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A Kiss Of Shadows :: Гамильтон Лорел
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"I know who speaks for the queen and who does not," Sholto said, and it was his turn to sound certain.
"Really," Doyle said. "And if I had come to you and given you the queen's orders, would you have believed me?"
Sholto frowned, but nodded. "You are the queen's Darkness. When your mouth moves, her words come out of it."
"Then hear these words: The queen wants Princess Meredith alive, and back home."
I couldn't read all the thoughts moving across Sholto's face, but there were a lot of them. I tried to ask the question he would not answer for Doyle. "Did the queen herself tell you to come to Los Angeles and kill me?"
Sholto looked at me. It was a long, considering look, but finally he shook his head. "No," he said.
"Who told you to come to Los Angeles and slay the princess?" Doyle asked.
Sholto opened his mouth to answer, then closed it. The tension flowed out of him, and he stepped back from Doyle, lowering the sword to his side. "No, I will keep the name of the traitor to myself for now."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because Doyle's presence here can mean only one thing. The queen wants you to return to court." He looked at Doyle. "I'm right, aren't I?"
"Yes," Doyle said.
"She wants me to return to court?"
Doyle moved so he could see both Sholto and me, his back to the empty bathroom stalls. "Yes, Princess."
I shook my head. "I left because people were trying to kill me, Doyle. The queen wasn't stopping them."
"They were legal duels," he said.
"They were court-sanctioned assassination attempts," I said.
"I did mention this to her," Doyle said.
"And she said what?"
"She gave me her mark to give to you. If anyone kills you now, even in a duel, they will have to face our queen's vengeance. Trust in this, Princess: even those who desire your death greatly will not want to pay that high a price for it."
I looked up at Sholto, the movement made me slightly dizzy. Shock, definitely shock. "Fine, I'm going back to court, if the queen can guarantee my safety. What does that have to do with you not giving us the name of the traitor? Who used the queen's name to send you to execute me, when she didn't want me dead?"
"I will keep that information to myself for now," Sholto said again. His face was that arrogant mask that he wore so often at court.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because if the queen allows you back to court, you don't need to bargain with me. You will be able to return to faerie, to the Unseelie Court, and I would bet my kingdom that she'll find you another sidhe lover.
"I know who speaks for the queen and who does not," Sholto said, and it was his turn to sound certain.
"Really," Doyle said. "And if I had come to you and given you the queen's orders, would you have believed me?"
Sholto frowned, but nodded. "You are the queen's Darkness. When your mouth moves, her words come out of it."
"Then hear these words: The queen wants Princess Meredith alive, and back home."
I couldn't read all the thoughts moving across Sholto's face, but there were a lot of them. I tried to ask the question he would not answer for Doyle. "Did the queen herself tell you to come to Los Angeles and kill me?"
Sholto looked at me. It was a long, considering look, but finally he shook his head. "No," he said.
"Who told you to come to Los Angeles and slay the princess?" Doyle asked.
Sholto opened his mouth to answer, then closed it. The tension flowed out of him, and he stepped back from Doyle, lowering the sword to his side. "No, I will keep the name of the traitor to myself for now."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because Doyle's presence here can mean only one thing. The queen wants you to return to court." He looked at Doyle. "I'm right, aren't I?"
"Yes," Doyle said.
"She wants me to return to court?"
Doyle moved so he could see both Sholto and me, his back to the empty bathroom stalls. "Yes, Princess."
I shook my head. "I left because people were trying to kill me, Doyle. The queen wasn't stopping them."
"They were legal duels," he said.
"They were court-sanctioned assassination attempts," I said.
"I did mention this to her," Doyle said.
"And she said what?"
"She gave me her mark to give to you. If anyone kills you now, even in a duel, they will have to face our queen's vengeance. Trust in this, Princess: even those who desire your death greatly will not want to pay that high a price for it."
I looked up at Sholto, the movement made me slightly dizzy. Shock, definitely shock. "Fine, I'm going back to court, if the queen can guarantee my safety. What does that have to do with you not giving us the name of the traitor? Who used the queen's name to send you to execute me, when she didn't want me dead?"
"I will keep that information to myself for now," Sholto said again. His face was that arrogant mask that he wore so often at court.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because if the queen allows you back to court, you don't need to bargain with me. You will be able to return to faerie, to the Unseelie Court, and I would bet my kingdom that she'll find you another sidhe lover.