JК
Swallowing Darkness :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 30 из 242She might get to another patient or two before she finally realized that she hadn't said everything she'd wanted to say, but by then, she might be too embarrassed to admit that a nice smile had made her forget so much. One of the real benefits of subtle magic was that most humans assumed that it wasn't magic, but just how handsome the man was, and what doctor wants to admit that they can be befuddled so easily by a pretty face?
When we were alone again, just us, we all turned to Gran. I asked the question. "You said you knew who did the spell? Who?"
Gran looked at the floor, as if she were embarrassed. "Your cousin, Cair, she comes to visit now and then. She is me granddaughter." She said the last in a defensive tone.
"I know that you have more than one grandchild, Gran."
"None so dear to me as you, Merry."
"I'm not jealous, Gran. Just tell us what happened."
"She was very affectionate, touched me several times, stroked me hair, said how lovely it was. She joked that she was glad she got something lovely out of the family genetics."
My cousin, Cair, was tall, slender, and very sidhe of body, but her face was like Gran's, very brownie, noseless, and with all her smooth pale sidhe skin, her face looked unfinished. There were human surgeons who could have given her a nose for real, but she was like most sidhe. She didn't have much faith in human science.
"Did she know you were going to visit me?"
"Yes."
"Why would she wish me harm?"
"Perhaps it is not you she wished to harm," Doyle said.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I would nae have harmed ye on purpose, but these two," and she jabbed her thumb back at Sholto, and forward to Doyle, "I would happily have killed these two."
"Do you still feel that way?" I asked, voice soft.
She had to think about it, but finally she said, "No, not kill. You have the King of the sluagh as your man, and the Darkness; they are powerful allies, Merry. I would nae part you from such strength."
"The fact that they are the fathers of your great-grandchildren holds no weight for you?" I asked, studying her face.
"It means everything that you are with child." She smiled, and her face was illuminated with joy. It was the smile I'd grown up seeing, and treasured my whole life. She gave that smile to me, and said, "And twins, it is too good to be true, a'most."
Her face sobered.
"What's wrong, Gran?" I asked.
"You carry brownie blood in ya, child, and now one is the child of the sluagh, and Darkness can claim a mixed bag of genes too.
When we were alone again, just us, we all turned to Gran. I asked the question. "You said you knew who did the spell? Who?"
Gran looked at the floor, as if she were embarrassed. "Your cousin, Cair, she comes to visit now and then. She is me granddaughter." She said the last in a defensive tone.
"I know that you have more than one grandchild, Gran."
"None so dear to me as you, Merry."
"I'm not jealous, Gran. Just tell us what happened."
"She was very affectionate, touched me several times, stroked me hair, said how lovely it was. She joked that she was glad she got something lovely out of the family genetics."
My cousin, Cair, was tall, slender, and very sidhe of body, but her face was like Gran's, very brownie, noseless, and with all her smooth pale sidhe skin, her face looked unfinished. There were human surgeons who could have given her a nose for real, but she was like most sidhe. She didn't have much faith in human science.
"Did she know you were going to visit me?"
"Yes."
"Why would she wish me harm?"
"Perhaps it is not you she wished to harm," Doyle said.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I would nae have harmed ye on purpose, but these two," and she jabbed her thumb back at Sholto, and forward to Doyle, "I would happily have killed these two."
"Do you still feel that way?" I asked, voice soft.
She had to think about it, but finally she said, "No, not kill. You have the King of the sluagh as your man, and the Darkness; they are powerful allies, Merry. I would nae part you from such strength."
"The fact that they are the fathers of your great-grandchildren holds no weight for you?" I asked, studying her face.
"It means everything that you are with child." She smiled, and her face was illuminated with joy. It was the smile I'd grown up seeing, and treasured my whole life. She gave that smile to me, and said, "And twins, it is too good to be true, a'most."
Her face sobered.
"What's wrong, Gran?" I asked.
"You carry brownie blood in ya, child, and now one is the child of the sluagh, and Darkness can claim a mixed bag of genes too.