Page 81 (1/2)

He laughed softly

Chapter 23

But very gracefully she opened her aresture shocked him, not because it was extraordinary but because he had seen her so often go to embrace her sister in this manner in the dreams "My name is Maharet," she said "Call me by my name and put away your distrust Come into my house "

She leant forward, her hands touching the sides of his face as she kissed him on the cheek Her red hair touched his skin and the sensation confused hi from her clothes confused him-the faint Oriental scent that made him think of incense, which always made him think of the shrine

"Maharet," he said angrily "If I am needed, why didn't you come for me when I lay in that pit of ice? Could she have stopped you?"

"Marius, I have come," she said "And you are here noith us " She released hiracefully clasped before her skirts "Do you think I had nothing to do during these nights when all our kind were being destroyed? To the left and right of me, the world over, she slew those I had loved or known I could not be here and there to protect these victims Cries reached my ears from every corner of the earth And I had my own quest, my own sorrow-" Abruptly she stopped

A faint carnal blush came over her; in a warm flash the normal expressive lines of her face returned She was in pain, both physical andwith thin blood tears Such a strange thing, the fragility of the eyes in the indestructible body And the suffering e from her-he could not bear it-it was like the dreaes, vivid yet wholly different And quite suddenly he realized-

"You aren't the one who sent the dreams to us!" he whispered "You are not the source "

She didn't answer

"Ye gods, where is your sister! What does all this mean?"

There was a subtle recoiling, as if he'd struck her heart She tried to veil her mind from him; but he felt the unquenchable pain In silence, she stared at hiure slowly and obviously, as if to let hiressed

He could feel the fear co Pandora drew even closer to hinal as she clasped his hand

Why had he spoken so brutally, so impatiently? My quest, my own sorrowBut damn it all!

He watched her close her eyes, and press her fingers tenderly to her eyelids as if she would o away, but she could not

"Maharet," he said with a soft, honest sigh "We're in a war and we stand about on the battlefield speaking harsh words to each other I am the worst offender I only want to understand "