Shadowfever
Page 130
Agreed.
No, Mac! Dani cried.
I pressed my palm to the Gray Womans. I felt the sting of a single sucker mouth as it bled me and we made the oath.
Fix her, I said. Now.
Cant fecking believe you did that, Dani muttered for the tenth time.
Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling, her curly auburn hair more lustrous than ever. She even looked a little plumper, as if she had an extra layer or two of collagen beneath her skin.
Think she gave you a little extra back, Dani, I teased. But I wasnt entirely certain the Gray Woman hadnt. Dani glowed, her skin shimmered translucent, her eyes were so green they were mesmerizing. Ruby lips pursed in a pretty moue.
Think my boobs are bigger, she said with a smirk. Then she sobered. Shoulda let her kill me, and you know it.
Never gonna happen, I said.
Stead you went and made some kinda devil deal with the creepy feck.
And Id do it again in a heartbeat. Well figure it out when it becomes a problem. Youre alive. Thats all that matters.
Dani keeps it cool, all the time. On the rare occasions she lets you see a feeling, its one shes chosen to paste on her face and let you see. She has a vast arsenal of scowls and disgruntled sneers, shes nailed every nuance of saucy grins and cocky swaggers known to man, and I suspect she perfected the Look of Death by five.
Her face is naked now, wide open. Unadulterated adoration blazes in her eyes. This is the best birthday ever! Aint never had nobody do something like that for me, she said wonderingly. Not even Mom She broke off, clamping her lips in a thin line.
Peas in the Mega pod, I said, tousling her curls, as we headed down the alley behind the bookstore. Love you, kid.
She jerked but quickly slapped an insouciant grin over her shock. Dude, Im even gonna let you get away with calling me kid. Really think Im prettier? Not that I care or nothing, just wanna know what kinda pain in the ass its gonna be when Im even hotter than I was before, and Dancer gets a good
Brought ussh tasshty to drink, fassht one? Lassht one wassh sshweeeeet.
I whirled, spear up. Theyd either sifted in or been hiding in the shadows, motionless, and wed been so caught up in relief at our near escape that wed been oblivious.
A pair of Unseelie Id never seen before stood by the trash dumpster by the rear door of BB&B. They were identical, each with four arms and four slender, tubular legs, three heads apiece, and dozens of mouths on their flat, horrific faces, with tiny, needle-sharp teeth. At the corners of the many mouths were pairs of much longer thin teeth, and I knew, without knowing how Iknew, that they used them as straws.
My sister had been missing the marrow in her bones, her endocrine glands had been drained, her eyeballs were collapsed, and shed had no spinal fluid. The coroner had been at a complete loss.
I wasnt. Not anymore.
I knew what caste had killed Alina. What had gnawed and ripped and torn at her flesh to slowly and carefully remove all her inner fluids as if they were gourmet delights.
What theyd said penetrated, belatedly.
Brought us tasty to drink, fast one? Last one was sweet.
I froze, horrified. Surely that didnt mean what it sounded like it meant. Dani was the fast one. WhatWhyMy brain turned to sludge.
They were staring behind me with hopeful expressions. She issh ourssh, assh well? Six mouths spoke as one. You mussht take her sshpear for ussh. You mussht make her helplessh, like you did other blondie. Leave in alley with ussh again.
Dani. I open my mouth. I cant seem to make a sound.
I hear a choking noise behind me, a strangled sob.
Do not go, fassht one! Six mouths cry, gazes fixed behind me. Come back, feed ussh again! We are ssho hungry!
I turn and stare at Dani.
Her eyes are enormous, her face pale. Shes backing away from me.
If she draws her sword, itll make everything easy.
She doesnt.
Draw your sword.
She shakes her head and takes another step backward.
Draw your fucking sword!
She bites her lower lip and shakes her head again. Aint doing it. Im faster. Aint killing you.
You killed my sister. Why not me? The dark lake in my head begins to boil.
Aint like that.
You brought her to them.
Her face screws up with anger. You dont know a fecking thing bout me, you stupid fecking fecker! You dont know nothing!
I hear rustles behind me, leathery wet sounds, and I whirl. The freaks that killed my sister are taking advantage of the distraction and trying to leave.
Not a chance in hell. This is what Ive been living for. This moment. My revenge. First them, then her.
I lunge for them, screaming my sisters name.
I slice and rip and tear.
I begin with my spear and end with my bare hands.
I fall on the pair like the beast form of Barrons. My sister died in an alley with these monsters working on her, and now I know it wasnt fast. I can see her, white-lipped with pain, knowing shes going to die, scratching a clue into the pavement. Hoping Ill come, afraid Ill come. Believing I could succeed where she failed. God, I miss her! Hatred consumes me. I devolve into vengeance, I embrace it, I become it.
