- You're very strong. I will talk to your master if he survives the fight. This Force must be controlled.
- Mechislav would be happy to discuss it with you... if he survives," I answered calmly, barely climbing to his feet. The body was slightly numb, but otherwise I felt better than before. The more I give, the more I get, Danielle told me? Or wasn't it Danielle? What the hell difference does it make now?! Ramirez snapped at me by showing his fangs.
- And you admit he could lose?
- D'Artagnan, I admit everything, I was joking. I think Ramirez has understood.
- How much is it?
- A hundred percent.
- What happens to you if your master dies, Curly?
The question was not in the eyebrow, but in the eye.
- What will happen to me? I don't know. I'll die, like all my friends who will stay at the mercy of Andre.
I threw an unfriendly look at the Prince of the City. However, Duke looked at me with a beast, too.
Ramirez translated the look at him.
- You're wrong, Andre. It's a power you don't meet often. And even less often it finds itself in friendly, I hope... - Here I tilted my head, saying that the most friendly, there is nowhere else. - ...in my hands. If Curly doesn't mind, I could invite her to the Council. Her abilities need research and application. A better application than the prince of the backwater town can do.
I took offense at the backwoods, but I didn't look. This is no time to argue. It's time to make a deal and save your life. And the lives of my companions.
- I believe in my master's victory. But if he loses, I can talk to the Council about research and everything else. I'm sure we can come to an agreement.
In translation into normal Russian, I said something like this: "I'm not a guinea pig, so if Mieczyslaw wins, I'll only do what I want. If he loses, I will save my life, even as a guinea pig. But the game must be fair, otherwise I'll throw my talent into the sea"... I think Ramirez understood that.
- Is that your official position, Curly?
- It's final.
- Okay, great. By the way, where's our second challenger? Andre?
The prince, previously seated quietly on the throne, clapped his hands.
- Bring in the prisoner!
The doors of the hall swung open. There were three on the doorstep. The spectacle was... creepy. Me, Danielle and Vadim reacted differently.
- Higher Powers! - I didn't have the words for the other one.
- Sir! - Vadim's voice was the voice of despair.
- – !!! - Danielle's words were short and clear.
There was such anger in his voice that I unwittingly moved. Yeah, well, you can yell about humanism and believe that they're human too, only fang, but a vampire is a vampire. Especially if he's three hundred years old.
I threw myself forward without noticing anything in my path. I would walk through the wall now and jump over the tsunami without even noticing them. There was only one person that mattered right now. I saw him and I walked towards him. And the rest of the world could have fallen into tartarars. The sword literally hung between two black-skinned vampires. He couldn't stand on his own. He was almost completely naked, except for the narrow red-yellow shorts, and his whole body, which I so wanted to touch, was covered with wounds. The wounds were in places where it was very convenient to drink blood. On his neck, under his collarbones, on his elbow, on his wrists, on the fold of his hip, under his knees, on his ankles, all these were bleeding cuts. Almost not bleeding. Probably because most of the blood was already leaking. I didn't even realize how I ended up next to a vampire. I reached out, touched a strand of hair falling on my face, took her aside. And I had bright green eyes looking at me. Incredibly green. Just like young foliage.
- Curly!
His voice was falling off. And I knew it wasn't from being too emotional. It was dug to the last edge, which could only be followed by death. I was caught up in a cold, dark terror. What could have happened if we had been late?! Would he have died?! But it shouldn't have happened! I don't want it! No matter how I feel about Mieczysław, but now, seeing him almost helpless, I knew that my feelings were much deeper. I didn't want him to die, because I had to understand myself. Not because mine depended on his life, too. Because without him, the world would be empty for me.
- Mecislav... - my voice snapped too, and I gave an angry look at vampires. Being angry was much easier and better than feeling my pain and powerlessness. - Get away from him! I swear to God, I will kill anyone who dares to touch him!
Something must have been in my eyes. The vampires flipped in different directions. Mecislav would have staggered and donked me with all his weight if Vadim hadn't picked him up. Danielle stayed standing over my guns. But I wasn't in a hurry to pick them up. I was afraid I wouldn't hold back and use them for my own purposes. Vadim gently picked up the vampire and took him closer to where Danielle was standing. Now we could see what was going on around us. Vadim, acting as an experienced caregiver, helped his master to get down on his knees, but the vampire's face, even with such light effort, was affected by the grimace of pain. I was biting my lips so I wouldn't scream. The swarthy skin of Mieczysław was ashy grey. My poor friend, what have they done to you?! And what can I do for you? I didn't cry, but I wanted to cry so badly! Vadim decided to speak first.
