Read Online Merry Gentry 03 - Seduced by Moonlight by Laurell K. Hamilton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Laurell K. Hamilton
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protector?"
Kurag looked like he wasn't sure what to say. Ash shook his head and said, "She doesn't understand what she's asking."
Kurag looked at Doyle. "Darkness, the princess is sidhe, but she is not you, or even the pale prince. She has not the strength of arm to withstand every goblin who will want to taste Kitto."
"She has spoken," Holly said. "She is his protector, let it stand."
"Yes," Creeda said, "let me be the first to fight her when she comes. I will have Kitto, and if I get to cut that pure flesh, so much the better."
I knew then I'd misspoken, but wasn't sure how to undo it.
"We will not bring the princess to your hall if she must spend all night fighting duels," Doyle said. "We would be poor bodyguards indeed to do that."
"Holly is right. If I grant Kitto safety, then the others like him will want the same. We are a more democratic people than you, and I am more ruled by my people's voice than any sidhe ruler." He shrugged his massive shoulders. "It works well for us, but Merry is not goblin. She would not survive the night."
"Are sidhe such fragile things?" Holly said, voice full of scorn.
"Don't make me cuff you again," Kurag said.
"I'm mortal," I said.
Holly's face showed his surprise, but it was Ash who spoke. "We thought that was an evil rumor bandied about by your enemies. You are truly mortal then?"
I nodded.
Ash looked perplexed. "Then you would die protecting the trulls."
Rhys moved up behind me, his arms sliding over not just me, but Kitto as well. He leaned his chin on the top of my head but let his hands wander over the smaller man's back.
"We are his protectors," Rhys said. His voice was very clear, and empty of emotion.
Kitto glanced up at him, and I was thankful that no one in the mirror could see the look of shock on his face. Rhys didn't look at him, just kept that blank face toward the mirror and Kurag.
For once the goblin king was speechless. I think we all were. Well, not all.
Creeda jumped up on the chair so she could get a better view, or be better viewed. "Did we give you a taste for goblin flesh, white knight?"
"Kitto is sidhe," Rhys said in a flat voice, "so say I."
"So mote it be," Doyle said.
There was a ringing in the air, not of actual bells or anything you could hear with your ears, but the words had weight and reverberated through the room. Kurag's face showed that he sensed it, too. Something important had happened. Something fated, some piece of prophecy had either begun or been changed so completely that the fates of all had changed in that moment. You can feel the weight of it, but you never truly know what it means, not until it's too late to do anything to change it. It could be days, or years, before we knew what had happened in those few words.
There was a sound from deeper in Kurag's room. It was a clattering noise with an edge of slithering, like a many-legged snake. I didn't know what the sound was, but Kitto went pale, bloodless in my arms, his body suddenly limp. If I hadn't been holding him, he'd have fallen to the floor. Rhys was on his knees, his hands on my shoulders, but kneeling tall behind me. I could feel the tension singing through his hands.
I wanted to ask what was wrong, but I didn't want us to appear weak in Kurag's eyes. Then Kurag answered the question for me, even unasked.
"I didn't call you yet." Kurag was angry, but there was an edge of resignation to it. As if the anger were mainly formality. Real anger, but he didn't have much hope it would help things. I'd never seen Kurag so . . . defeated.
A voice came just out of sight of the mirror. It was high and hissing, and first I thought snake, but it held that metallic buzzing to it that Creeda had, and there was no snake goblin in the queen. The voice said, "You wanted to show me off, didn't you Kurag? Show the princesssss that not all are asss ssidhe ass Holly and Asshh."
"Yes," Kurag said, and turned to the mirror. He looked solemn. "Know this, Merry: Not all sidhe-sides have
Kurag looked like he wasn't sure what to say. Ash shook his head and said, "She doesn't understand what she's asking."
Kurag looked at Doyle. "Darkness, the princess is sidhe, but she is not you, or even the pale prince. She has not the strength of arm to withstand every goblin who will want to taste Kitto."
"She has spoken," Holly said. "She is his protector, let it stand."
"Yes," Creeda said, "let me be the first to fight her when she comes. I will have Kitto, and if I get to cut that pure flesh, so much the better."
I knew then I'd misspoken, but wasn't sure how to undo it.
"We will not bring the princess to your hall if she must spend all night fighting duels," Doyle said. "We would be poor bodyguards indeed to do that."
"Holly is right. If I grant Kitto safety, then the others like him will want the same. We are a more democratic people than you, and I am more ruled by my people's voice than any sidhe ruler." He shrugged his massive shoulders. "It works well for us, but Merry is not goblin. She would not survive the night."
"Are sidhe such fragile things?" Holly said, voice full of scorn.
"Don't make me cuff you again," Kurag said.
"I'm mortal," I said.
Holly's face showed his surprise, but it was Ash who spoke. "We thought that was an evil rumor bandied about by your enemies. You are truly mortal then?"
I nodded.
Ash looked perplexed. "Then you would die protecting the trulls."
Rhys moved up behind me, his arms sliding over not just me, but Kitto as well. He leaned his chin on the top of my head but let his hands wander over the smaller man's back.
"We are his protectors," Rhys said. His voice was very clear, and empty of emotion.
Kitto glanced up at him, and I was thankful that no one in the mirror could see the look of shock on his face. Rhys didn't look at him, just kept that blank face toward the mirror and Kurag.
For once the goblin king was speechless. I think we all were. Well, not all.
Creeda jumped up on the chair so she could get a better view, or be better viewed. "Did we give you a taste for goblin flesh, white knight?"
"Kitto is sidhe," Rhys said in a flat voice, "so say I."
"So mote it be," Doyle said.
There was a ringing in the air, not of actual bells or anything you could hear with your ears, but the words had weight and reverberated through the room. Kurag's face showed that he sensed it, too. Something important had happened. Something fated, some piece of prophecy had either begun or been changed so completely that the fates of all had changed in that moment. You can feel the weight of it, but you never truly know what it means, not until it's too late to do anything to change it. It could be days, or years, before we knew what had happened in those few words.
There was a sound from deeper in Kurag's room. It was a clattering noise with an edge of slithering, like a many-legged snake. I didn't know what the sound was, but Kitto went pale, bloodless in my arms, his body suddenly limp. If I hadn't been holding him, he'd have fallen to the floor. Rhys was on his knees, his hands on my shoulders, but kneeling tall behind me. I could feel the tension singing through his hands.
I wanted to ask what was wrong, but I didn't want us to appear weak in Kurag's eyes. Then Kurag answered the question for me, even unasked.
"I didn't call you yet." Kurag was angry, but there was an edge of resignation to it. As if the anger were mainly formality. Real anger, but he didn't have much hope it would help things. I'd never seen Kurag so . . . defeated.
A voice came just out of sight of the mirror. It was high and hissing, and first I thought snake, but it held that metallic buzzing to it that Creeda had, and there was no snake goblin in the queen. The voice said, "You wanted to show me off, didn't you Kurag? Show the princesssss that not all are asss ssidhe ass Holly and Asshh."
"Yes," Kurag said, and turned to the mirror. He looked solemn. "Know this, Merry: Not all sidhe-sides have
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