"C. S. Friedman - Coldfire 1 - Black Sun Rising" - читать интересную книгу автора (Friedman C. S)

But though he came close - too close - it was only to touch her chin with the
tip of a well-manicured finger, turning her face up toward him. тАЬSo fragile,тАЭ he
murmured. тАЬSo fine. And alone in the night. Not wise. Would you like an escort?тАЭ
She whispered it. тАЬPlease.тАЭ
He offered his arm. After a moment, she took it. An antiquated gesture,
straight out of the Revival period. Her hand shook slightly as it came to rest on
the wool of his sleeve. No warmth came from the arm beneath, or any other part
of him; he was cold - he radiated cold - like the night itself. Just as she, despite
her best intentions, radiated fear.
Gods above, she prayed, just get me home. IтАЩll be more careful in the future,
I swear it. Just get me home tonight. It seemed to her he smiled. тАЬYouтАЩre afraid,
child.тАЭ She didnтАЩt dare respond. Just let me get through tonight. Please.
тАЬOf what? The darkness? The night itself?тАЭ
She knew she shouldnтАЩt speak of such things, but she couldnтАЩt hold back; his
voice compelled response. тАЬThe creatures that hunt in it,тАЭ she whispered.
тАЬAh.тАЭ He laughed softly. тАЬAnd for good reason. They do value your kind,
child, that feed on the living. But these -тАЭ and he touched the wards
embroidered on her sleeve, the warding clasps that held back her hair тАЬ- donтАЩt
they bind enough fae to guard you?тАЭ
 Enough to keep away demons, she thought. Or so it should have been. But
now, suddenly, she wasnтАЩt sure.
He put his hand beneath her chin, turning her gently to face him. Where his
fingers touched her flesh there was cold, but not merely a human chill; it burned
her, as a spark of fire might, and left her skin tingling as it faded. She felt
strangely disassociated from the world around her, as if all of it was a dream. All
of it except for him.
тАЬDo I read you correctly?тАЭ he asked. тАЬHave you never seen the night
before?тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs dangerous,тАЭ she whispered.
тАЬAnd very beautiful.тАЭ
His eyes were pools of silver, molten, that drew her in. She shivered. тАЬMy
parents thought it best.тАЭ
тАЬNever been outside, when sun and Core had set. Never! I wasnтАЩt aware the
fear had reached such an extreme here. Even now . . . you donтАЩt look. You wonтАЩt
see.тАЭ
тАЬSee what?тАЭ she managed.
тАЬThe night. The beauty of it. The power. The so-called dark fae, a force so
fragile that even the moonlight weakens it - and so strong in the darkness that
death itself falls back before it. The tides of night, each with its own color and
music. An entire world, child! - filled with things that canтАЩt exist when the light in
the heavens is too strong.тАЭ
тАЬThings which the sun destroys.тАЭ
He smiled, but his eyes remained cold. тАЬJust so.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩve never been allowed.тАЭ
тАЬThen look now,тАЭ he whispered. тАЬAnd see.тАЭ
She did - in his eyes, which had gone from pale gray to black, and from
black to dizzying emptiness. Stars swirled about her, in a dance so complex that
no human science could have explained it - but she felt the rhythms of it echo in
her soul, in the pattern of mud beneath her feet, in the agitated pounding of her
heart. All the same dance, earth and stars alike. This is Earth science, she