- What-what-what! That's it! I still worked as a nurse in the hospital! And then Slava got there! With an open fracture in his left leg. I was taking care of him.
- And how far did your courtships go?
- So far that I fell in love with Clara," said Slava, entering the room and sitting next to his girlfriend on the sofa. Robko hugged her by the shoulders, and Clara swung back, clinging to him with her whole body as if to the anchor of salvation. - Do you mind if I tell you more?
Clara was shaking her head. I took a look at my brother.
- When I got a little better, I started taking care of Clara. She tried to stay away from me for a long time, but then she let me go out with her. I got a job in Tula and was able to rent an apartment. I mean, a room in a commune room, but that was enough for me. We dated for about six months. And then Clara told me who she was. I was shocked. And when she threw herself over for me, I was just shocked!
- And she didn't eat you?
The question was very urgent. I knew that many werewolves, except the strongest, needed blood after transformation. And better alive. The Padi couldn't help themselves after transformation. They'd start eating, no matter who or what. As long as it was hot blood. A cow is a cow, a mother is a mother. Paddy!
- I would never do that! - in the fox's voice one could hear a note of indignation.
- Did they?
- I put a bowl of meat for myself," the girl reluctantly explained.
- And could you switch myself to her?
I was so infuriated, because I did not want Slave's throat to be chewed up on one of the wonderful nights. He is a bastard and a bastard, but still my brother! If anyone kills him, it's just me!
- Yes! - Clara shouted out.
- That's nice. You two have met. Then what?
- I wanted us to live together. And then Clara told me about the leader of her pack. Roman wasn't going to let her go. He mocked her, tortured her, but he wasn't even going to let her go! Bitch!
- Yes, but he's in his right," I said thoughtfully.
Cynical, cruel, but nothing can be done about it. Padi is the lowest step of werewolf society. When he came to power in the pack, Valentine had spent a great deal of time ensuring that the Paddy were not abused or raped. He succeeded because I knocked out most of the sadists and maniacs who rejoiced by hurting others: some by themselves, some by the IPF. And Valentine took power firmly into his own hands. But he was very good for the tungsten. In the other packs... The leader could mock Clara at least until she was blue, and by any means he wanted, he could kill her at all during sex or at any other time - no one would have told him a word. Clara's interests weren't considered here. It's almost a slave system. Okay, I'm gonna cry over my sad fate later.
- Have you decided to run away?
- Yes!
- So how did you end up trying? - I've been trying so hard to find out. And it's so clear that it's not good, but you have to know the level of shit I'm getting into?
- That's how I shook Clara's shoulders. - We got caught up. Two werewolves. A prima wolf and one of the simple wolves. We were in a fight.
- And we were able to handle the prima? Can't you hear the screams from the audience? I don't believe it, period!
Yeah, a girl like Clara, even I'm tied up in a knot, what's more serious about somebody!
- I have a gun," said my brother.
- What kind of weapon?
- A gun.
I snorted. You might as well use a toothpick against a werewolf! All the more so against the prima-wolf! Bullet wounds will heal in no time.
- The bullets were silver," explained the brother.
- I see," he said. Did you kill them both?
- Yes, I did.
I didn't put it that way. Oh, shit! That's fucked up! I definitely missed the Tula wolf squabbles! And so did Valentina!
- Okay. What are you doing here after all this?
Slava's eyes are down.
- Julia, I wanted to ask for money for tickets to Australia. We have almost nothing left. And this is far away, and we can get lost there.
And then I exploded. All the anger that had accumulated in me since February spilled out in one mad explosion.
