flickered in the shadows. She stopped a few paces from him. 'You can lie to your friends, Lynan, but you cannot lie to me. We are the same, you and I, and I can read you as easily as I read the twisting tree and the burrowing badger.'
He tried turning his gaze away from her, but it was useless. Wherever he looked, she was there. 'I want nothing to do with you! Leave me alone!'
'All life desires me,' she said sweetly.
'All life despises you,' he spat back.
'There is less difference between the two emotions than you imagine.'
'You sound like a priest,' he said scornfully.
'And there is less difference between me and a priest than you imagine.' Suddenly she was right before him, and she stroked his cheek with one scratchy finger. 'We both want your soul.'
'You want it for yourself.'
'And now we are back to desire.' She retreated a step and frowned in thought. 'I remember what it was like. Centuries ago, before your kind came to Theare. I remember what it was to make love, to desire the body of another and not his soul. In a way I am more innocent now than I was then: my desire is less base, more pure. I desire the best in you, not the worst.'
'You will take everything from me, my soul and my life.'
'They are the only things about Lynan Rosetheme worth having.' She laughed, and the sound of it was like leaves falling. 'Oh, I cannot forget your gifts. The Keys of Power will look fine against my breasts.'
'You shall never have them.' But even as he said the words the two Keys around his neck melted away and appeared around her own, the two talismans resting between her pale green breasts with nipples the colour of old wood.
'What is it you desire the most, Lynan Rosetheme?' she asked, coming close to him again. Her breath brushed against his face like a cold wind. 'What do you want, my conquering prince?'
Lynan felt his sex stiffening. His desire for her was overwhelming. Without volition his hands stretched out to cup her breasts.
'What is it you want?' Silona asked again, smiling sweetly. She took one of his hands and placed it between her thighs. 'Above all else, is it Silona you desire?'
Deep within him stirred a terrible anger, something that belonged to Silona as much as it belonged to him. He pushed her away with a furious shout. She flew back in a flurry of whirling leaves and disappeared.
Lynan breathed in deeply with relief, but the breath froze when he heard Silona's laugh. At first he thought it came from in front of him, but then the grove itself seemed to take it up and the laughter surrounded him. Every tree and hedge became a reflection of her shape, every branch an arm, every gust of wind a breath from her fetid lungs. Terror swelled in him and he screamed.
Korigan woke with a start and knew instantly what had taken away her sleep. She was here, and Korigan could feel her presence as if the vampire was standing over her. She leaped out of her bed and rushed to Lynan's tent. The Red Hands on duty stepped aside for her and she entered. There was not enough light to see by, and she could hear no sound. It occurred to her that Lynan might be outside, and the thought almost panicked her. How would she find him? How could she protect him from Silona? At that moment she heard, as if from a great distance, a woman's voice saying Lynan's name. The sound of it was like ice in her brain, and her skin seemed to crawl in revulsion. Then she heard, close by, Lynan's voice answer.
'You shall never have them.'
The words were desperate. Following the direction of his voice she could see his dim outline on a cot.
Again from far away she heard Silona. 'What is it you desire the most, Lynan Rosetheme?' Korigan saw he was naked, and as she watched he became aroused. She surprised herself by being ashamed for his sake, and even as she went to him to wake him he pushed away with his arms at some invisible presence. Silona laughed, and the sound came from all around the tent. Korigan froze, more afraid than she had
He tried turning his gaze away from her, but it was useless. Wherever he looked, she was there. 'I want nothing to do with you! Leave me alone!'
'All life desires me,' she said sweetly.
'All life despises you,' he spat back.
'There is less difference between the two emotions than you imagine.'
'You sound like a priest,' he said scornfully.
'And there is less difference between me and a priest than you imagine.' Suddenly she was right before him, and she stroked his cheek with one scratchy finger. 'We both want your soul.'
'You want it for yourself.'
'And now we are back to desire.' She retreated a step and frowned in thought. 'I remember what it was like. Centuries ago, before your kind came to Theare. I remember what it was to make love, to desire the body of another and not his soul. In a way I am more innocent now than I was then: my desire is less base, more pure. I desire the best in you, not the worst.'
'You will take everything from me, my soul and my life.'
'They are the only things about Lynan Rosetheme worth having.' She laughed, and the sound of it was like leaves falling. 'Oh, I cannot forget your gifts. The Keys of Power will look fine against my breasts.'
'You shall never have them.' But even as he said the words the two Keys around his neck melted away and appeared around her own, the two talismans resting between her pale green breasts with nipples the colour of old wood.
'What is it you desire the most, Lynan Rosetheme?' she asked, coming close to him again. Her breath brushed against his face like a cold wind. 'What do you want, my conquering prince?'
Lynan felt his sex stiffening. His desire for her was overwhelming. Without volition his hands stretched out to cup her breasts.
'What is it you want?' Silona asked again, smiling sweetly. She took one of his hands and placed it between her thighs. 'Above all else, is it Silona you desire?'
Deep within him stirred a terrible anger, something that belonged to Silona as much as it belonged to him. He pushed her away with a furious shout. She flew back in a flurry of whirling leaves and disappeared.
Lynan breathed in deeply with relief, but the breath froze when he heard Silona's laugh. At first he thought it came from in front of him, but then the grove itself seemed to take it up and the laughter surrounded him. Every tree and hedge became a reflection of her shape, every branch an arm, every gust of wind a breath from her fetid lungs. Terror swelled in him and he screamed.
Korigan woke with a start and knew instantly what had taken away her sleep. She was here, and Korigan could feel her presence as if the vampire was standing over her. She leaped out of her bed and rushed to Lynan's tent. The Red Hands on duty stepped aside for her and she entered. There was not enough light to see by, and she could hear no sound. It occurred to her that Lynan might be outside, and the thought almost panicked her. How would she find him? How could she protect him from Silona? At that moment she heard, as if from a great distance, a woman's voice saying Lynan's name. The sound of it was like ice in her brain, and her skin seemed to crawl in revulsion. Then she heard, close by, Lynan's voice answer.
'You shall never have them.'
The words were desperate. Following the direction of his voice she could see his dim outline on a cot.
Again from far away she heard Silona. 'What is it you desire the most, Lynan Rosetheme?' Korigan saw he was naked, and as she watched he became aroused. She surprised herself by being ashamed for his sake, and even as she went to him to wake him he pushed away with his arms at some invisible presence. Silona laughed, and the sound came from all around the tent. Korigan froze, more afraid than she had
Similar Books
