Guess it's time to grow upI woke up in my bed in the middle of the night. Went downstairs for a drink of water. She tiptoed through the living room so as not to wake Zarq.- Who is there? - they called me.- I'm sorry, - she turned around and stared in surprise at ... Patrick!- What are you doing here?!The master asked to be replaced.Where is Zark?“Master returned to the Western Clan.- Why? He didn't tell me anything.The master didn't tell me why.Patrick shrugged. I felt my heart fill with disappointment.All day long, Patrick, on behalf of Zarq, briefed me on the affairs of the Southern clan. They really intended to entrust me with the management of my father's affairs?- Patrick! I've said a hundred times that I can't do this. I'm only sixteen! I came to learn something new about my father's death! I found out. Now we can return.- The master ordered to show you everything here. Let's see and go.We drove deep into the forest along a winding forest road. The snow had melted,
My crazy planAll night long thoughts about the blond bitch kept me awake: where could she have run away to?In the morning curiosity brought me to the demon's house. I hesitantly stamped my feet at the threshold and was already thinking of cowardly retreat. But she didn't have time to leave.- Is your wild little head looking for adventure again?- BUT? - I turned around. Zark stood in the doorway wearing nothing but trousers. His powerful tanned torso made me nervously swallow saliva.- I say, where did you go again early in the morning?“Actually, I came to you,” I diligently looked away from his breathtaking body.Zark raised an eyebrow.- I won't invite you, speak here.Well, here it is again! Are we pretending to be strangers again?"Don't be offended," Zark said softly, seeing my confused face, "I'm worried about you." We shouldn't be alone.I immediately blushed, remembering last night. Zark entered the house and returned a minute later already dressed. We sat on the terrace.
I'm going to my mom's clanThe elders were waiting for us. The young Yugari took me to a small old house. He stood alone on the outskirts of the settlement. Dense thickets of trees surrounded him from all sides, threatening to swallow him completely. My "bodyguards" were asked to stay outside. Zark tensed. I quietly squeezed his hand: everything is in order.I was invited to sit in a high, tattered leather armchair. Two old men with gray hair and faded colorless eyes were carefully studying mother's pendant.- This is a real one. You say it belonged to your mother? croaked the first old man.I nodded confidently.- We need to look at the records of the archive. Every oun counted. We can easily find out who it really belonged to, - the old man slowly got up and left the room.- And who is your father? Human? - In the meantime, he moved on to the interrogation of the second.I frantically searched for a safe answer.- Yugari.- That's how, ours, then ...Good thing he didn't elaborate!
I started a dangerous game againI still couldn't sleep. Zark returned almost in the morning. He smelled of alcohol. For the first time I saw a demon drunk. Desperate to sleep, she went out to breathe. The morning dawned. A thin pink streak cut across the horizon. I didn’t want to go for a run, and I had to hurry. I'll go wake up Partik. I turned to the door and froze. Someone sneaked into our house. The stranger in the black mask did not notice me. He was focused on his goal. I cautiously followed the stranger.- Zark!!! - My cry of horror deafened the attacker.He froze with a knife held high above his head. Zark opened his eyes. He stared for a second at the sharp blade hanging above him. The reaction of his body was instant. Furry as he went, he waved his hand. Long claws flashed in the darkness of the room. The striker did not even understand what had happened. Four neat deep cuts adorned his stomach. The stranger doubled over and dropped the knife from his hand. Blood gushed fro
crazy girlI open my eyes. The room is filled with darkness. Night. I take a slow breath. The body aches with terrible pain. The poison should have killed me by now. Somehow I'm still alive. Mentally checked the source of power. Today is not raging. Could he really handle it? Regeneration began to restore the systems of the body affected by the poison. The poison quickly left the body, causing pain. I try to move my hands. Heavy on right shoulder. Someone is lying nearby. I slowly breathe in through my nose. She smells amazing. Fox. My couple.A small hand rests on my stomach. I feel exhilarating discharges all over my skin. Someone took off my T-shirt. I turn my head. On my shoulder, snoring peacefully, my crazy girl sleeps. Fox…Why is she here?The call of blood scorches the body with heat and drives out all thoughts. Attention is focused on the fact that she lies on my naked torso in her thin T-shirt and does not know what a storm of emotions it generates in me. I inhale slowly an
