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

She saw honesty in his eyes, and smelled sincerity in hisbreath.

“And you will be satisfied that I have carried out myportion of the bargain if I share a room with
Ry Sabir and attendhim as a companion during the day; you do not stipulate that Ibecome his
mistress or his eylayn.”

“Correct.”

“I’ll kill you if you touch her, you bastard,”she heard Ian mutter to Ry, but that oath was spoken
far too softlyfor the others to hear.

Kait sighed. “Then I accept your terms for mypeople.”
The captain now asked her, “And you will hold parole foryour people, and submit yourself to my
judgment without question orargument if they violate that parole?”

Kait turned and gave Ian a look that clearly stated, Put mein his hands and I’ll make you pay for
the rest of yourlife, and said, “I will.”

“Then I accept your terms for my people.”

The parnissa glowered at both of them, but stood between themand tapped the knot in the center
of the cord that bound them.“Gods attend these actions of men, for these two have actedfor the
best interests of all, in the spirit of fairness, dealinghonestly one with another,” he said in a flat,
angry voice.The words came out as hurried rote, the recitation of a furiousschoolchild made to
perform against his will. “They are nowmade law and subject to the penalties of the laws of
Matrin and theVeil.” He tapped the knot again. “I witness, remember,and record.” When his
finger tapped the knot for the thirdtime, it undid itself as if by magic, but Kait could see that ithad
only been cleverly tied.

Kait turned to Ian and Hasmal. “Untie Ry and releasehim.”

Neither man was happy about it, but both complied.

Ry got to his feet, brushed the ashes from his face, and rubbedhis chafed wrists. He looked at Ian,
and the hatred that passedbetween the two of them was visible. She had sworn that she
wouldkeep Ian under control, at forfeit of her life if the captain sochose; she wondered if Ian’s
love for her would be enough tomake him obey the parole, or if he would sacrifice her to get
atRy.

Ry’s eyes held Ian’s death in them, too. He smiled— a tight, ugly grimace of barely controlled
rage — andstrode across the beach to join Yanth and the parnissa.

The captain said, “Would you prefer to go to the shipfirst, parata?”

Kait was afraid to leave any of her people alone, protected bythe captain’s sworn word or not.
She glanced up at the ridgebehind her and said, “I’d rather get our injured man onboard first. The
Mirror can travel with Hasmal and Ian andme.”

The captain smiled. “As you choose.”