tried again. Grunting and swearing she managed to roll the
man out of the pool, but sank again before crawling out.
He lives! Sinafin caroled in relief.
Just as Alexa surfaced and opened her mouth to ask something
instead of heaving a breath, Sinafin turned into a purple bat with golden wings
and streaked from the chamber—through a closed glass window this time. As she
did so she made the sound of a wailing baby.
Alexa allowed herself to collapse on the floor. She'd been had! By
her own...what? Mentor? Sidekick? Friend?
After a few minutes the marble floor, though warm, felt really
hard. Alexa rocked to her hands and knees, then stood and wobbled. Until she
saw him. Then she was struck still and dumb with pure admiration.
Wow! Only the dim crystals in the rafters and the glowing gemstone
crystals in a rainbow on the altar lit the room, but it was enough. He lay on
his back, the outline of his muscles flickering wet and golden-hued. Alexa
swallowed hard.
She took a step forward. Broad shoulders tapered to narrow hips,
muscular thighs—she bet he had a killer butt—nice calves, long elegant feet. Oh
yeah.
Naturally she looked at his sex. She was a red-blooded American
woman, wasn't she? And she had to make sure that the people of Lladrana were
like people at home. She peered a little closer and gulped. Yes, his parts were
like those of the men at home. No, it didn't look like he was hurt there at
all—but otherwise...
Just seeing the scars on him appalled her—new red welts, some
slices that looked like they had come from the same sort of monster who'd
attacked her. His body was a map of colorful bruises, scratches and circular
raised bumps that made her think of leeches. She shuddered. He had a big, nasty
puncture close to his, um, jewels that made her wince and shift from foot to
foot.
She was warm and safe here, as was he, but how was she going to
get help?
She eyed the gong and bit her lip. It was near the altar with
those jewel-crystals and other magical stuff. She really didn't want to touch
it.
"Sinafin?" she whispered.
No answer.
Alexa studied the studly guy again, this time making it to his
face. She frowned. He looked a little like someone she'd seen before, but she
couldn't place the resemblance. Nice jaw, good straight nose. Eyes heavy-lidded
and tilted up at the corners. Soft, mobile lips.
Soft, mobile lips? She was losing it. Time to get her act together
and see if she could help the man, but at least his wide, lightly haired chest
rose and fell steadily.
Then she noticed something else. Unlike every other adult in
Lladrana, he didn't have black hair or black hair with silver or gold streaks
at one or both temples. No, the flickering light gleamed on his striped
black-and-white hair. She stared. The baby had black-and-white hair like that
too. Did they ritually drown those? She knew in her bones it must mean
something.
His lids opened and she stared into deep brown eyes that slowly
focused. He opened his mouth and started coughing. He stirred, moaned, then
subsided again into unconsciousness. But his breath turned steady and deep.
The door pushed open and cold air swept around her, plastering her
nightgown to her body. She whirled. A skinny teenager holding a tray and a
pitcher stared openmouthed at her. She narrowed her eyes. He had that
electric-blue outline that several of the Marshalls had had that morning. She
glanced back at the man lying by the pool—yes, there was a slight electric-blue
tint coating him.
She looked at her own hands. They radiated blue. Then she saw her
own body, fully revealed by the thin, wet nightgown. She looked very white. She made a sound like "Eek"—a
girly sound, she thought in disgust—hurried and snatched her robe.
"Voulvous? Vu?" The boy's voice rose in a question.
Alexa forced her lips into a grin, flopped a hand in what she'd
intended to be a wave, and wobbled past the boy to the door. She'd done what
Sinafin had wanted. Alexa didn't plan to hang
man out of the pool, but sank again before crawling out.
He lives! Sinafin caroled in relief.
Just as Alexa surfaced and opened her mouth to ask something
instead of heaving a breath, Sinafin turned into a purple bat with golden wings
and streaked from the chamber—through a closed glass window this time. As she
did so she made the sound of a wailing baby.
Alexa allowed herself to collapse on the floor. She'd been had! By
her own...what? Mentor? Sidekick? Friend?
After a few minutes the marble floor, though warm, felt really
hard. Alexa rocked to her hands and knees, then stood and wobbled. Until she
saw him. Then she was struck still and dumb with pure admiration.
Wow! Only the dim crystals in the rafters and the glowing gemstone
crystals in a rainbow on the altar lit the room, but it was enough. He lay on
his back, the outline of his muscles flickering wet and golden-hued. Alexa
swallowed hard.
She took a step forward. Broad shoulders tapered to narrow hips,
muscular thighs—she bet he had a killer butt—nice calves, long elegant feet. Oh
yeah.
Naturally she looked at his sex. She was a red-blooded American
woman, wasn't she? And she had to make sure that the people of Lladrana were
like people at home. She peered a little closer and gulped. Yes, his parts were
like those of the men at home. No, it didn't look like he was hurt there at
all—but otherwise...
Just seeing the scars on him appalled her—new red welts, some
slices that looked like they had come from the same sort of monster who'd
attacked her. His body was a map of colorful bruises, scratches and circular
raised bumps that made her think of leeches. She shuddered. He had a big, nasty
puncture close to his, um, jewels that made her wince and shift from foot to
foot.
She was warm and safe here, as was he, but how was she going to
get help?
She eyed the gong and bit her lip. It was near the altar with
those jewel-crystals and other magical stuff. She really didn't want to touch
it.
"Sinafin?" she whispered.
No answer.
Alexa studied the studly guy again, this time making it to his
face. She frowned. He looked a little like someone she'd seen before, but she
couldn't place the resemblance. Nice jaw, good straight nose. Eyes heavy-lidded
and tilted up at the corners. Soft, mobile lips.
Soft, mobile lips? She was losing it. Time to get her act together
and see if she could help the man, but at least his wide, lightly haired chest
rose and fell steadily.
Then she noticed something else. Unlike every other adult in
Lladrana, he didn't have black hair or black hair with silver or gold streaks
at one or both temples. No, the flickering light gleamed on his striped
black-and-white hair. She stared. The baby had black-and-white hair like that
too. Did they ritually drown those? She knew in her bones it must mean
something.
His lids opened and she stared into deep brown eyes that slowly
focused. He opened his mouth and started coughing. He stirred, moaned, then
subsided again into unconsciousness. But his breath turned steady and deep.
The door pushed open and cold air swept around her, plastering her
nightgown to her body. She whirled. A skinny teenager holding a tray and a
pitcher stared openmouthed at her. She narrowed her eyes. He had that
electric-blue outline that several of the Marshalls had had that morning. She
glanced back at the man lying by the pool—yes, there was a slight electric-blue
tint coating him.
She looked at her own hands. They radiated blue. Then she saw her
own body, fully revealed by the thin, wet nightgown. She looked very white. She made a sound like "Eek"—a
girly sound, she thought in disgust—hurried and snatched her robe.
"Voulvous? Vu?" The boy's voice rose in a question.
Alexa forced her lips into a grin, flopped a hand in what she'd
intended to be a wave, and wobbled past the boy to the door. She'd done what
Sinafin had wanted. Alexa didn't plan to hang
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