[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
knew he belonged.
* * * * *
Vision leaned back in the café chair and picked up his wine glass. The waitress had
looked disappointed that just the two young men at the table were eating, but changed her
expression immediately at the bottle Vision ordered. Hanz raised his eyebrow, but said
nothing. The humans walking back and forth in the bright side of midnight were still
laughing and talking. Vision remembered hunting among them, and he found himself
missing it. Hanz had a series of feeders for him that ate the most organic foods and kept
religiously to their low-sodium diets, but it wasn t the same.
We could hunt if you wish, Hanz said, and brushed his fingers over Vision s wrist.
The boys were studying the menu as though there was a test at the end of it, so they didn t
see it or the sudden flush to Vision s cheeks. It didn t take much, just a glance sometimes, or
a touch, and he was aching and hard. You just have to ask.
Why don t I believe you? Vision said, voice as low, but then heard Kane whispering
to Jinx that they were doing it again. Jinx, who didn t have a covert bone in his body, looked
on with great interest.
Vision took his hand back. Kane went back to his menu, and when the waitress finally
returned, ordered a laundry list of food. It had just arrived when Breylorn arrived with
68 Angela Fiddler
Octavius. Surprisingly, he asked Octavius to join them, rather than stay at point. Vision
supposed it was an improvement.
Vision raised a hand in greeting, which Breylorn returned. Hanz bowed his head
stiffly, no more than a bob. He still hadn t forgiven Vision for giving up his lands to him. Of
course, it had been entirely Vision s choice, and he d had to convince Breylorn to accept the
gift. But Vision knew that Hanz wouldn t blame him, so the aggression had to go somewhere.
Octavius, however, didn t seem to appreciate the honor, at least. He stared at Kane the
whole time. You ve changed, Octavius snapped.
Me? Kane asked, glancing to Hanz for guidance, but Hanz shook his head in
confusion.
Jinx frowned, putting his hand over Kane s. Breylorn noticed. Meet us by the door,
Breylorn said.
Octavius jerked in his chair, about to argue, but Breylorn looked at him with the
mildest of expressions, and he got up and bowed stiffly.
What was that? Vision asked, as Octavius walked past. Octavius heard him, and his
shoulders knotted.
I don t know, Breylorn said and frowned. Jinx ignored the food at the table, instead
staring past Vision s shoulder. Vision didn t have to turn around to feel that Octavius had
crossed his arms over his chest, but he didn t turn away. He was still staring at Kane, and
while Kane seemed oblivious as he ate, Jinx all but shook with anger. But I m going to find
out.
Vision motioned the waitress to bring him another glass.
Master of the Lines 5: Coda 69
Chapter Nine
Janus woke up first. Lyall had curled up on the other side of the bed and didn t wake as
Janus got up. He kissed Lyall s exposed shoulder, and his skin felt cold. So Janus tucked his
arm back under the blanket. Lyall snuffled and buried himself deeper into the pillows. Janus
closed the door behind him quietly and padded his way back to his office.
When he did, the wards over the door crackled in warning. He turned, unbelieving
that anything wishing him harm could possibly make it through the levels of protection he d
set up over the years, and for a moment, he saw nothing.
He was just jumpy, he admonished himself, and was just about to turn back to his desk
when he heard someone, not Lyall, clear his throat. He blinked, and a man came into focus
in front of him, just under the wards of the door.
He wasn t really there -- the baseboard of the hall and the tasteful mango sorbet color
of the wall behind him was very obvious through him. There was a lot of power crackling
through the image, and for a second, the image came slightly more into focus. But Janus s
wards snapped as well, keeping him in about as much clarity as an early television broadcast.
I m very strong, Janus said, forcing his voice to sound slightly apologetic. Sorry
about that.
70 Angela Fiddler
His guest wasn t used to being thwarted. He bowed his head, accepting the false
sympathy with the same amount of false grace. He wore a smoking jacket, of all things, and
the red velvet was barely a dingy brown through his poor reception. His hair was salt-and-
pepper, though Janus got the impression that was again more of an effect of the signal
degradation. It is all right, he said, speaking with a faint accent. Eastern European, if Janus
had to guess, though he d ever really been there as a human soldier. Something ending in a
ia, if he had to guess.
The wards pulsed. If Janus wanted to, he could have infused them with more energy,
and they would block even this shadow of an image, but his guest had obviously put out a lot
of effort to set up this meeting, and Janus knew he should at least ask him what he wanted. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl aikidobyd.xlx.pl
knew he belonged.
