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Cerulean Sins :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 272 из 352" Bobby Lee said, "Move, and we all go quiet to the rooms. Stay put, and we'll hurt you, then drag your ass back to the rooms." There was an eagerness to his voice that said he was hoping for a fight. I think they all were. None of them had liked having to stand by and watch Gregory and Stephen be tormented.
"Move aside, Angelito," Musette said. "Now."
Angelito moved, his face showing how reluctant he was to do so. I was surprised that Musette was being so cooperative. She'd struck me as someone who'd have to be carried off kicking and screaming.
Bobby Lee reached out for Musette. She said, "Do not touch me." He stopped in mid-motion as if his hand had frozen in place.
"Take her, Bobby Lee," I said.
"I can't," he said, and there was something in his voice that I'd never heard before. Fear.
"What do you mean, you can't?" I asked.
He took his hand back, slowly, and cradled it against his chest, as if it had been hurt. "She told me not to touch her, and I can't."
"Claudia," I said.
The big woman shook her head. "I can't."
The first hint I had about how wrong things had gone was the real rat that waddled up to sniff at Musette's white skirts. It looked up at her with shiny black button eyes.
I looked at Musette, and her blue eyes had bled solid, so that she looked like a blind blond doll. Her face was exultant with triumph.
"Rats are your animal to call," I said.
"Didn't Jean-Claude tell you?" and the laughter in her voice said clearly, she knew he had not.
"He forgot to mention it."
"I did not know," Jean-Claude said. "Her only animal to call two centuries ago was the bat." His voice sounded empty, hiding whatever he was feeling.
"She gained the rat as her second animal about fifty years ago," Asher said.
I gave him a look. "It would have been nice to know that."
He shrugged. "It never occurred to me that anyone would actually try to put Musette under guard."
I turned back to the vampire in question. "Why didn't you use your new power to get rid of the wererat guards earlier?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise," she said, and smiled, smiled wide enough to flash fangs. She was so terribly pleased with herself.
"Fine," I said, "all shape-shifter bodyguards that don't happen to be rats, get her ass."
"Kill them," and I knew she was talking to Bobby Lee. That I hadn't foreseen. Shit.
But Bobby Lee and Claudia were both shaking their heads, and backing off from her. "You can order us not to harm you, but you can't make us hurt others.
"Move aside, Angelito," Musette said. "Now."
Angelito moved, his face showing how reluctant he was to do so. I was surprised that Musette was being so cooperative. She'd struck me as someone who'd have to be carried off kicking and screaming.
Bobby Lee reached out for Musette. She said, "Do not touch me." He stopped in mid-motion as if his hand had frozen in place.
"Take her, Bobby Lee," I said.
"I can't," he said, and there was something in his voice that I'd never heard before. Fear.
"What do you mean, you can't?" I asked.
He took his hand back, slowly, and cradled it against his chest, as if it had been hurt. "She told me not to touch her, and I can't."
"Claudia," I said.
The big woman shook her head. "I can't."
The first hint I had about how wrong things had gone was the real rat that waddled up to sniff at Musette's white skirts. It looked up at her with shiny black button eyes.
I looked at Musette, and her blue eyes had bled solid, so that she looked like a blind blond doll. Her face was exultant with triumph.
"Rats are your animal to call," I said.
"Didn't Jean-Claude tell you?" and the laughter in her voice said clearly, she knew he had not.
"He forgot to mention it."
"I did not know," Jean-Claude said. "Her only animal to call two centuries ago was the bat." His voice sounded empty, hiding whatever he was feeling.
"She gained the rat as her second animal about fifty years ago," Asher said.
I gave him a look. "It would have been nice to know that."
He shrugged. "It never occurred to me that anyone would actually try to put Musette under guard."
I turned back to the vampire in question. "Why didn't you use your new power to get rid of the wererat guards earlier?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise," she said, and smiled, smiled wide enough to flash fangs. She was so terribly pleased with herself.
"Fine," I said, "all shape-shifter bodyguards that don't happen to be rats, get her ass."
"Kill them," and I knew she was talking to Bobby Lee. That I hadn't foreseen. Shit.
But Bobby Lee and Claudia were both shaking their heads, and backing off from her. "You can order us not to harm you, but you can't make us hurt others.