JК
Blue Moon :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 8 из 327I would believe murder of Richard before rape."
It was almost exactly what I'd said. Why was that unnerving? "Are you going down to Tennessee?"
"The master, Colin, has forbidden me to enter his lands. To do so now would be an act of aggression, if not outright war."
"Why should he care?" I asked.
"He fears my power, ma petite . He fears our power, which is why he has made you persona non grata in his territory as well."
I stared at him. "You are kidding, I hope. He's forbidden either of us to help Richard?"
Jean-Claude nodded.
"And he expects us to believe it's not his doing?" I said.
"I believe him, ma petite ."
"You could tell he wasn't lying over the phone?" I asked.
"Some master vampires can lie to other master vampires, though I do not think Colin is such a power. But that is not why I believe him."
"Why then?"
"The last time you and I traveled to another vampire's lands, we slew her."
"She was trying to kill us," I said.
"Technically," he said, "she had set all of us free save you. You she wished to make a vampire."
"Like I said, she was trying to kill me."
He smiled. "Oh, ma petite , you wound me."
"Cut the crap. This Colin can't really believe that we are just going to leave Richard to rot."
"He has the right to deny us safe passage," Jean-Claude said.
"Because we killed another master in her own territory?" I asked.
"He doesn't need grounds for his refusal, ma petite . He merely has to refuse."
"How do you vampires get anything accomplished?"
"Slowly," Jean-Claude said. "But remember, ma petite , we have the time to be patient."
"Well, I don't, and Richard doesn't."
"You could have eternity if you would both accept the fourth mark," he said, voice quiet, neutral.
I shook my head. "Richard and I both value what little is left of our humanity. Besides, eternity my ass, the fourth mark wouldn't make us immortal. It just means that we live as long as you do. You're harder to kill than we are, but not that much harder."
He sat down on the couch, folding his legs under him. It wasn't an easy position, wearing that much leather. Maybe the boots were softer than they looked. Naw.
He rested his elbows on the couch arm, leaning his chest outward. The sheer red cloth covered his chest completely and left nothing to the imagination. His nipples pressed against the thin fabric. The red haze of cloth made the cross-shaped burn scar look almost bloody.
It was almost exactly what I'd said. Why was that unnerving? "Are you going down to Tennessee?"
"The master, Colin, has forbidden me to enter his lands. To do so now would be an act of aggression, if not outright war."
"Why should he care?" I asked.
"He fears my power, ma petite . He fears our power, which is why he has made you persona non grata in his territory as well."
I stared at him. "You are kidding, I hope. He's forbidden either of us to help Richard?"
Jean-Claude nodded.
"And he expects us to believe it's not his doing?" I said.
"I believe him, ma petite ."
"You could tell he wasn't lying over the phone?" I asked.
"Some master vampires can lie to other master vampires, though I do not think Colin is such a power. But that is not why I believe him."
"Why then?"
"The last time you and I traveled to another vampire's lands, we slew her."
"She was trying to kill us," I said.
"Technically," he said, "she had set all of us free save you. You she wished to make a vampire."
"Like I said, she was trying to kill me."
He smiled. "Oh, ma petite , you wound me."
"Cut the crap. This Colin can't really believe that we are just going to leave Richard to rot."
"He has the right to deny us safe passage," Jean-Claude said.
"Because we killed another master in her own territory?" I asked.
"He doesn't need grounds for his refusal, ma petite . He merely has to refuse."
"How do you vampires get anything accomplished?"
"Slowly," Jean-Claude said. "But remember, ma petite , we have the time to be patient."
"Well, I don't, and Richard doesn't."
"You could have eternity if you would both accept the fourth mark," he said, voice quiet, neutral.
I shook my head. "Richard and I both value what little is left of our humanity. Besides, eternity my ass, the fourth mark wouldn't make us immortal. It just means that we live as long as you do. You're harder to kill than we are, but not that much harder."
He sat down on the couch, folding his legs under him. It wasn't an easy position, wearing that much leather. Maybe the boots were softer than they looked. Naw.
He rested his elbows on the couch arm, leaning his chest outward. The sheer red cloth covered his chest completely and left nothing to the imagination. His nipples pressed against the thin fabric. The red haze of cloth made the cross-shaped burn scar look almost bloody.