"Holly Lisle - Secret Texts 2 - Vengeance Of Dragons" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lisle Holly)

that, and for a moment shefelt both small and safe. Then he pulled away from her and lookedinto
her eyes, and said, “Marry me,” and all feelings ofsafety fled. He said, “I have nothing but myself
to offer you,but I’ll find a way to win back all that I’ve lost.We’ll get back to Calimekka, and
you’ll want fornothing.”

She closed her eyes, trying desperately to think of theacceptable excuse, the one that would let
her refuse him withouthurting him. It came, and she thanked whichever god watched oversuch
things. “I know we’ll make it back somehow.That’s why I cannot accept a proposal of marriage
withoutknowing if either of my parents still live.”

She saw him consider that and see the reason in it; if hermother or father still lived, a suitor
would have to ask permissionbefore broaching the subject with Kait. This was the way
thingswere done among Families. So she bought herself time, but didnothing to solve the
problem — her answer led him to believeshe would find his proposal acceptable if her parents
did.

She turned away — and in that instant she felt a delicatetouch in her mind, and eyes looked out
through hers, seeing thedevastation before her. Ry Sabir. Her heart raced; she felt hiselation, his
relief . . . and his nearness.

She snapped a magical shield around herself — one of thefew bits of magic Hasmal had been
completely successful in teachingher so far — and the sensation of being watched, even
inhabited, vanished. She turned to face Ian and said,“Trouble’s coming.”

He laughed bitterly. “We’re stranded on the far sideof the world, probably the only humans on
the continent, down tofour survivors and” — he nodded back toward the ruin— “perhaps soon to
be three. We have no food stores, wehad to burn our ground, winter won’t be over for months,
andwill surely get harsher before it gets better.” Ian leanedagainst a tree and rubbed at his eyes
with his knuckles. Kaitrealized how exhausted he looked. “I’d say trouble isalready here.”

“A ship will reach us soon.”
Ian stared at her, his immediate disbelief clear on his face.She met his eyes, and saw that disbelief
become hope. “A ship.Bad news? Please tell me you have more bad news.”

“This ship doesn’t intend to rescue us. MyFamily’s enemy followed me across the ocean, using
a. . . a link that the two of us share. Something relatedto the fact that we are both Karnee, I think.
This enemy intends totake me prisoner. But you and Hasmal and Jayti. . .” She frowned. “I
expect he and his menwill try to kill the three of you. You aren’t the reason thathe’s coming here,
and if you aren’t his friends,you’re unknown, and unknown is often the same asenemy.”

Ian turned away from her and stared at the blackened ridgebefore him. “Perhaps we can negotiate
with them. Perhaps wecan work our passage. Perhaps we can do something to help you, andin
helping you, help ourselves.” He glanced over his shoulderat her. “So which of your Family’s
enemies are we talkingabout? Dokteerak? Masschanka?”

“Sabir,” Kait said.

Ian winced. “Ah. Sabir. That’s bad, or at least it could be bad. I have an unfortunate history with
the Sabirs.Clever as I might be at offering my services as a navigator, orhelmsman, or whatever
the ship might need, if I’m recognizedthe Sabirs aren’t likely to want my help.” He sighed