[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.His hands dug into her hair,sending her hairpins flyingand her tresses tumbling downaround his calloused fingers inmessy locks.His lips nudgedhers apart.Guinevere fell back against the flagstonesand pulled Lancelot down ontop of her.He slid his kneebetween her thighs, pushingher many-layered skirts upuntil his hand could reach thebare skin underneath.Heripped her under-shift off, andshe cried out as the silken tiesburned across her skin.Lancelot stilled and easedback. Am I hurting you? he asked, his voice breaking andhis eyes vulnerable. The only time you everhurt me is when you leaveme, she replied, wrappingherself around him. Don tever leave me again. Her heart still pounding away,Helen quickly dried her hairand half ran to the library toescape the borrowed memorybefore it got any more graphic.She stopped at thedoor and fanned the hot flushon her cheeks, remindingherself that in her memoryGuinevere was betraying herhusband, so she shouldn thave enjoyed it so much, andin this life, she and Lucaswere cousins so she had nobusiness dredging up those oldmemories to begin with.She could hear Lucas s deepvoice through the library door, and after such a vividflashback, even that wasenough to make her giddy.She recalled Lancelot takingher to his rooms, untying thelaces on her dress, and.other things.She blushedfuriously.Stop being such a giant,throbbing hormone and get inthere, she chided herself,shaking out her hands.It s notlike everyone will know what you were just thinking about.She pushed open the doorand saw Orion immediatelyglance down at her chest, lookback up at her, and raise aneyebrow as a knowing smilespread across his face.Exceptmaybe Orion, she thought,wishing she could drop deadon the spot.The men rose to greetHelen, but Cassandra stayedin the giant leather chair that dwarfed her fragile body.Helen bowed to the Oraclerespectfully and noticed thatCassandra had her iPad on herlap. What s up? Helen asked,ignoring the jolt of warmthshe felt when she sat down inthe only vacant spot next toLucas, of course. Another attack, Cassandrareplied gravely, handingHelen the iPad. A tsunami in Turkey, Orion said.Helen scrolledthrough the pictures offlooded land. But why here? she said,looking at the area in Turkeythat had been hit. This isn t amajor city. Not anymore, Lucas said. But thirty-three hundredyears ago, Troy was there. That s some grudge, Helen whispered, closing the iPad. The gods are gettingbolder. Cassandra sat back inher giant chair, her browdrawn with worry. TheScions can t waste any moretime.We have to unite. And to do that, we need tofigure out how we re going todeal with this meeting of theHouses, Hector said, takingthe lead. The three of you areall Heirs, so you ll be standing behind your House Heads.Except for Orion, of course,who is the Head of the Houseof Rome.I guess you ll haveyour second in the Housestanding behind you. No way in hell I mstanding with Phaon at myback, Orion said with agrimace.He saw thequestioning looks on Lucas sand Hector s faces and knewhe had to explain. Phaon and his elder brother, Corvus,disputed my succession whenI was little. Wait.Corvus? Lucasasked, leaning forward. Myfather killed Corvus beforeany of us were born. No.Castor thought hekilled Corvus.But hesurvived, Orion said.Hisvoice dropped. Believe me, Iwish it were otherwise. Orion.You don t have to explain, Helen said, trying tospare him. It s okay, Helen.I d haveto tell them about my scarseventually, anyway, he said,giving her a sad little smile. My mom s cousin Corvusofficially challenged me whenI was eleven.I won. In the Colosseum? Hectorasked.Orion nodded. Wow.Is it true that if members fromthe House of Rome kill each other in the Colosseum, theydon t become Outcasts? It s true.Romans havespilled so much blood into thesands of the Colosseum thatthe Furies lost track of theblood debts.It s a cursedplace, Orion said in asubdued voice.Hector s eyesgleamed enviously like hewould give anything to fightin the Colosseum, but thehaunted look on Orion s face kept him from voicing thatdesire. When I killed Corvus,Phaon lost his only ally theman who d raised him like ason.Phaon d put a knife in myback as soon as look at me.I ll never stand with him. Well.That s something toconsider, Lucas said quietly,and a heavy silence followed.Helen could see Hector sheart swell for his friend.Outof all of them, Hector could relate to Orion the most.Itwas strange for Helen to thinkabout, but both of them werekillers.A bright flash fromCassandra s direction caughtHelen s eye.The silvery orbthat hung in her chest rippledlike moonlight reflecting off adark pond. And you re not to goanywhere near Phaon, Orionsaid suddenly, followingHelen s eyes and pointing at Cassandra.His tone wasuncharacteristically rough. Ifhe tries to get you alone, youcome straight to me.Understand? Cassandra noddedcautiously, puzzled by hisangry look. Why? Lucas asked.Orion s lips twisted into abitter scowl, like there was avile taste in his mouth.Heshook his head, like he was shaking off Lucas s question. Why? Lucas repeated,undeterred. He s a monster. Orionlooked away, his volumedropping. He only goes forlittle girls
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
