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第95部分

lh.narcissusinchains-第95部分

小说: lh.narcissusinchains 字数: 每页4000字

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 〃So we find; what; a local coven; and ask their guidance?〃 He sounded patronizing。
 〃I resent the tone; Jean…Claude; especially since I don't hear you offering any better suggestions。 Don't criticize unless you can do better。〃
 〃Very true; ma petite; and very wise。 My deepest and most sincere apologies。 You are quite right。 I do not have a suggestion for whom we might turn to for advice; or guidance。 I will think upon your suggestion to find a friendly witch to speak with。〃
 〃I have a friendly one to speak to。 She just might need to see the three or us together to see how things work。〃
 〃You mean your Marianne?〃
 〃Yeah。〃
 〃I thought she was more psychic than witch。〃
 〃There's not all that much difference;〃 I said。
 〃I will take your word on that。 I do not have much business with either。〃
 I realized I'd been planning to call Marianne since I woke up sandwiched between Caleb and Micah。 Funny how it had slipped my mind。
 〃Is there anything you can say to Richard that will help smooth things on this end?〃
 〃Do you wish me to lie?〃
 〃Damn it; Jean…Claude 。。。 〃
 〃I can point out to him that if he does not meet the ardeur's appetite that someone else must。〃
 〃I've already pointed that out to him。〃 I thought about that for a few heartbeats。 〃He accused me of having 。。。 〃 I found I couldn't quite say it。 〃He accused me of doing worse with Nathaniel than I've done; and he was crude about it。 I'm not sure I want to have sex with him right now。〃
 〃You are angry with him;〃 Jean…Claude said。
 〃Oh; yeah。〃
 〃So angry that if he asked; you would refuse his bed?〃
 I started to say yes; then stopped myself。 I was tired。 Tired of all of it; of both of them; if the truth be known。 Couldn't live with them; or without them。 I wanted Richard's body like an ache in my heart; but when he wanted to be; he could be ugly; and his mood tonight was ugly。 I didn't want to have sex with him when he was like this。 Hell; I didn't want to be around him when he was like this。
 〃I don't know;〃 I said。
 〃Well; that was honest; and does not bode well。 If you refuse Richard; and Nathaniel; and your Nimir…Raj does not return tonight; what will you do in the morning; ma petite? Please; think carefully on this。 I beg you to choose the lesser evil; whatever that may be; rather than wait until the hunger overrides your mon sense; or even your need for survival。〃
 〃What are you saying?〃
 〃I am saying what I have said before  that to deny the ardeur is to worsen it。 Deny it long enough and hard enough; and it will begin to erode all that you are; or thought yourself to be。 I survived what I did to feed it in those first weeks; but my moral degradation had been acplished years before I died。 I say again; ma petite; that you will not take it as well as I did。 I believe it will promise your sense of who you are。〃
 〃And fucking Nathaniel isn't going to promise me?〃
 He sighed。 〃Put that way; I do see your point。 But how much more promising would it be to seduce a stranger?〃
 〃I would never do that。〃
 〃Is that not exactly what you did with the Nimir…Raj?〃 His voice was very quiet as he said it; very careful not to be accusatory。
 I would have loved to have argued the point; but I hate to lose; and I was going to lose this one。 〃Alright; you've made your point。〃
 〃I hope so; Anita; I do hope so。〃 He never used my name unless something was very wrong。 Damn。
 〃You know; just once it might be nice to have normal problems。〃
 〃And what; exactly; is a normal problem; ma petite?〃
 Another point for Jean…Claude。 〃I don't know anymore。〃
 〃You sound tired; ma petite。〃
 〃It's only a few hours until dawn。 I've been up all night; so yeah; I'm tired。〃 Just acknowledging it seemed to bring it on in a rush that left me rubbing my eyes; which smeared the eye shadow I'd put on onto my fingers and probably around my eyelids。 I wore makeup so seldomly that I often forgot I was wearing it。
 Richard came back into the kitchen with his bodyguards and the wererats in tow。 He gave me a look; and it was not a friendly one。
 〃I've got to go;〃 I said to Jean…Claude。
 〃Do you wish me to speak to Richard?〃
 〃No; I think you've done enough damage for one night。〃
 〃I meant only to help。〃
 〃Sure you did。〃
 〃Ma petite。〃
 〃Yes。〃
 〃Be careful; and remember what I have said about the ardeur。 There is no shame in it。〃
 〃Even you don't believe that;〃 I said。
 〃Ah; you have found me out。 There is no shame in feeding; if you feed immediately on a person of your own choosing。 If you fight; then you will find yourself feeding on someone not of your choosing; in a place not of your choosing。 I do not think you would enjoy that; ma petite。〃
 He was right about that anyway。 〃I'll talk to you tomorrow after you get up。 I haven't forgotten Damian; you know。〃
 〃I did not think that you had; ma petite。 I will look forward to your call。〃
 I hung up without saying good…bye; mainly because I was angry; and scared。 Not only did I have Richard to deal with tonight and Gregory to save; but tomorrow morning when I woke up; the ardeur would be there; waiting。 There was a chance that it wouldn't be; that the one day was the only time I'd have it; but I couldn't count on that。 I had to plan for the worst…case scenario。 Worst case was I would wake up tomorrow and need to feed just like I had this morning。 The big question was; who would I feed on; and could I live with myself after I'd done it?
 
