Her body went rigid again. She twisted as he clutched for the jeweled mask. "No, blue man—"
He caught the veil and ripped it off.
In the same instant, before he could see her face, the light snapped out.
They stood there in the darkness, then, adventurer and goddess, bodies tight together, the silence broken only by the hoarse rasp of their breathing.
Then Haral said, "I can wait as long as you can, Xaymar."
She laughed softly. "You leave no doubt about your daring, do you, warrior? Nor am I even angry with you for it. I like a man with the strength to take what he desires. But not quite yet. You'll have to wait a little while."
"Then you'll wait, too—till the light goes on again."
"Must I?" The mocking note crept back into her tone. "Don't press the gods of chance too far...."
"You'll wait," Haral said.
As he spoke, he felt something touch his backbone a little above his waist.