Read Online Woman of Silk and Stone by Mattie Dunman - Free Book Online Page B

kid had.
Not to mention that being the "consort" of a teenager was pretty
repugnant to me as well.
    I reached out and took Tam's hand in mine,
giving him what I hoped was a reassuring smile rather than a feral
baring of teeth. "Tam, I am...honored by your proposal. But I don't
feel that being a, uh, consort is what I am here to do. Surely
whatever forces ripped me from my world and dropped me here have
something else in store." I kept my voice gentle to avoid offense,
but I needn't have worried. Tam's expression slackened with relief
and he let out a great, gusty sigh.
    "Thank you," he breathed, and then snapped
back into it. "I mean, your point is well taken, Honey." He gave me
a sheepish grin and for the first time I caught of glimpse of the
real Tam, a boy I imagined would be a bit mischievous, but very
conscious of his duty.
    "Now that is settled, want to tell me whose
bright idea it was for me to be your consort?" I asked archly,
expecting at least one familiar name.
    "Efrim said that since you were the first
female Halqu , it could only mean that you
were meant to be my queen or consort. And he said you don't live
long enough to be queen, so..." Tam shrugged and gave me an
apologetic look.
    "Got it." I gave him a sharp look. "How old
are you anyway?"
    "I am thirty years this month," he replied
with a hint of pride.
    I blinked at him, incredulous. This little
pipsqueak was older than me? Not possible.
    "How is that...I mean, I'm twenty-three
years old. How are you older than me?" I blurted out, losing all
diplomatic abilities in my shock.
    Tam looked me over with surprise etched on
his juvenile features. "I don't know, Honey. You appear to be a
woman in her sixties at the very least."
    "Well thanks for that," I mumbled,
shuddering a little bit. Sixty indeed.
    "Our passage of time here must be very
different from yours. A man reaches adulthood when he is sixty
years of age."
    I sat back, sinking into the decadent
cushions thoughtfully, wondering at my oblivious acceptance of
things like time and age since arriving on Edin. Of course time
would be measured differently; I was on an entirely new world in an
alternate dimension. Why would I assume that everything was the
same? I mean, they had horses that looked like big leopards, men
running around who looked like ancient stone carvings, and of
course, blue grass and purple skies. Hell, the kid sitting
fretfully at my side had blue hair, and I doubted it was a fashion
statement.
    I could feel that wave of dread cresting
again, the one that told me I was near the brink of collapse. Too
many things had occurred one after the other since I lost my job
that morning, or whenever it was. I had no way of telling how much
time had really passed, how long I would live in this weird new
world, or what the hell I was going to do.
    "Honey, are you alright?" Tam asked
worriedly, taking in my hundred-yard stare with concern. I just
nodded absently and rubbed my temples, trying to ease the steadily
building ache that threatened to engulf me.
    "I'm just a little...overwhelmed. It's been
a really long day," I choked out, appalled to find that tears were
streaking down my face as though someone had turned on the faucet
without me knowing. A tentative hand reached out and patted my
shoulder. Smiling wryly, I squeezed Tam's knee and leaned my head
back, too drained to try to figure out my next move. Life was
simply moving too swiftly for me to catch hold, and I felt like I
was chasing after a train that was speeding quickly out of my
reach.
    "I will have you shown to your quarters and
you can rest. When you feel better, we'll speak again," Tam said,
an unexpected maturity entering his voice as he took on the role of
caregiver. I just nodded gratefully and hauled myself up to my
feet, completely sapped of energy and ideas.
    "Thanks Tam, and sorry I'm such a boring Halqu . I promise I'll liven up when I've
had a chance to get my bearings. I just need about forty-eight
hours of sleep and gallon of