A Kiss Of Shadows   ::   Гамильтон Лорел

I opened my eyes, blinking to clear the tears that had gathered from being forced not to blink. She was walking down the steps.

"I'll send Rhys to you, though perhaps with the spell in the coach you might need another guard. I will think on who to send to your side." She was nearly to the outer door when she turned and said, "And who shall my spy be? I shall try to pick someone beautiful, someone who is good in bed, so that the chore may not be too onerous."

"I don't sleep with stupid men or mean-spirited ones," I said.

"The first does not limit the field too terribly much but the last… someone generous of spirit, that is a tall order." Her smile brightened—obviously she'd thought of someone. "He might do."

"Who? "I asked.

"Don't you love surprises, Meredith?"

"Not particularly."

"Well, I do. I like surprises a great deal. He will be my treat to you. He's scrumptious in bed, or was sixty—or is it ninety years? — ago. Yes, I think he'll do nicely."

I didn't bother to ask who again. "How can you be sure that he'll spy for you once he's in Los Angeles?"

She paused with her hand on the door handle. "Because he knows me, Meredith. He knows what I'm capable of, both of pleasure and of pain." With that she swung open the double doors and had Rhys come back in the room.

He glanced from her to me. His eyes widened just a touch, but that was all. His face was carefully blank as he walked to me and offered me his arm. I took it gratefully. It seemed to take a very long time to walk across that floor to the open door. I wanted to run to it and keep running. Rhys patted my hand, as if he felt the tension in my body. I knew he'd seen the small wound on my neck. He could make his own guesses as to how it got there.

We made it to the door, then out into the hallway beyond. My shoulders relaxed just a touch.

Andais called after us, "Have fun, children. We'll see you at the banquet." She closed the doors behind us with a sharp bang that made me jump.

Rhys started to stop. "Are you all right?"

I clutched his arm and pulled him into a walk again. "Get me away from here, Rhys. Just get me away from here."

He didn't ask questions. He just led me down the hallway away from there.



Chapter 28

WE WALKED BACK THE WAY WE HAD COME, BUT THE HALL WAS STRAIGHT now and narrower—a different hallway all together. I glanced behind us, and there was no double door. The queen's rooms were elsewhere. For a moment I was safe. I started to shiver and couldn't stop.

Rhys hugged me with both his arms, pressing me to his chest.