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The Killing Dance :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 42 из 285Richard wouldn't back down to savehimself. But for someone else. . "And if you get killed, where does that leave me?" I asked.
He looked at me then, really looked at me. He turned back to Sebastian. "I want safe passage for Anita."
Sebastian grinned and shook his head. "She's dominant. No safe passage. She takes her chances like the rest of us."
"She can't accept challenge, she's human."
"When you're dead, we'll make her one of us," Sebastian said.
"Raina has forbidden us to make Anita lukoi," Heidi said.
The glare that Sebastian gave her made her cringe against the curtain door. Her eyes were round with fear.
"Is that true?" Richard asked.
"It's true," Sebastian growled. "We can kill her, but we can't make her pack." He grinned, a brief flash of teeth. "So we'll just kill her."
I drew the Firestar, using Richard's body to shield the movement from the lycanthropes. We were in trouble. Even with the Uzi, I couldn't kill them all. If Richard would kill Sebastian, we might salvage the situation, but he'd try not to kill him. The other shapeshifters watched us with patient, eager eyes. This had been the plan all along. There had to be a way out.
I had an idea. "Are all Marcus's enforcers assholes?"
Sebastian turned to me. "Was that an insult?"
"If you have to ask, then indeedy-do, it was."
"Anita," Richard said, low and careful, "what are you doing?"
"Defending myself," I said.
His eyes widened, but he didn't take his glance from the big werewolf. Richard understood. There was no time to argue about it. Sebastian took a step forward, big hands balled into fists. He tried to step around Richard to get to me. Richard moved in front of him. He put out his hand, palm outward like he had with Heidi, and that roiling energy damped down, spilling out like water from a broken cup. I'd never seen anything like it. Calming Heidi was one thing. Forcing a lycanthrope to swallow such power was something else.
Sebastian took a step back, almost a stagger. "You bastard."
"You are not strong enough to challenge me, Sebastian. Don't ever forget that," Richard said. His voice was still calm, with the barest hint of anger underneath. It was a reasonable voice, a voice for negotiating.
I stood behind Richard with the Firestar held at my side, as unobtrusive as I could make it. The fight was off, and my little show of bravado hadn't been needed. I'd underestimated Richard's power. I'd apologize later.
"Now, where is Stephen?" Richard asked.
He looked at me then, really looked at me. He turned back to Sebastian. "I want safe passage for Anita."
Sebastian grinned and shook his head. "She's dominant. No safe passage. She takes her chances like the rest of us."
"She can't accept challenge, she's human."
"When you're dead, we'll make her one of us," Sebastian said.
"Raina has forbidden us to make Anita lukoi," Heidi said.
The glare that Sebastian gave her made her cringe against the curtain door. Her eyes were round with fear.
"Is that true?" Richard asked.
"It's true," Sebastian growled. "We can kill her, but we can't make her pack." He grinned, a brief flash of teeth. "So we'll just kill her."
I drew the Firestar, using Richard's body to shield the movement from the lycanthropes. We were in trouble. Even with the Uzi, I couldn't kill them all. If Richard would kill Sebastian, we might salvage the situation, but he'd try not to kill him. The other shapeshifters watched us with patient, eager eyes. This had been the plan all along. There had to be a way out.
I had an idea. "Are all Marcus's enforcers assholes?"
Sebastian turned to me. "Was that an insult?"
"If you have to ask, then indeedy-do, it was."
"Anita," Richard said, low and careful, "what are you doing?"
"Defending myself," I said.
His eyes widened, but he didn't take his glance from the big werewolf. Richard understood. There was no time to argue about it. Sebastian took a step forward, big hands balled into fists. He tried to step around Richard to get to me. Richard moved in front of him. He put out his hand, palm outward like he had with Heidi, and that roiling energy damped down, spilling out like water from a broken cup. I'd never seen anything like it. Calming Heidi was one thing. Forcing a lycanthrope to swallow such power was something else.
Sebastian took a step back, almost a stagger. "You bastard."
"You are not strong enough to challenge me, Sebastian. Don't ever forget that," Richard said. His voice was still calm, with the barest hint of anger underneath. It was a reasonable voice, a voice for negotiating.
I stood behind Richard with the Firestar held at my side, as unobtrusive as I could make it. The fight was off, and my little show of bravado hadn't been needed. I'd underestimated Richard's power. I'd apologize later.
"Now, where is Stephen?" Richard asked.