"Ann Durand - Flight of the Gryphon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Durand Ann)

undermine the will of Askinadon. Merely a day later, she wanted to live forever. She wanted to live and
love and laugh-she wanted to turn into a withered old lady some day, in the company of a withered old
man.

But this cannot be, she admonished herself sternly. She did not live a life given to such freedom. Love?
She'd abandoned all hope for it after Askinadon had arrived and ordered all the virgin maidens to guard
their status until he either forced them to marry or Summoned them to the altar.
Her feelings for this man, Mikolen, she must crush them. Love-the romantic kind-was not one of her
options. She would resist its impulse. That had to be all it was anyway, an impulse. Besides, she had
much to accomplish. She needed to find her sister, cut out her Orb, and give her the new one; the one
Mikolen had built.

Katera's fingers froze on the cinch. The Orb? I don't have the Orb. She'd been so flustered with that
kiss that she'd left it behind. She stood up and looked back toward the tunnel.

Mikolen was standing there watching her. He wore a smile, and in his open hand, he was holding the Orb
for her to see.

"Mikolen, I…thank you. I just realized that I forgot it."

"Yes, but I'm not giving it to you."

"What?"

Mikolen crossed the floor, watching her intently. He stopped when he stood facing her with the hoshdel
between them.

"I'm going to keep it," he said, a soft look in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" she asked, surprised.

"If you want it, you're going to have to bring me along. That's what I mean."

Katera's heart fluttered. All her suppressed hopes resurfaced, like a buoy refusing to sink.

"Mikolen, this is not your problem. You have done enough. I…"

Mikolen reached across Chilika's back to press a finger to her lips. "Shh," he whispered. "I'm coming."
He removed his finger, and when she opened her mouth to object, the finger raced back to her lips. "I'm
coming," he said, more forcefully.

This time, as he lifted his finger, Katera smiled at him. She knew he meant it. She also recognized a
longing in his eyes…a longing that matched her own. Her heart soared. Oh, if only things could be
different. If only she had the freedom to choose her destiny…if only Mikolen were not leaving Parallon,
for she was sure that he intended to do just that.

At that moment, she understood that her heart had leapt far ahead of her better sense. It amazed her that
she could feel this strongly about someone who was, essentially, a stranger. Without a rational reason,
her morning dream threaded back into her conscious mind: once again, she was gliding over the ground
on a hoshdel with… Merciful Lupana. The man sitting behind her in the dream was Mikolen . He