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A Kiss Of Shadows :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 194 из 338There had been a time when he'd smiled more, laughed more, hadn't there? I remembered his arms lifting me from the water with a great shout of laughter, his hair floating around his body like a slow cloud. I'd swum in that cloud, wrapped it around tiny hands. We'd laughed together. The first time I swam in the Pacific Ocean I thought of Barinthus. I wanted to show him this vast new ocean. To my knowledge he'd never seen it.
Galen was waiting in front of the door. I stopped and waited for Barinthus to catch up with me. "You seem solemn today, Barinthus."
He looked at me with those eyes, and the invisible eyelid flicked over them. Nervous. He was nervous. Was he afraid for me? He'd been pleased about the ring, displeased about the spell in the car. But not too displeased, not too distressed, as if it were all normal business. In a way it was. "What's wrong, Barinthus? What haven't you told me?"
"Trust me, Meredith."
I took his free hand in mine, fingers sliding around his. My hand was lost in his. "I do trust you, Barinthus."
He held my hand delicately as if afraid I would break. "Meredith, little Meredith." His face softened as he spoke. "You were always a mixture of directness, coyness, and tenderness."
"I'm not as tender as I used to be, Barinthus."
He nodded. "The world does tend to beat such things out of you, unfortunately." He brought my hand to his lips and laid a gentle kiss against my fingers. His lips brushed the ring and sent a tingling wave through both of us.
He looked solemn again, face closing down, as he dropped my hand. "What, Barinthus? What?" I grabbed his arm.
He shook his head. "It has been a very long time since that ring has come to life in such a manner."
"What does the ring have to do with anything?" I asked.
"It had become just another piece of metal, and now it lives again."
"And?" I asked.
He looked past me to Galen. "Let's get her to the room. The queen does not like to be kept waiting."
Galen took the key from me and unlocked the door. He checked the room for spells and hidden dangers while Barinthus and I waited in the hall.
"Tell me what it means that the ring reacts to you and Galen, but not my grandmother."
He sighed. "The queen once used the ring to choose her consorts."
I raised eyebrows at him. "Which means, what?"
"It reacts to men that the ring deems worthy of you."
I stared up at him, searching that handsome, exotic face.
Galen was waiting in front of the door. I stopped and waited for Barinthus to catch up with me. "You seem solemn today, Barinthus."
He looked at me with those eyes, and the invisible eyelid flicked over them. Nervous. He was nervous. Was he afraid for me? He'd been pleased about the ring, displeased about the spell in the car. But not too displeased, not too distressed, as if it were all normal business. In a way it was. "What's wrong, Barinthus? What haven't you told me?"
"Trust me, Meredith."
I took his free hand in mine, fingers sliding around his. My hand was lost in his. "I do trust you, Barinthus."
He held my hand delicately as if afraid I would break. "Meredith, little Meredith." His face softened as he spoke. "You were always a mixture of directness, coyness, and tenderness."
"I'm not as tender as I used to be, Barinthus."
He nodded. "The world does tend to beat such things out of you, unfortunately." He brought my hand to his lips and laid a gentle kiss against my fingers. His lips brushed the ring and sent a tingling wave through both of us.
He looked solemn again, face closing down, as he dropped my hand. "What, Barinthus? What?" I grabbed his arm.
He shook his head. "It has been a very long time since that ring has come to life in such a manner."
"What does the ring have to do with anything?" I asked.
"It had become just another piece of metal, and now it lives again."
"And?" I asked.
He looked past me to Galen. "Let's get her to the room. The queen does not like to be kept waiting."
Galen took the key from me and unlocked the door. He checked the room for spells and hidden dangers while Barinthus and I waited in the hall.
"Tell me what it means that the ring reacts to you and Galen, but not my grandmother."
He sighed. "The queen once used the ring to choose her consorts."
I raised eyebrows at him. "Which means, what?"
"It reacts to men that the ring deems worthy of you."
I stared up at him, searching that handsome, exotic face.