JК
Cerulean Sins :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 274 из 352" I realized even as I said it that that wasn't entirely true. The Mother of All Darkness was a shape-shifter and a vampire. I'd felt that.
"I thought Mommy Dearest was the first vampire, the one who made you all."
" Oui, ma petite. »
"Are there any vampires on the council that descend directly from her?"
Jean-Claude thought about that for a moment. "We all descend from her."
"That's not what I asked."
Asher answered, "There is no one that can claim direct descent from her line, but she founded the council of vampires. She began our civilization, gave us rules, so that we were no longer solitary beasts, killing each other on sight."
"So she's your cultural mother, not your line's originator."
"Who can tell for certain, ma petite? She is the beginning of what we are today. She is our Mother in all ways that are important."
I shook my head. "Not all ways." I stood out of reach and said, "Someone who speaks whatever they speak translate this for me."
Valentina stepped up. "They understand French now."
"Fine. Jean-Claude."
"I am here, ma petite. »
"Tell them that Musette has forfeited safe conduct, and we need to place her under arrest. She won't be harmed, but she won't be allowed to harm anyone else."
Jean-Claude spoke slow French, so I could understand a lot of it. I had picked up more and more over the years, but rapid speech still gave me problems. "I have told them."
"Then tell them this, too. If they don't move out of the way so we can arrest her, then we are within the rules that the Mother of Darkness laid down—to kill them for disobeying the rules."
Jean-Claude looked doubtful.
"Just repeat it," I said. I walked away a little to find Bobby Lee. He was sweating and looked unwell.
"I am sorry, Anita. We failed you."
I shook my head. "Not yet you haven't."
He looked puzzled.
"Open your leather jacket, wide."
He did what I asked.
I took his gun out of its shoulder holster and got a glimpse of a second gun in his belt. Rules said only guards could be armed. I pointed the gun at the ground, and clicked off the safety.
His eyes were very wide. I wasn't actually sure if he could let me have the gun. But he did, and I threaded my way carefully back through the crowd to the front lines.
The gun was invisible, held in the folds of my full black skirt. "What did they say, Jean-Claude?"
"They don't believe anyone here can hurt them. They say that they are invincible.
"I thought Mommy Dearest was the first vampire, the one who made you all."
" Oui, ma petite. »
"Are there any vampires on the council that descend directly from her?"
Jean-Claude thought about that for a moment. "We all descend from her."
"That's not what I asked."
Asher answered, "There is no one that can claim direct descent from her line, but she founded the council of vampires. She began our civilization, gave us rules, so that we were no longer solitary beasts, killing each other on sight."
"So she's your cultural mother, not your line's originator."
"Who can tell for certain, ma petite? She is the beginning of what we are today. She is our Mother in all ways that are important."
I shook my head. "Not all ways." I stood out of reach and said, "Someone who speaks whatever they speak translate this for me."
Valentina stepped up. "They understand French now."
"Fine. Jean-Claude."
"I am here, ma petite. »
"Tell them that Musette has forfeited safe conduct, and we need to place her under arrest. She won't be harmed, but she won't be allowed to harm anyone else."
Jean-Claude spoke slow French, so I could understand a lot of it. I had picked up more and more over the years, but rapid speech still gave me problems. "I have told them."
"Then tell them this, too. If they don't move out of the way so we can arrest her, then we are within the rules that the Mother of Darkness laid down—to kill them for disobeying the rules."
Jean-Claude looked doubtful.
"Just repeat it," I said. I walked away a little to find Bobby Lee. He was sweating and looked unwell.
"I am sorry, Anita. We failed you."
I shook my head. "Not yet you haven't."
He looked puzzled.
"Open your leather jacket, wide."
He did what I asked.
I took his gun out of its shoulder holster and got a glimpse of a second gun in his belt. Rules said only guards could be armed. I pointed the gun at the ground, and clicked off the safety.
His eyes were very wide. I wasn't actually sure if he could let me have the gun. But he did, and I threaded my way carefully back through the crowd to the front lines.
The gun was invisible, held in the folds of my full black skirt. "What did they say, Jean-Claude?"
"They don't believe anyone here can hurt them. They say that they are invincible.