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

flourish of his green-feathered hat, allowing a flushed and dishevelled
Brangaine to regain her seat.

The dancers all came together in great circles of whirling color about
the tall maypole, which was decorated with leaves and flowers and long
trailing ribbons in all the colors of the rainbow. The inner circle of
dancers, all the prettiest girls at the feast, danced under each other's
upraised arms, tying up the maypole till it was bound tightly within its
cage of ribbons.

"She's very bonny, isn't she?" Isabeau said carefully.

Iseult smiled rather coldly. "Aye, indeed. Are ye worried my feelings
are hurt? I could no' be May Queen every year. It would hardly be fair."
She rose, Connor leaping to pull out her chair for her. "Would you
excuse me? I'll just go up and check the children are sleeping. Donncan
has been having nightmares every night since he and Neil were
kidnapped. He likes me to be near."

Although Isabeau nodded and smiled, it was an effort. All around her
people were dancing and laughing, rejoicing in the end of a long and
bloody war, but Isabeau could not shake off a heavy feeling of misery.
She knew she was tiredтАФknew she had gone beyond tiredness to
bone-weariness, soul-sicknessтАФbut still it seemed she saw portents of
trouble everywhere.

The last few months had been hard ones for her. Isabeau had
strained her powers to their very limit, confronting and defeating the cruel
sorceress Margrit NicF├│ghnan, who had kidnapped the young heir to the
throne, Donncan, and his best friend, Neil, Margrit's own grandson.
Margrit had hoped to murder Lachlan and rule Eileanan through
Donncan, and it had taken all of Isabeau's wit and courage to rescue the
boys and overcome Margrit. She had so overtaxed her strength that she
had suffered sorcery sickness as a result, a dangerous illness that could
lead to death or madness or the complete loss of one's magical powers.
It was the second time she had succumbed to sorcery sickness in as
many months. She felt limp as an old lettuce leaf.

Isabeau never enjoyed Beltane Night, anyway, though it was meant
to be a celebration of life and love. The R├мgh and Banr├мgh never failed to
renew their bonds of passion on Beltane Night, the anniversary of their
first joyous communion. Isabeau had strong psychic links with her twin
sister. On Beltane, the tides of power turned as a new season began, and
the psychic current that ran between Isabeau and her twin sister was
stronger than ever. She felt pain if Iseult hurt herself, and she felt rapture
when Iseult did, particularly if she was asleep and dreaming, all her
defenses dissolved. So, every May Eve, Isabeau went to bed knowing
she would dream of Lachlan's hands upon her body, Lachlan's silken
black wings caressing her, his strong arms enfolding her.