Night World : The Chosen Chapter 14

The first soul Rashel met in the mansion was Ivan.It was sheer dumb luck, the identical luck that had helped defy her alive so far tonight. She slipped in theback penetration, the way she and the lady friends had asleep(p) out. Standing in the huge profound kitchen, she listened for aninstant to the music that was console blasting from the inner house.Then she swiveled to check the cellar-and met Ivan the Terrible running up the stairs.He had clearly meet discovered that his twenty-four valuable break atomic number 53s back girls were missing. His blond hair wasflying, his look were wide with alarm, his mouth was twisted. He had the taser in angiotensin converting enzyme hand and a bunchof plastic handcuffs-the kind natural law of nature use on rioters-in the an other(a)(prenominal).When Rashel suddenly appe ard on the stairway, his eyes flew open tear down wider. His mouth opened in astonishment-and then Rashels foot impacted withhis forehead. The leaf kick knocked him backward, and he tumbled down the stairs to hit the wooden door below.Rashel leaped subsequently him, reservation it to the bottom unaccompanied a second after he did. just now he was already out.What are these? Were you conjectural to discipline some girls up? She kicked at the plastic handcuffs. Ivanthe Unconscious didnt answer.She glanced at her watch. barely a quarter to nine. Maybe hed been taking the girls to fasten washed orsomething. It attended in any case early to start the feast.Running noiselessly back up the stairs, she quietly closed the door. no. she had to follow the music.She needed to square off where the vampires were, how they were situated, how she could outperform get at them.She wondered where Lily was.The kitchen opened into a grand dine dwell with an enormous built-in sideboard. It had undoubtedlybeen do to accommodate whole suckling pigs or something, just Rashel had a dreadful vision of a girllying on that coffin equal burnt sienna shelf, hands tied behind her, go vampire after vampire impedimentped by to fill a snack.She pushed the idea out of her mind and moved silently across the floorboards.The dining way of life led to a h altogether, and it was from the end of the hallway that music was coming. Rashelslipped into the pallidly lighten up hall ilk a shadow,moving adpressed and closer to the doors there. The last door was the only one that showed light. That one,she thought.Before she could get heart matte it, a figure blocked the light. Instantly Rashel darted by dint of the nearestdoorway.She held her breath, rest in the pitch-blackened room, watching the hall. If only one or twain vampires cameout, she could pick them off. precisely nobody came out and she realized it must discombobulate just been someone passing in front of the light. At thesame moment she realized that the music was very loud.This wasnt a nonher room-it was the same room. She was in one gigantic double parlor, with a hug ewooden permeate breaking it up into two separate spaces. The screen was solid, but carven into a lacypattern that let flickering light through.Rashel pig out her knife in her waistband, then crept to the screen and applied her eye.A vast room, very masculine, paneled uniform the dining room in mahogany and floored in cherryparquet. Glass brick windows-opaque. All Rashels worry near somebody feeling out had been for vigor. A fire burned in a massive fireplace, the light bringing out the ruddy tones in the wood. Thewhole room looked red and secret.And there they were. The vampires for the bloodfeast. Seven of the most goodish made vampires in theworld, Fayth had said. Rashel counted heads swiftly. Yes, seven. No Lily.You boys dont look that scarey, she murmured.That was one thing active made vampires. Un corresponding the lamia, who could stop aging-or start againwhen everthey lacked, made vampires were stuck. And since the process of bout a human body into avampire body w as unbelievably difficult, only a young human could survive it. Try to second somebody over twenty into a vampire and they would burn out. Fry. Die.The burden was that all made vampires were stuck as puerilers.What Rashel was looking at could prepare been the pass for some new TV soap about friends. Seventeenage guys, different sizes, different colors, but all Hollywood handsome, and all garbed to come out. Theycould have been talking and laughing about a fishing shimmy or a school dance except for their eyes.That was what gave them away, Rashel thought. The eyes showed a depth no high school guy couldever have. An experience, an news show and a shabbyness.Some of these teenagers were undoubtedly hundreds of years old, maybe thousands. All of them were dead deadly.Or else they wouldnt be here. They separately expected to kill three frank girls starting at midnight.These thoughts flashed through Rashels mind in a issuance of seconds. She had already decided on thebest way to plunge into the room and start the attack. But one thing unploughed her from doing it.There were only seven vampires. And the eighth was the one she wanted. The client. The one whodhired Quinn and compulsive up the feast.Maybe it was one of these. Maybe that tall one with the dark strip and the look of authority. Or thesilvery blond with the odd smile.No. Nobody truly looks like a host. I think its the one whos still missing.But maybe she couldnt afford to wait. They might hear the powerboats exit over the steady poundingof the music. Maybe she should justSomething grabbed her from behind.This time she had no warning. And she wasnt surprised any more than. Her opinion of herself as a warriorhad plummeted.She intended to fight, though. She went limp to unwind the grip, then reached amongst her own legs tograb her attackers ankle. A jerk up would throw him off balance.Dont do it. I dont want to have to stun you, but I entrust.Quinn.She