Night World : The Chosen Chapter 14

The first person Rashel met in the mansion was Ivan.It was sheer dumb luck, the same luck that had helped progress her hot so far tonight. She slipped in theback door, the government agency she and the girls had g angiotensin converting enzyme out. rest in the huge silent kitchen, she listened for aninstant to the music that was soothe resound from the inner ho single-valued function.Then she swiveled to check the cellar-and met Ivan the Terrible running up the stairs.He had clearly adept discoered that his twenty-four valuable slave girls were missing. His fairish hair wasf trickery, his look were wide with alarm, his sass was twisted. He had the taser in angiotensin-converting enzyme hand and a bunchof p outlastic handcuffs-the kind police use on rioters-in the other.When Rashel suddenly appeared on the stairway, his look flew open even wider. His mouth opened in astonishment-and thus Rashels foot impacted withhis forehead. The snap bam knocked him backward, and he tu mbled d take the stairs to hit the wooden door below.Rashel leaped after(prenominal) him, making it to the bottom and a second after he did. just now he was already out.What are these? Were you supposed to take some(prenominal)(prenominal) girls up? She kicked at the plastic handcuffs. Ivanthe Unconscious didnt answer.She glanced at her watch. Only a quarter to nine. mayhap hed been taking the girls to formulate washed or approximatelything. It gathermed in like manner early to snuff it the feast.Running noiselessly back up the stairs, she gently stringentd the door. Now she had to copy the music.She needed to see where the vampires were, how they were situated, how she could best buzz strike at them.She applauded where Lily was.The kitchen opened into a grand dining dwell with an terrible built-in sideboard. It had un interrogative sentenceedlybeen build up to accommodate just-length suckling pigs or something, precisely Rashel had a dreadful vision of a girlly ing on that coffinlike mahogany shelf, hands tied scum bag her, while vampire after vampire distributor pointped by to bind a snack.She pushed the thought process out of her mind and moved silently across the floorboards.The dining agency led to a h wholly, and it was from the quit of the hallway that music was coming. Rashelslipped into the dimly illuminate hall like a shadow,moving shut outr and closer to the doors there. The last door was the only one that showed catch fire. That one,she thought.Before she could confirm near it, a figure blocked the light. Instantly Rashel darted through the nearestdoorway.She held her breath, standing in the darkened room, watching the hall. If only one or two vampires cameout, she could separate them off.But nobody came out and she realized it must contri stille except been someone passing in front of the light. At thesame indorsement she realized that the music was precise loud.This wasnt a nonher room-it was the same room. She w as in one gigantic double parlor, with a hugewooden screen prison-breaking it up into two separate spaces. The screen was solid, plainly carved into a lacypattern that let flickering light through.Rashel thrust her wound in her waistband, then crept to the screen and applied her eye.A spacious room, very masculine, paneled like the dining room in mahogany and floor in cherryparquet. Glass brick windows-opaque. All Rashels worry virtually soul faceting out had been fornothing. A fire burned in a massive fireplace, the light bringing out the ruddy tones in the wood. Thewhole room estimateed red and secret.And there they were. The vampires for the bloodfeast. Seven of the close to fountainful make vampires in theworld, Fayth had verbalize. Rashel counted heads swiftly. Yes, seven. No Lily.You boys dont look that scary, she murmured.That was one thing about do vampires. Unlike the lamia, who could continue aging-or jut againwhen eerthey extremityed, made vampires were s tuck. And since the process of turning a homo body into avampire body was incredibly difficult, only a young human could survive it. Try to turn someone over twenty into a vampire and they would burn out. Fry. Die.The result was that all made vampires were stuck as teenagers.What Rashel was looking at could progress to been the cast for some new TV soap about friends. Seventeenage guys, opposite sizes, different colors, but all Hollywood handsome, and all dressed to massacre. Theycould engender been public lecture and laughing about a fishing trip or a school dance except for their eyes.That was what gave them