JК
Burnt Offerings :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 261 из 286" Ithink he was relieved. I think he'd thought I might go down in flames rather than submit. Before Padma had made his little joke, I would have put up more of a fight. I was going to do this. If I drew the line here and refused, that meant we fought them. We would lose. If donating a little blood would keep us all alive come morning, I could spare it.
A leopard screamed. It raised the hairs on my arms. Two leopards padded into the room, jeweled collars sparkling around their necks. The black one, Elizabeth I assumed, snarled at me as they went past. The leopards were just leopard-size, not as tall as a Great Dane but longer. They paced like velvet over muscle, their energy and anger filling the room, prickling along the other shapeshifters like a drug. The leopards sprawled at Padma's feet.
I felt Richard's power swell. It flowed out of him in a soothing wash, willing the leopards quiet, calling them back to human form.
Padma said, "No, no, they are mine. I will keep them in whatever form I choose, however long I choose."
"They will begin to lose human characteristics," Richard said. "Elizabeth is a nurse. She cannot do her job if she has fangs or eyes that do not change back."
"She has no other job than to serve me," Padma said.
Richard took a step forward. Jean-Claude touched his shoulder. "He is baiting us, mon ami ."
Richard shook his hand off, but nodded. "I don't think the Master of Beasts could stop me if I forced them back to human form."
"Is that a challenge?" Padma asked.
"The wereleopards don't belong to you, Richard," I said.
"These two don't belong to anybody," he said.
"They can be mine if they want to be," I said.
"No," Padma said. "No, I will give up nothing else. No one else to you." He stepped back against the wall, dragging Gideon with him by the jeweled collar. Thomas followed almost as closely. "Asher take her."
Asher tried to grab my arm, but I backed up. "Hold your horses. Hasn't anyone told you anticipation adds to the experience?"
"I have been anticipating this for over two hundred years, ma cherie . If anticipation adds, then it will be wondrous indeed."
I stepped away from his eager eyes and went to Jean-Claude. "Any advice?"
"He will try to make it rape, ma petite ." He stopped me before I could say anything. "Not actual rape, but the effect is surprisingly similar. Make it a seduction, if you can. Turn necessity into a pleasure. It will be the last thing he expects, and it will unnerve him."
"How unnerved?" I asked.
A leopard screamed. It raised the hairs on my arms. Two leopards padded into the room, jeweled collars sparkling around their necks. The black one, Elizabeth I assumed, snarled at me as they went past. The leopards were just leopard-size, not as tall as a Great Dane but longer. They paced like velvet over muscle, their energy and anger filling the room, prickling along the other shapeshifters like a drug. The leopards sprawled at Padma's feet.
I felt Richard's power swell. It flowed out of him in a soothing wash, willing the leopards quiet, calling them back to human form.
Padma said, "No, no, they are mine. I will keep them in whatever form I choose, however long I choose."
"They will begin to lose human characteristics," Richard said. "Elizabeth is a nurse. She cannot do her job if she has fangs or eyes that do not change back."
"She has no other job than to serve me," Padma said.
Richard took a step forward. Jean-Claude touched his shoulder. "He is baiting us, mon ami ."
Richard shook his hand off, but nodded. "I don't think the Master of Beasts could stop me if I forced them back to human form."
"Is that a challenge?" Padma asked.
"The wereleopards don't belong to you, Richard," I said.
"These two don't belong to anybody," he said.
"They can be mine if they want to be," I said.
"No," Padma said. "No, I will give up nothing else. No one else to you." He stepped back against the wall, dragging Gideon with him by the jeweled collar. Thomas followed almost as closely. "Asher take her."
Asher tried to grab my arm, but I backed up. "Hold your horses. Hasn't anyone told you anticipation adds to the experience?"
"I have been anticipating this for over two hundred years, ma cherie . If anticipation adds, then it will be wondrous indeed."
I stepped away from his eager eyes and went to Jean-Claude. "Any advice?"
"He will try to make it rape, ma petite ." He stopped me before I could say anything. "Not actual rape, but the effect is surprisingly similar. Make it a seduction, if you can. Turn necessity into a pleasure. It will be the last thing he expects, and it will unnerve him."
"How unnerved?" I asked.