"Ann Maxwell - Change" - читать интересную книгу автора (Maxwell Ann)

Nothing.

"Do you understand that I won't hurt you?"

Silence.

Perplexed, the man returned her unwavering look, trying to reach behind the golden eyes. Then he
seemed to realize that she wasn't staring at him, she was staring through him.
He smoothed her tangled hair away from the cut cheek.

"Can you walk?"

Wordlessly, Selena stood and walked past him. She turned at the closed door, wavered, and would have
fallen had he not caught and held her.

His strange green eyes were so close. She had not been so close to anyone, ever. Fear struggled in her:
to be close was to invite betrayal and death.

Then she laughed weakly, startling him. "You can't hurt me," she whispered. "No one can. I'm dead." Her
laughter muted to tears, then soared again to laughter. "I'm free! All those horrible years. No more
running; no more fear."

With a trembling sigh she murmured "Free!" and became a dead weight in his arms.

When she wakened again, she was in a different room. Sunlight slanting between window bars told her it
was either early morning or late afternoon. With a start she realized her old clothes were gone. In their
place a green robe wrapped around her.

Good Earth green. Her lips curled, then flattened. It didn't matter. What did matter was that the robe was
clean and warm and softer than anything she had ever owned. She rubbed her palm appreciatively over
the fabric. With the drug out of her system her senses were again acute.

She waited for the old habitual fear to come. When it didn't, she relaxed and enjoyed the simple sensual
pleasure of fine cloth soothing and caressing her skin. A small smile rose to her lips and stayed, blurring
old lines of suspicion and fear.

"I hope you're feeling as good as you look, Selena."

Startled, she stood to face the intruder.

"I didn't have a chance to tell you my name yesterday. I'm Mark Curien."

Selena nodded and sat again on the bed. Even now, fear didn't return. Only this strange acquiescence.

"Am I drugged?"

"No. Why?"

She looked at him intently, believed, and said, "I'm learning the truth of the old saying, 'Without hope,