While I mulled thosethoughts over the woman moved closer. She was near enough now thatI’d have been uncomfortable if I were still capable of such athing. Her breath was warm and I could see fine wrinkles around hereyes. She was probably a bit over thirty and a hard life had leftits marks upon her. How long before shecan’t continue this profession? Iwondered.
“You’re a quiet one, love.Married doesn’t mean much around here,” she told me, leaning closerand putting her hand playfully on my chest. “Why don’t you let metake you home and warm you up? You seem cold.” She tilted her headas she spoke, looking at me through half-lidded eyes.
Her actions were meant totempt me, of that I had no doubt, but of course they had nodiscernible effect. I focused my will tightly; making sure myshield would prevent me from inadvertently drawing her life-forceaway if she happened to brush my skin. “I’m not lonely,” I answeredbluntly. “You shouldn’t touch me.”
My words made her pausefor a second and her eyes locked on mine. “I’ve seen eyes like thatbefore, love, though never so sad as yours. Everyone’s lonely,love. Why not let Sweet Myrtle ease your pain for a while?” Shelifted her hand to my cheek. “So cold,” she remarked, “let me warmyou up. Surely a man like you can afford to sit by my fire for awhile?”
I had forgotten my attire.Tattered and bedraggled as my garments were, they gave someindication of my former wealth. The material was too good and thetailoring had been exemplary, even though they had been travelingclothes. “Please…,” I began, intending to finish with ‘leave mealone’, but I didn’t get to finish. Rising on her toes, Myrtle puther lips to mine.
My shield protected herfor a split second, until her tongue darted out to slip between mylips, and then something remarkable happened. Aythar unlike any Ihad experienced before, poured into me filling me with warmth; theworld seemed to grow brighter around me. Her body jerked for asecond as her life began flowing into me and her hands rose to pushagainst my chest, an instinctive response to try and save herselffrom the empty void within me. My arms had already locked aroundher though, and I held the back of her head with my righthand.
An ecstatic rush ofemotion flowed through me, coloring the world around me inbrilliant hues that washed away the empty grey that had existedbefore. Passion, an emotion I hadn’t felt since awakening, builtwithin me, and impossibly I felt my heart begin to beat. My owntongue was moving now as I continued the kiss that Myrtle hadbegun. She began to sag in my arms, but I hadn’t had enough, so Icradled her, lowering her slowly to the ground.
I wanted it all.
The taste of her lips, thesoftness of her flesh aroused parts of me that I had thought goneforever. In the pleasure of that moment, I considered undressingher so that I could explore the secrets of her body. I hadn’t feltthe joy of such intimacy since…
…Penny.
I released her suddenly,letting her sag senseless to the cold cobblestone road. My facetwisted with pain as the enormity of what I had lost crashed overme. My breath came in short gasps as I struggled to contain thetorrent of grief that threatened to overwhelm me. How had Iforgotten this? I’ve losteverything.
I crouched there, strickenwith a sadness too great to endure for an unknowable time, beforeeventually remembering the woman lying beside me. My initial fearwas that she might be dead, but my senses quickly dispelled thatnotion. Her chest was moving as she breathed, her heart still beat,and within I could sense the flickering of her aythar. She wouldrecover.
Staring at her face I sawher in a new light. Where before she had seemed unimportant, I nowfelt the urgency of her heartbeat, the precious struggle for lifethat continued even as I watched her body working to recover fromthe life-sapping kiss we had shared. Ialmost killed her, I thoughtremorsefully. My existence can only bringdeath now; no good can come from it. Atthat the images of my children came unbidden to my mind, assailingme with another barrage of sorrow as I remembered their smiles,their love, and their trust.
“My touch would kill them,” I saidaloud, as if I was speaking to the unconscious Myrtle lying beforeme.
“What’s going on here?!”
The voice behind me wasloud and masculine. My senses identified the speaker as a member ofthe city guard, one of Lord Hightower’s men, before I rose andturned to face him. “This woman seems to have fainted, guardsman,”I responded, using a tone of command that was almost instinctive tome now. “Give me a hand and perhaps we can find someone who knowsher.” I stared boldly into his face hoping he would respond to myauthority without asking too many questions.
That proved to be a mistake. While Ididn’t recognize him, the guardsman’s face showed astonishment andrecognition as he saw my features. “Count Cameron?” he saidhesitantly before stopping with a look of confusion. “Begging yourpardon, Your Excellency, but…” he paused awkwardly.
“What?” I asked, lettingmy annoyance show. Of all the rotten luck,encountering one of the guardsmen who would recognizeme!
“You are supposed to bedead, my lord. There was a huge funeral, mourners…” the guardstared at me before finishing, “… the King gave aspeech.”
“Listen, this really isn’t the besttime for this,” I told him.
“They said theshiggreth…,” the man stopped, and then his eyes flicked downward tostare at the unmoving prostitute. “She’s dead isn’tshe?”
I could see the alarmgrowing in his eyes as he backed away, one hand scrabbling forsomething around his neck. Before I could say more, he brought outa whistle and began blowing on it, piercing my ears with its shrillcry, summoning aid. He was calling for the watch.
“Shibal,”I said quickly, but the spell had no effect. Ihad forgotten that Walter and I had provided the city guard withprotective necklaces years ago. People were staring at me now,looking out of windows and stepping out of doorways. I would besurrounded soon, and