- Sir?
When Machislav spoke, his voice was deaf and full of pain.
- Get away from me, Curly. I don't control myself well.
I turned sharply towards Andre.
- What did you do to him, you bastard?!
The vampire grinned.
- No one promised that he'd come here in one piece, did they? Here's your choice, Curly. You can't feed and heal him without dying on your own. And nobody in this room is gonna help you. You're going to be a vampire. You're going to be one of us. You'll be just like me. And you'll obey me.
I bit my lips. What's that, I mean. I can give all the blood, all the power, but it won't help. Duke was right. And we threw the body out of the car, and what good is a body?! Catching people in the street?! They won't let us do that! Higher Powers! What should I do?! My brain exploded with despair, but my grandfather's instructions quickly came to mind.
My grandfather taught me just: "No way to panic! This will not help the case! If it's bad, consider all the options available, and then choose one where you get less trouble, and your enemies, respectively, more". Which is what I was going to do. I don't know how I did it, but I pulled myself together. And I'm sure I should be awarded a medal for such a feat! I am an ordinary student from the biofac, not the Terminator!
So, what do we have? Or how exactly did you fuck us? I can't give my blood to Mieczysław, because I'll die myself in the process. The vampire has no control over himself and is exhausted to the limit. Even Daniel was fed. And Mieczyslaw lost all his blood at all. If I try to feed him, I will become a vampire. And I may well lose all my talents. Well, that's not the point. If I become a vampire, I have to die. If I die, Mecislav won't survive it anyway. Patent situation. On the other hand, if he dies, I die, too. There's a bargain to be made with the Council. But if I'm taken for an experiment, that is, we'll be taken for an experiment, Andre will start to foul my family and friends. I suppose he's gained enough experience in this tricky business for his non-life? If I ask the Security Council for my family, I will have to tell them the truth, that is, do what I tried to avoid. That sucks. And it sucks even worse. What am I supposed to do?! I circled the room. Dozens of unfamiliar faces were looking at me. Tanned and pale, dark-haired and blond, vampires and werewolves - and none of them dared to meet me with their eyes. Not a single one. Not one friend in the whole room. If I had the same Nadya next to me, she would help me! Even with a risk to my life! If... By the way, can't a vampire share blood with another vampire? I voiced my question, but Vadim shook his head.
- That's impossible. Take your word for it, it's impossible. Anyway, for food and in that amount.
I sighed as I gathered my strength. Now I have to bargain with the Council to buy our lives. If I say I can withstand the Seal of Two Vampires, we may be wanted to be explored. I'm like a frog. That's not very appetizing. Why, is there a choice? Better a live bunny guinea pig than a dead lion. Although I can't pull a lion even after death. It's more like a poodle. Come on, Danielle will be alive and well, Mecislav too. And the three of us will figure something out. All we have to do is keep calm and dignity, think first, and then do. And only then will I achieve my goal.
- I will help you.
A loud man's voice broke the silence of the hall, shattering my mind. I flinched. But so did everyone else. What a nice surprise for Andre? We'll see!
- Who are you?!
Ramirez circled the quiet room with black eyes. One figure separated from the crowd and headed towards us. I've never seen this man before. I mean, a werewolf. He gave me his hand. I went up without any help and looked him right in the eyes. To do that, I had to throw my head back. Tall, almost a head and a half taller than me, muscular, very well built. The black leather sleeveless and black leather trousers didn't hide his figure, but rather emphasized the width of his chest and shoulders, his narrow hips and his thin waist. The metal rivet shaded the tanned skin. Blond hair of a luxurious mane fell on wide shoulders and back. Suddenly I felt a terrible urge to put my fingers in it and stroke it like a beloved cat. Light blue eyes glistened as if from unspilled tears. A bit of the wrong features made his face even more beautiful. Smooth but not too high forehead, short straight nose, high cheekbones, full of sensual lips, stubborn chin with a dimple. And I felt like touching his lips.
