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Authors: Mary Jo Putney
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you interfere with me!”
She laughed, unabashed, and rolled onto her side, propping her head up on one hand. Her clothing had vanished, leaving her naked except for the gossamer spill of her raven hair. “Why are you so angry? You seemed to be enjoying yourself.” Her free hand drifted to her breast, where the mark of his teeth still showed. “I thought I played the innocent very well, until the end.”
He flushed. “That is not the point. You had no right to deceive me.”
Her brows arched. “Yet you had a right to deceive that child, to take the virginity that mortals prize so much? That would have been unkind.” Her voice became husky. “I thought that you were in need of a diversion, so I sacrificed myself to that cause.”
He snorted. “Sacrificed! You mated like a she-panther. The marks on my back will not disappear quickly. Is that why you came to England, to find bolder lovers than the Folk of India?”
Her laughter pealed through the fog that enclosed their private glen. “Sexual congress is one of the great arts among my people. There are none in Angland that could match the sensual skill of one of my kind.”
Seeing that he was on the verge of explosion, she added kindly, “Oh, I admit that you are not without a certain talent in this area. With practice, and the teaching of a skilled partner, you might someday equal a lord of Hind.” She stretched a hand lazily toward him, her fingers trailing sparkles of light.
Cursing, he leaped to his feet before she could touch him. “You witch! You were probably driven out by your own kind, and that is why you’ve come here to plague me.”
She dropped her teasing manner. “Not at all. But I will not let you hurt that child wantonly. The fact that she is bound by the faery bargain she made does not mean she must be your prey now. Have patience, and you will soon have all that you desire.”
“What I desire is to be free of you,” he said viciously. Then he whirled into the fog as her laughter followed him.
One moment Leah was smiling at one of Duncan’s remarks, and the next the thickest fog she had ever seen had fallen with amazing swiftness. She gasped and turned around, then realized that somehow she had let go of Duncan’s arm. At first she was not alarmed, thinking that he must be within touching distance.
But he wasn’t. He had vanished. She moved toward where he had been, or where she thought he had been, without success. Fear began to rise in her. The fog was uncanny, menacing. Struggling to contain her panic, she called, “Duncan?”
There was no answer. Hands clenched, she called again. Why could she hear nothing? It was as if she had fallen from the face of the earth into a nightmare.
Then she heard a faint, “I’m here, Leah.”
She exhaled with relief, but in the fog it was impossible to tell from where his voice had come. Uncertainly she turned in a circle. “Where?” she called back.
“Stay where you are,” he ordered, his voice a little closer. “If we both move, we’ll never find each other.”
Obediently she stood still, drawing her shawl tight against the biting chill. After what seemed like forever but was probably only a couple of minutes, Duncan emerged from the fog in front of her.
“Thank heaven!” She reached out with both hands.
He caught them, his grip warm and secure. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, ashamed of her fear. “Just a little disoriented.”
His hands tightened on hers. “I had a strange feeling that there was some great danger in the fog. Danger for you. I was terrified that I wouldn’t find you in time.”
She swallowed. “I was afraid too, until you came.”
He cupped her face in his hands, his gaze intense. “I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you, Leah. I feel as if I’ve known you forever instead of just a few days.”
“I . . . I feel the same way.” Tears stung in her eyes, and she didn’t know why.
“You are so lovely, Leah,” he
She laughed, unabashed, and rolled onto her side, propping her head up on one hand. Her clothing had vanished, leaving her naked except for the gossamer spill of her raven hair. “Why are you so angry? You seemed to be enjoying yourself.” Her free hand drifted to her breast, where the mark of his teeth still showed. “I thought I played the innocent very well, until the end.”
He flushed. “That is not the point. You had no right to deceive me.”
Her brows arched. “Yet you had a right to deceive that child, to take the virginity that mortals prize so much? That would have been unkind.” Her voice became husky. “I thought that you were in need of a diversion, so I sacrificed myself to that cause.”
He snorted. “Sacrificed! You mated like a she-panther. The marks on my back will not disappear quickly. Is that why you came to England, to find bolder lovers than the Folk of India?”
Her laughter pealed through the fog that enclosed their private glen. “Sexual congress is one of the great arts among my people. There are none in Angland that could match the sensual skill of one of my kind.”
Seeing that he was on the verge of explosion, she added kindly, “Oh, I admit that you are not without a certain talent in this area. With practice, and the teaching of a skilled partner, you might someday equal a lord of Hind.” She stretched a hand lazily toward him, her fingers trailing sparkles of light.
Cursing, he leaped to his feet before she could touch him. “You witch! You were probably driven out by your own kind, and that is why you’ve come here to plague me.”
She dropped her teasing manner. “Not at all. But I will not let you hurt that child wantonly. The fact that she is bound by the faery bargain she made does not mean she must be your prey now. Have patience, and you will soon have all that you desire.”
“What I desire is to be free of you,” he said viciously. Then he whirled into the fog as her laughter followed him.
One moment Leah was smiling at one of Duncan’s remarks, and the next the thickest fog she had ever seen had fallen with amazing swiftness. She gasped and turned around, then realized that somehow she had let go of Duncan’s arm. At first she was not alarmed, thinking that he must be within touching distance.
But he wasn’t. He had vanished. She moved toward where he had been, or where she thought he had been, without success. Fear began to rise in her. The fog was uncanny, menacing. Struggling to contain her panic, she called, “Duncan?”
There was no answer. Hands clenched, she called again. Why could she hear nothing? It was as if she had fallen from the face of the earth into a nightmare.
Then she heard a faint, “I’m here, Leah.”
She exhaled with relief, but in the fog it was impossible to tell from where his voice had come. Uncertainly she turned in a circle. “Where?” she called back.
“Stay where you are,” he ordered, his voice a little closer. “If we both move, we’ll never find each other.”
Obediently she stood still, drawing her shawl tight against the biting chill. After what seemed like forever but was probably only a couple of minutes, Duncan emerged from the fog in front of her.
“Thank heaven!” She reached out with both hands.
He caught them, his grip warm and secure. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, ashamed of her fear. “Just a little disoriented.”
His hands tightened on hers. “I had a strange feeling that there was some great danger in the fog. Danger for you. I was terrified that I wouldn’t find you in time.”
She swallowed. “I was afraid too, until you came.”
He cupped her face in his hands, his gaze intense. “I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you, Leah. I feel as if I’ve known you forever instead of just a few days.”
“I . . . I feel the same way.” Tears stung in her eyes, and she didn’t know why.
“You are so lovely, Leah,” he
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