JК
The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 148 из 234"
Raina plopped down on the couch between Kaspar and me. I stood up. She put an arm over Kaspar's shoulders. He flinched.
"He's handsome enough. Any vampire can take a great deal of punishment. Most acceptable," she said.
"You saw them here tonight," I said. "Do you really want to do that to one of your own people?"
"Let Robert decide," Jean-Claude said. "The box, or Raina?"
Robert looked up at the lycanthrope. She smiled at him with her bloody mouth.
Robert lowered his head so he could see her, then nodded. "Not the box. Anything is better than that."
"I'm out of here," I said. I'd had all the interpreternatural politics that I could stand for one night.
"Don't you want to see the show?" Raina said.
"I thought I'd seen the show," I said.
She tossed Kaspar's hat across the room. "Strip," she said.
I'd sheathed the knife and retrieved the Browning from the carpet where Gabriel had thrown it. I was armed. For what good it did me.
Kaspar sat there on the couch. There was a pink flush to his white skin. His eyes glittered. Angry, embarrassed. "I was a prince before your ancestors discovered this country."
Raina propped her chin on his shoulder, still hugging his shoulders. "We know how blue your pedigree is. You were a prince and you were such a big, bad hunter, such a wicked boy that a witch cursed you. She turned you into something beautiful and harmless. She hoped you'd learn how to be gentle and kind." She licked his ear, running her hands through his feathery hair. "But you aren't gentle or kind. Your heart is just as cold and your pride just as impervious as it was centuries ago. Now, take off your clothes and turn into a swan for us."
"You don't need me to do it for the vampire," he said.
"No, do it for me. Do it so Anita can see. Do it so Gabriel and I don't hurt you." Her voice was going lower. Each word more measured.
"You can't kill me, not even with silver," he said.
"But we can make you wish you could die, Kaspar."
He screamed, a low, ragged cry of frustration. He stood up abruptly and pulled on his coat. The buttons snapped and fell to the carpet. He flung the coat into Raina's face.
She laughed.
I started for the door.
"Oh, don't leave yet, Anita. Kaspar may be a pain in the ass, but he's really quite beautiful."
I glanced back.
Kaspar's sport jacket and tie lay on the carpet. He unbuttoned his white dress shirt with quick, angry movements.
Raina plopped down on the couch between Kaspar and me. I stood up. She put an arm over Kaspar's shoulders. He flinched.
"He's handsome enough. Any vampire can take a great deal of punishment. Most acceptable," she said.
"You saw them here tonight," I said. "Do you really want to do that to one of your own people?"
"Let Robert decide," Jean-Claude said. "The box, or Raina?"
Robert looked up at the lycanthrope. She smiled at him with her bloody mouth.
Robert lowered his head so he could see her, then nodded. "Not the box. Anything is better than that."
"I'm out of here," I said. I'd had all the interpreternatural politics that I could stand for one night.
"Don't you want to see the show?" Raina said.
"I thought I'd seen the show," I said.
She tossed Kaspar's hat across the room. "Strip," she said.
I'd sheathed the knife and retrieved the Browning from the carpet where Gabriel had thrown it. I was armed. For what good it did me.
Kaspar sat there on the couch. There was a pink flush to his white skin. His eyes glittered. Angry, embarrassed. "I was a prince before your ancestors discovered this country."
Raina propped her chin on his shoulder, still hugging his shoulders. "We know how blue your pedigree is. You were a prince and you were such a big, bad hunter, such a wicked boy that a witch cursed you. She turned you into something beautiful and harmless. She hoped you'd learn how to be gentle and kind." She licked his ear, running her hands through his feathery hair. "But you aren't gentle or kind. Your heart is just as cold and your pride just as impervious as it was centuries ago. Now, take off your clothes and turn into a swan for us."
"You don't need me to do it for the vampire," he said.
"No, do it for me. Do it so Anita can see. Do it so Gabriel and I don't hurt you." Her voice was going lower. Each word more measured.
"You can't kill me, not even with silver," he said.
"But we can make you wish you could die, Kaspar."
He screamed, a low, ragged cry of frustration. He stood up abruptly and pulled on his coat. The buttons snapped and fell to the carpet. He flung the coat into Raina's face.
She laughed.
I started for the door.
"Oh, don't leave yet, Anita. Kaspar may be a pain in the ass, but he's really quite beautiful."
I glanced back.
Kaspar's sport jacket and tie lay on the carpet. He unbuttoned his white dress shirt with quick, angry movements.