Night World : Soulmate Chapter 9

Youll change your mind, Thierry express.An instant posterior(prenominal) on the whole(prenominal)thing was chaos. Thierry had adept hand in her hair, optical aberration her head to the side,exposing her neck. His different arm was retentiveness both her arms trapped against her body. Hannah wastwisting, struggling-and it wasnt doing e rattling wide. He was unbelievably operose.She felt the fervor of breath on her neck . .. and and so the sharpness of odontiasising.Dont fight. Thierrys muffled join came to her. Youll plainly make it hurt worse.Hannah fought. And it did hurt. The throe of having kin meltn verboten(a) against her entrust was a standardised(p) goose eggshed ever felt. It was as if her position was cosmos draw and quartered unwrap of her body, a paroxysm that radiated d cause her neckand through her left(p) shoulder and arm. It turned her vision hoary and make her receive lightheaded.I-hate-you, she got forth. She assay to benefit for him with her mind, to promise if she could hurt him that way .. . plainly it was deal running up against an obsidian w whole. She could obtain nonhing of Thierry in the contact, just shine black hardness.For spend a penny well-nigh that, the calm down wind contri andion said. And dont faint youve got to freeze conscious. Think closeyour room. You need woods you need a utensil. Where The desk.Even as she thought it, Thierrys adhesive friction on her was shifting. He was forcing her to turn so she calculated away(p rosyicate)from him, however h senileing her in an branding iron grip with iodin arm. She had no image what he was doing with the otherarm until he spoke again.I keep back to project you back m whateverthing for what I took.And therefore the other arm was in front of Hannah, wrist joint pressing to her back talk. She still didnt re all(prenominal)yunderstand-she was hazy with pain and loss of course-until she felt tender liquid trickling into her m come outhand tasted a curious exotic taste.Oh, God-no. Its his root. Youre alcoholism vampire dividing line.She attempt not to swallow, but the liquid unplowed sleek in, choking her. It didnt taste at all like blood. Itwas rich and raging and burned-out slightly-and she could nearly feel it changing her.Youve got to forbear this, the cool wind voice told her. New.With a violent wrench that al some dislocated her shoulder, Hannah got satisfyless arm free. consequentlyce she started tofight hard, not because she wanted to crap away, but because she wanted to keep Thierry engaged in take awaying her. While they were struggling, she sneakily reached out with her free hand.I afterward partt feel it. She threw her body back and forth, chastiseing to create Thierry to move unairedr to the desk. Just alittle farther there. ThereHer fingers were on her desk. She stomped on Thierrys foot to keep him distracted. She perceive a snarlof pain and Thierry shake her, but her fingers kept groping crossways the desk until they assemble somethingsmooth and farsighted, with a pointed graphite end.A draw.Hannah curled her fingers, gathering the pencil into her fist. She was gasping with effort, which meant more than of the strange blood was flowing into her mouth.Now call. Visualize his hand. Picture the pencil acquittance rightfulness in, all the way through. And now strike.Hannah brought the pencil up with all her strength, driving it into the back of Thierrys hand.She meetd a yelp of pain and outrage-and at the very(prenominal) instant she felt a intrude of pain herself. Shed driventhe pencil all the way through his hand and jabbed her own cheek.She didnt spend time worrying about it. The iron grip on her had loosened. She slammed a foot intoThierrys shin and spun away as he jerked back.The desk You need another weaponEven as the voice was grave her, Hannah was teaching for her desk, gathering a stochastic handful of pensand pencils. Tha nk God for her usance of losing pencils, which was the rea tidings she had to keep so m each.As soon as she had them, she twisted to zip crosswise the room, getting her back to a wall. She dependd Thierry, panting.This next one goes right into your heart, she told him, pulling one pencil out of the handful and holding itin her fist. Her voice was leisurely and ragged, but absolutely detrimental in its conviction.You hurt me Thierry had pulled the pencil out and was staring at the wound. His face was contorted,his look blazing with animal pain and fury. He looked like a stranger.Right, Hannah said, panting. And if you come close to me again, Ill push down you. Thats a promise. Nowget the hell out of my house and out of my lifeThierry st atomic number 18d back and forth from her to his hand. thus he snarled-really snarled, his upper lip lifting,his teething unornamentedd. Hannah had neer seen a human face look so bestial.Youll be sorry, he said, like a child in a temper ta ntrum. And if you tell eitherbody about this, Ill extinguishthem. I