Sword Dancer-Sword Dancer 1 by Roberson Jennifer

Author:Roberson, Jennifer [Roberson, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-08-10T02:20:21+00:00

I

followed, cursing up a storm beneath my breath.

I hated the thought of Del in Hashi's bed. I hated the thought of her doing it

for me, even if she had learned how to pleasure a man years before. But most of

all I hated myself, because deep inside I was relieved. Relieved she had done it

and saved me from the life of a eunuch, which was surely far worse and degrading

than the life of a Salset chula.

But being relieved isn't the same as being glad.

I wasn't glad at all.

At the top of the narrow dungeon stairs waited Sabo. He threw me a dark-blue burnous and a leather pouch filled with coin. "Payment," he said. "For rescuing

the lady and myself. Maybe Hashi isn't grateful, but I am." He smiled. "You treated me like a man, Sandtiger. The least I can do is make certain you remain

one."

I saw Del hand him the iron key. "You gave her the key!"

Sabo nodded. "Yes. I drugged Hashi's wine, and when he fell asleep, I took Del

from her room and brought her here."

I looked at her, "Then you didn't--"

"No," she agreed. "But you were certainly willing to believe I had." She brushed

by me, by Sabo, and disappeared.

I looked at the eunuch. "I've made a horrible mistake. And a fool of myself."

Sabo smiled, creasing plump cheeks. "Everyone makes mistakes and every man is a

fool at least once in his life. You, at least, have it out of the way." He touched my arm briefly. "Come this way. I have horses waiting for you."

"Singlestroke," I said, "and my knife."

"With the horses. Now, come."

Del waited in the darkness of a shadowed corridor. She had exchanged the diaphanous pink and rose veils for a simple burnous of apricot silk trimmed with

white embroidery. The neck of the burnous gaped open and I saw her leather tunic

underneath; like me, she lacked sword and knife.

I thought of her sword, and wondered if Sabo had experienced the same son of sickening feeling I had known when touching the hilt. But I recalled Del's comment: sheathed, the sword was harmless.

Harmless. No. Not quite.

"Where?" she whispered to Sabo.

"Straight ahead. There is a door that opens into the back courtyard of the palace, where the stables are. I have seen to it that horses await you, and your

weapons."

I reached out and grabbed his arm. "I give you heartfelt thanks, Sabo."

He smiled. "I know. But there was nothing else I could do."

Del leaned forward and slung her arms around his neck, kissing him soundly on one plump brown cheek. "Sulhaya, Sabo," she whispered. "That's Northern for

'thank you,' and anything else you want to make it."

"Go," he said. "Go. Before I wish to come with you."

"You could," I agreed. "Come with us, Sabo."

His pale brown eyes were dark in the dim corridor. "No. My place is here. I know

you think little of my lord Hashi, but once he was an honorable man--I choose to

remember him so. You go, and I will remain." He jerked his head toward the door.

"Go now, before the stable servants grow uneasy and take away the horses.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.