lh.narcissusinchains-第138章

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！


　Burns　traced　her　pale　shoulders。　The　rest　of　her　chest　was　bare　and　lovely　and　unharmed；　but　as　she　turned　to　show　her　back；　Gil　gasped。　Her　back　was　patterned　with　burns；　no；　not　burns；　brands。　Someone　had　branded　her　over　and　over　again。　The　burns　were　fresh；　some　of　them　bloody　raw；　some　with　crisp　blackened　skin；　as　if　the　pressure　hadn't　been　even　every　time。　Some　of　the　marks　were　smeared　around　the　edges；　as　if　she'd　moved；　struggled。
　She　turned　back　to　face　me；　tears　glittering　in　her　eyes。　〃Every　time　Chimera　sent　Micah　out　he　had　Violet　or　me　with　him。　If　Micah　didn't　do　what　he　was　told　to　do；　then　he'd　hurt　us。〃　She　started　walking　towards　me；　hands　holding　her　arms；　as　if　to　hold　herself　steady；　but　every　step　hurt；　and　it　showed　in　the　flinching　of　her　eyes。　〃What　would　you　do　to　keep　this　from　happening　to　Nathaniel？〃
　I　met　her　eyes；　but　it　took　effort。　〃I'd　do　a　lot；　but　I　wouldn't　betray　anyone。〃
　The　tears　started　slowly　down　her　face；　as　if　she　were　fighting　not　to　cry。
　〃He　tortured　Micah　because　Micah　refused　to　help　lure　you　into　the　ambush。　Chimera　is　going　to　kill　him；　because　he　says　that　Micah　is　no　longer　his　cat；　but　yours；　that　the　wiles　of　a　woman　have　won　his　loyalty。〃　She　sobbed；　and　the　movement　must　have　hurt；　because　she　bent　forward；　body　spasming。　I　caught　her　by　the　arms　to　keep　her　from　falling。
　〃Oh；　God；〃　she　whispered；　〃it　hurts。〃
　My　throat　was　tight。　I　held　her　elbows　until　she　could　stand　again。
　〃I'm　Chimera's　message　to　you；　Anita。　He　says　he'll　do　this　to　your　leopard　if　you　don't　e　back　with　us。〃
　〃You're　not　going　back　there；〃　I　said。
　〃He　still　has　Cherry　and　Micah。　If　I　don't　go　back　he'll　do　this　to　her。　I　don't　think　she'd　survive　it。〃　I　understood　what　Gina　meant。　Not　Cherry's　body；　but　her　mind。
　She　began　to　collapse　towards　the　floor；　slowly；　me　supporting　her　as　gently　as　I　could。　〃Micah　knew　what　would　happen　to　him　when　he　refused　to　help　trap　you；　but　he　still　did　it。〃　She　was　on　her　knees　now；　her　hands　gripping　my　arms　tight；　tight　enough　to　hurt。　〃I　would　have　lied　and　agreed　to　do　anything　to　keep　this　from　happening　to　me。〃　She　sobbed　again；　and　I　held　her　arms　to　keep　her　from　falling　backwards　onto　her　back　on　the　floor。　I　held　her　while　she　shook　in　pain；　and　when　she　quieted；　she　said；　in　a　voice　more　tears　than　noise；　〃I　would　have　betrayed　anyone　to　stop　him　from　hurting　me。　But　he　didn't　want　anything　from　me。　Nothing　I　could　say；　or　do；　would　stop　it。　Chimera　promised　Micah　that　only　he　would　suffer　for　refusing；　then　once　he　was　chained　up　and　couldn't　get　away　they　brought　me　in　and　made　him　watch。〃　She　looked　at　me；　eyes　wide；　full　of　awful　things。　〃Chimera　would　have　made　Cherry　or　me　take　animal　form。　He　said　he'd　never　had　a　female　beast　before。〃
　〃That's　what　he　calls　those　of　us　trapped　between　forms；〃　Zeke　said。
　Gina's　fingers　dug　into　my　arm；　just　a　little。　〃Micah　took　our　place。　He's　alpha　enough　to　have　kept　human　form。　He　risked　his　human　form　for　us。　Merle　was　our　Nimir…Raj　but　he　wouldn't　risk　his　humanity　for　us。　Micah　took　his　place；　our　place。　He's　our　Nimir…Raj　because　he　loves　us；　all　of　us。　Micah　offered　to　betray　you　to　stop　them　from　hurting　me；　but　Chimera　said　he　could　smell　that　Micah　was　lying　and　that　he　would　just　get　away　and　warn　you。　So　he　sent　me　with　Zeke；　because　he　trusts　Zeke。〃
　I　looked　at　Zeke　over　her　slowly　collapsing　form；　trying　to　cradle　her　as　she　slid　down；　and　not　hurt　her；　but　everything　seemed　to　hurt。　She　was　making　small　mewling　sounds　by　the　time　I　helped　her　lower　herself　to　the　floor。　There　was　something　in　Zeke's　human　eyes　that　didn't　need　facial　expressions　to　interpret。
　〃Chimera　must　be　stopped；〃　Zeke　said；　softly。　〃He　must　be　stopped。〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said；　still　holding　one　of　Gina's　hands；　〃yes；　he　must　be　stopped。〃
　〃Stopped；　hell；〃　Bobby　Lee　said；　〃we　need　to　kill　his　ass。〃
　I　nodded。　〃That；　too。〃
　
　64
　