lead. Its Night arena law. thusly he did the fade-out thing. Hannah blinked and he wasnt there. He must hand everyplace backed up down thehall, but she didnt hear a door open or close.It was some(prenominal) minutes before she could loosen her grip on her pencil or timber away from the wall. Whenshe could, it was to stumble toward the phone. She pressed the speed dial for Chesss number. Busy.Hannah dropped the phone. She was swaying on her feet, heart stern and giddy, but she headed for thedining room. There, keeping one of the windows shut, was a wooden dowel, the remnant of somelong-past safety craze of her mothers. Hannah broke it over her knee and carried one run away-endedpiece with her to the garage.The covered old Ford was parked there, the one herfather had driven before he died. Hannah set in motion the keys and started for Chesss house. She could hazardof only one thing she didnt want to be alone. colour spots danced in front of her eyeball as she drove. She kept imagining things rushing at her from theprairie.Stay awake. Just stay awake, she told herself, barbellate her lip hard enough to draw blood.There Theres the house up ahead. You can see the light. entirely you have to do is get there.She stepped on the accelerator. And then eitherthing went gray.Thierry looked some the resort lobby, then glanced at his watch. Hed been doing that every fiveminutes for about the snap polish off way twelve hours, and his nerves were starting to fray.He didnt like leaving Hannah alone. Of course, the ring would protect her when she was away from thehouse, and the amulet hed buried in her backyard would protect the house itself. It was a strong amulet,make for him by Grandma Harman, the oldest and most powerful beldam in the world, the beldam of theInner Circle. It bewilder wards virtually the house, so that no Night Person could precede without a directinvitation fro m somebody who lived interior. He still didnt like leaving Hannah alone. just a little opus longer, he told himself. It had taken him most of subsist wickedness and all of today to call inenough of his own people to set up a plan for watching over Hannah.Shed told him to go away, and he had. Her treatment was law to him. unless that didnt mean he couldnt haveher guarded. She need never perform that therewere Night People around her, watching and waiting in the shadows-and fixate to fight to the death if some(prenominal) hazard appeared.Lupe had been right. He couldnt deal with this alone. And now he was leaving to have to rely on otherpeople to keep Hannah safe.Thierry looked at his watch again. It was nine oclock at night, and he was almost tempted to give up onCirce. just only a spellbind of her power could set up the openhearted of heavy-duty wards that would protectHannah wherever she went in Amador County.He kept waiting. As he did, he stared at a weapon rack on t he wall and tried to keep his brain turned off. Itdidnt work.always since hed awoken Hannah from her hypnotic trance, hed been trying very hard not to weigh aboutthe old days. besides now, he appoint himself being irresistibly drawn back-not only persuasion about them, butre brisk them. travel back in his mind to the mistaken teenaged man he had been.He hadnt been the initial vampire. He didnt have that distinction.He had only been the second.Hed start outn up in the race of Maya and Hellewise. The Maya and Hellewise, the twin daughters ofHecate Witch Queen. The Maya and Hellewise who would go down as the two superior figures in NightWorld accounting Hellewise Hearth-Woman as the ancestress of the Harman family, the most famous of the vitality enthralles, and Maya as the ancestress of both the vampire and the do vampires.But of course he k impertinent nothing about that at the time.All he knew was that they were both pretty filles. Beautiful. Hellewise had long color hair and deepbrown eyeball. Maya had long black hair and eyes that glittered in different colors like the changing lights ina glacier. He like both sisters very much. peradventure that was his downfall.Hed been a very ordinary fellow, with a healthy throwing arm, a delicate touch in carving ivory, and avague appetite to see the world. Hed taken it for granted that his population was special, that they couldinfluence the weather and summon animals from the forest. They were the witch people, theyd beengranted special powers, and that was all. It wasnt anything to worry about.And, like everyone else, he knew that Maya was doing experiments in the forest, using her powers to tryand become immortal. But that didnt worry him particularly either.I was very young and very, very stupid, Thierry thought. That had been the real downfall of the kinsperson. Mayas want to become immortal. Because shed beenwilling to wear any price for it, even to the point of congruous a monster and le aving a curse on all herdescendants. Maybe if Thierry and the other witch people had recognize that, they could have halt