Jennifer Armintrout Blood Ties 3 Ashes to Ashes

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

She took another step forward, raising the drill."How about& the eyes?"
"How about, no?"Max swung forward with the momentum he'd built up, knocking
the drill from her hand as he locked his legs around her rib cage. She'd made
a mistake starting with his fingers, one that had worked to his advantage. Wet
with his blood, the leather had become slippery. The missing digits made his
hands small enough to slip from the cuffs, and the weight of his body did the
rest.
He took her down with him. They landed with a thud, skidding across the
bloodied marble. He didn't want to think about the sticky pieces of his former
fingers getting crushed beneath them. He had her pinned now, so it would be a
damn lousy time to get distracted. Before she could collect her wits to
scream, he grabbed her head and twisted, snapping her neck. It wouldn't kill
her, but it would sure incapacitate her.
The vampire who'd been guarding Bella raced forward with a roar. Max grabbed
the drill, depressed the trigger and caught him in throat as he charged.
"Sorry, couldn't have you calling for help."
The vampire writhed on the floor, directly under the oculus. Max grabbed
Anne's limp, unconscious body by the legs and pulled her beside her cohort.
"Sorry, kid. You were a good egg, for a while."
Shielding his eyes, he pulled the rope, flooding the room with light.
"Max, no!" Bella screamed. In the blinding pain of the moment he saw her
stand, and fall.
"Damn it, Bella!" If she'd have stayed put, his chances would have been much
better. He skirted the direct beam of light, his skin sizzling from the
limited exposure. He managed to scoop her up and deposit her into the chair
again before he burst into flame.
"Will you be quiet? Do you want the whole freaking house to come in here?" He
stopped, dropped and rolled into a shadowed corner. "Wheel yourself over here
and let's go."
The horror on her face as she approached broke his heart. He knew how he must
look.Blood on his arms, dried and fresh.Mangled hand, missing toe. He couldn't
have looked too hotbefore he'd inadvertently set himself on fire.
The sickening stench of burned vampire reached them. Bella gagged and covered
her nose. Lifting his head, Max saw the piles of ash where the bodies had
landed. The blue ball of flame of Anne's soon-to-be-ex heart extinguished with
a fizz.
"Hang on," Max instructed Bella. Then the wind came, making a maelstrom of
the cavernous room, destroying the wooden shutters over the windows. Bella
dived from the chair to shield him from the light.
"I have killed many vampires and that has never happened," she said, almost
accusing.
"She was old," Max explained. "Despite what she looked like, she was really,
really old."
During the night, when he'd lain awake relishing what might have been his
last few moments with Bella, he'd realized he would probably have to kill
Page 173
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Anne. He'd imagined himself being somewhat more& sorry about it. Funny how
having his fingers cut off a little bit at a time had changed his attitude.
Bella touched his shoulder,then recoiled. "You are badly burned. How will we
escape here? You cannot fight. I will applaud you if you can walk."
"Well, prepare to give me a standing ovation, 'cause we're getting out of
here." He climbed to his feet and flattened himself against the wall. "Forgive
me if I don't help you up, but I think I've had enough barbecue for today."
Jumping down in her chair, Bella groaned. "If it comes to pass that I will
never walk again, please do me the favor of killing me."
"At least you've stillgot all your body parts, working or not." He waggled
his ruined hand at her. "Follow me."
He inched along the wall, avoiding the sunlight that now flooded across the
floor. Getting to the door would be the hardest part. Once they were outside
it, the chances of finding another open window were slim.Unless the Oracle
didn't mind looking for new employees every dawn.
Another few steps and he would be there.If he didn't lose his balance and
fall into a shaft of sunlight first.
As if in answer to a prayer he hadn't uttered, the light dimmed.
"Max, what is happening?" Bella asked,her last word nearly drowned out by the
clang of steel shutters. The windows and oculus were covered, leaving them in
darkness.
Not a good sign. "Go!" he shouted, racing to grab her. But it was too late.
The doors slammed shut before them.
"We are trapped," Bellawhispered, eyes wide.
A mechanical whirring drew their attention to the other side of theroom, A
section of the tall paneling began to shift. Improbably, the whole section
swung around re versing itself. On the other side was an attached dais with a
large, ornate throne.
And on that throne sat the Oracle. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Wątki