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A Stroke Of Midnight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 184 из 293His pale beard framed the smile that had not left his face. “Of course, if the young lordling thinks I have insulted him and wishes to challenge me…” He left it open.
I squeezed Galen’s hand, and he laughed. Kieran’s smile faltered.
“Was I ever that stupid,” Galen said. “Goddess, I hope not.” He raised my hand and laid a kiss against my fingers. I saw a hardness in his face then that had never been there before. “I am at Merry’s side and in her bed, and I won’t give that up because you hurt my ego.” His usual grin flashed bright and clear, as if the shadow I’d seen on his face hadn’t been there at all. “Besides, I’m flattered. You ambushed me with two magicians and three warriors. I didn’t know you were that scared of me.”
“I am not frightened of some jumped-up pixie.” Kieran’s face had begun to flush in anger.
Galen laughed, and pressed his lips to my hand again. “If you’re not afraid of me, then why did you need so much help to kill me?”
“Oh, I agree,” Andais said. “Only fear would make Kieran take so much help to slay one guard. If it were Frost or my Darkness, I might understand. Even Mistral, our lord of storms, but I did not know you feared Galen.”
“I do not fear him,” Kieran said again, but there was something in his voice that made me want to quote Shakespeare. The lady doth protest too much. What was it about Galen, even if he were the green man who would bring life back to the court, that would make Kieran pack so much firepower, as it were, to kill him? It was a very good question. I’d been too caught up in nearly losing Galen to really think about it.
“If you don’t fear Galen, then what do you fear, Kieran?” I asked.
“Lord Kieran,” he said.
“No, Kieran,” Andais said. “She is heir to my throne, and will one day be your queen if you live that long. I think she can address you as I do, Kieran.” There was that purring edge to her voice that either meant sex, or that you were about to be hurt, really badly. Sometimes it meant both.
“What do I fear?” Kieran said. “I fear the death of the sidhe, as a race.”
“Do you fear that my niece’s mixed blood will condemn us all to mortality?”
“Yes, as do many of us. They are afraid to speak of it, but they would act as I do, if they had the courage.”
Andais looked past him. “I do not know, Kieran. I think your wife’s courage is fast fading.”
He looked at her, and there was something in his face, some question, or pleading.
I squeezed Galen’s hand, and he laughed. Kieran’s smile faltered.
“Was I ever that stupid,” Galen said. “Goddess, I hope not.” He raised my hand and laid a kiss against my fingers. I saw a hardness in his face then that had never been there before. “I am at Merry’s side and in her bed, and I won’t give that up because you hurt my ego.” His usual grin flashed bright and clear, as if the shadow I’d seen on his face hadn’t been there at all. “Besides, I’m flattered. You ambushed me with two magicians and three warriors. I didn’t know you were that scared of me.”
“I am not frightened of some jumped-up pixie.” Kieran’s face had begun to flush in anger.
Galen laughed, and pressed his lips to my hand again. “If you’re not afraid of me, then why did you need so much help to kill me?”
“Oh, I agree,” Andais said. “Only fear would make Kieran take so much help to slay one guard. If it were Frost or my Darkness, I might understand. Even Mistral, our lord of storms, but I did not know you feared Galen.”
“I do not fear him,” Kieran said again, but there was something in his voice that made me want to quote Shakespeare. The lady doth protest too much. What was it about Galen, even if he were the green man who would bring life back to the court, that would make Kieran pack so much firepower, as it were, to kill him? It was a very good question. I’d been too caught up in nearly losing Galen to really think about it.
“If you don’t fear Galen, then what do you fear, Kieran?” I asked.
“Lord Kieran,” he said.
“No, Kieran,” Andais said. “She is heir to my throne, and will one day be your queen if you live that long. I think she can address you as I do, Kieran.” There was that purring edge to her voice that either meant sex, or that you were about to be hurt, really badly. Sometimes it meant both.
“What do I fear?” Kieran said. “I fear the death of the sidhe, as a race.”
“Do you fear that my niece’s mixed blood will condemn us all to mortality?”
“Yes, as do many of us. They are afraid to speak of it, but they would act as I do, if they had the courage.”
Andais looked past him. “I do not know, Kieran. I think your wife’s courage is fast fading.”
He looked at her, and there was something in his face, some question, or pleading.