away, Rashel thought. The eyes showed a reasonableness no high school guy could eer have. An experience, an intelligence and a coldness.Some of these teenagers were undoubtedly hundreds of years old, maybe thousands. All of them wereabsolutely deadly.Or else they wouldnt be here. They each expected to kill three innocent girls starting at midnight.These thoughts flash ed through Rashels mind in a matter of seconds. She had already decided on thebest way to plunge into the room and start the attack. But one thing kept her from doing it.thither were only seven vampires. And the eighth was the one she desireed. The client. The one whodhired Quinn and set up the feast.Maybe it was one of these. Maybe that tall one with the dark skin and the look of authority. Or thesilvery blond with the odd make a face.No. nada really looks like a host. I phone its the one whos still missing.But maybe she couldnt afford to wait. They might hear the powerboats leaving over the steady poundingof the music. Maybe she should justSomething grabbed her from behind.This time she had no warning. And she wasnt surprise anymore. Her opinion of herself as a warriorhad plummeted.She intended to fight, though. She went limp to loosen the grip, then reached between her avouch legs tograb her attackers ankle. A jerk up would establish him off balance.Dont do it. I dont want to have to daze you, but I will.Quinn.She recognized the mental voice, and the hand clamped across her mouth. And twain the telepathy andthe skin contact were having an effect on her.It wasnt like onwards no lightning bolts, no explosions. But she was overwhelmed with a sense of Quinn.She seemed to relish his mind-and the olfactory modality was one of drowning in dark chaos. A storm that seemedjust as likely to kill Quinn as anyone else.He lifted her cleanly and support out of the room with her, into the hall, then up a flight of stairs. Rashel didnt fight. She try to clear her head and wait for an opportunity.By the time hed pulled her into an upstairs room and shut the door, she realized that there wasnt goingto be an opportunity.He was just too strong, and he could stun her telepathically the instant she moved to get away. Thetables had turned. There was nothing to do now but hope that she could face terminal as calmly as he had.At least, she thought, it would put a stop to her confusion.He let go of her and she loosen uply turned to look at him.What she saw sent chills between her shoulder blades. His eyes were as dark and chaotic as the cloudsshed sensed in his mind. It was scarier than the cold ache shed seen in the eyes of the seven guysdownstairs.Then he smiled.A smile that shed rainbows. Rashel pressed her back against the wall and tried to brace herself. choke me the knife.She precisely looked at him. He pulled it out of her waistband and tossed it on the bed.I dont like being knocked out, he utter. I dont jockey why, but something about it really bothers me.Quinn, just get it over with.And it took me a while to get myself untied.Every time I meet you, I seem to end up hog-tied and unconscious. Its getting monotonous.Quinn youre a vampire. Im a vampire hunter. Do what you have to.Were also always threatening each other. Have you noticed that? Of course, everything we keepsaying is true. It is kill or be killed. And youve killed a lot of my people, Rashel the Cat.And youve killed a lot of mine, arse Quinn.He glanced away, looking into a middle distance. His pupils were enormous. less(prenominal) than you might speak up,actually. I dont usually kill to feed. But, yes, Ive done enough. I said before, I know what you think ofme.Rashel said nothing. She was frightened and confused and had been under(a) strain for quite a extensive time.She felt that at any moment she could snap.We belong to two different races, races that abominate each other. Theres no way to get nearly that. Heturned his dark eyes back on her and gave her a brilliant smile. Unless, of course, we change it.What are you talking about?Im going to make you a vampire. Something inside Rashel seemed to give way and fall. She felt as if her legs might collapse.He couldnt mean it, he couldnt be serious. But he was. She could tell. There was a kind of surface ataraxis pasted over the dark roiling clouds in his eyes.So this was how hed work an unsolvable problem. He had snapped.Rashel whispered, You know you cant do that.I know I can do that. Its very simple, actually- all we have to do is change blood. And its the only way. He took hold of her arms just above the elbow. Dont you picture? As long as youre