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A Kiss Of Shadows :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 231 из 338The night willnot last forever, and you are staying at a hotel tonight. So we haven't much time." She withdrew her hand without hurting me. "We certainly don't have time to play games, do we?"
I looked at her, studied her smiling face, and tried to decide if she were sincere or if it was a trap of some kind. I finally said, "If you wish to play games, my queen, then I am honored to be included. If there is business to be done, then I am honored to be included in that, as well, Aunt Andais."
She laughed again. "Oh, good girl, to remind me that you are my niece, my blood kin. You fear my mood, distrust it, so you remind me of your value to me. Very good."
It didn't seem to be a question, so I said nothing because she was absolutely right.
She looked at my face, but said, "Frost."
He came to her, head bowed. "My queen."
"Go to your room and change into the clothes that I had made for you to wear tonight."
He dropped to one knee. "The clothes did not… fit, my queen."
I watched the light die in her eyes, leaving them as cold and empty as a white winter sky. "Yes," she said, "they did. They were literally tailor-made for you." She grabbed a handful of his silver hair and jerked his face up to meet her gaze. "Why are you not wearing them?"
He licked his lips. "My queen, I found the other clothing uncomfortable."
She put her head to one side the way a crow looks at a hanging man's eyes before it plucks them out. "Uncomfortable, uncomfortable. Do you hear that, Meredith? He found the clothes I had made for him uncomfortable." She pulled his head backward until his neck was a long exposed line of flesh. I could see the pulse in his neck jump against his skin.
"I heard you, Aunt Andais," I said, and this time my voice was as neutral as I could make it, bland and empty as a new penny. Someone was about to get hurt, and I didn't want it to be me. Frost was a fool. I'd have worn the clothes.
"What do you think we should do with our disobedient Frost?" she asked.
"Have him go to his room and change into the clothes," I said.
She pulled his head back until his spine bowed and I knew she could snap his neck with just a little more pressure. "That is hardly punishment enough, niece. He disobeyed a direct order of mine. That is not allowed."
I tried to think of something Andais would find amusing, but wouldn't actually be painful for Frost. My mind went blank. I'd never been good at this particular game. Then I had an idea.
"You said we wouldn't be playing any more games tonight, Aunt Andais.
I looked at her, studied her smiling face, and tried to decide if she were sincere or if it was a trap of some kind. I finally said, "If you wish to play games, my queen, then I am honored to be included. If there is business to be done, then I am honored to be included in that, as well, Aunt Andais."
She laughed again. "Oh, good girl, to remind me that you are my niece, my blood kin. You fear my mood, distrust it, so you remind me of your value to me. Very good."
It didn't seem to be a question, so I said nothing because she was absolutely right.
She looked at my face, but said, "Frost."
He came to her, head bowed. "My queen."
"Go to your room and change into the clothes that I had made for you to wear tonight."
He dropped to one knee. "The clothes did not… fit, my queen."
I watched the light die in her eyes, leaving them as cold and empty as a white winter sky. "Yes," she said, "they did. They were literally tailor-made for you." She grabbed a handful of his silver hair and jerked his face up to meet her gaze. "Why are you not wearing them?"
He licked his lips. "My queen, I found the other clothing uncomfortable."
She put her head to one side the way a crow looks at a hanging man's eyes before it plucks them out. "Uncomfortable, uncomfortable. Do you hear that, Meredith? He found the clothes I had made for him uncomfortable." She pulled his head backward until his neck was a long exposed line of flesh. I could see the pulse in his neck jump against his skin.
"I heard you, Aunt Andais," I said, and this time my voice was as neutral as I could make it, bland and empty as a new penny. Someone was about to get hurt, and I didn't want it to be me. Frost was a fool. I'd have worn the clothes.
"What do you think we should do with our disobedient Frost?" she asked.
"Have him go to his room and change into the clothes," I said.
She pulled his head back until his spine bowed and I knew she could snap his neck with just a little more pressure. "That is hardly punishment enough, niece. He disobeyed a direct order of mine. That is not allowed."
I tried to think of something Andais would find amusing, but wouldn't actually be painful for Frost. My mind went blank. I'd never been good at this particular game. Then I had an idea.
"You said we wouldn't be playing any more games tonight, Aunt Andais.