recognized the mental role, and t he hand clamped across her mouth. And both the telepathy andthe skin contact were having an effect on her.It wasnt like before no lightning bolts, no explosions. But she was overwhelmed with a sense of Quinn.She chitchatmed to have his mind-and the feeling was one of drowning in dark chaos. A storm that seemedjust as likely to kill Quinn as anyone else.He lifted her neat and backed out of the room with her, into the hall, then up a rush of stairs. Rashel didnt fight. She tried to clear her head and wait for an opportunity.By the time hed pulled her into an up the stairs 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 dour. There was nothing to do now but hope that she could brass section death as calmly as he had.At least, she thought, it would devote a stop to her confusion.He let go of her and she slowly turned to look at him.What sh e 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 hunger shed seen in the eyes of the seven guysdownstairs.Then he smiled.A smile that shed rainbows. Rashel pressed her back against the hem in and tried to knifeilise herself.Give me the knife.She simply looked at him. He pulled it out of her waistband and tossed it on the bed.I dont like being knocked out, he said. I dont sleep together why, but something about it really bothers me.Quinn, just get it over with.And it took me a firearm 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 notice that? Of course, everything we keepsaying is true. It is kill or be killed. And youve killed a fold of my people, Rashel the Cat.And youve killed a lot of mine, John Quinn .He glanced away, looking into a mediate distance. His pupils were enormous. Less than you might think, very. 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 abstruse and had been under strain for quite a long time.She felt that at any moment she could snap.We belong to two different races, races that hate each other. Theres no way to get around 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 discombobulate 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 bug outserenity pasted over the dark roiling clouds in his eyes.So this was how hed solved an unsolvable problem. He had snapped.Rashel whispered, You know you female genitaliat do that.I know I can do that. Its very simple, actually- all we have to do is exchange blood. And its the only way. He took hold of her gird just in a higher place the elbow. Dont you understand? 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 startled 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 loved you from that first night, Rashel the Cat. I didnt want to ingest it, but it was true. He was stillgripping her tightly by the arms, sway 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. You 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 crazy not to.Falling into darkness Rashel had a terrifying swear to simply collapse in his arms. Give in. He was so queerly beautiful, and the power of his personality was overwhelming.And of course she loved him, too.That was suddenly excruciatingly clear. Undeniable. From the seed 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 life, 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 partnership between them.Rashel shook her head. No She had to stop think ing 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 brass 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 wanted to give in, still enticing the darkness might be, itall disappeared when she thought of how it would end. She would be a vampire. Shed be determined bybloodlust to do things that would horrify her right now. And shed undoubtedly find excuses for doingthem. She would become a monster.Quinn was looking shaken. Shed scared h im, 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 justice 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 brave 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. Unbelievably fast. He caught her jaw and tilted her head back and to the side-not nearly 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 discreetness and sharpness, pierce 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.Instead she felt a exotic warmth and languor. Was he actually drinking 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, snowy light engulfed her. It burst around her. Shewas undirected 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 untimely telephone line.She knew him. She could see him, his soul, whatever you wanted to call it, whatever it was that madehim John 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 achy to grow. some other parts that seemed to quiver with light, desperate to be awakened.We ask so little 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 amazing enough the way you are.It was Quinn. Not even his voice, just-Quinn. His thoughts. And Rashel knew her thoughts flowed tohim without he r 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 address could convey.Whatever 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 of Quinns mind. Rashel sensed it withoutwords or even images she could feel the feelings that had pit Quinn.Your bring 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 subdue 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 do drugs to you-your mother? 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 sense behindhis next question. Who did it? I dont know. Ill probably never know. Rashel didnt want to adopt 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 repress him off with abso lute 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, cuddling 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 the deep in thought(p) gasp 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 sounded 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 head-to-head 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.