During the night I was feverish again. The last remnants of the poison were washed out with difficulty. Strong poison. I had no doubt that this was the work of the northerners. Himself to blame. I got upset, lost control for five minutes, and someone managed to add poison to my glass. A decent dose, too. How did they even know who I am? Is the rat running again? We urgently need to catch the traitor in the clan.The sleepless night gradually turned into morning. I leaned tiredly on the pillows. The fox instantly materialized nearby. Her troubled face gave rise to an unusual tenderness in the depths of her heart.- How are you feeling? The girl's eyebrows drew together at the bridge of her nose.- Stop worrying, I'm almost healthy, - I pulled her hand to me and threw her on the bed, - you are my best medicine!Her tender lips awakened desire. I couldn't resist and lightly touched them with mine.- Zark! - The fox immediately buckled in my arms. - They can see us! Toby drops in to see w
Find a ratLisa went to bed. This, of course, upset me a little, but it was safer for her. The call of blood intensified. My eighteenth birthday was a little more than six months away. I remembered that Chanterelle and I have a birthday on the same day. She will be only seventeen. But for her sake, I could endure any thirst, the main thing is that now she was mine. The only nasty thought that itched in the back of her mind was that perhaps she had made a choice under the pressure of circumstances. After all, I was mortally poisoned, and the Fox, sympathetic and brave, wanted to help me.Morning gray veil of low clouds hung over the school grounds. I hastily pulled on a T-shirt, went downstairs and froze in surprise.- You did not go hunting, I asked from the dining room to bring you fresh meat.The fox was busily busy in my kitchen. I didn't want to admit it even to myself, but what a pleasant sight it is.- Eat quickly, the elders will come now, - Chanterelle put a plate in front of
Ritual- Oh you, sh ... ha! She returned anyway! I also brought my boyfriend with me! Did your new relatives kick you out? I knew it. Not good for anything...A heavy body hung over the bed, reeking of sweat and booze. Swollen eyelids barely lifted above the eyes that breathed malice.A menacing roar filled the room. I couldn't listen to this nonsense anymore.- Zark, don't, - Chanterelle blinked sleepily, crawling out from under the covers."Father" slowly backed away to the door, I was already standing in front of him. My eyes glowed amber, and my hands were adorned with sharp, long blades. Rage boiled in his chest, demanding an outlet.- I myself! - Lisa's voice rang with steel.The girl's eyes sparkled. She resolutely squeezed herself between her stepfather and me, and I involuntarily admired my brave girl.Don't you dare raise your voice at me! You've been bullying your mom all your life. And he just hated me! You have no right to talk to me like that, I'm not even your daughter!
Lisa didn't answer my call. I woke up closer to dinner and immediately dialed my couple's number. I couldn't wait to see how she was doing. But she was silent. Minutes passed and I began to worry.- Toby, did you send the answer to the challenge? - A friend picked up the phone immediately.- Well, yes and what?- When?- What?- When, I say?- Calm down, what are you yelling at? Recently…- What the heck? Why recently, I ask you!!! - I almost yelled into the phone.“S-sorry,” Tobias began to stutter, “first he reported to the elders…- I'm your head! And it was an order! I don't need the approval of the elders! Do you want to go into exile?- Zark, I'm sorry, I didn't think a couple of hours mattered.- They have! And how!!!- Yes, what happened?The fox isn't answering!Tobias was silent for a couple of seconds.- Wait, maybe you're boiling in vain? Probably can't hear, put the phone away. Isn't it enough?- Get ready, we leave for the Southern clan.As soon as I pressed the end call
Lionella and Conrad, having lost their enemy, looked for a new target with their eyes. And there were several of them to choose from: the sanctifier, but it was possible to wait with him, he was exhausted and would not be able to attack right away, a pretty bored archer boy who again got involved in the battle against the non-human heretics he hated, and Vlad, unarmed, trying to negotiate .Ridiculous... What could he bargain for if he had nothing to offer? The mage chuckled. It is done. Wolf Ruby, here it is, warm, as if alive, responding to the slightest thought, to the slight movement of the fingers. And the power that he pours into the brain is more intoxicating than any fortified wine. Konrad felt the ability to slam all enemies with almost the power of thought, without hassle, without loss, with almost no effort. But he was aware that this was only self-deception, a side effect of a too strong magical artifact, which, of course, increases the powers of the sorcerer many times ov
They caught up with the guards the next morning. The battle ended quite recently, in some places on the grass and weapons, not completely clotted blood still glistened. Eleven bodies of varying degrees of preservation - from literally torn to pieces to killed by a neat, precise blow to the throat. Duffel bags are turned over, but all belongings are left right there. They were looking for something specific. You had to be an idiot not to guess what.-The pebble has changed hands, hasn't it? Armand looked questioningly at Alisande.She nodded and closed her eyes, concentrating for a couple of seconds.-Wolves move faster than people, we need to hurry.No one had any desire to replenish their stocks of provisions at the expense of loaves of bread scattered among the corpses. Cesare, who did not utter a word at the sight of the carnage, quickly collected all the arrows, including those that were sticking out of the corpses of several werewolves. In order to fit such a solid supply, the ar
