JК
Burnt Offerings :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 277 из 286I clung to him,legs wrapped around his waist, arms around his neck. "Back off or I'll shatter his heart. Back off now!"
Thomas fell to his knees beside us, blood trickling down his chin. "You'll kill me and Gideon."
I didn't want to kill them. The power began to slide away, buried in regret. "No," I said it out loud. I fed the power on my anger, my outrage. The munin swelled and filled me. I squeezed Padma's heart—gently, slowly.
I laid my face against his cheek and whispered, "Why aren't you fighting back, Master of Beasts? Where is that large, burning, power of yours?"
There was no answer but his labored breathing.
I squeezed a little tighter.
He gasped. "We could die together," he said in a voice wet with his own blood.
I rubbed my cheek against his face. The blood from his lips smeared along our skin. I'd always known that blood was a turn-on for lycanthropes but I'd never fully appreciated the appeal. It wasn't so much the feel of the blood as the smell of it. Hot, sweet, flatly metallic, and underneath, the scent of fear. He was so very afraid. I could smell it, feel it.
I raised back from him enough to see his face. It was a mask of blood. Part of me was horrified. Part of me wanted to lick him clean like a cat with a bowl of cream. Instead I gave his heart a little extra squeeze and watched the blood flow faster from his mouth.
His power built in a warm wash. "I will kill you before I die, lupa."
I held him and felt his power begin to build, still weakened, but enough to do the job. "Are you still a good Hindu?" I asked.
His eyes showed confusion.
"How much bad karma have you accumulated this turn of the wheel?" I gave a quick lick over his mouth and had to put my forehead against his and close my eyes to keep from doing what the munin wanted. What Raina would have done if she'd been here. "What would be punishment enough for your evil deeds in the next reincarnation, Padma? How many lives would it take to balance this one turn?"
I drew back enough to see his face. I had enough control again not to clean his face with my tongue. Looking into his eyes, I knew I was right. He feared death and what would come after.
"What would you do to save yourself, Padma? What would you give? Who would you give?" I whispered that last.
He whispered back, "Anything."
"Anyone?" I asked.
He just looked at me.
Jean-Claude was sitting up, cradled in Richard's arms. "It is still a duel until one is dead. It is within our rights to insist on finishing this.
Thomas fell to his knees beside us, blood trickling down his chin. "You'll kill me and Gideon."
I didn't want to kill them. The power began to slide away, buried in regret. "No," I said it out loud. I fed the power on my anger, my outrage. The munin swelled and filled me. I squeezed Padma's heart—gently, slowly.
I laid my face against his cheek and whispered, "Why aren't you fighting back, Master of Beasts? Where is that large, burning, power of yours?"
There was no answer but his labored breathing.
I squeezed a little tighter.
He gasped. "We could die together," he said in a voice wet with his own blood.
I rubbed my cheek against his face. The blood from his lips smeared along our skin. I'd always known that blood was a turn-on for lycanthropes but I'd never fully appreciated the appeal. It wasn't so much the feel of the blood as the smell of it. Hot, sweet, flatly metallic, and underneath, the scent of fear. He was so very afraid. I could smell it, feel it.
I raised back from him enough to see his face. It was a mask of blood. Part of me was horrified. Part of me wanted to lick him clean like a cat with a bowl of cream. Instead I gave his heart a little extra squeeze and watched the blood flow faster from his mouth.
His power built in a warm wash. "I will kill you before I die, lupa."
I held him and felt his power begin to build, still weakened, but enough to do the job. "Are you still a good Hindu?" I asked.
His eyes showed confusion.
"How much bad karma have you accumulated this turn of the wheel?" I gave a quick lick over his mouth and had to put my forehead against his and close my eyes to keep from doing what the munin wanted. What Raina would have done if she'd been here. "What would be punishment enough for your evil deeds in the next reincarnation, Padma? How many lives would it take to balance this one turn?"
I drew back enough to see his face. I had enough control again not to clean his face with my tongue. Looking into his eyes, I knew I was right. He feared death and what would come after.
"What would you do to save yourself, Padma? What would you give? Who would you give?" I whispered that last.
He whispered back, "Anything."
"Anyone?" I asked.
He just looked at me.
Jean-Claude was sitting up, cradled in Richard's arms. "It is still a duel until one is dead. It is within our rights to insist on finishing this.