- Oh, so you're going to Australia?! You asshole, walking around the country, running away from home, stealing money from your mother and grandfather, and then disappearing into thin air for nine years! And how many times in these nine years have kinship feelings woken up in you, let me ask you?! Did you call?! Did you write?! Did you at least wonder how we live here, are we all right, are we even alive or not?! Have you ever made yourself known?! Mom cried at night - you don't care about that?! I still remember her crying, and her grandfather comforted her by saying that it's better to have no son than a stupid and ungrateful one, and that it's better to deal with all the dirt now than later in a more serious situation! Fortunately, nine years had passed, and the wounds had closed a little bit and healed! Mom has calmed down! And now you're crawling with an innocent view?! I just don't have enough words for you! I wish you'd just come and visit! Hi, hi, I'm just settling in here, I thought I'd apologize! No! You waited until the ground under your feet caught fire! That's when you decided to rush to your family and friends for help! What, is your ass hot?! And what are you hoping for?! That everybody here will go crazy with joy and rush to help you instantly?! Well, the prodigal son is back! Mom will sell the gold, Grandpa will pull the money out of the business and give it to you?! And for what?! For some fuck you had to carelessly fuck?! Both of you, combined, multiplied and elevated to the ninth degree, and a tenth of that care is not worth it! It's cheaper to bury you both under a fence! It's not gonna change anything in my life! As I haven't seen you before nine years, I'll never see you again! I'll live a calmer life! Do you think I'll cry on your grave?! I won't even sneeze! And don't you dare take your eyes off me! I know what you're thinking! As much as you want, just help me! Well, look! My help is a blessing! By the way, I'm a little cold, and I'm very interested in one question. Namely, how did you find me and why did you come here?!
- I couldn't find anyone else," said my brother.
- I did not understand.
- Well, then! You registered in the help desk, that's how I found you! You moved out of your old apartment!
- Oh, yes, of course!
I remembered about six years ago when we switched apartments in the old Khrushchevka for another one of the old Stalinist houses. The apartment was large, five-bedroom, and there was a guard in the front room, which allowed us to do without beer bottles and homeless people on the grounds. Grandfather did not give a new address in the books and made sure that no one got his phone. I took no such precautions, and I paid for them. And then I was glad I did. It'd be worse if that thing showed up at my grandfather's. Mom would have been in a lot of pain. What she doesn't know wouldn't hurt her. And it's better if she doesn't know anymore. I've made up my mind.
- Now I'm gonna call my friend. She's a lady with fur too, so let her come and decide what to do with you. I don't know much about werewolf problems. Well, Nadia's a specialist in this field. By the way, what about your friend? Is she sick?
- Clara was badly hurt. There's been a lot of blood loss. She was recovering quickly, but...
- Oh, I see. Paddy - she is the Paddy - I've been fooling around. And I reached for the phone. It's so good that Nadia has a cell phone! You can always find her now! Anytime!
- Yeah?
- Hello, Nadia, it's me.
- Yulka? Have you changed your mind or something?! Are you coming with us to the Three Sixes?
- No. Nadia, can you come to my place? The sooner, the better.
Nadia thought about it for a while.
- Is it terribly urgent?
I looked at my brother and Clara.
- I wouldn't say very much. It has to be done today, but not necessarily now.
- Is it something serious?
- Not on the phone," I asked.
- But not de
adly?
I answered with all possible honesty.
- I hope not for me.
- How long has it been? - Nadia went from words to deeds.
- Around noon.
- Oh! All right! I'm out of shift at 5:00, and I'm gonna have a 6:30 p.m. with you! Okay?
- Deal, - I agreed.
- It's a deal! Ciao?
- And home!
I clicked the button and looked at my brother.
- That's great. My friend's coming at 6:30. She's a werewolf and she can take care of you. Or at least decide what to do with you. Until then, you'll behave like mice under a broom - quietly and discreetly. You can rustle in the kitchen, anything you find in the fridge is yours. Do not leave the apartment, do not call or write to anyone, do not use a computer. Okay?
My brother nodded frowning. I smiled enough.
- That's good. And keep in mind, one security breach won't save you a damn thing. I'll personally turn both vampires in so they can use you at their own discretion! You can't hide from me in Australia either. If the phone rings, wake me up. Is that clear?