 35
 
 I HATE BEING awake at three in the morning。 It is the godforsaken heart of darkness when the body runs slow; and the brain runs slower; and all you want to do is sleep。 But I had promises to keep; and miles to go before I could sleep。 Or at least a couple of miracles to perform before I could go to bed。
 Dr。 Lillian had unhooked Gregory's IV; but he was still bundled in the quilts。 He sat on the picnic table on the deck; cradled between Zane and Cherry。 Dr。 Lillian kept touching Gregory; checking his pulse; how clammy his skin was。 She was frowning and clearly not happy。 Nathaniel stayed by them; keeping the picnic table between him and Richard。 Richard hadn't tried to hurt him again; in fact; he'd ignored him studiously。 The other cats milled around near the sliding glass doors。 The two wererat bodyguards; Claudia and Igor; were standing to one side of me as I leaned on the railing。 They started following me around when Richard came out with his bandaged arm and Jamil and Shang…Da at his back。
 Richard's power crept on the summer darkness like close thunder; making the hot; sticky night even thicker and making it harder to breathe。 I think it was the press of his power; the edge of his anger; that made the wererats start acting like bodyguards。 I'd tried telling them that Richard wouldn't hurt me; but Claudia had shrugged; and said; 〃Rafael told us to keep you safe; and that's what we're going to do。〃
 〃Even if I tell you that there is no threat?〃
 She shrugged again。 〃I'd say; you're a little too close to this one to make a sound judgment call。〃
 I'd glanced at Igor。 〃You agree with her?〃
 〃I never argue with a lady; especially one that can beat me at arm wrestling。〃
 Igor's logic was hard to argue with; but it meant that I had acquired two tall; muscular shadows; and it irritated me。 But neither of them gave a damn whether I was happy or not。 They were following Rafael's orders; and my wishes didn't count。
 So Richard and his bodyguards; and me; with mine; stood on the deck; facing Stephen; who had stripped off in preparation for the change。 If you made the change with clothes on; you ruined them。 Shapeshifters either haunted the thrift shops; looking for old clothes to wear on the night of the full moon; or went nude。
 We all stood there in the circle of Richard's power。 The energy built around us like invisible lightning lashing around us。 The power literally crackled; raising the hair on our arms; raising the hair on our heads; like the hackles on a dog。
 Jamil said; 〃Richard 。。。 〃 But one glance from Richard stopped him in mid…sentence。 The power rose another notch; squeezing around us like some kind of giant hand。
 〃What's wrong; Richard? What's with the power display?〃 I asked。
 He turned to me; and the anger in 

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