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Guilty Pleasures :: Гамильтон Лорел
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He did smile then, eyes gleaming. “You will never lose your nerve. Your life, probably, but never your nerve.”
It was a compliment and meant as one. “Thank you.”
He put a hand on my shoulder, and I turned my face away. My heart was thudding in my throat until all I could hear was my blood pulsing inside my head. I wanted to run, to lash out, to scream, but I had to sit there and let him hurt me. I hate that. It had always taken at least two people to give me injections when I was a child. One person to man the needle and one to hold me down.
Now I held myself down. If Nikolaos bit me twice, I would probably do anything she wanted me to. Even kill. I had seen it happen before, and that vampire had been child's play compared to the master.
The water trickled down my skin and hit the bite mark like molten gold, scalding through my body. It was eating through my skin and bone. Destroying me. Killing me.
I shrieked. I couldn't hold it. Too much pain. Couldn't run away. Had to scream.
I was lying on the floor, my cheek pressed against the coolness of it, breathing in short, hungry gasps.
“Slow your breathing, Anita. You're hyperventilating. Breathe, slow and easy, or you're going to pass out.”
I opened my mouth and took in a deep breath; it wheezed and screamed down my throat. I was choking on air. I coughed and fought to breathe. I was light-headed and a little sick by the time I could take a deep breath, but I hadn't passed out. A zillion brownie points for me.
Edward almost had to lie on the floor to put his face near mine. “Can you hear me?”
I managed, “Yes.”
“Good. I want to try to put the cross against the bite. Do you agree or do you think it's too soon?”
If we hadn't cleansed the wound with enough Holy Water, the cross would burn me, and I'd have a fresh scar. I had been brave above and beyond the call of duty. I didn't want to play anymore. I opened my mouth to say, “No,” but it wasn't what came out. “Do it,” I said. Shit. I was going to be brave.
He brushed my hair away from my neck. I lay on the floor and pressed my hands into fists, trying to prepare myself. There is no real way to prepare yourself for somebody shoving a branding iron into your neck.
The chain rustled and slithered through Edward's hands. “Are you ready?”
No. “Just do it, dammit.”
He did. The cross pressed against my skin, cool metal, no burning, no smoke, no seared flesh, no pain. I was pure, or as pure as I started out.
He did smile then, eyes gleaming. “You will never lose your nerve. Your life, probably, but never your nerve.”
It was a compliment and meant as one. “Thank you.”
He put a hand on my shoulder, and I turned my face away. My heart was thudding in my throat until all I could hear was my blood pulsing inside my head. I wanted to run, to lash out, to scream, but I had to sit there and let him hurt me. I hate that. It had always taken at least two people to give me injections when I was a child. One person to man the needle and one to hold me down.
Now I held myself down. If Nikolaos bit me twice, I would probably do anything she wanted me to. Even kill. I had seen it happen before, and that vampire had been child's play compared to the master.
The water trickled down my skin and hit the bite mark like molten gold, scalding through my body. It was eating through my skin and bone. Destroying me. Killing me.
I shrieked. I couldn't hold it. Too much pain. Couldn't run away. Had to scream.
I was lying on the floor, my cheek pressed against the coolness of it, breathing in short, hungry gasps.
“Slow your breathing, Anita. You're hyperventilating. Breathe, slow and easy, or you're going to pass out.”
I opened my mouth and took in a deep breath; it wheezed and screamed down my throat. I was choking on air. I coughed and fought to breathe. I was light-headed and a little sick by the time I could take a deep breath, but I hadn't passed out. A zillion brownie points for me.
Edward almost had to lie on the floor to put his face near mine. “Can you hear me?”
I managed, “Yes.”
“Good. I want to try to put the cross against the bite. Do you agree or do you think it's too soon?”
If we hadn't cleansed the wound with enough Holy Water, the cross would burn me, and I'd have a fresh scar. I had been brave above and beyond the call of duty. I didn't want to play anymore. I opened my mouth to say, “No,” but it wasn't what came out. “Do it,” I said. Shit. I was going to be brave.
He brushed my hair away from my neck. I lay on the floor and pressed my hands into fists, trying to prepare myself. There is no real way to prepare yourself for somebody shoving a branding iron into your neck.
The chain rustled and slithered through Edward's hands. “Are you ready?”
No. “Just do it, dammit.”
He did. The cross pressed against my skin, cool metal, no burning, no smoke, no seared flesh, no pain. I was pure, or as pure as I started out.