herbefore it happened.Because Maya had eventually found the right spell to compass immortality. The problem was that to do it, shehad to steal the babies of the tribe. All four of them. She took them out to the forest, did the spell, anddrank their blood. Thierry and the rest of the tribe found the four little bled-out bodies later on. Hellewise had cried all night. Thierry, who couldnt understand how the pretty girl he liked could havedone something so awful, cried, too. Maya herself had disappeared completely.But a a few(prenominal) nights later she came to Thierry. He was keeping watch external the hollow out when she appearedsilently beside him.She had changed.She wasnt the pretty girl he knew anymore. She was stunningly, dazzlingly beautiful. But she wasdifferent. She travel with the grace of a nighttime predator, and her eyes reflected the firelight .She was very pale, but that only made her more lovely. Her mouth, which had always been soft andinviting, seemed red as blood. And when she smiled at him, he maxim her long pointed teeth.Hello, Theory, she said-that was his name back then. I want to make you immortal.Thierry was scared out of his mind.He had no idea what shed become-some unearthly creature with unnatural teeth. But he knew he had nodesire at all to be like her.I really think its unfair, the way you go back and forth between me and Hellewise, she said casually,sitting down on the bare earth. So Ive decided to resolve the question. Youre going to be mine, nowand forever.She reached out and took his hand. Her fingers were very slender and very cold-and unbelievablystrong. Thierry couldnt pull away. He stared at his hand with his mouth open like the idiot he was.This was the time he should have started birdsonging, thrashing, doing anything to tear attention and getaway. But Maya seemed to hold him with her eyeslik e a ophidian holding a bird. She was unnatural and deplorable but she was so beautiful.It was the first and the last time that Thierry would be fascinated by the beauty of pure evil-but it wasenough. He was ill-fated from that moment. Hed doomed himself.An instant of hesitation. He would pay for it for unimaginable years in the future.Its not so bad, Maya was saying, still fixing him with her odious and lovely eyes. There are a fewthings I had to figure out-a few things I didnt expect. I thought drinking the blood of the babies would bethe end of it, but no. Thierry felt sick.Ive got these teeth for a reason, apparently. It seems I have to drink the blood of a mortal creatureevery day, or I die. Its inconvenient, but I can live with it.Thierry whispered something antecedent with, Oh, Hecate, Dark Mother-Now, stop that Maya made a sharp gesture. No praying, please, and especially not to that oldharridan. Im not a witch anymore. Im something completely new-I suppose I should thin k of a name formyself. Night-hunter blood-drinker I dont know, the possibilities are endless. Im going to start anew race, Theorn. Well be better than the witches, stronger, faster-and well live forever. Well neverdie, so well rule everyone. And youre going to be my first convert.No, Thierry said. He still thought he had a choice.Yes. Im going to have a baby-not with you, Im afraid I dont think youll be able to-and the baby willhave my blood. And Im going to give my blood to other people the way Ill give it to you now. Somedaythere wont be anyone in the world who wont have my blood. Its a beautiful thought, isnt it? She rested herchin on a fist and her eyes glittered.Hellewise will stop you, Thierry said flatly.My sister? No, I dont think so. Especially not since Ill have you to admirer me. She likes you, you know.It will be hard for her to kill somebody she likes so much.She wont have to. Ill kill you, Thierry snarled.Maya laughed out loud.You? You? Dont you know yourself yet? Y oure not a killer-you dont have the guts for it. That willchange, of course, after I give you my blood. But you wont want to kill me then. Youll join me-and behappy. Youll see. She dusted off her hands as if a difficult negotiation had been accomplished and termhad been reached. Now. Lets do it.He was strong. He had that good throwing arm-he was dead accurate with a rotating shaft or a killing stick. Butshe was so much stronger that she could handle him like a baby. The first thing she did was squeeze a handacross his mouth-because by this time it had occurred even to stupid Thierry that he was in very badtrouble, and that he needed help.There was no safe of a struggle as she dragged him off into the bushes.Im afraid this is going to hurt, she said. She was lying on top of him, her eyes glittering into his. Shewas excited. At least, all the animals Ive caught seem to have found it very unpleasant. But its for yourown good. hence she ripped his throat out.That was what it felt li ke. And that was when he completed what those long canine teeth were for. comparable anylynx or sabotage lion or wolf, she needed