JК
Burnt Offerings :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 75 из 286He had a handful of my hair, and his eyes, Willie's eyes, met mine. I was shielding myself this time, prepared, but my heart still fell to my feet. I waited for that cold blackness to pull me under. Nothing happened. We stood there, inches apart, and they were just eyes. I could feel his power beating down his arm like a march of icy fingers, but it wasn't enough.
He laid his hands on either side of my face almost as if he were going to kiss me. Our faces were so close that his next words seemed intimate, even though they weren't. "I could force my gaze upon you, Anita, but it would be an expenditure of power that I might regret before dawn. You have injured Liv twice this night. I am healing her, but that too takes power."
He stepped back from me, hugging himself as if he'd gotten more from touching me than just the feel of skin. He took three gliding steps to put himself face to face with Jean-Claude. "Her power is a heady thing. Something to wrap around your cold skin and warm your heart for all eternity."
Jean-Claude let out a slow breath. "She is my human servant."
"Indeed," said the Traveler. "A hundred years ago I could invade you without touching your fair skin. Now I cannot. Has she given you this power?" He reached towards Jean-Claude's face as he had mine.
I pulled Jean-Claude back, out of reach, and stepped between them. "He's mine, no sharing."
Jean-Claude slid his arm around me, holding me loosely at his side. "If you would leave us in peace, I would let Balthasar and any person you chose use me, but I will not willingly be your horse ever again, Traveler."
Willie's brown eyes stared up at Jean-Claude. There was a shrewdness, a frightening intensity, in those familiar eyes. "I am council. You are not. You will have no choice in the matter."
"Are you saying that if he took the council seat, then you couldn't hurt him?" I asked.
"If he is powerful enough to hold a council seat, then I should not be able to invade his lovely body, even were my lips pressed to him."
"Let me test my understanding here. If he takes the council seat, you'll still try and force yourself on him, because if you can force him, then he's not powerful enough to be council? But if he doesn't take the seat, you'll do it anyway."
The Traveler smiled beautifully at me, delight shining from his eyes, Willie's eyes. "Quite true."
"Why is everything with you people a freaking Catch-22? You don't do business. You just do torture," I said.
"Are you judging us?" he asked. His voice was suddenly lower and deeper than Willie's throat should have been able to hold.
He laid his hands on either side of my face almost as if he were going to kiss me. Our faces were so close that his next words seemed intimate, even though they weren't. "I could force my gaze upon you, Anita, but it would be an expenditure of power that I might regret before dawn. You have injured Liv twice this night. I am healing her, but that too takes power."
He stepped back from me, hugging himself as if he'd gotten more from touching me than just the feel of skin. He took three gliding steps to put himself face to face with Jean-Claude. "Her power is a heady thing. Something to wrap around your cold skin and warm your heart for all eternity."
Jean-Claude let out a slow breath. "She is my human servant."
"Indeed," said the Traveler. "A hundred years ago I could invade you without touching your fair skin. Now I cannot. Has she given you this power?" He reached towards Jean-Claude's face as he had mine.
I pulled Jean-Claude back, out of reach, and stepped between them. "He's mine, no sharing."
Jean-Claude slid his arm around me, holding me loosely at his side. "If you would leave us in peace, I would let Balthasar and any person you chose use me, but I will not willingly be your horse ever again, Traveler."
Willie's brown eyes stared up at Jean-Claude. There was a shrewdness, a frightening intensity, in those familiar eyes. "I am council. You are not. You will have no choice in the matter."
"Are you saying that if he took the council seat, then you couldn't hurt him?" I asked.
"If he is powerful enough to hold a council seat, then I should not be able to invade his lovely body, even were my lips pressed to him."
"Let me test my understanding here. If he takes the council seat, you'll still try and force yourself on him, because if you can force him, then he's not powerful enough to be council? But if he doesn't take the seat, you'll do it anyway."
The Traveler smiled beautifully at me, delight shining from his eyes, Willie's eyes. "Quite true."
"Why is everything with you people a freaking Catch-22? You don't do business. You just do torture," I said.
"Are you judging us?" he asked. His voice was suddenly lower and deeper than Willie's throat should have been able to hold.