Page 53 of The Mountain King
Ah. “That’s the real bugger, isn’t it? Well, you didn’t ask.”
His eyes closed. He stood that way for several minutes. Birds chirped around them, a gentle breeze caressing her cheek. She became hyper aware of the inhuman man holding her in his inescapable grip. Kailigh shifted.
His eyes snapped open. “You’d better not be armed.”
“Why are you angry, Maddugh?”
“All these years, you’ve been under my nose.” His voice softened to a gentle croon. “All these years. A woman with blood enough to make powered daughters—three—and possessing one of the crafts that left us when we were trapped here. I would make you my queen for that alone.”
She stiffened, hiding her internal shakiness. “Grow a man some vegetables, and he gets all emotional. Let me go, Maddugh.”
He smiled, his half crooked, half amused quirk of the lips. “It’s far too late for that, Lady. Will you wed, Kailigh? There is no other woman worthier than you.”
“Because I can breed and grow produce.”
“What’s more important to a race than its children, and its source of nutrition? Would you think more of me if I said we were to wed because you are beautiful?”
She scowled. She was no young girl. Let Cinvarra, Persia and Sere—well… Cinvarra and Persia—dream of love and courting. Her time for that was over.
Involuntarily, her hand rose, touched her own cheek. A cheek even smoother than a few days before. Energy flowed through her body, with vigor. Touched a womb not yet through the stage, marking her as past her prime of womanhood.
“What’s more valuable? Children, or growing food?”
His expression shifted, a canny calculating look sliding through his eyes. “Why?”
“Stop stalling.”
The Lord was silent for a moment. “The food. A woman will have children eventually—they all do.”
She didn’t bother to disabuse him of that notion.
“And my men are the best of them all, so I’ve no doubt eventually our daughters will choose from among them.”
Shealsoignored the ‘our daughters.’ “So, would you renegotiate our debt if I had additional information that would benefit you?”
He growled. Kailigh jumped, just a bit, cursing herself for even that small sign of weakness.
“Kailigh, don’t play games with me.” His eyes narrowed to slits, flashing golden.
“Will you renegotiate if I have additional information you would want to know?”
“What information?”
“Don’t you snap at me. And I’m not showing my cards until you agree to renegotiate.”
He stared down at her. “I could make you tell me, you know.”
She snorted. Neither his mild tone, nor his words, frightened her. That man wouldn’t lay a finger on her.
Maddugh released her, taking a step back, eyes narrowed. “You tell me what you are hiding, and wed me and have a child, and I will release our daughters from the bargain.” He smiled, pleasantly.
Kailigh folded her arms, considering. He likely assumed her daughters would wed among his menanyway, especially with an increase in rank and wealth should they become his stepchildren.
“You’ll dower them. Funding for a homestead or business venture. And they may marry or not—as they choose.”
“Done. Nowtellme.”
Kailigh smiled. “I am not the only woman in my family who can make gardens grow.”
