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A Kiss Of Shadows :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 314 из 338Andais doesn't need any help comingup with awful ideas."
I pushed Kitto away. I lifted my foot off the bed, carefully, using the bedside table to stand up.
"What are you doing?" Doyle asked.
"I am going to clean some of this blood and dirt off, then go to bed." I looked at the men gathered in the room. "Who wants to help me run my bath?"
The silence was suddenly very thick. The men looked at one another as if not sure what to do, or say. Galen stepped forward, gave me his hand to help me stand. I took the hand, but shook my head. "You can't be with me tonight, Galen. It has to be someone who can finish what we start."
He looked at the floor for a second or two, then up. "Oh." He helped me back to the bed and I let him do it, then he walked to the chair where he'd thrown his leather jacket. "I'm going to see about getting a second room next to this one, then I'm going for a walk. Who's going with me?"
They all looked at each other again, little eye flits from one to the other. No one seemed to know how to handle the situation. "How does the queen choose between you all?" I asked.
"She simply requests the guard, or guards, she wishes to have for the evening," Doyle said.
"Don't you have a preference?" Frost asked, and there was something almost hurt in his tone.
"You say that like there's a bad choice here. There is no bad choice; you are all lovely."
"I have had my release with Meredith," Doyle said, "so I will bow out for tonight."
That got everyone's attention, and Doyle had to explain very briefly exactly what he meant by the comment. Frost and Rhys looked at each other, and suddenly there was a tension in the air that hadn't been there before.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"You must choose, Meredith," Frost said.
"Why?" I asked.
Galen answered, "You can't bring it down to just two of us without the danger of a duel."
"It's not just two, it's three," I said.
They all looked at me, then slowly at the goblin still on the bed. He looked as surprised as they did. He stared back at us with large eyes. He looked almost frightened. "I would never presume to compete with the sidhe."
"Kitto is coming in the bathroom regardless of who else comes in," I said.
Every pair of eyes in the room swiveled back to me. "What did you say?" Doyle asked.
"You heard me. I want the alliance with the goblins sealed, that means I have to share flesh with Kitto, and that's what I'm going to do."
Galen went for the door. "I'll be back later."
"Wait for me," Rhys said.
I pushed Kitto away. I lifted my foot off the bed, carefully, using the bedside table to stand up.
"What are you doing?" Doyle asked.
"I am going to clean some of this blood and dirt off, then go to bed." I looked at the men gathered in the room. "Who wants to help me run my bath?"
The silence was suddenly very thick. The men looked at one another as if not sure what to do, or say. Galen stepped forward, gave me his hand to help me stand. I took the hand, but shook my head. "You can't be with me tonight, Galen. It has to be someone who can finish what we start."
He looked at the floor for a second or two, then up. "Oh." He helped me back to the bed and I let him do it, then he walked to the chair where he'd thrown his leather jacket. "I'm going to see about getting a second room next to this one, then I'm going for a walk. Who's going with me?"
They all looked at each other again, little eye flits from one to the other. No one seemed to know how to handle the situation. "How does the queen choose between you all?" I asked.
"She simply requests the guard, or guards, she wishes to have for the evening," Doyle said.
"Don't you have a preference?" Frost asked, and there was something almost hurt in his tone.
"You say that like there's a bad choice here. There is no bad choice; you are all lovely."
"I have had my release with Meredith," Doyle said, "so I will bow out for tonight."
That got everyone's attention, and Doyle had to explain very briefly exactly what he meant by the comment. Frost and Rhys looked at each other, and suddenly there was a tension in the air that hadn't been there before.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"You must choose, Meredith," Frost said.
"Why?" I asked.
Galen answered, "You can't bring it down to just two of us without the danger of a duel."
"It's not just two, it's three," I said.
They all looked at me, then slowly at the goblin still on the bed. He looked as surprised as they did. He stared back at us with large eyes. He looked almost frightened. "I would never presume to compete with the sidhe."
"Kitto is coming in the bathroom regardless of who else comes in," I said.
Every pair of eyes in the room swiveled back to me. "What did you say?" Doyle asked.
"You heard me. I want the alliance with the goblins sealed, that means I have to share flesh with Kitto, and that's what I'm going to do."
Galen went for the door. "I'll be back later."
"Wait for me," Rhys said.