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Bloody Bones :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 241 из 272"Ellie!"
Janos jerked him tight against his chest, one arm around his shoulders like an embrace. Jeff struggled against that arm, tried to run to his dead sister. I was with Janos on this one. The newly risen have a tendency to eat first and ask questions later. The thing that had once been Ellie Quinlan would have gladly torn out her baby brother's throat. She'd have bathed in the blood, and minutes, or days, or weeks later, she would realize what she'd done. She might even regret it.
"Go, Angela; go to Xavier," Janos said.
"A new name won't change who she was," I said.
Janos looked at me. "She is two years dead, and her name is Angela."
"Her name is Ellie," Jeff said. He'd stopped struggling, but he looked at his dead sister with fresh horror, as if just beginning to really see her.
"People will recognize her, Janos."
"We shall be careful, Anita. Our new angel will see no one that we do not wish."
"Well, isn't that cozy?" I said.
"It will be," he said, "once she has drunk her fill."
"I'm impressed that you dragged her this far without feeding her first."
"I did it." Xavier's voice was surprisingly pleasant. It was disturbing hearing that voice coming from that pale, ghostly face.
I looked at him, careful to avoid his gaze. "Impressive," I said.
"Andy brought her over, and I brought Andy over. I am her master."
Since Andy hadn't shown up, I was betting I'd killed him in the woods with Sheriff St. John. Probably not a good time to bring that up. "And who is your master?"
"Serephina, for now," Xavier said.
I glanced at Janos. "You haven't worked out which of you is top dog, have you?" I smiled.
"You waste our time, Anita. Our master awaits you eagerly. Let us finish this. Call our angel."
Xavier held out one pale hand. Ellie made a noise low in her throat, and scrambled on all fours over the raw dirt. The long black dress tangled around her legs. She tore at it impatiently. The cloth ripped like paper in her hands, the skirt shredding around her bare legs. She grabbed Xavier's hand like it was a lifeline. She bent over his wrist, and only his hand in her hair kept her from trying to feed on him.
"There is no sustenance for you from the dead, Angela," Janos said. "Feed on the living."
Pallas and Bettina knelt on either side of Stirling. Xavier fell gracefully beside Ms. Harrison, his black cape spread out around him like a pool of blood. He kept hold of Ellie's hair the whole way down, forcing her snarling face to touch the dirt. Her hands dug at his hands, mewling sounds crawling from her throat.
Janos jerked him tight against his chest, one arm around his shoulders like an embrace. Jeff struggled against that arm, tried to run to his dead sister. I was with Janos on this one. The newly risen have a tendency to eat first and ask questions later. The thing that had once been Ellie Quinlan would have gladly torn out her baby brother's throat. She'd have bathed in the blood, and minutes, or days, or weeks later, she would realize what she'd done. She might even regret it.
"Go, Angela; go to Xavier," Janos said.
"A new name won't change who she was," I said.
Janos looked at me. "She is two years dead, and her name is Angela."
"Her name is Ellie," Jeff said. He'd stopped struggling, but he looked at his dead sister with fresh horror, as if just beginning to really see her.
"People will recognize her, Janos."
"We shall be careful, Anita. Our new angel will see no one that we do not wish."
"Well, isn't that cozy?" I said.
"It will be," he said, "once she has drunk her fill."
"I'm impressed that you dragged her this far without feeding her first."
"I did it." Xavier's voice was surprisingly pleasant. It was disturbing hearing that voice coming from that pale, ghostly face.
I looked at him, careful to avoid his gaze. "Impressive," I said.
"Andy brought her over, and I brought Andy over. I am her master."
Since Andy hadn't shown up, I was betting I'd killed him in the woods with Sheriff St. John. Probably not a good time to bring that up. "And who is your master?"
"Serephina, for now," Xavier said.
I glanced at Janos. "You haven't worked out which of you is top dog, have you?" I smiled.
"You waste our time, Anita. Our master awaits you eagerly. Let us finish this. Call our angel."
Xavier held out one pale hand. Ellie made a noise low in her throat, and scrambled on all fours over the raw dirt. The long black dress tangled around her legs. She tore at it impatiently. The cloth ripped like paper in her hands, the skirt shredding around her bare legs. She grabbed Xavier's hand like it was a lifeline. She bent over his wrist, and only his hand in her hair kept her from trying to feed on him.
"There is no sustenance for you from the dead, Angela," Janos said. "Feed on the living."
Pallas and Bettina knelt on either side of Stirling. Xavier fell gracefully beside Ms. Harrison, his black cape spread out around him like a pool of blood. He kept hold of Ellie's hair the whole way down, forcing her snarling face to touch the dirt. Her hands dug at his hands, mewling sounds crawling from her throat.