　WE　MADE　IT　back　to　the　club　with　a　little　time　to　spare。　The　wererats　had　arrived　in　force　at　my　house；　and　I'd　left　Rafael　in　charge　of　the　rescue；　because　that's　what　it　would　be。　I　was　letting　Zeke　take　me　into　the　bad　guy's　lair　unarmed。　Zeke　would　be　carrying　my　weapons；　and　theoretically　he'd　give　them　back　to　me　if　I　needed　them；　theoretically。　But　theory　and　practice　aren't　always　the　same　thing。　Zeke　had　tried　to　kill　me　once；　now　I　was　supposed　to　trust　him　with　my　life。　It　seemed　a　bad　idea；　but　I　was　still　going　to　do　it。　With　enough　time　maybe　we　could　have　e　up　with　a　better　plan；　but　we　didn't　have　the　time。　Not　if　we　hoped　to　save　Cherry　and　Micah。
　It　seemed　like　I'd　spent　most　of　the　last　four　years　arriving　too　late。　Too　late　to　save　people；　too　late　to　keep　the　monsters　away。　I　was　cleanup　crew；　someone　that　came　after　the　bodies　were　scattered　around　and　mopped　up　the　mess。　I　killed　the　monsters；　but　only　after　they'd　done　terrible　things。　Even　now；　Chimera　had　already　butchered　and　tortured；　but　I　could　confess　to　myself；　if　to　no　one　else；　that　part　of　me　didn't　give　a　damn　about　the　others。　I　mean；　I　was　sorry　for　Gina's　pain　and　Bacchus's　lover；　and　Ajax　getting　chopped　up；　but　they　were　abstract　to　me。　Cherry　and　Micah　were　real。　How　very　quickly　Micah　had　bee　that　real　to　me　frightened　me；　but　if　I　didn't　look　too　closely　at　it；　I　could　keep　moving　forward；　could　keep　thinking　clearly；　could　keep　breathing　normally。　Thinking　too　much　tended　to　make　my　thoughts　jump　around；　my　breath　e　a　little　too　fast。
　The　main　part　of　the　club　had　been　dark　and　empty。　The　party；　as　they　say；　was　upstairs。　It　was　the　room　at　the　end　of　the　big　white　hallway　that　we'd　gone　down　to　rescue　Nathaniel　and　Gregory　days　ago。　Chimera　waited　outside　the　door　in　his　black　hood；　and　his　eye　slits　were　unzipped　so　I　could　see　pale　gray　eyes。　He　wore　a　rather　ordinary　looking　suit；　plete　with　tightly　knotted　tie　and　white　shirt　that　met　oddly　with　the　black　leather　of　the　hood。　He　had　his　hands　behind　him；　leaning　against　his　arms。　He　was　trying　for　casual　and　failing。　He　was　nervous；　and　I　didn't　need　any　lycanthrope　powers　to　notice。
　Gina　had　needed　help　from　two　of　the　werehyenas　to　make　the　steps。　Zeke　and　I　could　have　helped　her；　but　he　was　pretending　to　guard　me；　and　Gina　had　a　note　under　her　shawl　to　slip　the　hyenas。　The　note　was　from　Bacchus；　asking　one　of　them　to　let　him　in　the　secret　entrance。　Apparently　Chimera　had　never　asked　if　there　was　a　secret　entrance　to　the　club；　so　no　one　had　told　him。
　Chimera's　eyes　looked　past　me　to　her。　〃Gina　。。。　〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃Take　her　away；　get　her　some　medical　care。〃
　The　two　hyenas　didn't　argue；　just　turned　and　went　back　down　the　hallway。　The　snake　man　that　had　been　with　them　stayed　where　he　was；　his　black…and…green　striped　eyes　never　leaving　Chimera's　face。　I　would　have　said　he　stood　at　attention　like　a　good　soldier；　but　it　was　more　than　that。　There　was　something　on　his　face　that　went　beyond　that；　as　if　standing　there　waiting　for　Chimera's　orders　was　the　most　wonderful　thing　in　the　world。　That　look　of　patient　adoration　was　creepy　all　on　its　own；　and　I　knew　why　Bacchus　had　said　the　snakes　had　to　die。　Not　because　of　what　they'd　done　to　the　hyenas；　not　revenge；　but　because　people　who　worship　their　kings　as　gods　don't　participate　in　palace　revolts。
　〃I　wasn't　sure　you'd　e；　Ms。　Blake。〃
　The　voice　was　familiar；　but　I　couldn't　quite　place　from　where。　〃You　didn't　give　me　much　choice。〃
　〃And　for　that　I　am　sorry。〃
　〃Sorry　enough　to　let　me　take　my　leopards　and　go　home？〃
　He　almost　smiled；　but　shook　his　head。　〃Micah　is　not　your　leopard；　he's　mine；　Ms。　Blake。〃
　Again；　the　voice　rang　familiar；　but　I　couldn't　place　it。　I　shrugged。　〃You　got　me　down　here　with　the　understanding　that　both　Cherry　and　Micah　would　be　set　free；　unhurt。　Sounds　like　they're　both　mine。〃
　He　shook　his　head　again。　〃To　give　up　Micah　I　would　have　to　give　up　all　my　leopards；　and　I　am　not　willing　to　do　that。〃
　〃Then　you　lied　to　get　me　down　here。〃
　〃No；　Ms。　Blake。〃　He　took　his　hands　out　from　behind　his　back。　He　wore　black　leather　gloves。　〃Join　your　pard　to　ours；　strengthen　us。〃
　I　shook　my　head。　〃I　came　down　here　to　free　my　people；　not　to　join　your　club。〃
　He　looked　at　Zeke。　〃Didn't　you　explain　to　her　what　I　wanted？〃
　Ze