lhamilton.thekillingdance-第87章

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　Edward　didn't　argue；　he　simply　nodded　and　slid　one　arm　around　my　waist。
　Harley　handed　my　knives　and　the　Browning　to　Edward。　I　was　inches　away；　but　he　didn't　try　to　touch　me。　He　looked　past　me　as　if　I　wasn't　there。　Maybe；　for　him；　I　wasn't。　I　cut　the　legs　of　my　jeans　off；　which　left　me　in　nothing　but　underwear　and　Nikes　from　the　waist　down；　but　I　could　run　now；　and　we　needed　to　run。　I　could　feel　it。　I　could　feel　the　power　growing　on　the　summer　night。　Dominic　was　preparing　the　blade。　I　could　taste　it。　I　prayed　as　we　ran。　Prayed　that　we'd　be　in　time。
　
　
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　We　ran。　I　ran　until　I　thought　my　heart　would　burst；　jumping　trees　and　dodging　things　in　the　dark　only　half…felt　and　not　seen　at　all。　Branches　and　weeds　raked　my　legs　in　thin　scratches。　A　branch　caught　my　cheek　and　sent　me　stumbling。　Edward　caught　me。　Harley　said；　〃What　is　that？〃
　There　was　a　bright；　white　glow　through　the　trees。　It　wasn't　fire。　〃Crosses；〃　I　said。
　〃What？〃　Harley　asked。
　〃They've　hung　Jean…Claude　with　crosses。〃　As　the　words　left　my　mouth；　I　knew　they　were　the　truth。　I　ran　towards　the　glow。　Edward　and　Harley　followed。
　I　spilled　out　to　the　edge　of　the　clearing　with　them　at　my　back。　I　raised　the　Browning　without　thinking　about　it。　I　had　a　second　to　take　it　all　in。　Richard　and　Jean…Claude　were　bound　so　thick　with　chains　that　they　could　barely　move；　let　alone　escape。　A　cross　had　been　thrown　around　Jean…Claude's　neck。　It　glowed　like　a　captive　star；　resting　on　the　folds　of　chain。　Someone　had　blindfolded　him　as　if　afraid　the　glow　would　hurt　his　eyes。　Which　was　odd；　since　they　meant　to　kill　him。　Considerate　murderers。
　Richard　was　gagged。　He'd　managed　to　work　one　hand　free；　and　he　and　Jean…Claude　were　touching　fingertips；　straining　to　retain　that　touch。
　Dominic　stood　over　them　in　a　white　ceremonial　robe。　The　hood　was　thrown　back；　his　arms　wide；　holding　a　short　sword　half　the　length　of　my　body。　He　held　something　dark　in　his　other　hand。　Something　that　pulsed　and　seemed　to　live。　It　was　a　heart。　Robert　the　vampire's　heart。
　Sabin　sat　in　Marcus's　stone　chair；　dressed　as　I'd　seen　him　last；　hood　up；　hiding　in　the　shadows。　Cassandra　was　a　shining　whiteness　on　the　other　side　of　the　circle　of　power；　forming　the　last　point　of　a　triangle　with　her　two　men。　My　two　men　lay　bound　on　the　ground。
　I　pointed　the　Browning　at　Dominic　and　fired。　The　bullet　left　the　gun。　I　heard　it；　I　saw　it；　but　it　didn't　go　near　Dominic。　It　didn't　seem　to　go　anywhere。　I　blew　my　breath　out　and　tried　again。
　Dominic　stared　at　me。　His　dark…bearded　face　was　calm；　totally　unafraid。　〃You　are　of　the　dead；　Anita　Blake；　neither　you；　nor　anything　of　yours　may　pass　this　circle。　You　have　e　only　to　watch　them　die。〃
　〃You've　lost；　Dominic；　why　kill　them　at　all；　now？〃
　〃We　will　never　find　what　we　need　again；〃　the　necromancer　said。
　Sabin　spoke；　his　voice　thick；　awkward；　as　if　talking　was　hard。　〃It　must　be　tonight。〃　He　pushed　to　his　feet　and　shoved　the　hood　back。　His　flesh　was　almost　pletely　gone；　only　straggles　of　hair　and　raw；　putrefying　tissue　were　left。　Dark　liquid　oozed　from　his　mouth。　Maybe　he　didn't　have　one　more　night　of　sanity。　But　that　wasn't　my　problem。
　〃The　vampire　council　has　forbidden　any　of　you　to　fight　each　other　until　Brewster's　Law　is　either　passed　or　voted　down。　They'll　kill　you　for　disobeying　them。〃　I　was　half　guessing　on　this；　but　I'd　been　around　enough　masters　of　the　city　to　know　how　very　seriously　they　took　disobedience。　The　council　was；　in　fact；　the　biggest；　baddest；　master　of　the　city　around。　They　would　be　less　forgiving；　not　more。
　〃I　will　take　that　chance；〃　Sabin　said；　every　word　careful；　showing　the　effort　it　took　to　speak。
　〃Did　Cassandra　tell　you　about　my　offer？　If　we　can't　cure　you　tomorrow；　I'll　let　Jean…Claude　mark　me。　Tonight　you　only　have　part　of　what　you　need　for　the　spell。　You　need　me；　Sabin；　one　way　or　another；　you　need　me。〃　I　didn't　tell　them　I　was　already　marked。　They　obviously　hadn't　felt　it。　If　they　knew　I　was　already　marked；　all　I　could　offer　was　to　die　tonight　with　the　boys。
