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thoughts from time to time. It is acting upon them that
makes them bad, not merely thinking about it."
"I did act upon it! Even when I had pointed out myself that
it was an evil thing that Drake had decided to do, I could not
refrain from joining them! And it was not even because I
wanted to help them. It was only because I lusted."
Gwyneth thought that over. "Then you were still more
noble, because you only acted upon the lust not a willingness
to sacrifice an innocent."
"It was a dastardly thing to do for any reason!"
"Why? You didn't hurt me. You weren't trying to hurt me.
Men do it all the time."
"It does not make it right because they do!"
"It doesn't make it wrong, either except when they hurt.
It's the nature of the beast."
"An ignoble beast, man!" Faine said tightly. "I do not want
to model myself after them! That is exactly the problem."
125
Lamentation of Swans
by Goldie McBride
Gwyneth stared at him for a long moment and finally
looked away, allowing the subject to drop. Her heart was
drumming with hopefulness, however. Faine, of all of them,
felt that what they were doing was unacceptable for any
reason. Was it at all possible that he might be persuaded to
help her, she wondered? Could he help her? Did she have
time to try to convince him even if he could?
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126
Lamentation of Swans
by Goldie McBride
Chapter Eight
Drake returned with a wildly kicking and screaming horse
that was very much alive. If Gwyneth hadn't been so
horrified, she thought she might have laughed at the
expressions on both Faine's and Caelin's faces.
"By the gods, Drake! What the fuck? A horse? You mean to
eat a horse?" Faine demanded, clearly outraged.
"To ride!" Drake roared in his beast voice. "Take the thing,
else he will be off again the moment I let him go!"
Faine and Caelin exchanged a glance but finally surged
forward to grasp the trailing reins of the stallion. It took both
them, using all of their considerable strength and weight to
prevent the beast from bolting the moment Drake released
him. He bucked wildly, kicking back at Drake as he struggled
upward again. By the time Drake had vanished into the night
sky once more, however, they had managed to quiet the
animal enough to keep all four feet on the ground.
Caelin slipped closer until he could settle one hand on the
horse's face and the other in his mane, speaking to him
quietly all the while.
Gwyneth felt so giddy, she couldn't decide whether she
most wanted to weep or laugh. She finally decided that she
was so frightened and unsettled by the entire episode that it
was hysteria, not amusement that made her feel like doing
both.
127
Lamentation of Swans
by Goldie McBride
She could scarcely believe Drake capable of capturing and
carrying off such a beast! It was clearly a warhorse, and
those were bred for their size and strength and ferocity!
She couldn't decide why she was so horrified not the sake
of the horse. Not that she would've wanted it hurt, but it
occurred to her fairly quickly that it was Drake's battle with
the thing that had so unnerved her.
She'd been near hysterical for fear that he would be hurt!
And that Faine or Caelin might be hurt.
It was absurd, she assured herself especially her fears for
Drake but there was no denying it. From the moment she'd
been drawn to search for him in the sky and seen his struggle
to keep his hold on the thing and stay aloft, she'd leapt to her
feet, clapping her hands over her mouth to keep from
screaming.
When Caelin finally managed to calm the beast, she sank
weakly to the ground, covered her face and burst into tears.
Someone dropped to the ground beside her a few moments
later and patted her on the back a little awkwardly. She wept
harder at the offer of comfort.
"The beast is none the worse for his flight," Faine said
soothingly. "No doubt it will be a while before he finds his
balls again to mount a filly, but he is not hurt."
Gwyneth choked and uttered a slightly hysterical giggle.
He bent low, tilting his head to try to peer at her face. "Is
that more tears? Or a laugh?"
Gwyneth mopped her face off with her skirt and finally
lifted her head. "Both, I suppose," she responded, sniffing.
"Gods! Your face is a mess! All red and puffy."
128
Lamentation of Swans
by Goldie McBride
Disconcerted, Gwyneth hid her face against her knees.
"You aren't going to start crying again?" he asked uneasily.
"No," she said.
"Good, because it won't stop being red and puffy until you
do."
Gwyneth dropped her hands to her lap and stared at the
fire. "It looks that bad?"
He caught her chin and tipped her face up for his
inspection in spite of her efforts to elude his grasp. He stared
at her for a long moment and swallowed a little convulsively.
"It is not nearly ugly enough to suit me," he murmured,
leaning closer and brushing his lips lightly along hers.
Gwyneth's breath caught in her throat. She stilled, feeling
every sense suddenly open and keenly receptive, focused, so
that she not only felt the pressure of his lips against hers, she
felt the warmth. She felt the faint roughness of his cheek as
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