lh.narcissusinchains-第14部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ne　it　a　thousand　times　before；　effortlessly；　gracefully；　mandingly。
　Narcissus　was　pushed　back　from　him　by　a　rush　of　invisible　power　that　I　could　feel　tugging　on　my　body。　And　I　knew　that　most　of　the　people　in　the　room　could　feel　it；　as　well。　Narcissus　stayed　crouched　on　the　floor；　staring　at　Jean…Claude；　staring　at　all　of　us。　The　look　on　his　face　was　angry；　but　there　was　more　hunger　in　it　than　rage；　a　hunger　denied。
　〃We　need　to　talk　in　private；〃　Narcissus　insisted。
　Jean…Claude　nodded。　〃That　would　be　best；　I　think。〃
　There　was　a　weight　of　things　left　unsaid　in　that　short　exchange。　I　felt　Richard's　puzzlement　mirror　my　own；　before　I　turned　my　head　to　glance　back　at　him。　The　movement　put　our　faces　close　enough　so　that　we　could　almost　have　kissed。　I　could　tell　just　by　the　expression　in　his　eyes　that　he　didn't　know　what　was　going　on。　And　he　seemed　to　know　that　I　could　tell；　because　he　didn't　bother　to　shrug　or　make　any　outward　acknowledgment。　It　wasn't　telepathy；　though　to　an　outsider　it　might　look　that　way。　It　was　more　extreme　empathy；　as　if　I　could　read　every　nuance　on　his　face；　the　smallest　change；　and　know　what　it　meant。
　I　was　still　pressed　in　the　circle　of　Richard's　and　Jean…Claude's　arms；　a　strange　amount　of　bare　skin　touching　all　of　us　　my　back；　Richard's　chest　and　stomach；　Jean…Claude's　arm。　There　was　something　incredibly　right　about　the　touching；　the　closeness。　I　felt　Jean…Claude's　attention　turn；　before　I　moved　my　head　to　meet　his　eyes。
　The　look　in　those　drowning　eyes　held　worlds　of　things　unsaid；　unasked；　all　so　tremblingly　close。　Because　for　once　he　didn't　see　in　my　eyes　the　barriers　that　kept　all　those　words　trapped。　It　had　to　be　the　marriage　of　the　marks　affecting　me；　but　that　night　I　think　he　could　have　asked　me　anything；　anything；　and　I　wasn't　sure　I'd　say　no。
　What　he　finally　said　was；　〃Shall　we　retire　to　privacy　to　discuss　business　with　Narcissus？〃　His　voice　had　its　usual　smoothness。　Only　his　eyes　held　uncertainty　and　a　need　so　large　he　almost　had　no　words　for　it。　We'd　all　waited　so　long　for　my　surrender。　I　knew　that　the　phrasing　wasn't　mine。　It　sounded　more　like　something　Jean…Claude　would　think；　but　with　Richard　also　pressed　against　my　body　I　wasn't　really　sure　who　was　thinking　it。　I　only　knew　it　hadn't　been　me。
　Even　before　the　marks　had　merged　I'd　had　moments　like　this。　Moments　when　their　thoughts　invaded　mine；　overrode　mine。　The　images　had　been　the　worst　　nightmare　flashes　of　feeding　on　the　warm　bodies　of　animals；　of　drinking　blood　from　people　I　didn't　know。　It　had　been　this　mingling；　this　loss　of　self；　that　had　terrified　me；　sent　me　running　for　anything　that　would　keep　me　whole　　keep　me　myself。　Tonight；　that　just　didn't　seem　important。　Definitely　an　aftereffect　of　the　metaphysical　union　of　marks。　But　knowing　what　it　was　didn't　make　it　go　away。　It　was　a　dangerous　night。
　Jean…Claude　said；　〃Ma　petite；　are　you　well？　I　am　feeling　much　better；　energized　in　fact。　Are　you　still　ill？〃
　I　shook　my　head。　〃No；　I　feel　fine。〃　Fine　didn't　really　cover　it。　Energized　was　a　good　word　for　it；　but　there　were　others。　How　long　could　it　take　to　rescue　the　wereleopards　from　yet　another　disaster？　The　night　wasn't　young；　dawn　would　e；　and　I　wanted　to　be　alone　with　them　before　that。　I　realized　with　a　jolt　that　ran　all　the　way　down　my　body；　that　tonight　was　it。　If　we　could　get　some　privacy　and　not　be　interrupted；　all　things　would　suddenly　be　possible。
　Richard　and　Jean…Claude　both　stood　up；　in　a　boneless　movement　of　grace　for　the　vampire　and　pure　energy　for　the　werewolf。　I　gazed　at　them　as　they　stood　above　me；　and　I　was　suddenly　eager　to　have　the　other　business　done　with。　I　wasn't　as　worried　about　the　leopards　as　I　should　have　been；　and　that　did　bother　me。　Whatever　this　effect　was；　it　was　distracting　me　from　more　important　things。　Saving　the　leopards　was　why　I'd　e。　It　was　the　first　time　I'd　really　thought　of　them　in　a　while。
　I　shook　my　head　trying　to　clear　it　of　sex　and　magic　and　the　weight　of　possibilities　in　Richard's　eyes。　Jean…Claude's　eyes　were　more　cautious；　but　I'd　taught　him　caution　where　I　was　concerned。
