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.Dragging my gaze back toward the Collector, I forced my face to what I hoped was blank.Myeyes tripped over Elizabeth.She wore a small, I-know-a-secret smile again.She delicatelypushed off the ground and sauntered to the Collector s side.She curtseyed, then, at theCollector s nod, leaned in and whispered something in a lyrical language I couldn t follow.By the time she finished, the Collector was also smiling.Her eyes sparkled as she glanced at me.Then they went black.The room slipped away in darkness the darkness I d seen in her eyes.What ? I tried to lookaround, but there was nothing, no one, just blackness.The void? But it wasn t.The void wasoppressive in its vast nothingness.This, this was darkness filled with a presence.The presenceso close, so all encompassing, that I felt like I was suffocating.Vamp powers.It had to be. Return to your true master, child, a voice in the darkness commanded.The words seeped under my skin.Urged me to move.To go.The darkness pulled back,revealing ghost-like silhouettes around me.Nathanial stood out more clearly than the othergray shapes.I had to go to him.I needed to.Springing to my feet, I reached for him, but I couldn t move.Something held me back, held mestill.I frowned.I had to move.Had to go.I glanced back.A gray ghost of Tatius clung to my arm.Gray light glowed in the center of his face, growing lighter, brighter until green burst throughthe obscuring fog.His eyes.The light he generated reached for my flesh and his control slipped over my body.I couldn tmove, but I still wanted to.The world remained gray except Tatius s eyes and glimpses of Nathanial. Do you think you can hold her? Can fight me? the voice in the darkness asked, and the foggrew thicker, the suffocating presence heavier. Twice Dead Haven 02 Page 97 of 246The fog billowed around Tatius.The brilliant green light faded.My body became mine again.Itugged my arm from Tatius s grasp and ran for Nathanial.His ghost accepted me with openarms, pulling me against his chest.Color poured over the world in a dizzying kaleidoscope.I blinked.Nathanial s familiar scentsurrounded me.Oh crap.The Collector had vamped out, had done something to me.It wasn t my fault.Butwould that matter to Tatius? I pushed against Nathanial until he released me enough I couldmove.Then I twisted so I could face the room. As I suspected, the Collector said, her eyes brown again.Shaking her head, she stood and walked toward me.I cringed from her hand as she reached formy face, but I had nowhere to go with Nathanial s body behind me.She touched my cheek onlybriefly with her cool fingertips before turning to face Tatius. Dear boy, you who have stolen somany companions but never sired one of your own, you could not possibly understand what amaster goes through when their companion is taken from them. She gave him a sad smile, andhis face darkened. I Tatius started. Silence, she snapped, and turned her back on him.She gave him her back? Trust or& dismissal? Definitely dismissal.She d just declared Tatius nota threat.Over her shoulder, I saw him bristle.His anger wrapped around him, and thecandlelight flickered, each tiny flame shivering in the rising tension.The Collector didn t seem to notice. Hermit, she said, I have a proposition for you.Come to my city, bring your companion, and Ipromise no one will take her away from you. I swallowed and glanced at Nathanial.His face was carefully empty as his gaze traveled from meto Tatius then back to me again.The Collector watched him with a growing smile. You need not decide on the spot, Hermit.But soon, very soon. She gestured to the Traveler,and he and Elizabeth hurried to her side.Tatius strolled across the room, his stance casual, and yet the fluidity of his movements spokeof a predator prepared to pounce.He stepped between the Collector and me, knockingNathanial s hand from my waist as almost an afterthought. How dare you come into my city and cause such disruption. He crossed his arms over hischest, and though he loomed over the Collector, she managed to stare down her nose at him. Twice Dead Haven 02 Page 98 of 246He stepped forward, into her space. You ve made allegations, insulted my hospitality, and nowyou are trying to fracture my council? I want you out of my city. She laughed, a mirthless sound. You don t have the power to back up that command if Ichoose to stay.You couldn t even hold onto an infant vampire you d already begun to bind. Nathanial stepped around me, blocking me from the rest of the room as the other councilmembers surged to their feet, responding to the Collector s blatant threat.The vampires liningthe walls on both sides of the room straightened.Neck ties were loosened.Knuckles werecracked.The possibility of violence saturated the air.Filled it until I was afraid any movementmight ignite bloodshed.Someone yelled, and every gaze in the room locked on the hall s door as it swung open.Thebeefy enforcer the Collector had brought with her the night before stormed into the room.He carried a box with him, innocuous enough in appearance, but the scent of old blood, ofdeath, reached me across the room.My fingers dug into the sides of Nathanial s tux, and hishands moved to cover mine. Something dead, I whispered, as quietly as possible, and heads swiveled my direction.The enforcer knelt before the Collector, his head bowed over the box. Forgive the interruption,Mistress.This was just delivered. He opened the box and held it out for her inspection.Her eyes rounded like the dots on exclamation points, and for once, I didn t think her display ofemotion was measured or feigned.Her fingers shook as she reached into the box.Her hand emerged with her fingers twisted in short brown tuffs of hair attached to the death-slackened head of a stranger.His jaw hung open, revealing two gaps in his top gums.Gapswhere his fangs had been removed. What is the meaning of this, Puppet Master? The Collector s voice trembled slightly, but Icouldn t tell if it was shock or anger.Probably both.Tatius glanced around his court, then his gaze landed on Nuri.She shook her head and heturned back to the Collector. I m at a loss. At a loss? At a loss? Her voice lifted from her regular tenor [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Dragging my gaze back toward the Collector, I forced my face to what I hoped was blank.Myeyes tripped over Elizabeth.She wore a small, I-know-a-secret smile again.She delicatelypushed off the ground and sauntered to the Collector s side.She curtseyed, then, at theCollector s nod, leaned in and whispered something in a lyrical language I couldn t follow.By the time she finished, the Collector was also smiling.Her eyes sparkled as she glanced at me.Then they went black.The room slipped away in darkness the darkness I d seen in her eyes.What ? I tried to lookaround, but there was nothing, no one, just blackness.The void? But it wasn t.The void wasoppressive in its vast nothingness.This, this was darkness filled with a presence.The presenceso close, so all encompassing, that I felt like I was suffocating.Vamp powers.It had to be. Return to your true master, child, a voice in the darkness commanded.The words seeped under my skin.Urged me to move.To go.The darkness pulled back,revealing ghost-like silhouettes around me.Nathanial stood out more clearly than the othergray shapes.I had to go to him.I needed to.Springing to my feet, I reached for him, but I couldn t move.Something held me back, held mestill.I frowned.I had to move.Had to go.I glanced back.A gray ghost of Tatius clung to my arm.Gray light glowed in the center of his face, growing lighter, brighter until green burst throughthe obscuring fog.His eyes.The light he generated reached for my flesh and his control slipped over my body.I couldn tmove, but I still wanted to.The world remained gray except Tatius s eyes and glimpses of Nathanial. Do you think you can hold her? Can fight me? the voice in the darkness asked, and the foggrew thicker, the suffocating presence heavier. Twice Dead Haven 02 Page 97 of 246The fog billowed around Tatius.The brilliant green light faded.My body became mine again.Itugged my arm from Tatius s grasp and ran for Nathanial.His ghost accepted me with openarms, pulling me against his chest.Color poured over the world in a dizzying kaleidoscope.I blinked.Nathanial s familiar scentsurrounded me.Oh crap.The Collector had vamped out, had done something to me.It wasn t my fault.Butwould that matter to Tatius? I pushed against Nathanial until he released me enough I couldmove.Then I twisted so I could face the room. As I suspected, the Collector said, her eyes brown again.Shaking her head, she stood and walked toward me.I cringed from her hand as she reached formy face, but I had nowhere to go with Nathanial s body behind me.She touched my cheek onlybriefly with her cool fingertips before turning to face Tatius. Dear boy, you who have stolen somany companions but never sired one of your own, you could not possibly understand what amaster goes through when their companion is taken from them. She gave him a sad smile, andhis face darkened. I Tatius started. Silence, she snapped, and turned her back on him.She gave him her back? Trust or& dismissal? Definitely dismissal.She d just declared Tatius nota threat.Over her shoulder, I saw him bristle.His anger wrapped around him, and thecandlelight flickered, each tiny flame shivering in the rising tension.The Collector didn t seem to notice. Hermit, she said, I have a proposition for you.Come to my city, bring your companion, and Ipromise no one will take her away from you. I swallowed and glanced at Nathanial.His face was carefully empty as his gaze traveled from meto Tatius then back to me again.The Collector watched him with a growing smile. You need not decide on the spot, Hermit.But soon, very soon. She gestured to the Traveler,and he and Elizabeth hurried to her side.Tatius strolled across the room, his stance casual, and yet the fluidity of his movements spokeof a predator prepared to pounce.He stepped between the Collector and me, knockingNathanial s hand from my waist as almost an afterthought. How dare you come into my city and cause such disruption. He crossed his arms over hischest, and though he loomed over the Collector, she managed to stare down her nose at him. Twice Dead Haven 02 Page 98 of 246He stepped forward, into her space. You ve made allegations, insulted my hospitality, and nowyou are trying to fracture my council? I want you out of my city. She laughed, a mirthless sound. You don t have the power to back up that command if Ichoose to stay.You couldn t even hold onto an infant vampire you d already begun to bind. Nathanial stepped around me, blocking me from the rest of the room as the other councilmembers surged to their feet, responding to the Collector s blatant threat.The vampires liningthe walls on both sides of the room straightened.Neck ties were loosened.Knuckles werecracked.The possibility of violence saturated the air.Filled it until I was afraid any movementmight ignite bloodshed.Someone yelled, and every gaze in the room locked on the hall s door as it swung open.Thebeefy enforcer the Collector had brought with her the night before stormed into the room.He carried a box with him, innocuous enough in appearance, but the scent of old blood, ofdeath, reached me across the room.My fingers dug into the sides of Nathanial s tux, and hishands moved to cover mine. Something dead, I whispered, as quietly as possible, and heads swiveled my direction.The enforcer knelt before the Collector, his head bowed over the box. Forgive the interruption,Mistress.This was just delivered. He opened the box and held it out for her inspection.Her eyes rounded like the dots on exclamation points, and for once, I didn t think her display ofemotion was measured or feigned.Her fingers shook as she reached into the box.Her hand emerged with her fingers twisted in short brown tuffs of hair attached to the death-slackened head of a stranger.His jaw hung open, revealing two gaps in his top gums.Gapswhere his fangs had been removed. What is the meaning of this, Puppet Master? The Collector s voice trembled slightly, but Icouldn t tell if it was shock or anger.Probably both.Tatius glanced around his court, then his gaze landed on Nuri.She shook her head and heturned back to the Collector. I m at a loss. At a loss? At a loss? Her voice lifted from her regular tenor [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]