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Bloody Bones :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 47 из 272You are too beautiful to be denied tonight."
She wasn't beautiful. Her eyes were small and muddy brown, her chin too sharp, nose too large for a thin face. I was staring right at her from not a foot away, and her face smoothed. Her eyes were suddenly large and sparkling, her thin lips full and moist. It was like seeing her through one of those soft filters they used during the sixties, except more.
I glanced at Larry. He looked like he'd been hit by a truck. A slim, lovely truck. I stared out over the bar, and every other male in the place except Earl was staring at the woman in exactly the same way, as if she'd just appeared before them like Cinderella transformed by her fairy godmother. Not a bad analogy.
I turned back to Magnus Bouvier. He was not staring at the woman. He was staring at me.
I leaned into the bar, meeting his gaze. He smiled slightly. I said, "Love charms are illegal."
The smile widened. "You're much too pretty to be the police." He reached out to touch my arm.
"Touch me and I'll have you arrested for using undue preternatural influence."
"It's a misdemeanor," he said.
"Not if you're not human, it isn't," I said.
He blinked at me. I didn't know him well enough to be sure, but I think I surprised him, like I should have believed he was human. Yeah, right.
"Let's talk at a table," he said.
"Fine with me."
"Dorrie, can you take over for a few minutes?"
A woman came behind the bar. She had the same thick chestnut hair, but it was tied back from her face in a severe ponytail, high and tight on her head. The long, shining tail of hair swung as she moved, like it was alive. Her face, free of hair and makeup, was triangular, exotic, catlike. Her eyes were the same startling seawater green as Magnus's.
The men nearest the bar watched her out of the corners of their eyes, as if afraid to look directly at her. Larry stared at her open-mouthed.
"I'll watch the bar, but that's all," she said. She turned those eyes to Larry and said, "What are you staring at?" Her voice was harsh, thick with scorn.
Larry blinked, closed his mouth, and stuttered. "N-nothing."
She glared at him like she knew he was lying. I got an inkling why the men weren't staring at her.
"Dorcas, be nice to the customers."
She glared at Magnus; he smiled, but he backed down. Magnus stepped out from behind the bar. He was wearing a soft blue dress shirt untucked over jeans so faded they were almost white.
She wasn't beautiful. Her eyes were small and muddy brown, her chin too sharp, nose too large for a thin face. I was staring right at her from not a foot away, and her face smoothed. Her eyes were suddenly large and sparkling, her thin lips full and moist. It was like seeing her through one of those soft filters they used during the sixties, except more.
I glanced at Larry. He looked like he'd been hit by a truck. A slim, lovely truck. I stared out over the bar, and every other male in the place except Earl was staring at the woman in exactly the same way, as if she'd just appeared before them like Cinderella transformed by her fairy godmother. Not a bad analogy.
I turned back to Magnus Bouvier. He was not staring at the woman. He was staring at me.
I leaned into the bar, meeting his gaze. He smiled slightly. I said, "Love charms are illegal."
The smile widened. "You're much too pretty to be the police." He reached out to touch my arm.
"Touch me and I'll have you arrested for using undue preternatural influence."
"It's a misdemeanor," he said.
"Not if you're not human, it isn't," I said.
He blinked at me. I didn't know him well enough to be sure, but I think I surprised him, like I should have believed he was human. Yeah, right.
"Let's talk at a table," he said.
"Fine with me."
"Dorrie, can you take over for a few minutes?"
A woman came behind the bar. She had the same thick chestnut hair, but it was tied back from her face in a severe ponytail, high and tight on her head. The long, shining tail of hair swung as she moved, like it was alive. Her face, free of hair and makeup, was triangular, exotic, catlike. Her eyes were the same startling seawater green as Magnus's.
The men nearest the bar watched her out of the corners of their eyes, as if afraid to look directly at her. Larry stared at her open-mouthed.
"I'll watch the bar, but that's all," she said. She turned those eyes to Larry and said, "What are you staring at?" Her voice was harsh, thick with scorn.
Larry blinked, closed his mouth, and stuttered. "N-nothing."
She glared at him like she knew he was lying. I got an inkling why the men weren't staring at her.
"Dorcas, be nice to the customers."
She glared at Magnus; he smiled, but he backed down. Magnus stepped out from behind the bar. He was wearing a soft blue dress shirt untucked over jeans so faded they were almost white.