"Sara Douglass - The Axis Trilogy 1 - BattleAxe" - читать интересную книгу автора (Douglass Sara)

punctuated his sleep, waking both her and Ganelon even though he was bedded
down in the attic of their manor house.
But they had never been this bad . . . and she thought he had grown out of
them. "Axis," she cried desperately one more time, taking a hand from his
shoulders and striking his face. " Wake upT Finally he was awake and out of
whatever horror had gripped him. He grabbed Embeth's arms, startled, still
desperately afraid, not knowing for a time who she was or where he was.
"Axis," she murmured, cradling his head against her breasts, "it's all right,
it's all right, my love. I am here now, I am here."
Axis wrapped his arms about her as tightly as he dared, clinging to the love
she represented. For a few-moments they rocked back and forth on the bed, the
one gently comforting, the other trying to re-establish some grip on sanity.
Tears streamed down Embeth's face as she gently stroked Axis' hair.
"Shush," she crooned, feeling the fear wrack his shoulders, "shush." After a few
minutes Axis pulled away and lay back against the disarranged bedclothes.
Embeth said nothing, thinking it better that he speak first.
Eventually Axis took her hand. "Thank you for being here," he said softly,
and Embeth wondered how many nights he .had woken up to face this horror
himself.
"It is the same dream you had as a child," she prodded.
He breathed deeply. "Yes. The same, but it has grown worse over the past
few months. Infinitely worse."
He paused and Embeth stroked his face, feeling the sweat of fear starting to
dry on his forehead and in his beard.
"Why does he hate me so much?" he asked no-one in particular. "Why? I
never asked to be born. How can it be my fault? Embeth?"
"Yes?" Fleetingly, Embeth thought Axis might tell her of his dream. Even as a
child he had kept its details hidden from her, no matter how hard she probed.
Axis turned his head so he could look directly at her. He had been going to
ask her if she had ever felt as if she were about to die during childbirth, and, if
so, if she had ever blamed the child that was tormenting her body with pain. But
just as he was about to speak the words he found he couldn't ask. To do that
would be to reveal that every day of his life he lived with the guilt of killing his
own mother. His beautiful mother.
Embeth watched the change come over his face, saw his face close over and
knew that he needed to be on his own now. Axis had lived so much of his life
unwanted by his own family that he found it hard to accept that others could
love him for himself.
Embeth kissed his forehead a last time then slithered out of his bed, finding
her clothes on the floor where she had discarded them. She dressed quickly in
the chill early morning air, and wound her hair back on top of her head in a
rough knot that would stand a cursory inspection by any curious eyes.
Axis lay still on the bed watching her, grateful that she had asked no more
questions and that she recognised his need to be alone. Before she left Embeth
paused by the bed, not touching him.
"Let me know if you need me again," she murmured, "and I will come."
He nodded, and Embeth smiled briefly, sadly. Without another word or look
she turned and slipped quiedy from the room.
Axis was left alone in the dark.