JК
Danse Macabre :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 26 из 427Micah took my hand anyway, and I let him. If it looked to Graham like I was needing help down the stairs, fuck him, or rather don't. I needed the comfort of touch tonight. Nathaniel stayed on my other side, but didn't try to take my right hand in his. I'd need that hand for the gun or the blade. Yeah, these vamps were supposed to be Jean-Claude's friends. But they weren't my friends, not yet.
We were at the landing just before the stairs took a turn. It was a blind turn, but if you hugged the far wall, you didn't stay blind for long.
«Wait,» Graham said, «please, wait. I should go first.»
We all turned and watched him walk the few steps down to us. He gave a smile that was almost nervous. «I am the bodyguard, remember?»
I looked him up and down, and said, «Are you carrying?»
He sighed. «No. Richard says we're dangerous enough without guns.»
I shook my head. «Not if everyone else has them, Graham. Silver bullets don't let you get close.»
He shrugged those massive shoulders. «Richard is Ulfric; if you want to change policy, take it up with him. I'm just doing what I'm told.»
I sighed. I loved Richard, really I did, but we had some serious differences of opinion.
Graham eased past us, but stopped on the step below the landing. He looked up, but not like he was happy. «I was hoping that Jean-Claude would have joined us by now.»
I gave him a look. «What do you mean, joined us? Jean-Claude is waiting downstairs with our guests, right?»
He shook his head. «There was an emergency upstairs.»
«Asher is managing the Circus; he should be able to take care of any emergencies.»
Graham licked his lips. «I don't know the details, because I was left down here to wait for you, but Meng Die did something. Something that made Asher call for Jean-Claude to help him.»
Meng Die was a petite Chinese doll, or that's what she looked like. But she, like me, didn't really match the packaging. She'd been the second-in-command in San Francisco, before Jean-Claude called in all the vamps he'd made in this country to help bolster his defenses. Her master had been happy to let her go, because she'd been nights away from a palace revolt that would have left him dead and her in charge. In fact, he wouldn't take her back, though Jean-Claude had offered.
Meng Die wanted to be Jean-Claude's second-in-command, but that was Asher's job. Then all the vamps had come from London after their master went crazy and had to be killed.
We were at the landing just before the stairs took a turn. It was a blind turn, but if you hugged the far wall, you didn't stay blind for long.
«Wait,» Graham said, «please, wait. I should go first.»
We all turned and watched him walk the few steps down to us. He gave a smile that was almost nervous. «I am the bodyguard, remember?»
I looked him up and down, and said, «Are you carrying?»
He sighed. «No. Richard says we're dangerous enough without guns.»
I shook my head. «Not if everyone else has them, Graham. Silver bullets don't let you get close.»
He shrugged those massive shoulders. «Richard is Ulfric; if you want to change policy, take it up with him. I'm just doing what I'm told.»
I sighed. I loved Richard, really I did, but we had some serious differences of opinion.
Graham eased past us, but stopped on the step below the landing. He looked up, but not like he was happy. «I was hoping that Jean-Claude would have joined us by now.»
I gave him a look. «What do you mean, joined us? Jean-Claude is waiting downstairs with our guests, right?»
He shook his head. «There was an emergency upstairs.»
«Asher is managing the Circus; he should be able to take care of any emergencies.»
Graham licked his lips. «I don't know the details, because I was left down here to wait for you, but Meng Die did something. Something that made Asher call for Jean-Claude to help him.»
Meng Die was a petite Chinese doll, or that's what she looked like. But she, like me, didn't really match the packaging. She'd been the second-in-command in San Francisco, before Jean-Claude called in all the vamps he'd made in this country to help bolster his defenses. Her master had been happy to let her go, because she'd been nights away from a palace revolt that would have left him dead and her in charge. In fact, he wouldn't take her back, though Jean-Claude had offered.
Meng Die wanted to be Jean-Claude's second-in-command, but that was Asher's job. Then all the vamps had come from London after their master went crazy and had to be killed.