　Dominic　shook　his　head。　〃I　have　searched　Sabin's　body；　Anita。　Tomorrow　will　be　too　late。　There　will　be　nothing　to　save。〃　He　dropped　to　his　knees　beside　Richard。
　〃You　don't　know　that　for　sure；〃　I　said。
　He　laid　the　still…beating　heart　on　top　of　Richard's　bare　chest。
　〃Dominic；　please！〃
　It　was　too　late　for　lies。　〃I'm　marked；　Dominic。　We're　the　perfect　sacrifice。　Open　the　circle；　and　I'll　e　inside。〃
　He　looked　at　me。　〃If　this　is　true；　then　you　are　all　far　too　dangerous　to　trust。　The　three　of　you　together　without　the　circle　would　overwhelm　us。　You　see；　Anita；　I　have　been　part　of　a　true　triumvirate　for　centuries。　You　have　no　dreams　of　the　power　you　can　touch。　You　and　Richard　are　more　powerful　than　Cassandra　and　I。　You　would　have　been　a　force　to　be　reckoned　with。　The　council　itself　might　have　feared　you。〃　He　laughed。　〃They　may　forgive　us　for　that　alone。〃
　He　spoke　words　that　curled　power　over　me。
　I　walked　to　the　edge　of　the　circle　and　touched　it。　It　was　like　my　skin　tried　to　crawl　off　my　bones。　I　fell　forward　and　slid　down　something　that　couldn't　be　there。　Jean…Claude　shrieked。　It　hurt　too　much　for　me　to　scream。　I　lay　curled　by　the　circle；　and　even　when　I　breathed；　I　could　taste　death；　old；　rotting　death　in　my　mouth。
　Edward　knelt　by　me。　〃What　is　it？〃
　〃Without　your　other　parts；　you　do　not　have　the　power　to　force　this　circle；　Anita。〃　Dominic　got　to　his　feet；　raising　the　sword　two…handed　for　a　downward　blow。
　Dolph　had　passed　the　circle　earlier　in　the　room　where　they　had　taken　Robert's　heart。　I　grabbed　Edward's　shirt。　〃You　pass　the　circle。　Now。　And　kill　that　son　of　a　bitch。〃
　〃If　you　can't；　how　can　I？〃
　〃You're　not　magic；　that's　how。〃
　It　was　one　of　those　rare　moments　when　you　understand　how　great　trust　can　be。　Edward　knew　nothing　about　the　ceremony；　yet　he　didn't　argue。　He　accepted　what　I　said；　and　simply　did　it。　I　wasn't　a　hundred　percent　sure　it　would　work；　myself；　but　it　had　to。
　Dominic　brought　the　sword　down。　I　screamed。　Edward　crossed　the　circle　like　it　wasn't　there。　The　sword　bit　into　Richard's　chest；　pinning　the　beating　heart　to　his　body。　The　pain　of　the　blade　drove　me　to　my　knees。　I　felt　it　enter　Richard's　body。　Then　I　felt　nothing；　like　a　switch　had　been　turned　off。　Edward's　shotgun　blast　took　Dominic　in　the　chest。
　Dominic　didn't　fall。　He　stared　at　the　hole　in　his　chest　and　then　at　Edward。　He　pulled　the　sword　out　of　Richard's　chest　and　slid　the　still…beating　heart　off　it。　He　faced　Edward　with　the　sword　in　one　hand　and　the　heart　in　the　other。　Edward　fired　again；　and　Cassandra　leapt　on　his　back。
　Harley　crossed　the　circle　then。　He　grabbed　Cassandra　around　the　waist　and　pulled　her　off　of　Edward。　They　fell；　rolling　to　the　ground。　A　gun　sounded；　and　Cassandra's　body　jerked；　but　her　dainty　fist　came　up　and　smashed　downward。
　Edward　fired　the　shotgun　until　Dominic's　face　vanished　in　a　spray　of　blood　and　bones；　and　he　fell　slowly　to　his　knees。　His　outstretched　hand　spilled　the　heart　onto　the　ground　beside　Richard's　terribly　still　body。
　Sabin　levitated　upward。　〃I　will　have　your　soul　for　that；　mortal。〃
　I　ran　my　fingers　over　the　circle　and　it　was　still　there。　Edward　started　to　turn　the　shotgun　towards　the　vampire。　The　naked　heart　pulsed　and　shimmered　in　the　cross's　glare。
　〃The　heart；　shoot　the　heart！〃
　Edward　didn't　hesitate。　He　turned　and　shot　the　heart；　exploding　it　into　so　much　meat。　Sabin　hit　him　a　second　later　and　he　went　flying。　He　ended　up　very　still　on　the　ground　with　Sabin　on　top　of　him。
　I　pushed　my　hand　forward。　It　met　empty　air。　I　fired　two…handed　at　Sabin　as　I　walked　towards　him。　I　put　three　shots　into　his　chest；　forcing　him　to　his　feet；　back　from　Edward。
　Sabin　raised　a　hand　in　front　of　his　skeletal　face；　almost　a　pleading　gesture。　I　stared　down　the　barrel　of　the　gun　into　his　one　good　eye　and　pulled　the　trigger。　The　bullet　took　him　just　above　the　crumbling　remains　of　his　nose。　It　made　a　nice　big　exit　wound　like　it　was　supposed　to；　spattering　blood　and　brains　on　the　grass。　Sabin　collapsed　backwards　onto　the　grass。　I　fired　two　more　shots　into　his　skull　until　it　looked　like　I'd　decapitated　him。
　〃Edward？〃　It　was　Harley。　He　was　standing　over　Cassandra's　very　still；　very　dead　body。　His　eyes　searched　wildly