[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
off balance. Without a clue! And without even a dime to buy one with!
And it had been so gratifying to know that she could do that to him anytime she wanted. She knew
all there was to know about him; he knew nothing of her.
Had he guessed that she was his challenger from last night? There had been some kind of
recognition, so perhaps he had. Or perhaps, just perhaps, he recognizes you from something else
entirely, whispered the little voice from within. Perhaps he has dreamed of you, even as you have
dreamed of him. Remember the candles and satin, and the warmth of his body over you, in you,
cupping you and pouring deep... .
She shook the voice into quiescence with a toss of her hair. How could he possibly dream of her?
He had no notion that she even existed! Whereas she had known of his existence from early
adolescence. Hadn't she been trained and groomed to be his opposite number, his ultimate rival,
yin to his yang, even as her father was Chinthliss' ultimate rival? She had watched him, studied
him for years, and she knew he had no inkling that she or someone like her was anywhere in any
universe.
Even Chinthliss had never told him, although Chinthliss knew very well that she existed, though he
did not know where she was. Her father Charcoal had seen to it that Chinthliss was kept abreast of
her progress.
The jerkoff. Her father Charcoal, that is, not Chinthliss. Charcoal was no longer a part of her
life, and that was the way she wanted it.
No, there was no reason to think that Tannim had recognized her from dreams. Particularly not the
file:///F|/rah/Mercedes%20Lackey/Lackey,%20Me...Serrated%20Edge%204%20-%20Chrome%20Circle.txt (48 of 173) [6/4/03 10:33:36 PM]
file:///F|/rah/Mercedes%20Lackey/Lackey,%20Mercedes%20-%20Serrated%20Edge%204%20-%20Chrome%20Circle.txt
kind of dream passages that she had about him.
Erotic? Oh, a tad. They had certainly been far more satisfactory than anything shared with her
Unseleighe lovers.
She frowned a little at that. There would be no more dalliances with the Unseleighe; she had cut
them off from that years ago when she realized how much they were using her. They had no
consideration for her pleasure in their spurious loving intimacies; their only thoughts were for
their own satiation. She preferred a fantasy-dream with Tannim any night over a real-life
assignation with an Unseleighe, however comely the elven twit might be.
Not that the Sidhe were extremely attractive to her. It was just that Tannim was anything but
uncomely. When it came down to it, he was far better looking in the bright sun of day than he ever
had been in her misty dreams, or in much of the covert spying she had done on him. If he were
kitsune, she'd be even more in lust with him.
She closed her eyes, and he sprang into her mind with extraordinary vividness.
He looked far younger than his true years; he shared that with her, despite his purely mortal
origins. He had a fine face; not handsome in the classical sense, but one that was not likely to
be forgotten: high cheekbones, broad brow, firm and determined chin, sensual mouth given to smiles
and laughter.
Unlike these dour Unseleighe, who smile only when they kill and laugh only when blood spills
across their hands. They all think they are such great kings and warriors. What a bunch of
complete weenies.
Despite the fact that Tannim was as slim as a young girl, there was strength to him, in the broad
shoulders, the wiry muscles. Good bones, her mother would say. And, ah, that wild mane of dark and
curling hair; women must go mad to run their hands through it!
But it was the eyes that caught you, when he wasn't staring at you like a rabbit trying to guess
the make of the car about to run it over. Huge green eyes that changed hue with the changing of
his emotions. Vulnerable eyes; eyes that promised something wonderful to those whom he gave his
loyalty and affection. And she had every reason to believe those implied wonders were real, for
she had seen how generously he gave of himself once his trust and heart were pledged.
Ah, lucky one, who becomes his true lover... .
It was that little internal voice again, and with annoyance she squashed it down. She had no
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]