- Yes, ma'am, Clara said.
I rubbed the whiskey. I was awfully sleepy.
- And what are you going to do? - Slavka asked. - And why does Klara treat you like that?
- I'll be sleeping. And you'll get an explanation from your paddy," I answered. And I'll slap you in the bedroom.
Sleep rubbed off on me as soon as my head touched the pillow.
Chapter 2.
So the needles and pins are crawling out from under the bench.
I woke up very early. At four o'clock. But I felt cheerful and fresh. I'm used to sleeping to a minimum. Oh, okay, that's still better. From half an hour on, I was lying on the bed and I'd love to see my bedroom. I really liked my apartment. And the bedroom was the limit of my dreams. Half the room was a luxury bed with an orthopedic mattress and a bunch of pillows. When I was awake, I covered it with a dark green blanket and the pillows were like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. There was a thick, dark green carpet on the floor. The walls were gently wallpapered in silvery, almost imperceptible divorces. One wall from floor to ceiling, however, was occupied by a large wardrobe with mirrored doors. And the opposite was the photo wallpaper with the image of trees and bushes. A soft, unobtrusive, transparent green forest glade permeated with the sun. It was reflected in the closet sashes, and it often seemed to me that I was somewhere in the woods, on this glade.
Now I was reflected in the mirror as well, shredded and half asleep. I used to put all my clothes in the closet. Also in this room there was a nightstand next to the bed, a TV, and a lamp with green lampshades that gave a soft pleasant light. Heavy curtains covered the windows, but the sun was shining through them, and I felt like I was in a summer forest. Everything around was green, cozy, warm and calm.
The old cheburash looked orphaned from under the blanket. I reached out for him and pinned a toy to him. How nice, Powers Superior! If only I could stop this moment! That's three hundred years, four hundred years!
I couldn't. And I had to get up, put on my robe and take a shower. I cleaned up pretty quickly and even changed my robe to my homewear - a leopard-colored shirt under my throat and the same rubber band pants. It's all cheap chintz, but I think it's perfect. I've never understood those women who wander around the house with loose ends! In this respect, I'm closer to Muslim women. They think that at home, for her husband, a woman should dress as well as possible and hide herself in the street. Of course, I will not hide myself, but even at home I watch myself.
That's it, bracelets and earrings are enough now. A pale and not too pretty girl was looking at me from the mirror. My cheekbones were sharp, my lips were red, and my eyes were shining feverishly. The past time was not good for me.
I went to the kitchen. I looked into the fridge and whistled. Someone cooked broth, fried cutlets, and even made a bunch of cute little sandwiches. I wonder who's the brother or his girlfriend? I poured myself a glass of water and put it in the freezer. So, for breakfast I'll have a cup of broth, a cutlet and a couple of sandwiches.
Someone came into the kitchen. I didn't even turn around. Oh, brother. You're not gonna fall like that.
- Yeah?
- Julia, I never asked you how you live.
My brother's voice was a little guilty. I shrugged my shoulders with no desire to confess.
- That's how I live. I sleep during the day, I have nightmares at night, I go to the institute in the morning, I hide scars, I don't climb into anyone's soul, but I won't let anyone climb into me either!
In Russian, it meant "get out of my way". It didn't reach my brother.
- Leva, I mean it. What happened to you? You were such a sweet and kind child!
I didn't have a good laugh. Yes, you were! And I even stayed like that until February this year. And then a sweet and kind girl met vampires on her head!
- You'd have asked twenty years later!
- Leo, I mean it!
- Me, too. And don't call me that! Okay?
- If you say so. And still? How come you met werewolves? I know they usually hide from people!
- In my case, it was different. I was more likely to hide from them than they were from me.
- Yulia, I mean it!
Slava looked so tragically, she-hey, the situation was like a Mexican series. Adjusted for the color of the native aspens. Well, I can't take it without laughing.
- And if you're serious, why do I have to be honest with you?
- I am your brother after all.
