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Beaton M.C. Hamish Macbeth 01 Hamish Macbethi ĹmierÄ plotkary
Miller Henry Zwrotnik Raka 01 Zwrotnik Raka
McNish Cliff Tajemnica zaklÄcia 01 Tajemnica zaklÄcia
Kurtz, Katherine Adept 01 The Adept
Malin Wolf Drachenkrieger 01 Drachenliebe
Jo Clayton Drinker 01 Drinker Of Souls
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Antologia BarbarzyĹcy [Rebis] 01 BarbarzyĹcy_ Tom 1 (1991)
Diana Hunter [Submission 01] Secret Submission [EC] (pdf)
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her mind. I saw it before, I swear, I saw it before!
Malachi s hands closed over Keller s shoulders before he thought to grab him. He pushed him against
the door, held his face inches from his. You will tell me what you saw!
Queene. Ayla s voice was like a wraith sliding through the Darkworld. Malachi set Keller back on his
feet and turned to face her. Her eyes were sad and downcast. I am Queene.
What does that mean? Malachi asked aloud, though he wasn t sure who he asked.
It means that she can t stay here. Keller lit up one of his smokes and puffed away at it, the acrid
smell filling the air. There were already troops on the move on the Strip. They re looking for you. And I
don t really want them to find you here.
They will not find her. Malachi s mind worked feverishly. When he d had no will, no control over his
fate, things had been less complicated, and much less frightening. The thought of losing Ayla, now, when
he finally had her& I will take her deep in to the Darkworld. We will return when they stop searching for
her.
No, you won t return here, man. Keller shook his head. Listen, I ve done a lot for you. A lot. And I
really do like you, despite your many, many faults. But this, this isn t something that will just blow over.
They re going to keep looking for her. The Queene of the Lightworld, that s, like, a big deal.
I am supposed to return her to the one who did this to her? Malachi gripped Ayla s chin and turned
her head to display the bruise there.
She swatted his hand away. I will go.
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The bottom of Malachi s stomach dropped. You cannot go. You cannot return to that.
I will go, she said again, folding her arms across her chest. The Human is right. They will keep looking
for me. There will be a war if they think I am being held prisoner. There is no danger for you, if I go.
No danger? If she left, he would follow her. To his death, if he had to.
Listen, Keller said, sensing the mounting tension in that strange way he had, this isn t the time to
argue, okay? You re both tired, probably hungry. Let s get some food, get some rest, and we can work
this out in the morning. There s no way they re going to make it this deep into the Darkworld tonight, not
at the rate they re going. It s like they re afraid to get their shiny boots dirty.
They did not speak further on Ayla s plans to return that night. Keller brewed the food he d found into
soup, and they ate their portions in relative silence. Keller kept up a forced chatter for a bit, but gave up
when it did not lift the mood. It was just as well, to Malachi.
They went to sleep on a few borrowed blankets on the floor of the workshop. Having Ayla nestled at his
side, in the crook of his wing, seemed so sure and real to Malachi. It was impossible to believe that she
might leave him alone again.
But when he woke, not hours later, she was gone.
At this hour, the Strip should have been crowded, alive. Ayla knew this because it was where she had
spent the first part of her life. Sleeping in doorways, tagging after a Human father who had no idea how
to care for his child. Who preferred to spend his nights gambling and his days hiding from debt collectors.
Who encouraged his child to steal, subjecting her to the lowest, most degrading life on the Strip so they
could simply eat and sleep in safety.
She would never live that way again. Malachi had only been mortal a matter of days. He did not
understand the pain of an empty stomach night after night, the humiliation of a life spent trying to survive.
Tonight, the Strip was dark. News of the troubles in the Lightworld had no doubt frightened the
residents into their homes. Those who didn t have homes had found places to go where they would not
be seen.
Mabb was dead. Who would have wanted to kill her? Certainly not her babbling admirers at Court.
They had nothing to gain. In fact, no one had anything to gain from her death. Mabb had led the Faeries,
and the Lightworld, in the final battle against the Humans, and though it had been unsuccessful, she had
kept their race from total extermination. She d been their leader then, though something had broken in
her since. Surely those who had been there could not have forgotten that.
It must have been some creature from another of the quarters who d done the evil deed. No Faery
would have.
One might have. And you know which. She pushed the evil suspicion aside. It didn t matter who d
wielded the weapon. Someone had killed Mabb, and now Ayla was Queene.
And Garret her Royal Consort. What a sham that life would be. She would return to the Lightworld,
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throw herself on his mercy what little that he had and become a prisoner of her rank and commitment
to him. But she would find a way to bring Malachi to her, or, failing that, to sneak away to him when she
wished to. She would be Queene and none, not even Garret, would be able to oppose her.
He would be angry. He would survive it.
Ahead, a Faery regiment patrolled the Strip. They were dressed too fine for their surroundings, too
imposing and militaristic. She squared her shoulders and approached.
There she is! one in the front shouted, and the whole group of them ran after her. Her instinct was to
run, as well, but she walked calmly toward them. They would not harm her, not once they knew who she
was.
But when they reached her, they did not ask her any questions. They forced her arms behind her back
and secured them roughly with a length of rope. Her bound hands and her wings, impeded by the shirt
she wore, disrupted her balance and she fell. None of them moved to catch her. She crashed into the
cement face-first. Blood dribbled from her nose and mouth as she drew a choked breath.
You have mistaken me& She squeezed her eyes shut as a wave of nausea came over her. You have
made a mistake. I am Ayla, mate to Garret, sister of the Queene.
One of them kicked her in the chest as she struggled to get on her feet.
Never before had Ayla truly feared for her life. Perhaps there was no reason to fear the loss of
something that had held so little value. But as another boot connected with her hip, knocking her again to [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
