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A Kiss Of Shadows :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 242 из 338" She withdrew the knife very slowly, drawing it backan inch or two. She laid the flat of the blade against my face, the point dangerously close to my eye.
I could taste my pulse on my tongue, and I'd forgotten to breathe. Looking into her face, I knew that she would kill me, just like that.
"That which is not useful to me is discarded, Meredith." She pressed the flat of the blade into my flesh so that when I blinked the tip of the knife brushed my eyelashes. "You will pick someone to sleep with tonight. I don't care who. Since you have invoked virgin right, you are free to go back to Los Angeles, but you will have to pick some of my Guard to take with you. So look at them tonight, Meredith, with those emerald-green-and-gold eyes of yours, those Seelie eyes of yours, and choose." She put her face next to mine, so close that she could have kissed me. She whispered the last words into my mouth. "Fuck one of them tonight, Meredith, because if you don't, tomorrow night you will entertain the court with a group of my choosing."
She smiled, and it was the smile that touched her face when she had thought of something wicked, and painful. "At least one that you choose must be enough my creature to spy for me against you. If you go back to Los Angeles."
My voice came out the barest of whispers. "Must I sleep with your spy?"
"Yes," she said. The blade point moved a fraction closer, so close it blurred in my vision, and I fought not to blink, because if I did the point would pierce my eyelid. "Is that all right with you, Niece? Is it all right with you that I make you sleep with my spy?"
I said the only thing I could say. "Yes, Aunt Andais."
"You'll choose your little harem tonight at the banquet?"
My eyes weren't fluttering. They were twitching with the need to blink. "Yes, Aunt Andais."
"You'll sleep with someone tonight before you fly back to your western lands?"
I widened my eyes and concentrated on her face, on looking at her face. The knife was a blur of steel taking up most of my right eye's vision, but I could still see, still see her face looming above me like a painted moon.
"Yes," I whispered.
She drew the knife from my face and said, "There. Was that so difficult?"
I sagged against the wall, eyes shut. I kept them closed because I couldn't keep the rage out of them, and I didn't want Andais to see it. I wanted out of this room, just out of this room, and away from her.
"I'll call Rhys to escort you to the banquet. You look a bit shaken." She laughed.
I could taste my pulse on my tongue, and I'd forgotten to breathe. Looking into her face, I knew that she would kill me, just like that.
"That which is not useful to me is discarded, Meredith." She pressed the flat of the blade into my flesh so that when I blinked the tip of the knife brushed my eyelashes. "You will pick someone to sleep with tonight. I don't care who. Since you have invoked virgin right, you are free to go back to Los Angeles, but you will have to pick some of my Guard to take with you. So look at them tonight, Meredith, with those emerald-green-and-gold eyes of yours, those Seelie eyes of yours, and choose." She put her face next to mine, so close that she could have kissed me. She whispered the last words into my mouth. "Fuck one of them tonight, Meredith, because if you don't, tomorrow night you will entertain the court with a group of my choosing."
She smiled, and it was the smile that touched her face when she had thought of something wicked, and painful. "At least one that you choose must be enough my creature to spy for me against you. If you go back to Los Angeles."
My voice came out the barest of whispers. "Must I sleep with your spy?"
"Yes," she said. The blade point moved a fraction closer, so close it blurred in my vision, and I fought not to blink, because if I did the point would pierce my eyelid. "Is that all right with you, Niece? Is it all right with you that I make you sleep with my spy?"
I said the only thing I could say. "Yes, Aunt Andais."
"You'll choose your little harem tonight at the banquet?"
My eyes weren't fluttering. They were twitching with the need to blink. "Yes, Aunt Andais."
"You'll sleep with someone tonight before you fly back to your western lands?"
I widened my eyes and concentrated on her face, on looking at her face. The knife was a blur of steel taking up most of my right eye's vision, but I could still see, still see her face looming above me like a painted moon.
"Yes," I whispered.
She drew the knife from my face and said, "There. Was that so difficult?"
I sagged against the wall, eyes shut. I kept them closed because I couldn't keep the rage out of them, and I didn't want Andais to see it. I wanted out of this room, just out of this room, and away from her.
"I'll call Rhys to escort you to the banquet. You look a bit shaken." She laughed.