JК
Burnt Offerings :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 79 из 286"
"He can't help you, child,"Padma said. "He can't help any of you."
I aimed two inches to the right of Fernando's head. The shot echoed in the big room. The bullet bit into the stone wall. Everyone froze.
"The next bullet goes in Fernando's skull."
"You wouldn't dare," Padma said.
"You keep saying that. Let's get something straight, Beast Master. Fernando is not raping Hannah. No way. I'll kill him first."
"Then I will kill you," Padma said.
"Fine, but that won't bring back your son, now will it?" I let the breath out of my body and felt that stillness spill through me. "Decide, Beast Master, decide."
"I am the Master of Beasts," he said.
"I don't care if you're Santa Claus. He lets her go or he dies."
"Jean-Claude, control your servant."
"If you can control her, Padma, be my guest. But take great care. Anita never bluffs. She will kill your son."
"Decide," I said softly, " — decide—decide—decide—decide." I wanted to shoot him. I really did, because I knew as surely as I was standing there that if I didn't shoot him now, I'd have to shoot him later. He was too arrogant to leave it alone, too blinded by his own power to leave Hannah alone, and he couldn't have her. That was a line he could not cross and live.
"Let her go, Fernando," Padma said.
"Father," the man sounded shocked.
"She will pull the trigger, Fernando. She wants to pull it. Don't you, Anita?"
"Yeah, I do."
"Silver bullets, I assume," Padma said.
"Never leave home without them," I said.
"Let her go, Fernando. Even I cannot save you from a silver bullet."
"No, she's mine. You promised."
"I'd listen to your dad, Fernando."
"Do you disobey me, my son?" There was a tone in Padma's voice that sent a rush of warm air through the room. The beginnings of anger. Something was flung over my skin, a backwash of power, but it wasn't vampiric power, not exactly. He wasn't trying to control Jean-Claude. It had a taste of warmer blood, an electric dance that said lycanthrope. Which wasn't really possible. A vampire can't be a lycanthrope, and vice-versa.
Fernando cringed, clutching Hannah to him like a doll, hiding his face in her yellow hair. "No, Father, I would never disobey you."
"Then do as I say."
Fernando flung Hannah backwards. She scrambled to Willie. He took her in his arms, touching the blood on her face, blotting at it with the silken handkerchief.
I lowered the gun.
Fernando pointed a dark hand at me.
"He can't help you, child,"Padma said. "He can't help any of you."
I aimed two inches to the right of Fernando's head. The shot echoed in the big room. The bullet bit into the stone wall. Everyone froze.
"The next bullet goes in Fernando's skull."
"You wouldn't dare," Padma said.
"You keep saying that. Let's get something straight, Beast Master. Fernando is not raping Hannah. No way. I'll kill him first."
"Then I will kill you," Padma said.
"Fine, but that won't bring back your son, now will it?" I let the breath out of my body and felt that stillness spill through me. "Decide, Beast Master, decide."
"I am the Master of Beasts," he said.
"I don't care if you're Santa Claus. He lets her go or he dies."
"Jean-Claude, control your servant."
"If you can control her, Padma, be my guest. But take great care. Anita never bluffs. She will kill your son."
"Decide," I said softly, " — decide—decide—decide—decide." I wanted to shoot him. I really did, because I knew as surely as I was standing there that if I didn't shoot him now, I'd have to shoot him later. He was too arrogant to leave it alone, too blinded by his own power to leave Hannah alone, and he couldn't have her. That was a line he could not cross and live.
"Let her go, Fernando," Padma said.
"Father," the man sounded shocked.
"She will pull the trigger, Fernando. She wants to pull it. Don't you, Anita?"
"Yeah, I do."
"Silver bullets, I assume," Padma said.
"Never leave home without them," I said.
"Let her go, Fernando. Even I cannot save you from a silver bullet."
"No, she's mine. You promised."
"I'd listen to your dad, Fernando."
"Do you disobey me, my son?" There was a tone in Padma's voice that sent a rush of warm air through the room. The beginnings of anger. Something was flung over my skin, a backwash of power, but it wasn't vampiric power, not exactly. He wasn't trying to control Jean-Claude. It had a taste of warmer blood, an electric dance that said lycanthrope. Which wasn't really possible. A vampire can't be a lycanthrope, and vice-versa.
Fernando cringed, clutching Hannah to him like a doll, hiding his face in her yellow hair. "No, Father, I would never disobey you."
"Then do as I say."
Fernando flung Hannah backwards. She scrambled to Willie. He took her in his arms, touching the blood on her face, blotting at it with the silken handkerchief.
I lowered the gun.
Fernando pointed a dark hand at me.