* * * * *
Vision leaned back in the café chair and picked up his wine glass. The waitress had
looked disappointed that just the two young men at the table were eating, but changed her
expression immediately at the bottle Vision ordered. Hanz raised his eyebrow, but said
nothing. The humans walking back and forth in the bright side of midnight were still
laughing and talking. Vision remembered hunting among them, and he found himself
missing it. Hanz had a series of feeders for him that ate the most organic foods and kept
religiously to their low-sodium diets, but it wasn t the same.
We could hunt if you wish, Hanz said, and brushed his fingers over Vision s wrist.
The boys were studying the menu as though there was a test at the end of it, so they didn t
see it or the sudden flush to Vision s cheeks. It didn t take much, just a glance sometimes, or
a touch, and he was aching and hard. You just have to ask.
Why don t I believe you? Vision said, voice as low, but then heard Kane whispering
to Jinx that they were doing it again. Jinx, who didn t have a covert bone in his body, looked
on with great interest.
Vision took his hand back. Kane went back to his menu, and when the waitress finally
returned, ordered a laundry list of food. It had just arrived when Breylorn arrived with
68 Angela Fiddler
Octavius. Surprisingly, he asked Octavius to join them, rather than stay at point. Vision
supposed it was an improvement.
Vision raised a hand in greeting, which Breylorn returned. Hanz bowed his head
stiffly, no more than a bob. He still hadn t forgiven Vision for giving up his lands to him. Of
course, it had been entirely Vision s choice, and he d had to convince Breylorn to accept the
gift. But Vision knew that Hanz wouldn t blame him, so the aggression had to go somewhere.
Octavius, however, didn t seem to appreciate the honor, at least. He stared at Kane the
whole time. You ve changed, Octavius snapped.
Me? Kane asked, glancing to Hanz for guidance, but Hanz shook his head in
confusion.
Jinx frowned, putting his hand over Kane s. Breylorn noticed. Meet us by the door,
Breylorn said.
Octavius jerked in his chair, about to argue, but Breylorn looked at him with the
mildest of expressions, and he got up and bowed stiffly.
What was that? Vision asked, as Octavius walked past. Octavius heard him, and his
shoulders knotted.
I don t know, Breylorn said and frowned. Jinx ignored the food at the table, instead
staring past Vision s shoulder. Vision didn t have to turn around to feel that Octavius had
crossed his arms over his chest, but he didn t turn away. He was still staring at Kane, and
while Kane seemed oblivious as he ate, Jinx all but shook with anger. But I m going to find
out.
Vision motioned the waitress to bring him another glass.
Master of the Lines 5: Coda 69
Chapter Nine
Janus woke up first. Lyall had curled up on the other side of the bed and didn t wake as
Janus got up. He kissed Lyall s exposed shoulder, and his skin felt cold. So Janus tucked his
arm back under the blanket. Lyall snuffled and buried himself deeper into the pillows. Janus
closed the door behind him quietly and padded his way back to his office.
When he did, the wards over the door crackled in warning. He turned, unbelieving
that anything wishing him harm could possibly make it through the levels of protection he d
set up over the years, and for a moment, he saw nothing.
He was just jumpy, he admonished himself, and was just about to turn back to his desk
when he heard someone, not Lyall, clear his throat. He blinked, and a man came into focus
in front of him, just under the wards of the door.
He wasn t really there -- the baseboard of the hall and the tasteful mango sorbet color
of the wall behind him was very obvious through him. There was a lot of power crackling
through the image, and for a second, the image came slightly more into focus. But Janus s
wards snapped as well, keeping him in about as much clarity as an early television broadcast.
I m very strong, Janus said, forcing his voice to sound slightly apologetic. Sorry
about that.
70 Angela Fiddler
His guest wasn t used to being thwarted. He bowed his head, accepting the false
sympathy with the same amount of false grace. He wore a smoking jacket, of all things, and
the red velvet was barely a dingy brown through his poor reception. His hair was salt-and-
pepper, though Janus got the impression that was again more of an effect of the signal
degradation. It is all right, he said, speaking with a faint accent. Eastern European, if Janus
had to guess, though he d ever really been there as a human soldier. Something ending in a
ia, if he had to guess.
The wards pulsed. If Janus wanted to, he could have infused them with more energy,
and they would block even this shadow of an image, but his guest had obviously put out a lot
of effort to set up this meeting, and Janus knew he should at least ask him what he wanted. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]