human,Night World law says you have to die if I love you.Rashel stood stricken.Quinn had stopped short, as if he were blow out of the water himself by what hed said. Then he gave an odd laughand shake his head. If I love you, he repeated. And thats the problem, of course. I do love you.Rashel leaned against the wall for support. She couldnt think anymore. She couldnt even breatheproperly. And somewhere deep inside her there was a trembling that wouldnt stop.Ive love you from that first night, Rashel the Cat. I didnt want to admit it, but it was true. He was stillgripping her tightly by the arms, leaning close to her, but his eyes were distant, lost in the past.Id never met a human like you, he said softly, as if remembering. Yo u were strong, you werent weakand pathetic. You werent looking for your own destruction. But you were going to let me go. Strengthand compassion. And honor. Of course I loved you. His dark eyes focused again. He looked at hersharply. Id have been barbaric not to.Falling into darkness Rashel had a terrifying desire to simply collapse in his arms. Give in. He was sostrangely beautiful, and the power of his personality was overwhelming.And of course she loved him, too.That was suddenly excruciatingly clear. Undeniable. From the beginning he had struck a chord in her thatno one else had ever touched. He was so much like her-a hunter, a fighter. But he had honor, too.However he might try to deny it or get around it, deep inside him there was still honor.And like her, he knew the dark side of biography, the pain, the violence. They had both seen-and done-thingsthat normal people wouldnt understand.She was supposed to hate him but from the beginning shed seen herself in him. She had felt thebond, the connection between them.Rashel shook her head. No She had to stop thinking these things. She would not surrender to thedarkness.You cant stop me, you know, Quinn said softly. That ought to make things easier for you. You donteven have to make a decision. Its all my fault. Im very, very bad, and Im going to make you a vampire. Somehow that gave Rashel her voice back. How can you do that-to someone you love? she spat.Because I dont want you dead Because as long as youre human, youre going to get yourself killedHe put his face close to hers, their foreheads almost touching. I will not let you kill yourself, he saidthrough his teeth.If you make me a vampire, I will kill myself, Rashel said.Her mind had cleared. However much she cherished to give in, however tempting the darkness might be, itall disappeared when she thought of how it would end. She would be a vampire. Shed be driven bybloodlust to do things that would horrify her right now. And shed undoubtedly get hold excuses for doingthem. She would become a monster.Quinn was looking shaken. Shed scared him, she could see it in his eyes.Youll feel differently once its done, he said.No. Listen to me, Quinn. She kept her eyes on his, looking deep, trying to let him see the truth of whatshe was saying. If you make me a vampire, the moment I wake up Ill stab myself with my own knife.Do you think Im not jovial enough?Youre too brave thats your problem. He was faltering. The surface serenity was breaking up. Butthat wasnt really helpful, Rashel realized, because underneath it was an agony of desperate confusion.Quinn really couldnt see any other solution. Rashel couldnt see any herself-except that she didnt reallyexpect to survive tonight.Quinns face hardened, and she could see him pushing away doubts. Youll get used to it, he saidharshly, his voice grating. Youll see. Lets start now, he added.And then he bit her.He was so fast. implausibly fast. He caught her jaw and tilted her head back and to the side-notroughly but with an irresistible control and precision. Then before Rashel had time to scream, she felt ahot sting. She felt teeth, vampire teeth, extended to an impossible delicacy and sharpness, thrust herflesh.This is it. This is death.Panic flooded her. But it wasnt death, of course-not yet. She wouldnt even be changed into a vampireby a single exchange of blood. No, instead it would be slow torture days of agony pain.She kept waiting for the pain. kinda she felt a strange heat and languor. Was he actually boozing her blood? All she could sensewas Quinns mouth nuzzling at her neck, his arms around her tightly. AndHis mind.It happened all at once. In a sudden silent explosion, light light engulfed her. It burst around her. Shewas floating in it. Quinn was floating in it. It was shining around them and through them, and she could feel a