The kid has an original sense of humor. And now I have to throw myself at his neck screaming "Brother! Where the hell have you been?!" Yeah, whizz-z-z.
- That's not convincing. You'd remember that later on.
- And I want to know what to expect from you!
- And I won't say, I laughed.
- Clara said you weren't a werewolf, but you've got some kind of...
strength.
And a very big one. She said you could have killed her, my brother bro bro bro broke in the locked door. But I wasn't going to give him the key.
- Yeah. So what?
- And you talk about it so calmly?!
- And you rip your hair on yourself by killing two werewolves?
My brother didn't rip his hair. It must have been a shame to have your hair done.
- Yulia, how come you got bit by a vampire?
- Well, that's how it happened. Go, go, and then we met. He held my hand and I knocked him in the teeth, and we met.
My brother's still a little behind his back. He won't get the truth from me, Slava understood it, but at least he wanted to know something.
- Yulia, do you paint now?
- Yes, I do.
- It's funny. I don't remember you ever even trying to draw. Did you go to art school?
- No, I haven't.
- Really?! And that talent?! Yulia, you don't appreciate yourself! You could've made rabid dough!
I made a swear.
- Slava, if you can't shut up, go to your room and talk to your daddy. I don't even want to talk to you.
- Why don't you call Clara by her name? Just "Padi"? It's humiliating for her!
What a righteous indignation in her voice. But I didn't start first!
- Humiliating? But she...
really
tumble! What could be offensive about that? She defied me. I showed her her place again. No more than that.
I drank a glass of ice water in a volley and went for sandwiches with the broth. It's delicious.
- Did you make this?
- – Я. I did. Why?
- It was nothing. I was just asking.
Slava was sitting across from me, terribly unhappy and sad. It must have had a stunning effect on women! Such a superman - and such a sweetheart. Sweet and defenseless. He can cook. It's a rare combination. I just want to stroke his head, hold him, kiss him... Although I wasn't really touched by it.
&nbs
p; - Did you shave? You're looking better. And you smell better.
- We hitchhiked for two days.
- We did?
That made me happy. To track down someone in our fun country who's hitchhiking? It's easier to catch a cat in a dark room. Although... I don't know about vampires or werewolves... Can a pack leader feel his subordinate in another city or not? Ah, the hell with them! I'm not going to break my head about this! Let Nadia suffer!
Z-z-z-z!
О! Here's a friend! Easy on the devil!
I got blinded from the chair and headed for the corridor.
Nadia flew into the apartment like a whirlwind, smelling some flower perfume in the hallway, and kissed me on both cheeks. She looked adorable. The treatment was good for her. Her skin was healthier, her eyes brighter, her hair thicker, and her movements clearer and more confident. Clothing wasn't exactly graceful right now - jeans and a sweater (an eeriely expensive firm that emphasizes and hides everything) - but now there was something new in her friend. Confidence in her beauty and strength. And it attracted looks much stronger than bright looks. Sometimes I wondered: what would Danielle paint her now? And I even knew the answer. But I wasn't in a hurry to paint it. It's early.
- Yulka! How's it going? Are you alive? Are you okay?
I was feverishly washing my lipstick with my face.
- I'm alive, as you can see. Nadia, I have a problem here! Okay, let's go to the living room!
- Hello, - Slava chose this very moment to go on stage.
Nadia looked at him like a ghost.
- Is that your problem?
- Fifty percent of her. Meet my brother Slava, this is Nadja.
- Nadya, - introduced herself as a friend. And she looked suspiciously at her brother. - Yul, why didn't you ever say that you have a brother?
- And I do not have one, - I shrugged my shoulders. - I just did, biologically. You see, nine years ago my brother and I caught my mother and grandfather in a compromising situation.
- We caught them in bed," said Slava.
Nadia measured him with an attentive look from head to toe, like the thing on the market.
- You'll grunt when they let you open your mouth, all right?
Ring of Madness Page 77
