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Guilty Pleasures :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 128 из 205I jerked back without thinking. She laughed again. “It seems Phillip has beaten me to it.”
For a minute I couldn't think what she meant; then my hand went to the bite mark on my neck. I felt suddenly uneasy, like she'd caught me naked.
The laugh floated on the summer air. It was really beginning to get on my nerves.
“No tasting,” I said.
“Then let me enter your mind again. That's a type of feeding.”
I shook my head, too rapid, too many times. I'd die before I'd let her in my mind again. If I had the choice.
A scream sounded in the not so far distance. Estelle was finding her voice. I winced like I'd been slapped.
“Let me taste your blood, animator. No teeth.” She flashed fang as she said the last. “You stand and make no move to stop me. I will taste the fresh wound on your neck. I won't feed on you.”
“It's not bleeding anymore. It's clotted.”
She smiled, oh so sweetly. “I'll lick it clean.”
I swallowed hard. I didn't know if I could do it. Another scream sounded, high and lost. God.
Willie said, “Anita …”
“Silence, or risk my anger.” Her voice growled low and dark.
Willie seemed to shrink in upon himself. His face was a white triangle under his black hair.
“It's all right, Willie. Don't get hurt on my account,” I said.
He stared at me across the distance, a few yards; it might as well have been miles. Only the lost look on his face helped. Poor Willie. Poor me.
“What good is it going to do you if you're not feeding off me?” I asked.
“No good at all.” She reached a small, pale hand towards me. “Of course, fear is a kind of substance.” Cool fingers slid around my wrist. I flinched but didn't pull back. I was going to let her do this, wasn't I?
“Call it shadow feeding, human. Blood and fear are always precious, no matter how one obtains them.” She stepped up to me. She exhaled against my skin, and I backed away. Only her hand on my wrist kept me close.
“Wait. I want the zombie freed now, first.”
She just stared at me, then nodded slowly. “Very well.” She stared past me, pale eyes seeing things that weren't there or that I couldn't see. I felt a tension through her hand, almost a jerk of electricity. “Theresa will chase them off and have the animator lay the zombie to rest.”
“You did all that, just then?”
“Theresa is mine to command; didn't you know that?”
“Yeah, I guessed that.” I had not known that any vampire could do telepathy.
For a minute I couldn't think what she meant; then my hand went to the bite mark on my neck. I felt suddenly uneasy, like she'd caught me naked.
The laugh floated on the summer air. It was really beginning to get on my nerves.
“No tasting,” I said.
“Then let me enter your mind again. That's a type of feeding.”
I shook my head, too rapid, too many times. I'd die before I'd let her in my mind again. If I had the choice.
A scream sounded in the not so far distance. Estelle was finding her voice. I winced like I'd been slapped.
“Let me taste your blood, animator. No teeth.” She flashed fang as she said the last. “You stand and make no move to stop me. I will taste the fresh wound on your neck. I won't feed on you.”
“It's not bleeding anymore. It's clotted.”
She smiled, oh so sweetly. “I'll lick it clean.”
I swallowed hard. I didn't know if I could do it. Another scream sounded, high and lost. God.
Willie said, “Anita …”
“Silence, or risk my anger.” Her voice growled low and dark.
Willie seemed to shrink in upon himself. His face was a white triangle under his black hair.
“It's all right, Willie. Don't get hurt on my account,” I said.
He stared at me across the distance, a few yards; it might as well have been miles. Only the lost look on his face helped. Poor Willie. Poor me.
“What good is it going to do you if you're not feeding off me?” I asked.
“No good at all.” She reached a small, pale hand towards me. “Of course, fear is a kind of substance.” Cool fingers slid around my wrist. I flinched but didn't pull back. I was going to let her do this, wasn't I?
“Call it shadow feeding, human. Blood and fear are always precious, no matter how one obtains them.” She stepped up to me. She exhaled against my skin, and I backed away. Only her hand on my wrist kept me close.
“Wait. I want the zombie freed now, first.”
She just stared at me, then nodded slowly. “Very well.” She stared past me, pale eyes seeing things that weren't there or that I couldn't see. I felt a tension through her hand, almost a jerk of electricity. “Theresa will chase them off and have the animator lay the zombie to rest.”
“You did all that, just then?”
“Theresa is mine to command; didn't you know that?”
“Yeah, I guessed that.” I had not known that any vampire could do telepathy.