could have used your weapon on me whilst I
slept in the cave. If I had not trusted you, I could not have rested. ‘Tis just
that at all times, I think and choose—alone. I have command of an army. I make
every decision; I lead. It is not something I am used to—this having someone
question me. My pack? I have no answer. It is my nature to horde my things.
“It is customary for the man to carry the weapons. I know of
no women who go armed. Yet perhaps it is possible to change. You are unlike any
female slave I have ever met. Perhaps you should be granted different rules.”
Maggie snuffled against Kered’s chest. His words brought her
tears rushing back, and it was important to her that she not show him what he
would consider a female weakness. She rubbed her face on his shirt; the fabric
was so fine it was like rubbing her face on his bare skin. “I am not a slave.”
Kered was smart enough to remain silent, but his right hand
betrayed him, sweeping along her upper arm. Maggie pulled back in anger. She
pounded on his chest. “You must believe me. I am not a slave! I’m a metalsmith.
There are no arm rings beyond the ice fields.”
He slipped his fingers into her hair, drawing her forward,
his mouth crushing down on hers. For long moments he heard nothing, saw
nothing.
Maggie’s body molded itself to his. The thin fabric of her
dress hid nothing of his aroused body from hers. She moaned softly. When he
parted his lips, she thrust her tongue into his mouth.
“Nilrem’s knees!” Kered flung himself back on his heels. He
gripped Maggie by the shoulders, holding her off and staring at her in
bewilderment. “This…I…by…what?” he stuttered.
Maggie reached out and pressed her fingers to his lips.
“Don’t you kiss like that, here on Tolemac?” she whispered.
“By the sword, no!” Kered said against her fingertips.
Covering her hand with one of his, he pressed his mouth to her palm. He drew
her forward until only a sheet of paper could have separated them. “It is
spoken that some pleasure slaves are taught special wiles to tempt a man…to
betray his duties. Are you tempting me to forget my quest?”
Maggie frowned. “You think I am deliberately tempting you
from your mission?’’
“I-I-I do not know. One moment you are like sweet innocence.
The next…artful.”
She began to shake in his arms. “No. No . I wouldn’t
do that to you. I’m not artful; I’m not tempting you to anything. You started
it. You kissed me .”
Kered nodded. He pulled her so close she could feel his
breath on her mouth. “Aye. I began this.” He lowered his head. “Again, Maggie.
Taste me, again.”
Maggie froze. First his distrust, next the humiliation of
having her ragged underwear inspected, and now he thought her an artful
temptress, luring him from his quest. And still, he wanted a kiss .
She pushed him away and rose, shaking out her skirts and
avoiding his smoldering turquoise eyes. “No. I won’t be accused of tempting you
from your sacred mission. I have no desire to kiss you, Ker. One kiss was quite
enough for me.”
Chapter Nine
Maggie roused herself from the languor created by Windsong’s
pace. “Kered! Look! Over there!” The ground erupted in a cloud of dust. A
miniature dust devil whirled along before them. Maggie stifled a scream. Kered
slowed Windsong’s pace as the dust devil coalesced into a child—a ragged, tiny
being flying across the ground.
Escaping, Maggie thought, but not from them.
Charging across the red plain to their right came a mirage.
Or, Maggie hoped it was a mirage. The creature’s green, plated body and huge
haunches rippled as it gained upon the child.
Windsong balked. He pawed the earth and flagged his tail and
refused to move.
“By the sword!” Kered swore and leapt from the saddle. In a
moment, his long legs carried him across the flat land in pursuit of the child.
It was a foot race Maggie thought he couldn’t win.
Maggie groped in Kered’s pack for
slept in the cave. If I had not trusted you, I could not have rested. ‘Tis just
that at all times, I think and choose—alone. I have command of an army. I make
every decision; I lead. It is not something I am used to—this having someone
question me. My pack? I have no answer. It is my nature to horde my things.
“It is customary for the man to carry the weapons. I know of
no women who go armed. Yet perhaps it is possible to change. You are unlike any
female slave I have ever met. Perhaps you should be granted different rules.”
Maggie snuffled against Kered’s chest. His words brought her
tears rushing back, and it was important to her that she not show him what he
would consider a female weakness. She rubbed her face on his shirt; the fabric
was so fine it was like rubbing her face on his bare skin. “I am not a slave.”
Kered was smart enough to remain silent, but his right hand
betrayed him, sweeping along her upper arm. Maggie pulled back in anger. She
pounded on his chest. “You must believe me. I am not a slave! I’m a metalsmith.
There are no arm rings beyond the ice fields.”
He slipped his fingers into her hair, drawing her forward,
his mouth crushing down on hers. For long moments he heard nothing, saw
nothing.
Maggie’s body molded itself to his. The thin fabric of her
dress hid nothing of his aroused body from hers. She moaned softly. When he
parted his lips, she thrust her tongue into his mouth.
“Nilrem’s knees!” Kered flung himself back on his heels. He
gripped Maggie by the shoulders, holding her off and staring at her in
bewilderment. “This…I…by…what?” he stuttered.
Maggie reached out and pressed her fingers to his lips.
“Don’t you kiss like that, here on Tolemac?” she whispered.
“By the sword, no!” Kered said against her fingertips.
Covering her hand with one of his, he pressed his mouth to her palm. He drew
her forward until only a sheet of paper could have separated them. “It is
spoken that some pleasure slaves are taught special wiles to tempt a man…to
betray his duties. Are you tempting me to forget my quest?”
Maggie frowned. “You think I am deliberately tempting you
from your mission?’’
“I-I-I do not know. One moment you are like sweet innocence.
The next…artful.”
She began to shake in his arms. “No. No . I wouldn’t
do that to you. I’m not artful; I’m not tempting you to anything. You started
it. You kissed me .”
Kered nodded. He pulled her so close she could feel his
breath on her mouth. “Aye. I began this.” He lowered his head. “Again, Maggie.
Taste me, again.”
Maggie froze. First his distrust, next the humiliation of
having her ragged underwear inspected, and now he thought her an artful
temptress, luring him from his quest. And still, he wanted a kiss .
She pushed him away and rose, shaking out her skirts and
avoiding his smoldering turquoise eyes. “No. I won’t be accused of tempting you
from your sacred mission. I have no desire to kiss you, Ker. One kiss was quite
enough for me.”
Chapter Nine
Maggie roused herself from the languor created by Windsong’s
pace. “Kered! Look! Over there!” The ground erupted in a cloud of dust. A
miniature dust devil whirled along before them. Maggie stifled a scream. Kered
slowed Windsong’s pace as the dust devil coalesced into a child—a ragged, tiny
being flying across the ground.
Escaping, Maggie thought, but not from them.
Charging across the red plain to their right came a mirage.
Or, Maggie hoped it was a mirage. The creature’s green, plated body and huge
haunches rippled as it gained upon the child.
Windsong balked. He pawed the earth and flagged his tail and
refused to move.
“By the sword!” Kered swore and leapt from the saddle. In a
moment, his long legs carried him across the flat land in pursuit of the child.
It was a foot race Maggie thought he couldn’t win.
Maggie groped in Kered’s pack for
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