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Guilty Pleasures :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 119 из 205I couldn't just let him die, not like this, not in front of me. “Wait,” I said.
No one seemed to hear me. The vampires moved in, and I was losing sight of Zachary. If one bit him, the feeding frenzy would be on. I had seen that happen once. I would never get rid of the nightmares if I saw it again.
I raised my voice and hoped they listened. “Wait! Didn't he belong to Nikolaos? Didn't he call Nikolaos master?”
They hesitated, then parted for Theresa to stride through them until she faced me. “This is not your business.” She stared at me, and I didn't avoid her gaze. One less thing to worry about.
“I'm making it my business,” I said.
“Do you wish to join him?”
The vampires began to spread out from Zachary to encircle me as well. I let them. There wasn't much I could do about it anyway. Either I'd get us both out alive or I'd die, too, maybe, probably. Oh, well.
“I wish to speak with him, one professional to another,” I said.
“Why?” she asked.astral.
I stepped close to her, almost touching. Her anger was nearly palpable. I was making her look bad in front of the others, and I knew it, and she knew I knew it. I whispered, though some of the others would hear me, “Nikolaos gave orders for the man to die, but she wants me alive, Theresa. What would she do to you if I accidentally died here tonight?” I breathed the last words into her face. “Do you want to spend eternity locked in a cross-wrapped coffin?”
She snarled and jerked away from me as if I had scalded her. “Damn you, mortal, damn you to hell!” Her black hair crackled around her face, her hands gripped into claws. “Talk to him, for what good it will do you. He must raise this zombie, this zombie, or he is ours. So says Nikolaos.”
“If he raises the zombie, then he goes free, unharmed?” I asked.
“Yes, but he cannot do it; he isn't strong enough.”
“Which was what Nikolaos was counting on,” I said.
Theresa smiled, a fierce tug of lips exposing fangs. “Yesss.” She turned her back on me and strode through the other vampires. They parted for her like frightened pigeons. And I was standing up to her. Sometimes bravery and stupidity are almost interchangeable.
I knelt by Zachary. “Are you hurt?”
He shook his head. “I appreciate the gesture, but they're going to try to kill me tonight.” He looked up at me, pale eyes searching my face. “There isn't anything you can do to stop them.” He gave a thin smile. “Even you have your limits.
No one seemed to hear me. The vampires moved in, and I was losing sight of Zachary. If one bit him, the feeding frenzy would be on. I had seen that happen once. I would never get rid of the nightmares if I saw it again.
I raised my voice and hoped they listened. “Wait! Didn't he belong to Nikolaos? Didn't he call Nikolaos master?”
They hesitated, then parted for Theresa to stride through them until she faced me. “This is not your business.” She stared at me, and I didn't avoid her gaze. One less thing to worry about.
“I'm making it my business,” I said.
“Do you wish to join him?”
The vampires began to spread out from Zachary to encircle me as well. I let them. There wasn't much I could do about it anyway. Either I'd get us both out alive or I'd die, too, maybe, probably. Oh, well.
“I wish to speak with him, one professional to another,” I said.
“Why?” she asked.astral.
I stepped close to her, almost touching. Her anger was nearly palpable. I was making her look bad in front of the others, and I knew it, and she knew I knew it. I whispered, though some of the others would hear me, “Nikolaos gave orders for the man to die, but she wants me alive, Theresa. What would she do to you if I accidentally died here tonight?” I breathed the last words into her face. “Do you want to spend eternity locked in a cross-wrapped coffin?”
She snarled and jerked away from me as if I had scalded her. “Damn you, mortal, damn you to hell!” Her black hair crackled around her face, her hands gripped into claws. “Talk to him, for what good it will do you. He must raise this zombie, this zombie, or he is ours. So says Nikolaos.”
“If he raises the zombie, then he goes free, unharmed?” I asked.
“Yes, but he cannot do it; he isn't strong enough.”
“Which was what Nikolaos was counting on,” I said.
Theresa smiled, a fierce tug of lips exposing fangs. “Yesss.” She turned her back on me and strode through the other vampires. They parted for her like frightened pigeons. And I was standing up to her. Sometimes bravery and stupidity are almost interchangeable.
I knelt by Zachary. “Are you hurt?”
He shook his head. “I appreciate the gesture, but they're going to try to kill me tonight.” He looked up at me, pale eyes searching my face. “There isn't anything you can do to stop them.” He gave a thin smile. “Even you have your limits.