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A Kiss Of Shadows :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 180 из 338What I found was a woven cord tied witha silver ring. The ring was the queen's ring—one of the magical items that the fey were allowed to take away from Europe during the great exodus. The ring was a thing of great power, which is what had allowed the cord's magic to work without touching either of our skins or being invoked.
I held the thing up so he could see it. "I found it, and it's wearing her ring."
Galen's eyes widened. "She never lets that ring off her hand." He took the cord from me, touching the different-colored strands. "Red for lust, orange for reckless love, but why the green? That's usually reserved for finding a monogamous partner. You'd never mix those three colors."
"Even for Andais this is psychotic. Why invite me home to be an honored guest, but set me up for execution on the way to the court? It makes absolutely no sense."
"No one could have gotten that ring without her permission, Merry."
Something white was sticking out from between the seat and the back.
I moved closer to it and found it was half an envelope. "This wasn't there before," I said.
"No, it wasn't," Galen said. He picked his sweater up off the floor and slipped it on.
I pulled at the envelope, and it felt as if something was pushing from the other end; it was a flexing, as if of muscle. It brought my pulse in my throat, but I took the envelope. It had my name written across it in beautiful handwriting—the queen's handwriting.
I showed it to Galen as he continued to dress. "You'd better open it," he said.
I turned it over and found her seal set in black wax, unbroken. I broke the seal and pulled out a single sheet of thick white stationary.
"What does it say?" Galen asked.
I read it aloud to him. "'To Princess Meredith NicEssus. Take this ring as a gift and a token of things to come. I want to see it on your hand when we meet. She even signed her name." I looked at Galen. "This makes less and less sense."
"Look," he said.
I looked where he was pointing, and there was a small velvet bag sticking out of the seat now. It had not been there when I took the envelope out of the seat.
"What is going on?"
Galen pulled the bag into sight, carefully. It was very small, and the only thing in it was a piece of black silk. "Let me see the ring," he said.
I slipped the silver ring off the cord, holding it in the palm of my hand. The cold metal grew warm against my hand. I waited tensely for it to grow hot, but it was just a slight pulsing warmth. Either it was part of the ring's enchantment or… I held the ring out to Galen.
I held the thing up so he could see it. "I found it, and it's wearing her ring."
Galen's eyes widened. "She never lets that ring off her hand." He took the cord from me, touching the different-colored strands. "Red for lust, orange for reckless love, but why the green? That's usually reserved for finding a monogamous partner. You'd never mix those three colors."
"Even for Andais this is psychotic. Why invite me home to be an honored guest, but set me up for execution on the way to the court? It makes absolutely no sense."
"No one could have gotten that ring without her permission, Merry."
Something white was sticking out from between the seat and the back.
I moved closer to it and found it was half an envelope. "This wasn't there before," I said.
"No, it wasn't," Galen said. He picked his sweater up off the floor and slipped it on.
I pulled at the envelope, and it felt as if something was pushing from the other end; it was a flexing, as if of muscle. It brought my pulse in my throat, but I took the envelope. It had my name written across it in beautiful handwriting—the queen's handwriting.
I showed it to Galen as he continued to dress. "You'd better open it," he said.
I turned it over and found her seal set in black wax, unbroken. I broke the seal and pulled out a single sheet of thick white stationary.
"What does it say?" Galen asked.
I read it aloud to him. "'To Princess Meredith NicEssus. Take this ring as a gift and a token of things to come. I want to see it on your hand when we meet. She even signed her name." I looked at Galen. "This makes less and less sense."
"Look," he said.
I looked where he was pointing, and there was a small velvet bag sticking out of the seat now. It had not been there when I took the envelope out of the seat.
"What is going on?"
Galen pulled the bag into sight, carefully. It was very small, and the only thing in it was a piece of black silk. "Let me see the ring," he said.
I slipped the silver ring off the cord, holding it in the palm of my hand. The cold metal grew warm against my hand. I waited tensely for it to grow hot, but it was just a slight pulsing warmth. Either it was part of the ring's enchantment or… I held the ring out to Galen.