No, Mac! Dani cried.
I pressed my palm to the Gray Womans. I felt the sting of a single sucker mouth as it bled me and we made the oath.
Fix her, I said. Now.
Cant fecking believe you did that, Dani muttered for the tenth time.
Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling, her curly auburn hair more lustrous than ever. She even looked a little plumper, as if she had an extra layer or two of collagen beneath her skin.
Think she gave you a little extra back, Dani, I teased. But I wasnt entirely certain the Gray Woman hadnt. Dani glowed, her skin shimmered translucent, her eyes were so green they were mesmerizing. Ruby lips pursed in a pretty moue.
Think my boobs are bigger, she said with a smirk. Then she sobered. Shoulda let her kill me, and you know it.
Never gonna happen, I said.
Stead you went and made some kinda devil deal with the creepy feck.
And Id do it again in a heartbeat. Well figure it out when it becomes a problem. Youre alive. Thats all that matters.
Dani keeps it cool, all the time. On the rare occasions she lets you see a feeling, its one shes chosen to paste on her face and let you see. She has a vast arsenal of scowls and disgruntled sneers, shes nailed every nuance of saucy grins and cocky swaggers known to man, and I suspect she perfected the Look of Death by five.
Her face is naked now, wide open. Unadulterated adoration blazes in her eyes. This is the best birthday ever! Aint never had nobody do something like that for me, she said wonderingly. Not even Mom She broke off, clamping her lips in a thin line.
Peas in the Mega pod, I said, tousling her curls, as we headed down the alley behind the bookstore. Love you, kid.
She jerked but quickly slapped an insouciant grin over her shock. Dude, Im even gonna let you get away with calling me kid. Really think Im prettier? Not that I care or nothing, just wanna know what kinda pain in the ass its gonna be when Im even hotter than I was before, and Dancer gets a good
Brought ussh tasshty to drink, fassht one? Lassht one wassh sshweeeeet.
I whirled, spear up. Theyd either sifted in or been hiding in the shadows, motionless, and wed been so caught up in relief at our near escape that wed been oblivious.
A pair of Unseelie Id never seen before stood by the trash dumpster by the rear door of BB&B. They were identical, each with four arms and four slender, tubular legs, three heads apiece, and dozens of mouths on their flat, horrific faces, with tiny, needle-sharp teeth. At the corners of the many mouths were pairs of much longer thin teeth, and I knew, without knowing how Iknew, that they used them as straws.
My sister had been missing the marrow in her bones, her endocrine glands had been drained, her eyeballs were collapsed, and shed had no spinal fluid. The coroner had been at a complete loss.
I wasnt. Not anymore.
I knew what caste had killed Alina. What had gnawed and ripped and torn at her flesh to slowly and carefully remove all her inner fluids as if they were gourmet delights.
What theyd said penetrated, belatedly.
Brought us tasty to drink, fast one? Last one was sweet.
I froze, horrified. Surely that didnt mean what it sounded like it meant. Dani was the fast one. WhatWhyMy brain turned to sludge.
They were staring behind me with hopeful expressions. She issh ourssh, assh well? Six mouths spoke as one. You mussht take her sshpear for ussh. You mussht make her helplessh, like you did other blondie. Leave in alley with ussh again.
Dani. I open my mouth. I cant seem to make a sound.
I hear a choking noise behind me, a strangled sob.
Do not go, fassht one! Six mouths cry, gazes fixed behind me. Come back, feed ussh again! We are ssho hungry!
I turn and stare at Dani.
Her eyes are enormous, her face pale. Shes backing away from me.
If she draws her sword, itll make everything easy.
She doesnt.
Draw your sword.
She shakes her head and takes another step backward.
Draw your fucking sword!
She bites her lower lip and shakes her head again. Aint doing it. Im faster. Aint killing you.
You killed my sister. Why not me? The dark lake in my head begins to boil.
Aint like that.
You brought her to them.
Her face screws up with anger. You dont know a fecking thing bout me, you stupid fecking fecker! You dont know nothing!
I hear rustles behind me, leathery wet sounds, and I whirl. The freaks that killed my sister are taking advantage of the distraction and trying to leave.
Not a chance in hell. This is what Ive been living for. This moment. My revenge. First them, then her.
I lunge for them, screaming my sisters name.
I slice and rip and tear.
I begin with my spear and end with my bare hands.
I fall on the pair like the beast form of Barrons. My sister died in an alley with these monsters working on her, and now I know it wasnt fast. I can see her, white-lipped with pain, knowing shes going to die, scratching a clue into the pavement. Hoping Ill come, afraid Ill come. Believing I could succeed where she failed. God, I miss her! Hatred consumes me. I devolve into vengeance, I embrace it, I become it.
