JК
Danse Macabre :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 366 из 427«He bespelled the humans and some of the wereanimals, but he did not try for the vampires. He left them alone.»
«Why now,» I whispered, «why tonight?»
Of course, he didn't know. That didn't make me feel any better, strangely.
Claudia asked permission to check on the other guards. I gave it. I, like Claudia, wanted to see for sure that the other guards were up and running.
Lisandro was cursing very softly under his breath. «Fuck, fuck, fuck,» over and over, like he said it with every breath.
He'd taken the words right out of my mouth.
The vampires danced on the air, at least a dozen of them. They defied gravity, and made it look effortless. It was beautiful, but I couldn't enjoy it. I was too scared.
The blond hovered in front of our box for a moment. He blew me a kiss. I smiled sweetly and gave him a one-fingered salute. He laughed, and flew away.
Other vampires flew low over the crowd, and they blew kisses at other women and other men. There were three or four women among them. It was sort of the reverse of most ballet companies, where there seemed to be more women than men.
The drapes at the back of our box opened, and it was Auggie. I got a glimpse of Pierce and Octavius on the other side of the curtain with Wicked and Truth. Auggie didn't look any happier than I felt.
He leaned over us, smiling, pretending he'd just come to say hi. «He did not do this in Chicago.»
«Who didn't? Who's doing this?» I asked.
«Merlin,» Auggie said, «troupe leader, dance master. The blond is Adonis. He used to be Belle's. Now he belongs to Merlin.»
I felt that power breathing back on the air, like the smell of smoke drifting through the forest, when you don't know yet from which direction the flames will come, but you know they're on the way.
Auggie touched my bare shoulder. His power slid over my skin like a fall of silk. He offered his hand to Jean-Claude. «You rolled me; use it now.»
Jean-Claude took his hand. To a casual viewer, they were shaking hands. Auggie's hand tensed on my bare shoulder, touching the edge of scars where a vamp had once worried at my collarbone like a dog with a rat. I wasn't entirely sure what Auggie meant for us to do. But Jean-Claude was sure, and you only need one driver on the metaphysical bus. Jean-Claude opened the marks between him and me, opened them wide. If it had been me, I couldn't have opened them that wide without involving at least Richard, but Jean-Claude had centuries of control under his belt. He used his free hand to touch my arm, and that was all we needed.
«Why now,» I whispered, «why tonight?»
Of course, he didn't know. That didn't make me feel any better, strangely.
Claudia asked permission to check on the other guards. I gave it. I, like Claudia, wanted to see for sure that the other guards were up and running.
Lisandro was cursing very softly under his breath. «Fuck, fuck, fuck,» over and over, like he said it with every breath.
He'd taken the words right out of my mouth.
The vampires danced on the air, at least a dozen of them. They defied gravity, and made it look effortless. It was beautiful, but I couldn't enjoy it. I was too scared.
The blond hovered in front of our box for a moment. He blew me a kiss. I smiled sweetly and gave him a one-fingered salute. He laughed, and flew away.
Other vampires flew low over the crowd, and they blew kisses at other women and other men. There were three or four women among them. It was sort of the reverse of most ballet companies, where there seemed to be more women than men.
The drapes at the back of our box opened, and it was Auggie. I got a glimpse of Pierce and Octavius on the other side of the curtain with Wicked and Truth. Auggie didn't look any happier than I felt.
He leaned over us, smiling, pretending he'd just come to say hi. «He did not do this in Chicago.»
«Who didn't? Who's doing this?» I asked.
«Merlin,» Auggie said, «troupe leader, dance master. The blond is Adonis. He used to be Belle's. Now he belongs to Merlin.»
I felt that power breathing back on the air, like the smell of smoke drifting through the forest, when you don't know yet from which direction the flames will come, but you know they're on the way.
Auggie touched my bare shoulder. His power slid over my skin like a fall of silk. He offered his hand to Jean-Claude. «You rolled me; use it now.»
Jean-Claude took his hand. To a casual viewer, they were shaking hands. Auggie's hand tensed on my bare shoulder, touching the edge of scars where a vamp had once worried at my collarbone like a dog with a rat. I wasn't entirely sure what Auggie meant for us to do. But Jean-Claude was sure, and you only need one driver on the metaphysical bus. Jean-Claude opened the marks between him and me, opened them wide. If it had been me, I couldn't have opened them that wide without involving at least Richard, but Jean-Claude had centuries of control under his belt. He used his free hand to touch my arm, and that was all we needed.