- Valentin," he said. And silent, as if waiting for me to remember him. I frowned. Something came up in my memory. I remembered that name. I even thought of it recently. Kasachev Valentin Dmitrievich.
- I was talking to you...
- With you, if you let me.
- Okay, with you when you called the Snegirev mansion?
- Yes.
I reached out to him without knowing how else to express my gratitude.
- I consider you my friend.
The man looked at me for seconds, then gently touched my palm and squeezed his fingers. That's nasty. So as not to hurt me. This is usually done by very strong people who are fully aware of their danger to others. The hot wave splashed at me.
- Are you a werewolf?
- I'm a werewolf fox.
- A shape-shifter who forgot his place! - yelled at Andre. - Get out of here, you beast! I'll deal with you again!
But he got into it too late. Valentine bent over in pain, but he didn't move. Then he knelt down next to Mieczyslaw and looked at the vampire questioningly. Something was going on between them now. What?
Vadim answered my unspoken question.
- Vow of loyalty.
I nodded. Mechislav slightly lowered his eyelashes as a sign of consent. The shape-shifter spoke slowly, stuck to every word. I put my hand on his shoulder to let him feel that I was there. And something happened. The pain whipped all over my body. Sharp, sizzling, pressing. But it wasn't my pain. It was a werewolf feeling, but when I touched his skin, I was trapped, too. And there was only one way I could have gotten out. I yanked my hand sharply. There was blood spatter on my wrist from the wound. It hit me, the vampire, the werewolf - and I felt better. A different vision came back. I felt like I was in a dense glowing ball again. But this time there were two vampires and a werewolf in it. And there was a thin black thread pulling inside it. That's how I saw and felt it. It went from Andre to the werewolf, intercepting Valentine across his chest and squeezing his heart. He will die if nothing is done. I don't know why I thought that, but it was true. He's gonna die. And so will I. I trapped myself. As soon as the thread squeezes, the werewolf dies, and it spills over on me. But what do I do?! How do I rip it?! The next thing I did was pull a gold medal for idiocy. I was careful, like I was afraid to spill milk, I took out a wasp cross from my purse. I squeezed it in two palms so it wouldn't look out and shine. And then she put both her hands down on a black thread. As if she was trying to cut it. Or to tear it up.
My palms went through it like butter and the thread burst. Four voices merged into one. Wildly, Andre woke up. It must hurt when your evil comes back to you. A werewolf screamed out. The pain stopped, the thread broke, but he whipped so that he had a mark on his sleeveless skin as if he had been stabbed. It was the touch of the thread. I screamed, too. The cross burst into flames in my hands and fell to dust. Good thing it was aspen, or I wouldn't have missed a couple more third-degree burns. And the very edge, through me, was taken by Mieczysław. In his usual state, he would have endured something different, but now that he was so weakened, any touch of hostile magic was painful for him. And he didn't hold back half a hundred half-a-hundred.
I hurriedly unloaded my palms and the cross fell to the floor. I mean, what's left of it. A handful of ashes. Is it burned? Yes. And my hands? I took a good look at my palms. No burns. It's weird. But it's better this way than the other. And the cross is pathetic. But it did me a good service. Amen to that.
The shape-shifter knelt down and brought the wounded vampire's hand to his lips.
- I, Valentine Fox, prima volp, swear allegiance to you in blood, sir. Your battle is my battle, your will is my will, your enemies are my enemies, your friends are my friends. Let it be so as long as you live.
Mecislav barely opened his lips.
- I, Mecislav, Protector, Creator and Vampire Prince, take your vows, Valentin. My hand is your hand, my word is your word. My defense is your defense. So be it as long as I live.
Something invisible has passed between them. My vision disappeared with the pain, but I could still feel it. And I could feel that lump of invisible energy that flowed between the vampire and the werewolf.
- What did you do, Curly?
It's definitely Ramirez. I should have answered, but how? I looked up to him.
- I don't know. It's a major flaw in my power. Often I don't know what I'm doing. Some kind of monkey with a grenade. Don't you understand what happened?
- Very relative, curly. - Ramirez, with one move of his hand, made Andre shut up and sit down. - Tell me what you did.