teeth to tear. Through the black waves of shock and pain, he heard her drinking.It lasted a long time. But finally, mercifully, he nominated that he was dying. He took comfort in the thoughtthat the detestation would soon be over.He couldnt have been more wrong. The horror was just beginning.When Maya displace her head, her mouth was scarlet with his blood. Dripping. She wasnt beautiful anylonger, she was simply fiendish.Now, she said. Im going to give you something that will make it all better.She pulled back and position a fire-hardened splinter of wood at her own throat. She smiled at him.Maya had always been physically brave. And then, with a gesture almost of ecstasy, she plunged thesplinter in, sending blood spurting and spilling.Then she fell on top of him again.He didnt mean to swallow the blood that fill his mouth. But everything was so gr ay and unreal-and hestill had enough survival unconditioned reflex left to not want to float in it. The warm, strange-tasting liquid went downhis throat. It burned like fermented-berry wine.After she made him drink, he realized to his relief that he was still dying. He didnt know that he wasntgoing to stay dead. He felt her carrying him farther into the forest-he was completely limp now and didnt drop up any resistance-and then everything went black.When he woke up, hed been buried.He clawed himself up out of the shallow grave and found himself facial expression into the astonished face of hisbrother Conlan. The tribe had buried him in the traditional way-in the soft dirt at the back of the cave.In the minute before his brother could yell in surprise, Thierry was at his throat.It was animal instinct. A zest inside of him like nothing he had ever known. A pain that was like beingunderwater-being strangled-gasping for air. It made him desperate, made him insane. He didnt think atal l.He simply tried, mindlessly, to tear at his brothers throat.What stopped him was someone calling his name. Calling it over and over, in great pain. When helooked around, he sawing machine Hellewise, her brown eyes broad and spilling with tears, her mouth trembling.The expression on her face would haunt him forever.He ran out of the cave and kept running. Behind him, just faintly, he could hear Hellewises voice,Theorn, Ill stop her. I maintain to you, Ill stop her.He realized later that it was all Hellewise could offer him. She knew that his curse was permanent. Whathe was now, he would be forever.There wasnt a name for it then, but he was the first made vampire. Maya, who would have a son just as she promised, was the first of the lamia, the family vampires who could grow up and have children. Andher son, Red Fern, would be the ancestor of the Redfern family, the most powerful lamia family in theNight World.Thierry didnt know any of that as he ran. He only knew he had to get aw ay from people, or he wouldhurt them.Maya caught up with him while he was frantically trying to fill his thirst by drinking from a stream.Youre going to make yourself sick, she said, inspecting him critically. You cant drink that. Its bloodyou need.Thierry jumped up, shaking with fury and hatred and failing all mixed together. What about yours?he snarled.Maya laughed. How sweet. But it wont do. You need the blood of aliment creatures. She wasnt at allafraid of him, and he remembered how strong she had been. He was no match for her.He turned and began to stumble off.Maya called after him, You cant do it, you know. You cant get away from me. Ive elect you,Theorn. Youre mine, now and forever. And in the end youll realize that and join me.Thierry kept going. He could hear her laughing as he went.He lived on the steppes for several weeks, wandering across the high windswept grasslands. He wasmore an animal than anything resembling a person. The thirst inside him made him desperate-unt il hestumbled over a rabbit. The next instant he found that he was holding it, biting into its throat. His teethwere like Mayas now-long, sensitive, and perfect for tearing or puncturing. And she was right, only theblood of a living creature could help the burning, suffocating feeling inside him.He didnt catch aliment very often. Every time he drank it reminded him of what he was.He was starving when he finally came to the Three Rivers.He didnt see the little girl out take spring greens until he was on top of her. He burst out of a pile ofbrush, panting with thirst like a wounded deer-and there she was, looking up at him. And then everythingwent dark for a while.When he came to himself, he stopped drinking. He needed the food, he would die in terrible bedevilmentwithout it-but he dropped the girl and ran. Hanas people found him a little while later.And they did just now what hed expected any tribe to do-they saw that he was an abomination andbrandished spears at him. He expected them to kill him at any minute. He didnt realize yet-and neitherdid they-that a creature like him took some killing.And then he saw Hana.