Read Online WindLegends Saga 9: WindRetriever by Charlotte Boyett-Compo - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Charlotte Boyett-Compo
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knew she wasn't.
Marriage was something Rachel shunned like the plague, as she had most men who had courted her. And there had been more than a few who had. But Rachel had turned them all away, ignoring their lovesick looks and tempting smiles. She seemed not to notice the men. Not to want to be near any of them.
Until Conar McGregor had come along.
Asher knew his sister was in love with the Outlander although she had not admitted as much to him. He had seen the way her gaze had followed Khamsin wherever he went about their encampment before his abduction by Jaborn's men. And he had not overlooked all the time she had spent with the man since the fall of Abbadon. He suspected something other than friendship and respect had developed between Khamsin and Rachel, but he was loath to examine that connection too closely. After all, the man was married and his wife was only a few yards ahead of Asher.
"Have you slept with him?" Asher had asked his sister. "Is that why you bait the Outer Kingdom woman the way you do?" He had gripped Rachel's arm. "Answer me! People are talking about you, Rachel!"
"Let them!" Rachel had snapped, yanking her arm away. "What I do is none of their business!"
Asher suspected the bond between his sister and the Outlander had become physical and he suspected it had been since their occupancy of Abbadon. He hoped to the Prophetess he was wrong, but he feared he was not. But one thing he was sure of: Conar McGregor was going to break Rachel's heart.
Once aboard Sajin Ben-Alkazar's ship, Conar felt some better. The headache was still intense and he was covered with a sticky, prickling sweat. The nausea had receded somewhat but the stabbing in his right eye was even more pronounced. Light cascading in through the opened porthole made him turn his face into the pillow to blot it out.
"I'll find something to put up there to shut out the light, Khamsin," Azalon said as he and Balizar finished undressing their leader.
Charlotte Boyett-Compo WINDRETRIEVER 36
"Water?" Conar asked, feeling as though the inside of his mouth had been blotted with cotton.
"Here," Balizar answered. He put a hand behind Conar's head and lifted, putting the rim of a wooden goblet to the Serenian's lips.
He swallowed the cold water, relishing the feel of it flowing down his throat until he had drained the cup. Licking his lips as Balizar lowered his head to the pillow, he became aware of Catherine standing at the foot of his bunk.
"Lady?" he questioned, holding out his hand to her. "Will you stay with me?"
She smiled and walked to his side. She took his hand and sat down beside him. "For as long as you want me to, milord," she answered.
He drew her hand to his chest and cradled it there. Her touch seemed to push the pain back a little and he closed his eyes, nuzzling his cheek against the coolness of the pillowcase.
"If he needs it," Azalon said, "there's a chamber pot here, Your Grace. All you need do is call and one of us will come in to help."
"I can manage," Catherine replied.
"Would you like me to bring your lunch down when it's ready, milady?" Balizar asked.
"Both of them," Conar told him. "I want to try eating."
"Just bring him broth and bread," Catherine ordered.
"Catherine," Conar whined.
"Broth and bread," his wife stated more firmly.
Balizar smiled at her. "Lukewarm and soft?"
"Don't push it, Arbra!" Conar warned.
Catherine opened her hand on his chest and patted him. "Behave." She glanced up at Balizar and nodded. "Maybe a bit of watered wine if Rupine allows it?"
Balizar nodded and he and Azalon left, leaving the husband and wife alone in Ben-Alkazar's cabin. There was a bit of a breeze coming in through the obstruction of material over the leeward porthole and it smelled of salt spray. The air was not all that overheated inside the cabin, but the darkness caused by the assorted garments draped over the portholes seemed to make the room more confining.
"Will you lie with me?" Conar asked.
Catherine
Marriage was something Rachel shunned like the plague, as she had most men who had courted her. And there had been more than a few who had. But Rachel had turned them all away, ignoring their lovesick looks and tempting smiles. She seemed not to notice the men. Not to want to be near any of them.
Until Conar McGregor had come along.
Asher knew his sister was in love with the Outlander although she had not admitted as much to him. He had seen the way her gaze had followed Khamsin wherever he went about their encampment before his abduction by Jaborn's men. And he had not overlooked all the time she had spent with the man since the fall of Abbadon. He suspected something other than friendship and respect had developed between Khamsin and Rachel, but he was loath to examine that connection too closely. After all, the man was married and his wife was only a few yards ahead of Asher.
"Have you slept with him?" Asher had asked his sister. "Is that why you bait the Outer Kingdom woman the way you do?" He had gripped Rachel's arm. "Answer me! People are talking about you, Rachel!"
"Let them!" Rachel had snapped, yanking her arm away. "What I do is none of their business!"
Asher suspected the bond between his sister and the Outlander had become physical and he suspected it had been since their occupancy of Abbadon. He hoped to the Prophetess he was wrong, but he feared he was not. But one thing he was sure of: Conar McGregor was going to break Rachel's heart.
Once aboard Sajin Ben-Alkazar's ship, Conar felt some better. The headache was still intense and he was covered with a sticky, prickling sweat. The nausea had receded somewhat but the stabbing in his right eye was even more pronounced. Light cascading in through the opened porthole made him turn his face into the pillow to blot it out.
"I'll find something to put up there to shut out the light, Khamsin," Azalon said as he and Balizar finished undressing their leader.
Charlotte Boyett-Compo WINDRETRIEVER 36
"Water?" Conar asked, feeling as though the inside of his mouth had been blotted with cotton.
"Here," Balizar answered. He put a hand behind Conar's head and lifted, putting the rim of a wooden goblet to the Serenian's lips.
He swallowed the cold water, relishing the feel of it flowing down his throat until he had drained the cup. Licking his lips as Balizar lowered his head to the pillow, he became aware of Catherine standing at the foot of his bunk.
"Lady?" he questioned, holding out his hand to her. "Will you stay with me?"
She smiled and walked to his side. She took his hand and sat down beside him. "For as long as you want me to, milord," she answered.
He drew her hand to his chest and cradled it there. Her touch seemed to push the pain back a little and he closed his eyes, nuzzling his cheek against the coolness of the pillowcase.
"If he needs it," Azalon said, "there's a chamber pot here, Your Grace. All you need do is call and one of us will come in to help."
"I can manage," Catherine replied.
"Would you like me to bring your lunch down when it's ready, milady?" Balizar asked.
"Both of them," Conar told him. "I want to try eating."
"Just bring him broth and bread," Catherine ordered.
"Catherine," Conar whined.
"Broth and bread," his wife stated more firmly.
Balizar smiled at her. "Lukewarm and soft?"
"Don't push it, Arbra!" Conar warned.
Catherine opened her hand on his chest and patted him. "Behave." She glanced up at Balizar and nodded. "Maybe a bit of watered wine if Rupine allows it?"
Balizar nodded and he and Azalon left, leaving the husband and wife alone in Ben-Alkazar's cabin. There was a bit of a breeze coming in through the obstruction of material over the leeward porthole and it smelled of salt spray. The air was not all that overheated inside the cabin, but the darkness caused by the assorted garments draped over the portholes seemed to make the room more confining.
"Will you lie with me?" Conar asked.
Catherine
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