I shrugged my shoulders and spoke briefly about the black thread. And about my actions. The vampire looked at me thoughtfully, and I really didn't like that look. Because I had already seen it. In our home lab at the faculty. My friend was also looking at a frog, trying to figure out how best to cut it up, up or down. Mechislav moved, and my attention immediately turned to him.
- You have to give me your blood, Curly.
I shifted my eyebrows. Why am I the first? But Vadim explained it to me.
- You give both blood and energy. A werewolf only gives blood. The power will allow the lord to heal his wounds and use the blood to rebuild the reserve.
I doubtfully looked at my hands, choosing the least affected one. There was just no living place on my veins. And more from fangs than from cuts. They won't heal much longer. And then, I just didn't want anything closer to the vampire. Honestly, I was scared. Then on the bus, and then I always warned the vampire not to take control of me. Now it was becoming necessary. I myself, in front of all this crowd, admitted that he was my master. No one was pulling my tongue. That was my role. And my claim required proof. I would not just have to obey, but let him into my mind, for that matter, trust a vampire, which I didn't want. Determinedly I didn't want it. Mecislav understood my doubts.
- I don't know if I can control myself, Curly. I'm very weak. And I don't just want blood. As for your wounded hands, I'd prefer a bite to the neck. Although it would be more intimate.
- I don't get it?
- A bite to the neck is more like sex," the vampire explained to me. - And for me it's closer to sex. But that's how I get a lot more power.
For a few minutes I was chewing on my fingernail. What should I do? It's a classic question, but isn't it too late to ask? Do what has to
happen, what is to happen. It's called a chest - get in the back. I have to show Ramirez that Mecislav is really my master. And for that I can lower myself. It's better than talking to a bunch of fang bastards as a guinea pig. And if my humiliation somehow increases our chances of winning - the hell with it, with humiliation! Vadim already helped his tread to the floor and now he's waiting for me. The shape-shifter picked up my pistols and showed me with all his looks that he would gladly put them in motion, just give me a reason. I took off my cross and gave it to him.
- Wait until I take it back.
- Whatever you say, curly.
- Jane.
- Whatever you say, Jane.
I threw an apologizing look at Daniel. A vampire smiled at me and slightly lowered his eyelids. And I took a breath. Danielle didn't mind. He understands, too, and he won't be jealous. Well, maybe he will, but I won't hurt him. He knows I only have a heart for one person. I'm sorry, vampire. And that's him. Mecislav wasn't even close to his stomach there. Which means we can act.
I carefully, trying not to hurt a single wound on a vampire's body, laid down next to Mečislav and threw my head back, putting a vein on his neck. The vampire rolled over on his side, pulling me closer to him. His body covered me like a sea wave. His skin under my arms was exactly as I imagined it to be in my fantasies. Incredibly soft and smooth. I tried to lift my hands, but my fingers slid across the vampire's chest and I almost moaned with a sudden urge. On the perfect face of the fire burning green eyes. No squirrels, no pupils, a solid green mirage. Two emeralds on copper skin. They approached until the vampire's face swamped and the green eyes obscured all the light. It was just me, and those eyes. And I was falling into this incredible green fire. Fangs stabbed me in the neck, but I barely felt any pain. One excitement. And I realized that I couldn't resist my desire. Mieczysław's mind swept through my mind with a black tornado, quickly clouding it and turning a simple transmission of blood and power into something third. I could not and did not want to resist. The long held back desire came out. A wave of pleasure rolled over me, overwhelmed my mind and entailed. I moaned, I couldn't help myself. My eyes were closing. My whole body was crumpled and became incredibly sensitive. I could feel my hands wandering around the vampire's back, smoothing and caressing my skin, going through thick, soft strands of hair, drawing it closer to me. I could feel Mechislav drinking my blood, mastering my consciousness more and more with each sip. His body was rubbing against me - and I felt his excitement. Our desire was mutual all the time. That's why I couldn't get Mecislav out of my mind. Tension in the whole body increased with every sip of blood and finally broke through between us in a dazzling flash of orgasm, taking away with me my Power. The darkness behind my eyelids exploded with the green stars. I think I screamed and nailed him in the back. And it took me a few minutes to regain my ability to think, speak and move. Swordsman was still lying on me, and I could hear his heart beating smoothly. Before that, it hadn't been beating.
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