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A Stroke Of Midnight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 275 из 293” He gazed down at the still bloody wound on his arm. “Meredith is a fertility goddess, among other things, but primarily that is where her power lies. Fighting will not win you her mark.”
He and Doyle both stepped back, leaving Adair to finish the last of the undergarments himself.
“If you can win the lady’s favor, then do it,” Frost said, and his voice was almost empty of resentment. He was truly trying.
Adair looked to Doyle one last time. “And if the mark still does not touch me?”
“Then you will have ended your long fast, and drunk deep of our lady. For she is our lady. Whether she is yours as well remains to be seen.” Then he stepped away, as had Frost on the other side. Galen and Nicca slid off the bed. Nicca said, “It’s a big bed, but the first time should either be with someone who’s sharing with you, or just you and the lady.”
I realized then that Biddy was not in the room. I started to ask where she was, then Adair was beside the bed. He was nude. He must have stripped while I was looking across the bed at Nicca.
I had seen him nude before, and recently. The queen had made certain he met me at the court naked except for his weapons. Andais was never subtle, and she had been determined that I make love with as many of the vegetative gods as possible. I don’t know if she’d thought their being nude would make us quicker, or if she had believed the sight of them nude would inspire lust in me. He was as beautiful now as he had been then. I expected to see lust, or at least eagerness on his face, but his eyes were downcast, and if anything he seemed reluctant.
I reached out, and took his hand. He did not respond, neither closing his hand around mine nor pulling away. “Adair,” I said, “what is wrong?”
“It has been a very long time since I was with a woman.” He dropped his gaze again.
“She will be gentle if you need it,” Nicca said, from the foot of the bed now.
“Or not gentle,” Doyle said.
“She will be what you need,” Frost said. “It is her magic.”
“It is, in part, what she is,” Doyle said.
Adair looked at the men. “What is she?”
“She is the fertility of the land,” Doyle said.
“She carried the hand of blood and flesh,” Hawthorne said. “Those are dark powers.”
“Oh, come on, Whitethorne,” Rhys said, “blood and flesh have been making the crops grow as long or longer than sex.”
“Do not call me that,” Hawthorne said.
Rhys shrugged. “Fine, but she combines the fertility of both courts.
He and Doyle both stepped back, leaving Adair to finish the last of the undergarments himself.
“If you can win the lady’s favor, then do it,” Frost said, and his voice was almost empty of resentment. He was truly trying.
Adair looked to Doyle one last time. “And if the mark still does not touch me?”
“Then you will have ended your long fast, and drunk deep of our lady. For she is our lady. Whether she is yours as well remains to be seen.” Then he stepped away, as had Frost on the other side. Galen and Nicca slid off the bed. Nicca said, “It’s a big bed, but the first time should either be with someone who’s sharing with you, or just you and the lady.”
I realized then that Biddy was not in the room. I started to ask where she was, then Adair was beside the bed. He was nude. He must have stripped while I was looking across the bed at Nicca.
I had seen him nude before, and recently. The queen had made certain he met me at the court naked except for his weapons. Andais was never subtle, and she had been determined that I make love with as many of the vegetative gods as possible. I don’t know if she’d thought their being nude would make us quicker, or if she had believed the sight of them nude would inspire lust in me. He was as beautiful now as he had been then. I expected to see lust, or at least eagerness on his face, but his eyes were downcast, and if anything he seemed reluctant.
I reached out, and took his hand. He did not respond, neither closing his hand around mine nor pulling away. “Adair,” I said, “what is wrong?”
“It has been a very long time since I was with a woman.” He dropped his gaze again.
“She will be gentle if you need it,” Nicca said, from the foot of the bed now.
“Or not gentle,” Doyle said.
“She will be what you need,” Frost said. “It is her magic.”
“It is, in part, what she is,” Doyle said.
Adair looked at the men. “What is she?”
“She is the fertility of the land,” Doyle said.
“She carried the hand of blood and flesh,” Hawthorne said. “Those are dark powers.”
“Oh, come on, Whitethorne,” Rhys said, “blood and flesh have been making the crops grow as long or longer than sex.”
“Do not call me that,” Hawthorne said.
Rhys shrugged. “Fine, but she combines the fertility of both courts.