Read Online Her Imaginary Lover by Doris O'Connor - Free Book Online
Authors: Doris O'Connor
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A thigh-high slit exposed bare legs, which ended in
silver sandals that wrapped around her ankles with leather straps. It reminded
her of descriptions of ancient Rome she'd read about as a child.
"Don't
pretend you don't know what you've done, human." Arich's clipped tones held a world of censure and anger, but it was the hurt behind
them that spoke to Macie, and meant she held back the angry words bubbling on
her tongue.
These
were Kaylom's parents, and they must be as worried
about him as she was. Every fiber in her body urged her to get out of this bed,
and to find him. She sensed his distress, and it cut ribbons of fear into her
heart.
"Where
is he? I need to see him," she said, and tried to get out bed, but the
room swayed, and she sat back down again with a yelp.
Instantly Lycille was at her side.
"That
wouldn't be wise. You're not strong enough. The air is thinner in our dimension,
and you will need to get used to it before you can storm off to see him."
"Aren't
you forgetting one rather important thing, Lycille ?" Arich interrupted his wife. " Kaylom is under heavy guard and will more than likely be executed for his crimes, so I
fail to see why we are welcoming the cause of all his troubles into our home
like some long lost relative."
Lycille sighed and
looked as though she was going to say something, but Macie pushed herself to
her feet, and after a hairy moment of almost falling flat on her face, she
managed a few shaky steps toward Kaylom's father.
She
glared up at him, and his eyes lit up in grudging respect.
" Kaylom is no criminal. He didn't do anything wrong. Why is
falling in love such a crime? Are humans so below your attention that it makes
it a crime to sleep with them? Or are we just there to be convenient sport for
you Athurons ? Good enough to fuck but not good enough
to mate with, is that it?"
She
took another step toward Arich and poked him in the
chest for good measure. At least he had the good grace to look slightly
uncomfortable. She could see Lycille step up with a
big grin on her face, which seemed rather at odds with the situation. The
shadows behind Arich moved, and Macie's throat went
dry as a bunch of lethal looking Athurons suddenly
materialized and formed a circle around them.
Arich put a hand up,
which stalled their approach, and they proceeded to glare at her. One of them
had angry red scratch marks on his biceps, and Macie realized why their
menacing presence seemed so familiar. These were the guards, and she realized
that's what they had to be from their protective stance and the weapons they
carried, who had snatched Kaylom out of her arms. The
one with the scratches must be the one she held onto for her ride into this
dimension.
On
instinct she thrust her wrist out. An intricate swirling design of what looked
like the roots of a tree, interspersed with symbols, circled her wrist and
crept into her fingers. It was similar to the one she spotted on Arich's and Lycille's wrists, and
judging by the murmur that went through the circle surrounding them, they knew
that, too.
"I
know this means something to you guys. I also know that Kaylom did not expect this to happen, but it has, and I'm his, and I'll not let you
take him away from me. If you want to punish anyone then concentrate on those
that cause harms to humans in my realm."
Another
murmur filled the room, and Macie smiled grimly.
"Yes,
I know about them. I've always sensed you lot. I just didn't know who those
presences were, until Kaylom explained it to
me."
"He
had no right to do that. He knows the rules better than anyone. He's my son. He
will be one of the elders one day. It's his duty to mate with an Athuron female, not—"
"Not
a pathetic little human like me, you mean. Well, tough luck to you and your
rules. He did, and I'm here, and I'm not leaving without him, so stick that in
your pipe and smoke it."
Macie
barely resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him and to stamp her foot
for good measure. Such
silver sandals that wrapped around her ankles with leather straps. It reminded
her of descriptions of ancient Rome she'd read about as a child.
"Don't
pretend you don't know what you've done, human." Arich's clipped tones held a world of censure and anger, but it was the hurt behind
them that spoke to Macie, and meant she held back the angry words bubbling on
her tongue.
These
were Kaylom's parents, and they must be as worried
about him as she was. Every fiber in her body urged her to get out of this bed,
and to find him. She sensed his distress, and it cut ribbons of fear into her
heart.
"Where
is he? I need to see him," she said, and tried to get out bed, but the
room swayed, and she sat back down again with a yelp.
Instantly Lycille was at her side.
"That
wouldn't be wise. You're not strong enough. The air is thinner in our dimension,
and you will need to get used to it before you can storm off to see him."
"Aren't
you forgetting one rather important thing, Lycille ?" Arich interrupted his wife. " Kaylom is under heavy guard and will more than likely be executed for his crimes, so I
fail to see why we are welcoming the cause of all his troubles into our home
like some long lost relative."
Lycille sighed and
looked as though she was going to say something, but Macie pushed herself to
her feet, and after a hairy moment of almost falling flat on her face, she
managed a few shaky steps toward Kaylom's father.
She
glared up at him, and his eyes lit up in grudging respect.
" Kaylom is no criminal. He didn't do anything wrong. Why is
falling in love such a crime? Are humans so below your attention that it makes
it a crime to sleep with them? Or are we just there to be convenient sport for
you Athurons ? Good enough to fuck but not good enough
to mate with, is that it?"
She
took another step toward Arich and poked him in the
chest for good measure. At least he had the good grace to look slightly
uncomfortable. She could see Lycille step up with a
big grin on her face, which seemed rather at odds with the situation. The
shadows behind Arich moved, and Macie's throat went
dry as a bunch of lethal looking Athurons suddenly
materialized and formed a circle around them.
Arich put a hand up,
which stalled their approach, and they proceeded to glare at her. One of them
had angry red scratch marks on his biceps, and Macie realized why their
menacing presence seemed so familiar. These were the guards, and she realized
that's what they had to be from their protective stance and the weapons they
carried, who had snatched Kaylom out of her arms. The
one with the scratches must be the one she held onto for her ride into this
dimension.
On
instinct she thrust her wrist out. An intricate swirling design of what looked
like the roots of a tree, interspersed with symbols, circled her wrist and
crept into her fingers. It was similar to the one she spotted on Arich's and Lycille's wrists, and
judging by the murmur that went through the circle surrounding them, they knew
that, too.
"I
know this means something to you guys. I also know that Kaylom did not expect this to happen, but it has, and I'm his, and I'll not let you
take him away from me. If you want to punish anyone then concentrate on those
that cause harms to humans in my realm."
Another
murmur filled the room, and Macie smiled grimly.
"Yes,
I know about them. I've always sensed you lot. I just didn't know who those
presences were, until Kaylom explained it to
me."
"He
had no right to do that. He knows the rules better than anyone. He's my son. He
will be one of the elders one day. It's his duty to mate with an Athuron female, not—"
"Not
a pathetic little human like me, you mean. Well, tough luck to you and your
rules. He did, and I'm here, and I'm not leaving without him, so stick that in
your pipe and smoke it."
Macie
barely resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him and to stamp her foot
for good measure. Such
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