JК
The Harlequin :: Гамильтон Лорел
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«About the blood-oathing?»
«Yes, and no,» I said.
«Why yes, and no, ma petite ?»
I told him what Malcolm had told me. Somewhere in the middle of the talk, he shut down the metaphysical link between us, shut it down so hard and so tight that I couldn't feel anything from him. We could share each other's dreams, but if we shielded hard enough, we could shut each other out. But it took work, and we didn't do it often lately. The silence when I finished was so complete that I had to ask, «Jean-Claude, you still there? I can't even hear you breathing.»
«I do not have to breathe, ma petite , as well you know.»
«It's just a saying,» I said.
He sighed then, and the sound of it shivered over my skin. This time it was sexual. He could use some of his powers on me and still shield like a son of a bitch. I couldn't. When I shielded that tight, I was cut off from a lot of my abilities. «Stop that. Don't try to distract me with your voice. What is it that Malcolm can't speak of without being killed?»
«You will not like my answer, ma petite .»
«Just tell me.»
«I cannot tell you. I am under the same vow as Malcolm, as all the vampires everywhere are.»
«All vampires?»
« Oui .»
«What, or who, could force an oath like that from all of you?» I thought about it for a second, then answered my own question. «The vampire council, of course, your ruling body.»
« Oui .»
«So you aren't going to tell me anything about what's happening?»
«I cannot, ma petite .»
«Well, that is just frustrating as hell.»
«You have no idea how frustrating, ma petite .»
«I am your human servant; doesn't that make me privy to all your secrets?»
«Ah, but this is not my secret.»
«What does that mean, not your secret?»
«It means, ma petite , that I cannot discuss this with you unless I am given permission.»
«How do you get permission?»
«Pray that I am never able to answer that question, ma petite .»
«What does that mean?»
«It means that, if I am able to speak about this openly, then we will have been contacted, and we do not wish to be contacted by this.»
« This , a thing, not a person?»
«I will say no more.»
I knew I could push against his shields, and sometimes crack them. I thought about it, and it was as if he read my mind, and maybe he had. «Please, ma petite , do not push me on this.
«About the blood-oathing?»
«Yes, and no,» I said.
«Why yes, and no, ma petite ?»
I told him what Malcolm had told me. Somewhere in the middle of the talk, he shut down the metaphysical link between us, shut it down so hard and so tight that I couldn't feel anything from him. We could share each other's dreams, but if we shielded hard enough, we could shut each other out. But it took work, and we didn't do it often lately. The silence when I finished was so complete that I had to ask, «Jean-Claude, you still there? I can't even hear you breathing.»
«I do not have to breathe, ma petite , as well you know.»
«It's just a saying,» I said.
He sighed then, and the sound of it shivered over my skin. This time it was sexual. He could use some of his powers on me and still shield like a son of a bitch. I couldn't. When I shielded that tight, I was cut off from a lot of my abilities. «Stop that. Don't try to distract me with your voice. What is it that Malcolm can't speak of without being killed?»
«You will not like my answer, ma petite .»
«Just tell me.»
«I cannot tell you. I am under the same vow as Malcolm, as all the vampires everywhere are.»
«All vampires?»
« Oui .»
«What, or who, could force an oath like that from all of you?» I thought about it for a second, then answered my own question. «The vampire council, of course, your ruling body.»
« Oui .»
«So you aren't going to tell me anything about what's happening?»
«I cannot, ma petite .»
«Well, that is just frustrating as hell.»
«You have no idea how frustrating, ma petite .»
«I am your human servant; doesn't that make me privy to all your secrets?»
«Ah, but this is not my secret.»
«What does that mean, not your secret?»
«It means, ma petite , that I cannot discuss this with you unless I am given permission.»
«How do you get permission?»
«Pray that I am never able to answer that question, ma petite .»
«What does that mean?»
«It means that, if I am able to speak about this openly, then we will have been contacted, and we do not wish to be contacted by this.»
« This , a thing, not a person?»
«I will say no more.»
I knew I could push against his shields, and sometimes crack them. I thought about it, and it was as if he read my mind, and maybe he had. «Please, ma petite , do not push me on this.