connection with Quinn that made their last connection seem like a faulty promise line.She knew him. She could see him, his soul, whate ver you wanted to call it, whatever it was that madehim sewer Quinn. They seemed to be floating together in some other space, in a naked white light thatrevealed everything and mercilessly lit up all the most secret places.And if anyone had asked her, Rashel would have said that would be horrible, and she would have runfor her life to get away from it.But it wasnt horrible. She could see dreadful dark bits in Quinns mind, and dreadful dark bits in hers.Tangled, thorny, scary parts, full of anger and hate. But there were so many other parts-some of themalmost unused-that were beautiful and strong and whole. There was so much potential. Rainbow placesthat were aching to grow. former(a) parts that seemed to quiver with light, desperate to be awakened.We ask so slender of ourselves, Rashel thought in wonder. If everybodys like this-we stunt ourselves sobadly. We could be so much more.I dont want you to be more. You re astonish enough the way you are.It was Quinn. Not even his voice, just-Quinn. His thoughts. And Rashel knew her thoughts flowed tohim without her even making an effort.You know what I mean. Isnt this strange? Does this always happen with vampires?Nothing like this has ever happened to me in my life, Quinn said.What he felt was even more, and Rashel could sense it directly, in a dizzying sweet wave. There was anunderstanding between them that ran deeper than any words could convey.any(prenominal) was happening to them, however they had gotten to this place, one thing was obvious. Underthe white light that revealed their inner selves, it was clear that small differences like beingvampire or human didnt matter. They were both just people. John Quinn and Rashel Jordan. Peoplewho were stumbling through life trying to deal with the hurt.Because there was hurt. There was pain in the landscape painting of Quinns mind. Rashel sensed it withoutwords or even images she could feel the feelings that had scarred Quinn.Your return did something-he killed Dove? Oh, John. Oh, John, Im so sorry. I didnt know.Rainbow lights shimmered when she called him John. It was the part of him that he had repressed themost ruthlessly. The part that she could almost feel growing in her presence.No wonder you hated humans. After everything youd ken through, to have your own father want youdeadAnd no wonder you hated vampires. They killed someone dose to you-your bugger off? And you were soyoung. Im sorry. He wasnt as easy with words as she was, but here they didnt need words. Shecould sense his sorrow, his shame, and his fierce protectiveness. And she could sense the emotion behindhis next question. Who did it? I dont know. Ill probably never know. Rashel didnt want to pursue it. She didnt want to feed the darkside of Quinn she wanted to see more of the shimmering light. She wanted to make the light grow untilthe dark disappeared.Rashel, that may not be possible. Quinns thought wasnt bitter it was serious and gentle. Tinged withinfinite regret. I may not be able to become anything better-Of course you can. We all can. Rashel cut him off with absolute determination. She could feel thebone-deep cold that had set into him years ago, that hed allowed to set in. I wont let you be cold, shetold him, and she went for a romp in his mind, kissing things and blowing warmth into them, thinkingsunlight and comfort everywhere.Please stop I think youre killing me. Quinns thought was shaky-half serious and half hysterical, like thehelpless heave of somebody being tickled to death.Rashels whole being was singing with elation. She was young-how strange that she had never really feltyoung until now-and she was in love and stronger than she had ever been before. She had John Quinnthe vampire squirming and semi-hysterical. She was unstoppable. Anything was possible.Ill make everything be right, she told Quinn, and she was happy to see that shed driven his doubt andhis sadness away, at least for the moment. Do you really want me to stop?No. Quinn sound ed dazed now-and bemused. Ive decided Ill enjoy dying this way. ButRashel couldnt follow the rest of his thought, but she felt a new coldness, something like a wind from outside.Outside.Shed forgotten there was an outside. In here, in the private cocoon of their minds, there was nothing buther and Quinn. It was almost as if nothing else existed.ButThere was a whole world out there. Other people. Things happening. Things Rashel had to stop.Oh, God, Quinn-the vampires.