Part 16 (1/2)
She would not think of his hands That way led to weakness She would re weakly from her own bed when the barbarian fell at last to slu the desire that would bloom in him when his eyes touched her On the floor of her secret chamber she had slept, curled on the hardeven the mat the meanest of her slaves would have, too exhausted to think or dream Remember that, she told herself, and not the pleasures that sent tendrils of heat through her belly even in reed cry broke froered to her feet to pace the roo at its edges, the ash of blood and hair lying on its surface The spell was altered Not again would she have to face a night where she was a iant barbarian's desires Her breathing slowed, grewher to rapture, but his lusts would be more controllable
Controllable by her, that is
”Why did I fear it so long?” she laughed softly Taken altogether, this thing of men was quite wonderful ”They th and power can avail the”
That was the lesson women had not learned, that she had only just come to If women would not be controlled by men, then they must rather control e and beautiful that power should be the key to safety in this as well!
A knock at the door shattered her ain,her cloak across her breasts with one hand, she flung open the door, tongue ready to flay whoever had violated her sanctorum
A surprised, ”You!” slipped out instead
”Yes, ht with barely controlled anger ”I caht, but you wereoccupied”
Laying a hand gently on his chest, she pushed hie-and closed the door firmly behind her No man, not even he, would ever enter that chamber
”It is well you are here,” she said as if he had had no accusation in his words ”There are matters of which we must speak A woman must be found-”
”You ith hiave that barbarian sas proht, and flung cold fury at hiive Whatever I did was ainsay uish, ”like a dog in the dirt”
”You will slay whom I tell you to slay, when I tell you to slay theer from Taramenon's face There was still uses for thehiht to do with sorcery ”The barber will be useful for a time Later you may kill hiht Conan was a wonderful lover, but why limit herself to one? Men did not liiant would always hold a place in her affections for the vistas of pleasure he opened to her; when she was Queen of Ophir she would have a and you wanted,” Taramenon muttered sullenly ”A woman”
Synelle's eyebrows arched ”A woimlet eye”
”She is,” he replied, ”the most beautiful wohtened Why had the fool forced his presence on her before her tire-s me the scrolls from Inaros' library, I care not what she looks like” He chuckled, and she stared at hiht he was in coerously
”I did not send her after Inaros' scrolls,” Taramenon said
Words froze in her throat When she found speech again she hissed at him ”And pray tell e of Al'Kiir that you speak She knohere it is She described it to me It will be I who provide you hat you so desperately need Did you think you could hide your ierness beyond that you've ever shown for all the parch it to you, Synelle, not that barbar aniot”
Her pale, dark-eyed beauty becaap open to the floor; Taraasped, and sweat beaded his forehead ”You will coan softly, but abruptly her words became lashes of a whip tipped with steel, ”when I summon you there You will come, yes, perhaps sooner than you dream, certainly sooner than you deserve, but at my command” Slowly and cale be delivered to your hand?”
”The signal that she has it,” hebefore the ht at dusk I will htfully ”You say this woman is beautiful? A beautiful wo to the with you, Tara down the corridor toward them, and rounded on him, furious at the interruption ”Yes?” she snapped