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A Kiss Of Shadows :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 253 из 338It was Queen Niceven herself feasting just above his groin. I had an idea. "Queen Niceven," I said, "it does not become a queen to do the dirty work of a prince."
She raised her small pale face and hissed at me, her lips and chin red with Galen's blood, the front of her white gown splattered with crimson.
I held up the hand with the ring on it. "I am to be named coheir tonight."
"What is that to me?" Her voice was like evil bells, sweet and disturbing.
"A queen deserves better than the blood of a sidhe lord."
She watched me with tiny pale eyes. She was all leprous in her paleness, like a tiny ghost. "What do you offer that is more tender than this?"
"Not more tender, but more powerful. The blood of a sidhe princess for the queen of the demi-fey."
She stared at me, one dainty hand wiping at the blood on her mouth. She rose on huge luna-moth wings to fly toward me. The others continued to feed. Niceven hovered in front of my face, her wings making a small current of air against my skin. "You would take his place?"
Doyle said, "No, Princess."
I silenced him with a gesture. "I offer Queen Niceven of the demi-fey my blood. The blood of a sidhe princess is too fine a prize to be shared."
Frost and Rhys moved up beside Doyle. They watched us as if they'd never seen such a show before.
Niceven licked her lips with a tiny tongue like the petal of a flower. "You would let me take blood from you?"
I held up a finger to her. "Let him go, and you may pierce my skin and drink."
"Prince Cel petitioned that we ruin this one's manhood."
"As Doyle said, it will heal. Why would the prince ask a favor of the demi-fey for something that is not permanent damage?"
She hovered near my finger for all the world like a butterfly inspecting a flower. "That, you have to ask Prince Cel." She turned her gaze from my finger to my face. "You should have heard what he wanted us to do at first. Wanted us to ruin him for life, but the queen does not allow her lovers to be damaged goods." Niceven hovered close to my face, her tiny hand touching the tip of my nose. "Prince Cel reminded me that he will be king someday." She touched my lips lightly with those diminutive fingers. "I reminded him that he does not rule here yet, and that I would not risk Queen Andais's anger for him."
"What did he say to that?"
"He took the compromise. We taste royal blood and flesh, both precious, and for tonight this one will be useless in the queen's bed." She frowned, arms crossing over her tiny chest.
She raised her small pale face and hissed at me, her lips and chin red with Galen's blood, the front of her white gown splattered with crimson.
I held up the hand with the ring on it. "I am to be named coheir tonight."
"What is that to me?" Her voice was like evil bells, sweet and disturbing.
"A queen deserves better than the blood of a sidhe lord."
She watched me with tiny pale eyes. She was all leprous in her paleness, like a tiny ghost. "What do you offer that is more tender than this?"
"Not more tender, but more powerful. The blood of a sidhe princess for the queen of the demi-fey."
She stared at me, one dainty hand wiping at the blood on her mouth. She rose on huge luna-moth wings to fly toward me. The others continued to feed. Niceven hovered in front of my face, her wings making a small current of air against my skin. "You would take his place?"
Doyle said, "No, Princess."
I silenced him with a gesture. "I offer Queen Niceven of the demi-fey my blood. The blood of a sidhe princess is too fine a prize to be shared."
Frost and Rhys moved up beside Doyle. They watched us as if they'd never seen such a show before.
Niceven licked her lips with a tiny tongue like the petal of a flower. "You would let me take blood from you?"
I held up a finger to her. "Let him go, and you may pierce my skin and drink."
"Prince Cel petitioned that we ruin this one's manhood."
"As Doyle said, it will heal. Why would the prince ask a favor of the demi-fey for something that is not permanent damage?"
She hovered near my finger for all the world like a butterfly inspecting a flower. "That, you have to ask Prince Cel." She turned her gaze from my finger to my face. "You should have heard what he wanted us to do at first. Wanted us to ruin him for life, but the queen does not allow her lovers to be damaged goods." Niceven hovered close to my face, her tiny hand touching the tip of my nose. "Prince Cel reminded me that he will be king someday." She touched my lips lightly with those diminutive fingers. "I reminded him that he does not rule here yet, and that I would not risk Queen Andais's anger for him."
"What did he say to that?"
"He took the compromise. We taste royal blood and flesh, both precious, and for tonight this one will be useless in the queen's bed." She frowned, arms crossing over her tiny chest.