Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...
Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...
Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...
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Generated <strong>by</strong> ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html<br />
a wave. Yet he didn't clench her. She felt the heaviness in her loins, the solid weight of her own passion,<br />
twined with the man-fear at the back of her throat, lurking at the roots of her muscles, waiting to lock her<br />
in its grip. All distant.<br />
She pulled at his belt buckle,right h<strong>and</strong> … "You want me naked," he whispered. He slid off the bed to<br />
unbuckle his kilt, then waited, kneeling, for her to beckon him, his eyes shining in the lamp-light, warm<br />
brown. She saw his hardness, st<strong>and</strong>ing up from black curls, stirring.<br />
She skinned out of her boots <strong>and</strong> trousers.Why be afraid? I carry the power of life <strong>and</strong> death, on my<br />
claws . She wiggled out of her tunic. She turned to him, held out her h<strong>and</strong>,left h<strong>and</strong>; he slid his fingers<br />
into hers, closing his eyes, making her guide him to touch. She drew him onto the bed.<br />
He was so large, even kneeling he loomed… The wrong thought crept in like a thief,ship-berth, him<br />
between me <strong>and</strong> the door, naZak-big, me child-small, him male-smelling … She stiffened, froze,<br />
h<strong>and</strong>s up in front of her, trembling.Natural enough , the flat cold part of her thought.Good act,<br />
illusionist. Shit , another part thought. Ishould have clawed him .<br />
Chevenga spread his h<strong>and</strong>s, away from her, leaving himself open, the motions all old-fashioned Yeoli,<br />
straight, formal. "Megan, I'd die before I hurt you." She took a deep, slow, controlled breath, stilling the<br />
pounding of her heart <strong>by</strong> will. Yes.You will. I don't need to fear you; I will kill you .<br />
"I…" she stammered. "I need to be on the same side the door is." He shifted back to let her change<br />
places with him. "Heused to like to give me just so much running room, <strong>and</strong> then catch me."<br />
She saw a line of muscle near his temple flex, as his jaw clenched. "Tell me how not to be like him," he<br />
said. "Forbid me to be like him. Tonight, here, I am yours."<br />
"Mine?" She let out a laugh, plausibly nervous. "Heused to say 'you are mine.' Whatever your<br />
power-stingy people say, Fourth Chevenga, you're a king; you can't know what that means."<br />
"Oh?" His brows rose, challenged. "You think Kurkas didn't say 'you are mine' to me? Do you think I<br />
was a king in the Mezem, killing some other wretch every eight-day so they wouldn't kill me, with the<br />
Mahid hauling me off every month to drug Yeola-e's secrets out of me?" He drew up, kneeling straight,<br />
formal Yeoli warrior-style; imposing, but not frightening, somehow, every line full of the bounds of<br />
discipline. His voice softened. "What I mean is: I will do <strong>and</strong> be what you will, for this one night. Nothing<br />
you have to take; I give it. All my life I have been my people's, doing their will, as I was born <strong>and</strong> bred<br />
to." His words checked then, his eyes searching hers. "Look, Megan, if it seems I'm urging you, if it's too<br />
fast, we can hold off till another night, or forget about it entirely. Whatever you choose."<br />
Almost irresistibly came the urge to put it off, to be out of this too-hot walled place, to be gone <strong>and</strong><br />
forget.No . The pain of Arkan steel again, pinning her wrists, no different than if it were real.Lix<strong>and</strong>-mi. I<br />
might not get another chance. And she will have died in vain . She calmed, made herself claw-steel,<br />
to match steel. Easily. Soeasily. What innocence did I miss, am I missing, having learned to be so<br />
hard so young? As your life shaped you, Gold-bottom, so did mine shape me .<br />
"I'm tired of being afraid. It's been long enough. Kiss me?" She heard her own voice, even in the<br />
darkness, steady, alluring. His lips touched hers, softly, open. She reached with her tongue for his,<br />
holding his curly head in her clawed h<strong>and</strong>s. A familiar awe, through everything else:I'm kissing<br />
Chevenga, the Invincible, the Immortal, the Gold-bottom … Bitter inward laughter.Kissing, killing.<br />
Duty <strong>and</strong> pleasure allied . Iam the Immortal's mortality .