"Laurell K. Hamilton - Meredith Gentry 5 - Mistral's Kiss" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hamilton Laurell K)

It made him smile, then laugh, and in that laughter I heard the echo of the God. Some piece of AbeloecтАЩs
old godhead had kept this cup safe for centuries. Some shadow of his old power had waited and kept
watch. Watched for someone who could find their way through vision to a hill on the edge of winter and
spring; on the edge of darkness and dawn; a place between, where mortal and immortal could touch.

His laughter made me smile, and there were answering chuckles from around the room. It was the kind of
laughter that would be infectious. He would laugh and you would have to laugh with him.

тАЬJust by holding the cup in your hand,тАЭ Rhys said, тАЬyour laughter makes me smile. You havenтАЩt been that
amusing in centuries.тАЭ He turned his boyishly handsome face to us, with its scars where his other
tricolored blue eye would have been. тАЬDrink, and see what is left of who you thought you were, or donтАЩt
drink, and go back to being shadow and a joke.тАЭ

тАЬA bad joke,тАЭ Abeloec said.

Rhys nodded and came to stand close to us. His white curls fell to his waist, framing a body that was the
most seriously muscled of any of the guards. He was also the shortest of them, a full-blooded sidhe who
was only five foot sixтАФunheard of. тАЬWhat do you have to lose?тАЭ

тАЬI would have to try again. I would have to care again,тАЭ said Abe. He stared at Rhys as completely as he
had at me, as if what we were saying meant everything.

тАЬIf all you want is to crawl back into another bottle or another bag of powder, then do it. Step away from
the cup and let someone else drink,тАЭ Rhys said.

A look of pain crossed AbeloecтАЩs face. тАЬItтАЩs mine. ItтАЩs part of who I was.тАЭ
тАЬThe God didnтАЩt mention you by name, Abe,тАЭ Rhys said. тАЬHe told her to share, not who with.тАЭ

тАЬBut itтАЩs mine.тАЭ

тАЬOnly if you take it,тАЭ Rhys said, and his voice was low and clear, and somehow gentle, as if he
understood more than I did why Abe was afraid.

тАЬItтАЩs mine,тАЭ Abe said again.

тАЬThen drink,тАЭ Rhys said, тАЬdrink and be merry.тАЭ

тАЬDrink and be damned,тАЭ Abeloec said.

Rhys touched his arm. тАЬNo, Abe, say it, and do your best to believe it. Drink and be merry. IтАЩve seen
more of us come back into our power than you have. The attitude affects it, or can.тАЭ

Abeloec started to let go of the cup, but I moved off the bed and came to stand in front of him. тАЬYou will
bring everything you learned in this long sad time with you, but you will still be you. You will be who you
were, just older and wiser. Wisdom bought at great cost is nothing to regret.тАЭ

He stared down at me with his eyes a dark and perfect grey. тАЬYou bid me drink.тАЭ

I shook my head. тАЬNo. It must be your choice.тАЭ