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Bloody Bones :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 187 из 272Myskin prickled, the fine muscles along my arms and shoulders twitching with it.
"What is that?" Larry asked.
"Ghosts," I said.
"Ghosts? What the hell are ghosts doing here?"
"Serephina can call ghosts," Jean-Claude said. "It is a unique ability among us."
Kissa appeared in the doorway. Her right arm hung loose at her side. Blood dripped down her arm in a slow, heavy line.
"Your handiwork?" I asked.
Larry nodded. "I shot her, but it didn't seem to slow her down much."
"You hurt her."
Larry widened his eyes. "Great." He didn't sound great when he said it. Wounded master vampires get cranky as hell.
"Serephina bids you come outside," Kissa said.
Magnus dropped to the cushions, boneless as a cat. He looked like he'd curled up there before.
"You aren't coming?" I asked.
"I've seen the show," he said.
Jean-Claude walked towards the door. Jason had moved up beside him, but back a couple of steps like a good dog.
The two girls were holding onto Larry's jacket. He had been the one who unchained them. They'd seen him shoot the bad guys. He was a hero. And like all good heroes, he'd get himself killed protecting them.
Jean-Claude was suddenly at my side. "What is wrong, Ma petite ?"
"Can the girls go out the front?"
"Why?"
"Because whatever's out there is big and bad, and I want them out of it."
"What's wrong?" Jason asked. He stood a little to one side. He was flexing his hands, closed, open, closed, open. He'd seemed a lot more relaxed thirty minutes ago, but then, weren't we all?
Jean-Claude turned to Kissa. "Was this one right?" He motioned to Magnus. "Are the girls free to go?"
"They may go; so says our master."
He turned to the girls. "Go," he said.
They looked at each other, then at Larry. "Alone?" the blonde said.
The brown-haired one shook her head. "Come on, Lisa, they're letting us go. Come on." She looked at Larry. "Thank you."
"Just go home," he said. "Be safe."
She nodded and started for the far door with Lisa clinging to her. They left the door to the room open, and we watched them walk out the front. Nothing swooped down upon them. No screams cut the night. What do you know?
"Are you ready now, Ma petite ? We must pay our respects." He took a step forward, looking at me. Jason already stood at his side, nervous hands and all.
I nodded and fell into step behind Jean-Claude. Larry stayed at my side like a second shadow.
"What is that?" Larry asked.
"Ghosts," I said.
"Ghosts? What the hell are ghosts doing here?"
"Serephina can call ghosts," Jean-Claude said. "It is a unique ability among us."
Kissa appeared in the doorway. Her right arm hung loose at her side. Blood dripped down her arm in a slow, heavy line.
"Your handiwork?" I asked.
Larry nodded. "I shot her, but it didn't seem to slow her down much."
"You hurt her."
Larry widened his eyes. "Great." He didn't sound great when he said it. Wounded master vampires get cranky as hell.
"Serephina bids you come outside," Kissa said.
Magnus dropped to the cushions, boneless as a cat. He looked like he'd curled up there before.
"You aren't coming?" I asked.
"I've seen the show," he said.
Jean-Claude walked towards the door. Jason had moved up beside him, but back a couple of steps like a good dog.
The two girls were holding onto Larry's jacket. He had been the one who unchained them. They'd seen him shoot the bad guys. He was a hero. And like all good heroes, he'd get himself killed protecting them.
Jean-Claude was suddenly at my side. "What is wrong, Ma petite ?"
"Can the girls go out the front?"
"Why?"
"Because whatever's out there is big and bad, and I want them out of it."
"What's wrong?" Jason asked. He stood a little to one side. He was flexing his hands, closed, open, closed, open. He'd seemed a lot more relaxed thirty minutes ago, but then, weren't we all?
Jean-Claude turned to Kissa. "Was this one right?" He motioned to Magnus. "Are the girls free to go?"
"They may go; so says our master."
He turned to the girls. "Go," he said.
They looked at each other, then at Larry. "Alone?" the blonde said.
The brown-haired one shook her head. "Come on, Lisa, they're letting us go. Come on." She looked at Larry. "Thank you."
"Just go home," he said. "Be safe."
She nodded and started for the far door with Lisa clinging to her. They left the door to the room open, and we watched them walk out the front. Nothing swooped down upon them. No screams cut the night. What do you know?
"Are you ready now, Ma petite ? We must pay our respects." He took a step forward, looking at me. Jason already stood at his side, nervous hands and all.
I nodded and fell into step behind Jean-Claude. Larry stayed at my side like a second shadow.