"Kate Forsyth - Eileanan 06 - The Fathomless Caves" - читать интересную книгу автора (Forsyth Kate)

lover, deep, long, ardent. Isabeau was ensnared, unable to break away.
For a moment she heard only the beat of his heart against hers, felt only
the surge of her own blood in response. Then she broke free, or he let
her go, she did not know which. He kissed her again, his hand cupping
her chin, and smiled down into her eyes. "See?"

She pulled away, chin raised proudly. He had her plait in his hand,
his arm about her waist. He would have drawn her through the dancers
to the shadowy garden beyond, but she pulled against his grasp. "I
thought ye wanted to dance?" she cried and, laughing, ran back into the
throng of dancers. He caught the edge of her robe and pulled her back,
and she let him turn her so that his hands were on her waist again and she
was laughing up into his very bright black eyes.

Suddenly screams rang out, screams of terror. The throng of dancers
milled about, crying, "What's happened?"

There were cries of pain now, and high-pitched whistles and musical
warbles. Isabeau froze, her stomach twisting. She had heard that
high-pitched trilling before. It was clear Dide had too, for he went white.
"Fairgean!" he cried. "But how ..."

People began to try to struggle free of the crowd, panicking. The
screams grew more frenzied, and Isabeau saw a woman run down the
steps, blood pouring down the side of her frightened face. Suddenly she
fell, and Isabeau saw a long trident protruding from her back. As if in
slow motion, fascinated, she lifted her eyes. Tusked warriors stood at the
top of the stairs. Their scaly skin glistened in the light of the lanterns, and
their long black hair streamed down their backs, dripping wet. One bent
and pulled the trident out of the woman's back, casually lifting it and
throwing it down into the milling, screaming crowd. A man fell, and the
frenzied crowd trampled him underfoot as they struggled to escape.

"I havena even got my daggers!" Dide cried. "Ea curse them! How
did they get in? Rhyssmadill is meant to be impregnable..."

"They're all wet," Isabeau said. She was surprised at how calm her
voice was.

"They must've found the underwater caves," Dide cried. "They've
come up the well, curse their black blood!"

Isabeau nodded, sure this was the truth. So that was the explanation
of her dreams! Why had she not heeded their warning?

The Fairgean warriors were coming down the stairs, methodically
killing one dancer after another. None of the merrymakers had worn
weapons so they were defenseless against the sea-faeries, who all
carried steel daggers as well as their long tridents of sharpened coral.
Body after body fell, blood pooling on the marble.