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killer could have my throat slit before the wolves had the time to sniff out their intent.
I had slunk away into the shadow of a great tree, as far away as I could from the
feast without leaving it. I wanted to get away from the fire and the shadows it threw.
There were no great tables of food here, no fire pits; all that marked it from an ordinary
forest floor was the carpet of dried flowers thick upon the ground. I sat down, leaning
against a great, gnarled root. The ground felt balmy below me did the fires in the
barrow warm it? I could not tell their smoke from that of the festal fires.
I heard the crunch of booted feet nearby and went still. The murderer. My belly
clenched with fear. By law, he might have been of the Fair, but Andrey s blood was
human. Perhaps his killer craved for human blood, pumped fresh and red from the
jugular vein.
I rose to my feet, quiet as I could, and pressed myself up against the side of the
tree. Let its shadow hide me. The thought was almost a prayer. I did not think I could
count on Beleth s new wolves to save me.
Then Ash turned the corner, his mismatched eyes meeting mine; he had seen me
without even trying.  What are you doing here?
 Hiding, I said, trusting him with the truth. Whether that made me a fool, I did
not know.
 Is the feast not to your liking?
118 John Tristan
 No. I looked back toward the fires. Shadows danced in their eerie light, wild
and wanton.
For a moment, neither of us spoke. I heard the distant sound of singing.
 She killed my wolves, Ash said, his voice flat. Then he laughed, an awful, bitter
sound, and shook his head.  In Richalmer s name. I wager he s laughing, wherever he
is.
A sob caught in my throat, all unexpected. My stomach knotted with fear and
shame.
Ash looked down at me, raising his hand, uncertain.  Leith& 
 Where were you? The words came out in a whisper.  Where did you go when
you left me to sleep alone?
His hand dropped to his side. His eyes glittered in the dark.  You think I killed
him. It was not a question.
 You had a chance. You had a reason.
 Half the Citadel had chance and reason. Don t tell me you believe this bleating
that  we do not hurt our own. 
 I don t know what to believe anymore.
 They summoned you to council, didn t they?
I nodded, saying nothing.
He let out a long, slow breath, almost of relief.  So. I suppose they must be waiting
till after the feast to hang me?
My eyes shot up.  What do you mean?
His smile was calm and terrible a smile fit for the gallows.  If you think I killed
him, what do you think they ll think? You seem half-fond of me, but they 
 Half-fond? I shook my head, disbelieving.  Are you really that blind? I told
them nothing, Ash. Not a damned word! As far as Orias knows, we spent the night in
each other s arms.
Forest of Glass 119
That silenced him. He clenched his hands into fists. He searched my eyes for a lie.
Evidently finding none, he opened his hands and asked me,  Why?
I shook my head; I could not answer. Instead I made to ask another question, not
quite in a whisper.  Did you kill him?
 Do you think I d tell you if I did?
 Yes, I said, only half-surprised to find I meant it.
 Damn you, he said. He leaned against the trunk of the tree as if he were afraid
of falling, still smiling his gallows smile. He was beautiful, I realized then, every inch of
him: his rough-hewn jaw and bearish arms, his blue and dark eyes, and his scar-
collared throat. How could they be so foolish? How could they not see it?
 You didn t, did you? The moment I spoke it, I was certain I was right.  You
didn t& though maybe you wish you had.
 Are you a sorcerer? he asked, a bitter jest in his voice  No, I didn t kill him. And
yes, maybe I wish I had. Not that I can prove it, either way.
I swallowed.  Why did you leave?
 What?
 Why did you leave, Ash? After the hunt. After you took me to your chamber.
He pushed himself away from the tree. He loomed over me, shoulders hunched,
eyes half-closed.  I had to, he said, and for the first time I heard a waver in his voice.  I
had to leave because 
A thin, ghostly howl cut through the night. They can smell murder. A shiver raised
the hairs on the back of my neck. The howl went on for several heartbeats, then cut
short, leaving the night to distant laughter and the crackling of the fires. I could see
Ash s breath misting the air; it might be spring, but the nights were still cold.
 Why? I asked again.
 You know why.
I drew closer to Ash. His breath came quick and ragged.
120 John Tristan
 Why? I whispered it now.
 Because if I d stayed, he said, raising his hand to cup my cheek,  I wouldn t
have been able to stop myself. I would have just& taken you.
 Lord and Lady&  I leaned into his touch, heart pounding.  I wanted you to.
Why didn t you believe me?
He dropped his hand.  Your kisses aren t yours to give, he said, and I heard the
fear in his voice not for himself, but for me.
 Like hell they aren t, I said, put my arms around his neck, and drew him down
against my mouth.
Forest of Glass 121
Chapter Twenty-One
Under the Moon
At first he did not move. He seemed stunned, statue-still. Even his lips were
unyielding against mine, and for a moment I was unsure, my heart caught on a snarl.
Then he pulled me into a fierce embrace as if trying to press every part of me to
every part of him. He was trembling as if the earth beneath him quaked. He found my
back with his hands, my waist, sword-ready fingers mapping me. Only his mouth still
seemed to hesitate, rigid and unmoving. Then he slipped his hands down to the curve
of my buttocks; I moaned, incoherent, and his mouth opened into a kiss.
The kiss was as hard as the rest of him. There was nothing yielding about his
mouth. He kissed as if he wanted to claim whatever he tasted. For a wonderful, terrible
moment, I could not even breathe.
He lifted me into strong, scarred arms and pressed me hard against the smooth
trunk of the Citadel s tree. All the breath left in me was slammed out, and I gasped it
back in greedy gulps, tasting the night air and the smoke and him, the scent and sweat
of him, clean and sharp. I laughed then, the soft laughter of joy, and when he met my
eyes, he grinned like a wolf.
He held me still, my arms around his neck. I loosed them from their anchor so
they could find the buttons of his coat. One by one I slipped them open, too slow for my [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]