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my neck. I jumped, twisting away from it, and landed hard on my back, the wind
knocked out of me. I heard his laughter but saw nothing but sun and sky.
90 John Tristan
I waited for the rope, for Andrey s laughter, but it did not come. Hands closed on
my shoulders and dragged me to my feet. The sun had blinded me; I did not see the
man s face. From behind me came a cry of rage and dismay.
 You aren t in this hunt, I heard Andrey say.  Stop being a spoilsport, and let the
boy go.
 I can hunt if I want, Richalmer. There s no law against it.
Ash. My heart hammered hard against the anvil of my ribs. Ash had caught me.
I blinked clear my eyes of sunspots and stared up into his wolf mask and the
mismatched eyes behind it. He still had his hands on my shoulders. He reached to take
my mask and toss it aside as if making sure of whom I was beneath the features of the
fox.
 I will have words with Beleth about this. Andrey sounded petulant, a child
cheated of his prize.  I ll see that you ll be whipped bloody for this insolence.
 Go ahead and try, Ash said.  She understands the hunt at least. He turned me
around and draped a heavy arm across my shoulders, pulling me close to him under his
wolf cloak. I felt the heat of his skin next to mine. My head still spinning from the sun
and the fall, I twisted my hand into his cloak to keep my balance.
Andrey lingered in front of us. His eyes slipped between me and Ash, his teeth
grinding. A sour taste rose in my throat. He d go and ask Beleth for me, I knew, and if
he could not have me today, he would go and ask Orias. Would he let me say no then?
 Go, Ash said.  If you re lucky, you can catch one of the others.
 There will be words, gamekeeper.
He shrugged.  If you will.
Andrey leveled his eyes with mine for a moment. Below his brigand s mask his
smile was full of cold promises.  Don t worry. We ll see what the Bloodless says about
this. He looked back to Ash and shrugged.  And even if she allows you your time
Forest of Glass 91
until sunrise, well& good luck keeping hold of him in the morning. Then he turned on
his heels and stalked off, rope lasso coiled in his gloved hands.
Ash snorted a laugh.  If he thinks Beleth will give him his missed chance, he
doesn t know her very well. He released me, took half a step away, and pulled his wolf
mask down.
The blossom gallery seemed to have shrunk around us again, back to its true
proportions. I heard the slap of flesh on flesh behind us, Ranwell moaning, and the wild
laughter of Pella as she evaded a second capture. The dome shimmered above; the sun
had started to sink in the afternoon sky. Gray-white clouds gathered together in the
blue, promising a spring rain. Would the droplets sink through the dome, soaking the
celebration, or would they just slide off and fall to the Citadel s roots below?
Ash looked down at me. He chuckled, low in the back of his throat.  Gods& what
am I going to do with you?
92 John Tristan
Chapter Sixteen
The Cell
We stood alone between the trees. The echoes of laughter died away. I saw the
movement of distant shadows too distant for me to care about them.
I put a trembling hand on Ash s chest. He stiffened beneath my touch, his eyes
gone wary. My lips were dry. If I stood on tiptoe, I could barely reach his mouth. What
would he do if I dared to kiss him?
I did not kiss him, though; instead I slid down to my knees. My hands found his
thighs, his muscled rear then the front of his breeches. He hardened under my touch,
quick as a blink. I bent to rub my face against him, lips mouthing against his bulge. He
let out a soft moan and shivered under my mouth.
A thrill of power went through me I was doing this; I was making him shiver
and moan. I unlaced his breeches and slid his cock into my hand. I breathed out softly;
it matched the rest of him well: broad and brawny in my grip. I licked my lips and took
him in my mouth as best I could.
He was hot and hard as iron. I made an incoherent sound and pulled him deeper
into my mouth. I breathed him in, tasted him: clean sweat and the subtle pearls of salt at
the tip of his cock. I traced the heated veins with my tongue, feeling him throb and
twitch; I coiled one hand around the shaft and used the other to steady myself against
his thigh.
I swallowed and licked down the length of him; he thrust forward as if I had
pulled him, filling my throat.  Stop, he said, but I didn t. I couldn t; I pressed my lips
tightly around him and trilled my tongue down the sweet arch of his cockhead. I
wanted nothing more than
Forest of Glass 93
 Stop!
His hand caught in my hair and yanked me backward, hard enough that I saw
stars. I let out a low, keening noise, lips still parted, the taste of him still on my tongue.
He looked down at me, and I saw myself reflected in the blue and black mirrors of his
eyes caught a glimpse of how he must have seen me. Wanton and abject, eyes wide
and wild, open mouth begging for another taste of his cock.
 Stop, he said again, his voice almost gentle.
A bolt of shame went through me, hot as lightning; I closed my mouth and looked
away.  D-did I displease you?
 Lord and Lady&  He tossed his head and swallowed hard, the apple of his
throat moving.  I didn t catch you to to do this.
I took a few deep breaths, marshaling myself. Then I understood. Of course.
 Richalmer. You& you wanted to take me from Richalmer.
His lips drew back; he looked more like a wolf than ever, despite removing his
mask.  If you want to go to him, just go. Stumble at his feet; let him catch you.
I shook my head violently.  No. No. Thank you.
 Then you re smarter than you look.
I laughed. The rushing tide of blood was receding; the sunspots behind my eyes
had faded.  Full of compliments, you are.
 Don t you get enough compliments from your lord?
Perhaps I d like to have one from you instead, I thought but did not say. Instead I
looked away, toward the middle of the canopy. Beleth would still be standing there on
her ragged rock, overseeing the hunt.  If you mean to keep me from Richalmer s
hands, I said,  you ll have to keep me until sunrise.
 I know. He took my arm.  Come with me.
He steered me away from the center of the canopy toward the acorn door. I
frowned.  Where are we going?
94 John Tristan
 To keep you until sunrise.
My heart caught in my throat.  What about the hunt? What about the Bloodless?
 There s one rule that Beleth holds to over any other, he said.  You keep what [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]