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Mistrals Kiss :: Гамильтон Лорел
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“The sluagh are wild magic, Meredith.”
“Yes, but wild sluagh and wild Seelie magic aren’t the same.”
He turned my hand palm-up. “You bear the hand of flesh and the hand of blood. Those are not Seelie powers.”
“No. In combat I seem to be all Unseelie, but in sex magic it is the Seelie in my blood that comes out. Do you understand what that might mean for your sluagh?”
All the light seemed to drain from his face, so somber now. “If we have sex, and the sluagh are reborn, you might remake the sluagh in your image.”
“Yes,” I said.
He stared at my hand as if he’d never seen it before. “If I had taken your life, then the sluagh would have remained what they are: a terrible darkness to sweep all before us. If we use sex to bring life back to my people, then they may become more like the sidhe, or even the Seelie sidhe.”
“Yes,” I said, “yes.” I was relieved that he finally understood.
“Would it be so terrible if we were more sidhe?” He almost whispered it, as if he spoke to himself.
“You are their king, Sholto. Only you can make this choice for your people.”
“They would hate me for making this choice.” He stared at me. “But what other choice is there? I will not spill your life away, not even to bring life back to all of my kingdom.” He closed his eyes and let go of my hand. He began to glow, soft, and white like the moon rising through his skin. He opened his eyes, and the triple gold of his irises gleamed. He traced a glowing fingertip across the palm of my hand, and it drew a line of cold white fire across my skin. I shuddered from that small touch.
He smiled. “I am sidhe, Meredith. I understand that now. I am sluagh, too, but I am also sidhe. I want to be sidhe, Meredith. I want to be fully sidhe. I want to know what it feels like to be what I am.”
I drew my hand back from him, so I could think without the press of his power against my skin. “You are king here. You must make this choice.” My voice was a little hoarse.
“It is no choice,” he said. “You dead, and lost to all of faerie — or you in my arms? It is no choice.” He laughed then, and his laughter, too, echoed across the lake. I heard chimes, or birds, or both. “Besides, Darkness and Frost would kill me if I took you as a sacrifice.”
“They would not slay the king of the sluagh and bring war to faerie,” I said.
“If you truly believe that their loyalties are still to faerie rather than to you alone, then you do not see their eyes when they look at you.
“The sluagh are wild magic, Meredith.”
“Yes, but wild sluagh and wild Seelie magic aren’t the same.”
He turned my hand palm-up. “You bear the hand of flesh and the hand of blood. Those are not Seelie powers.”
“No. In combat I seem to be all Unseelie, but in sex magic it is the Seelie in my blood that comes out. Do you understand what that might mean for your sluagh?”
All the light seemed to drain from his face, so somber now. “If we have sex, and the sluagh are reborn, you might remake the sluagh in your image.”
“Yes,” I said.
He stared at my hand as if he’d never seen it before. “If I had taken your life, then the sluagh would have remained what they are: a terrible darkness to sweep all before us. If we use sex to bring life back to my people, then they may become more like the sidhe, or even the Seelie sidhe.”
“Yes,” I said, “yes.” I was relieved that he finally understood.
“Would it be so terrible if we were more sidhe?” He almost whispered it, as if he spoke to himself.
“You are their king, Sholto. Only you can make this choice for your people.”
“They would hate me for making this choice.” He stared at me. “But what other choice is there? I will not spill your life away, not even to bring life back to all of my kingdom.” He closed his eyes and let go of my hand. He began to glow, soft, and white like the moon rising through his skin. He opened his eyes, and the triple gold of his irises gleamed. He traced a glowing fingertip across the palm of my hand, and it drew a line of cold white fire across my skin. I shuddered from that small touch.
He smiled. “I am sidhe, Meredith. I understand that now. I am sluagh, too, but I am also sidhe. I want to be sidhe, Meredith. I want to be fully sidhe. I want to know what it feels like to be what I am.”
I drew my hand back from him, so I could think without the press of his power against my skin. “You are king here. You must make this choice.” My voice was a little hoarse.
“It is no choice,” he said. “You dead, and lost to all of faerie — or you in my arms? It is no choice.” He laughed then, and his laughter, too, echoed across the lake. I heard chimes, or birds, or both. “Besides, Darkness and Frost would kill me if I took you as a sacrifice.”
“They would not slay the king of the sluagh and bring war to faerie,” I said.
“If you truly believe that their loyalties are still to faerie rather than to you alone, then you do not see their eyes when they look at you.