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A Kiss Of Shadows :: Гамильтон Лорел
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"Snake goblin," I said.
Kitto turned back to face me. He nodded.
"Open your mouth, Kitto. Let me see it all," I said.
He looked at the floor for a moment, then rolled his strange eyes up at me. He opened his mouth in a wide yawn, flashing dainty fangs. His tongue flicked out like a red ribbon with a dab of black on the end of each point. "Ssatissfffied?" he asked.
I nodded. "Yes."
"You can't," Rhys said. He'd been so quiet I'd almost forgotten he was with us.
"It's my choice," I said.
Rhys touched my shoulder, took me to one side. "Take a good look at the scar across my face. I know I've told you a thousand heroic stories about how I got this, but the truth is the queen punished me. She gave me to the goblins for a night of sport. I thought, why not, free sex even if it is with goblins." He blinked his one good eye. "A goblin's idea of sex is more violent than you can imagine, Merry." He traced the length of the scar with his fingertip, and the look in his eye was distant, remembering.
I touched the scar where it ended on his cheek, catching his hand in mine. "A goblin did this to you during sex?"
He nodded.
"Oh, Rhys," I said, voice soft.
He patted my hand and shook his head. "No pity. I just want you to understand what you're agreeing to."
"I understand, Rhys. Thank you for telling me." I patted his cheek, squeezed his hand, and walked past him back to the waiting goblins. I was walking straight and upright, but there was a little turning inside my head that made me want badly to hold on to something. But when you're negotiating a war treaty, you need to look strong, or at least not like you're about to faint dead away.
"Kitto's flesh in my body, right?" I asked.
Kurag nodded, and he looked pleased with himself, as if he knew he'd already won.
"I agree to take Kitto's flesh into my body."
"Agreed?" Kurag said, surprise dripping from his voice. "You would agree to share flesh with a goblin?"
I nodded. "I agree, on one condition."
His eyes narrowed. "What condition?"
"If the alliance between us is a season long," I said.
I felt Doyle step closer to me. The ripple of surprise spread through the room in whispers and small movements.
"A season," Kurag said. "No, too long."
"Eleven moons from now," I said.
Kurag turned back to me. "My queen has saved us the trouble of opening my vein."
"Then let's get on with it. I'm wasting blood," I said.
"Snake goblin," I said.
Kitto turned back to face me. He nodded.
"Open your mouth, Kitto. Let me see it all," I said.
He looked at the floor for a moment, then rolled his strange eyes up at me. He opened his mouth in a wide yawn, flashing dainty fangs. His tongue flicked out like a red ribbon with a dab of black on the end of each point. "Ssatissfffied?" he asked.
I nodded. "Yes."
"You can't," Rhys said. He'd been so quiet I'd almost forgotten he was with us.
"It's my choice," I said.
Rhys touched my shoulder, took me to one side. "Take a good look at the scar across my face. I know I've told you a thousand heroic stories about how I got this, but the truth is the queen punished me. She gave me to the goblins for a night of sport. I thought, why not, free sex even if it is with goblins." He blinked his one good eye. "A goblin's idea of sex is more violent than you can imagine, Merry." He traced the length of the scar with his fingertip, and the look in his eye was distant, remembering.
I touched the scar where it ended on his cheek, catching his hand in mine. "A goblin did this to you during sex?"
He nodded.
"Oh, Rhys," I said, voice soft.
He patted my hand and shook his head. "No pity. I just want you to understand what you're agreeing to."
"I understand, Rhys. Thank you for telling me." I patted his cheek, squeezed his hand, and walked past him back to the waiting goblins. I was walking straight and upright, but there was a little turning inside my head that made me want badly to hold on to something. But when you're negotiating a war treaty, you need to look strong, or at least not like you're about to faint dead away.
"Kitto's flesh in my body, right?" I asked.
Kurag nodded, and he looked pleased with himself, as if he knew he'd already won.
"I agree to take Kitto's flesh into my body."
"Agreed?" Kurag said, surprise dripping from his voice. "You would agree to share flesh with a goblin?"
I nodded. "I agree, on one condition."
His eyes narrowed. "What condition?"
"If the alliance between us is a season long," I said.
I felt Doyle step closer to me. The ripple of surprise spread through the room in whispers and small movements.
"A season," Kurag said. "No, too long."
"Eleven moons from now," I said.
Kurag turned back to me. "My queen has saved us the trouble of opening my vein."
"Then let's get on with it. I'm wasting blood," I said.