”
“I keep forgetting that you’re a fertility goddess.”
“Descended from, yes.”
“I did not think you liked women, Meredith.”
My neck was beginning to feel strained looking up at her six-foot height from my knees. “I do not, as a rule, but if this is the only way to satisfy both the ring and my queen, then I will do it.”
She walked closer to me, forcing me to move my neck even farther back, as if she knew how awkward it was. “Would you do anything to see them make this potential child a reality?”
I saw the trap in her words and tried to avoid it. “Not anything, no.”
“But much,” she said, looming over me, “you would do much to have them fuck?”
I fought the urge to sit back on my heels, anything to get my neck out of the odd position. I did not want to answer this question, nothing good would come of it.
“Answer me, Meredith.”
“Yes, Aunt Andais, I would do much so they could make the child the ring promised.”
“Why do you care if they are with child?”
“Life quickens inside them. I saw it, felt it. It is a gift of the Goddess. How can I do anything but honor that gift? You wore the ring once when it was in its full power. You must remember how it felt.”
She grabbed me by the hair, jerked my head even farther back, as if she meant to snap my neck. She growled low and close to my face. “I am not a fertility goddess. I took the ring off my enemy’s finger. It was a spoil of war, and it worked for me, but its magic and mine are not complementary. I never saw a phantom child. I saw sex, obsession, love, but children…” She lifted me off my knees, by my hair. I put a hand back to try to keep it from hurting so much. “I never saw any children.”
Our faces were almost touching now.
“You said any guard who comes to my bed is mine to keep, correct?”
“Yes, so Afagdu has reminded me.”
“Then I will take Biddy and Nicca to my bed. Nicca will still be my lover, but he will also be Biddy’s. Will that satisfy you, Aunt Andais?”
“I have never found Nicca able to serve more than one person in a night.”
“I can bring him back to readiness with a touch,” I said.
“Can you really?” Her voice was thick with scorn. Her eyes had gone back to being angry.
I didn’t like the look or the tone, but I answered her, because not answering was probably worse. “Yes, my queen, I can.”
“Is this some new ability that you have gained?”
“No, Aunt Andais, it has always been my gift.”
“I keep forgetting that you’re a fertility goddess.”
“Descended from, yes.”
“I did not think you liked women, Meredith.”
My neck was beginning to feel strained looking up at her six-foot height from my knees. “I do not, as a rule, but if this is the only way to satisfy both the ring and my queen, then I will do it.”
She walked closer to me, forcing me to move my neck even farther back, as if she knew how awkward it was. “Would you do anything to see them make this potential child a reality?”
I saw the trap in her words and tried to avoid it. “Not anything, no.”
“But much,” she said, looming over me, “you would do much to have them fuck?”
I fought the urge to sit back on my heels, anything to get my neck out of the odd position. I did not want to answer this question, nothing good would come of it.
“Answer me, Meredith.”
“Yes, Aunt Andais, I would do much so they could make the child the ring promised.”
“Why do you care if they are with child?”
“Life quickens inside them. I saw it, felt it. It is a gift of the Goddess. How can I do anything but honor that gift? You wore the ring once when it was in its full power. You must remember how it felt.”
She grabbed me by the hair, jerked my head even farther back, as if she meant to snap my neck. She growled low and close to my face. “I am not a fertility goddess. I took the ring off my enemy’s finger. It was a spoil of war, and it worked for me, but its magic and mine are not complementary. I never saw a phantom child. I saw sex, obsession, love, but children…” She lifted me off my knees, by my hair. I put a hand back to try to keep it from hurting so much. “I never saw any children.”
Our faces were almost touching now.