Read Online A Broken Paradise (The Windows of Heaven Book 3) by K.G. Powderly Jr. - Free Book Online
Authors: K.G. Powderly Jr.
Ads: Link
drink?” He motioned casually for the bag.
Tiva froze at first, but fortunately recovered enough wit to offer him the skin. “Oh, yeah, I’m sorry! Go ahead. You must be thirsty after all that.”
“Did you like it?”
“Oh yes, very much!”
“It was for you,” he said just loud enough for her ears alone to hear. “My name’s Khumi. What’s yours?”
“Ti-va,” she mouthed in slow motion. Being drunk for the first time in her life probably explained why she wasn’t a stuttering wreck.
“Having fun?”
“L-lots!” Her words slid out either in fluid honesty or clumsy mush. That made her giggle some more.
Khumi’s dark eyes sparkled in the firelight. His smiling white teeth glistene d against his tawny complexion. “I’ve seen you somewhere before, but I’m not sure where—in the market or on the road up to the Shrine?”
“I’m daughter of Hem-un-il.” Her languid mispron unciation made her laugh yet again.
Khumi appeared to have no problem recognizing of whom she spoke, however. “Does your father know you’re out here?”
“No. Does yours?”
“No—at least I don’t think so. He died with my brother in the war.”
“I’m sorry.”
They sat hushed in a long tense moment.
“Thanks for sharing your drink,” Khumi said. Then he leaned over, and kissed her on the lips.
Tiva responded helplessly. She almost turned herself off inside, but then discovered to her delight that this was entirely different from what she had anticipated. After this realization, she actively kissed him back.
“Let’s go for a walk,” Khumi said when they came up for air.
He slipped his arm around her and helped her to her feet. It surprised Tiva how difficult it was to stabilize herself. As they moved off into the trees, she both longed for and feared their new privacy. She felt herself melt into his embrace. Sure that she knew what was coming, she decided at once to give in to it all. What difference did it make?
Dragonfire calmed her joyful terror and gave her the startling gift of frankness. “Are you taking me back here so you can lay with me?”
He squeezed her shoulder tenderly. “We just met,” he said. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m not the sort of guy who can just casually take a girl to the moss. My father,” his eyes grew distant again, “my father taught me to respect girls better than that.” He gazed into her eyes, as if to tell her how lonely he was and how much he wanted to open his heart to her. “Maybe we might some day, but only if it’s what you really want. Tonight I just want to walk with you, talk, and enjoy your company—if that’s okay?”
She nodded, relieved—until the Fear began laughing like crows in the background noise of her mind. Maybe it was chatter from the campfire.
Khumi kissed her again and Tiva responded with a willingness born from reassurance. The inner crows sank into her depths, with one final taunt: “ How is all this not just another kind of scary?”
Let me begin by observing first of all, that nine thousand was the sum of years which had elapsed since the war which was said to have taken place between those who dwelt outside the Pillars of Heracles and all who dwelt within them; this war I am going to describe. Of the combatants on the one side, the city of Athens was reported to have been the leader and to have fought out the war; the combatants on the other side were commanded by the kings of Atlantis, which, as I was saying, was an island greater in extent than Libya and Asia, and when afterwards sunk by an earthquake, became an impassable barrier of mud to voyagers sailing from hence to any part of the ocean.
—Plato, Critias
3
Armistice
Tarbet’s stomach did flip-flops to the gentle motion of the giant ironclad’s deck. The peace pounded out by the gathering of titans in the ship’s enormous, gold-gilded, red velvet cushioned salon had taken on the murmur of his growling belly.
Tiva froze at first, but fortunately recovered enough wit to offer him the skin. “Oh, yeah, I’m sorry! Go ahead. You must be thirsty after all that.”
“Did you like it?”
“Oh yes, very much!”
“It was for you,” he said just loud enough for her ears alone to hear. “My name’s Khumi. What’s yours?”
“Ti-va,” she mouthed in slow motion. Being drunk for the first time in her life probably explained why she wasn’t a stuttering wreck.
“Having fun?”
“L-lots!” Her words slid out either in fluid honesty or clumsy mush. That made her giggle some more.
Khumi’s dark eyes sparkled in the firelight. His smiling white teeth glistene d against his tawny complexion. “I’ve seen you somewhere before, but I’m not sure where—in the market or on the road up to the Shrine?”
“I’m daughter of Hem-un-il.” Her languid mispron unciation made her laugh yet again.
Khumi appeared to have no problem recognizing of whom she spoke, however. “Does your father know you’re out here?”
“No. Does yours?”
“No—at least I don’t think so. He died with my brother in the war.”
“I’m sorry.”
They sat hushed in a long tense moment.
“Thanks for sharing your drink,” Khumi said. Then he leaned over, and kissed her on the lips.
Tiva responded helplessly. She almost turned herself off inside, but then discovered to her delight that this was entirely different from what she had anticipated. After this realization, she actively kissed him back.
“Let’s go for a walk,” Khumi said when they came up for air.
He slipped his arm around her and helped her to her feet. It surprised Tiva how difficult it was to stabilize herself. As they moved off into the trees, she both longed for and feared their new privacy. She felt herself melt into his embrace. Sure that she knew what was coming, she decided at once to give in to it all. What difference did it make?
Dragonfire calmed her joyful terror and gave her the startling gift of frankness. “Are you taking me back here so you can lay with me?”
He squeezed her shoulder tenderly. “We just met,” he said. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m not the sort of guy who can just casually take a girl to the moss. My father,” his eyes grew distant again, “my father taught me to respect girls better than that.” He gazed into her eyes, as if to tell her how lonely he was and how much he wanted to open his heart to her. “Maybe we might some day, but only if it’s what you really want. Tonight I just want to walk with you, talk, and enjoy your company—if that’s okay?”
She nodded, relieved—until the Fear began laughing like crows in the background noise of her mind. Maybe it was chatter from the campfire.
Khumi kissed her again and Tiva responded with a willingness born from reassurance. The inner crows sank into her depths, with one final taunt: “ How is all this not just another kind of scary?”
Let me begin by observing first of all, that nine thousand was the sum of years which had elapsed since the war which was said to have taken place between those who dwelt outside the Pillars of Heracles and all who dwelt within them; this war I am going to describe. Of the combatants on the one side, the city of Athens was reported to have been the leader and to have fought out the war; the combatants on the other side were commanded by the kings of Atlantis, which, as I was saying, was an island greater in extent than Libya and Asia, and when afterwards sunk by an earthquake, became an impassable barrier of mud to voyagers sailing from hence to any part of the ocean.
—Plato, Critias
3
Armistice
Tarbet’s stomach did flip-flops to the gentle motion of the giant ironclad’s deck. The peace pounded out by the gathering of titans in the ship’s enormous, gold-gilded, red velvet cushioned salon had taken on the murmur of his growling belly.
Similar Books