　I　held　my　hands　up　to　both　of　them。　I　never　asked　for　help　to　stand　unless　I　was　bleeding　or　something　was　broken。　The　two　of　them　exchanged　glances；　then　they　held　their　hands　out　to　me；　again　in　perfect　unison；　like　choreographed　dancers　who　knew　what　the　other　would　do。
　They　could　feel　my　desire；　but　that　had　always　been　there；　it　told　them　nothing。　I　took　their　hands　and　let　them　lift　me　up。　They　were　both　still　looking　unsure；　almost　suspicious；　as　if　they　were　waiting　for　me　to　recoil　from　them　and　run　screaming　from　the　intimacy　of　it　all。　I　had　to　smile。　〃If　we　can　get　everyone　all　tucked　in　safe　and　sound　before　dawn；　all　things　will　be　possible。〃
　They　exchanged　another　look　between　them。　Jean…Claude　made　a　small　movement；　as　if　encouraging　Richard。　It　was　a　tiny；　almost…push　with　his　head；　as　if　to　say；　Go　ahead；　ask。　Normally；　seeing　them　plot　behind　my　back　pissed　me　off；　but　not　that　night。
　〃Do　you　mean　。。。　〃　Richard　let　the　thought　trail　off。
　I　nodded；　and　Richard's　hand　tightened　on　mine。　Jean…Claude's　hand　was　strangely　quiet　in　mine。　〃You　do　realize；　ma　petite；　that　this　new　。。。　〃　he　hesitated；　〃willingness；　may　be　a　by…product　of　joining　the　marks　tonight。　I　don't　wish　you　to　accuse　us　later　of　trickery。〃
　〃I　know　what　it　is；　and　I　don't　care。〃　I　should　have；　but　I　didn't。　It　was　like　being　drunk；　or　drugged；　and　even　thinking　that　made　no　difference。
　I　was　looking　at　Jean…Claude；　and　I　saw　him　let　out　the　breath　he'd　been　holding。　I　felt　Richard　do　the　same。　It　was　as　if　a　great　weight　had　been　taken　from　both　of　them。　And　I　knew　that　I　was　that　burden。　I'd　try　not　to　be　a　burden　from　now　on。　〃Let's　get　this　over　with　and　go　get　the　leopards；〃　I　said。
　Jean…Claude　raised　my　hand　to　his　mouth；　brushing　the　knuckles　across　his　lips。　〃And　be　gone　from　this　place。〃
　I　nodded。　〃And　be　gone　from　this　place；〃　I　said。
　
　6
　
　I'D　BEEN　PLAINING　to　Jean…Claude　for　years　that　his　decorating　scheme　was　too　monochromatic；　but　one　look　at　Narcissus's　bedroom　and　I　knew　I　owed　Jean…Claude　an　apology。　The　room　was　done　in　black；　and　I　mean　black。　The　walls；　the　hardwood　floor；　the　drawn　drapes　against　one　wall；　the　bed。　The　only　color　in　the　room　was　the　silver　chains　and　the　silver…colored　implements　hanging　from　the　wall。　The　color　of　the　steel　seemed　to　accentuate　the　blackness　rather　than　relieve　it。　Chains　dangled　from　the　ceiling　above　the　huge　bed。　It　was　bigger　than　king…sized。　The　only　term　that　came　to　mind　was　orgy…sized。　The　bed　was　four…postered；　with　the　largest；　heaviest；　darkest　wood　I'd　ever　seen。　More　chains　dangled　from　the　four　posts；　set　in　heavy　permanent　rings。　If　I'd　been　on　a　date；　I'd　have　turned　and　run　for　it。　But　this　wasn't　a　date；　and　in　we　all　trooped。
　My　understanding　about　most　people　who　were　into　D　and　S　was　that　their　bedrooms　were　separate　from　their　〃dungeons。〃　Nearby　perhaps；　but　not　the　same　room。　You　needed　somewhere　to　go　to　actually　sleep。　Maybe　Narcissus　just　never　rested　from　the　fun　and　games。
　There　was　a　door　in　the　opposite　wall；　and　the　drapes　were　drawn　over　the　middle　of　one　wall。　Maybe　his　real　bed　was　behind　door　number　two　or　the　drapes。　I　hoped　so。
　The　only　chair　in　the　room　had　straps　attached　to　it；　so　Narcissus　offered　us　the　bed　to　sit　on。　I　don't　know　if　I　would　have　sat　down　or　not；　but　first　Jean…Claude；　then　Richard　did。　Jean…Claude　settled　against　the　black　bedspread　as　he　did　everything；　with　grace；　settling　his　body　against　the　pillows　as　if　he　felt　utterly　fortable。　But　it　was　Richard　who　surprised　me。　I　expected　to　see　in　him　some　of　the　disfort　I　felt　about　the　room；　but　he　didn't　seem　in　the　least　unfortable。　In　fact；　I　realized　for　the　first　time　that　the　heavy　leather　cuffs　at　his　wrists　and　the　collar　at　his　throat　had　metal　hooks　in　them；　so　they　could　be　attached　to　chains　or　a　leash。　He'd　probably　worn　them　so　he　could　blend　into　the　club　scene；　as　I'd　worn　the　boots。　But　。。。　but　I　could　feel　that　he　was　calm　about　the　room　and　everything　in　it。　I　wasn't。
　I　looked　at　Jean…Claude　and　Richard　and　knew　I'd　decided　to　sleep　with　both　of　them　tonight；　however　we　arranged　it。　But　seeing　th