This night, unlike the last, was calm. No hallucinatory mists appeared. During the day they managed to overcome the “right of way”, as Vlad aptly called the area of the dead forest. The oak forest lived an ordinary life: twigs crunched, leaves rustled in the breeze, crickets chirped, fireflies gathered on grass stems.Armand went on twirling everything that had happened this way and that in his brain. “Something I also start to run like a puppet. I don't like it. And to understand the intricacies of all the intrigues does not work. Here is this girl, for example. After all, I see that she is lying somewhere, or at least not telling. However, we immediately fell for her idea, like two males for a female in heat. Stop. And here is the answer. She just uses magic. Of course, I understand, beautiful, but not to the same extent as to completely lose my head. He refused to believe that ordinary hormones were to blame for everything. “On the other hand, until we figure out what kind of peb
Leroy caught himself on the fact that he no longer remembers how much a pillar costs and stares, almost forgetting to swallow his saliva. The woman clearly saw him in the mirror, but not only did not quit her business, but did not even blink an eye. As if every single day unfamiliar men in strange clothes fill up in her boudoir and freeze into wordless sculptures. Although ... if they had come in, they would certainly have done so. It became obvious that the hostess of the apartment was not going to somehow react to the uninvited guest.- Eee … - thoughtfully began Leroy. It seems that his vaunted eloquence betrayed him for the first time in many years. “And because of what? he wondered inwardly. “You might think I haven’t seen beautiful women!” And then he realized that he had seen something, but unimaginably long ago, in a past life - this inhospitable world did not deign to show him any of its beauties. There is no need to talk about something more than just a look. Armand looked a
This hall was not so grandiose in size. But most likely the main one in the temple. The room was filled with the sun, beating through the huge windows in the ceiling. After the dim glow of the sanctifier, all those who entered for a while closed their eyes. And as soon as the eyes got used, they froze in admiration, surprise, disbelief ... Twenty meters ahead, right in front of them, on a dais, he lay. Wolf Ruby. Even though no one present had seen the ancient artifact before or even read the descriptions of its appearance, everyone understood that it couldn't be anything else.The amulet did look like a gem, but natural rubies don't get that big. It was no smaller than a fist. Sparkling with bloody facets, throwing glare on the walls, floor and altar on which he lay. It made the whole room look reddish. The altar very clearly reminded Vlad of what he saw in his time in Conrad's room and explored in the basement under Lionella's shed. The same stone parallelepiped, with a ligature run
Vlad was at a loss what was stronger in him - curiosity, which only flared up even more from the proximity of the necessary information, or fear of the unknown, hostile magic and, to be sure, ghosts. People who previously did not believe in the supernatural, when faced with irrefutable evidence of its existence, experience much more shock and horror than those who have always been afraid of meeting ghosts, goblins or zombies. That is why Cesare felt most comfortable and confident of all of the trinity, for him the City of Ghosts, although it was an implausible legend all his life, in the end it was much easier for a local inhabitant to come to terms with its existence than for aliens "from a distant world".The stones that could be seen behind the trees really turned out to be ruins. It was not possible to determine the original appearance of the buildings from what was left: separate blocks and slabs, fragments of walls, usually not more than the first floor high, sticking out like b
They walked through the oak forest for the third day. From time to time they deviated to the side, but, having heard a mournful howl, they corrected the route. Somehow the responsibilities were assigned. Cesare and Vlad took turns shooting at the birds for food. In the best of times, the boy would have coped alone, but now, with a not quite capable left hand, it was inconvenient for him to pull the bowstring, the arrows quite often went “into the milk” and they had to be searched for a long time. Arman was cooking game on a fire lit by common efforts. The mercenary was slowly mastering the difficult art of using flint and flint. At night, they took turns standing on the clock. No one wondered why this was necessary, because there was no third-party danger, but it was more familiar and calmer.And oddly enough, there were no more conflicts. It is not clear why this happened, but although neither of the men had any special positive feelings towards the other two, nevertheless, quite sta
Cesare looked, to put it mildly, not in the best way, but to tell the truth, it was scary. A face with a huge bruise on the cheekbone, a trickle of blood caked under the nose. His shirt was in tatters, there was a shallow cut on his collarbone, and on his back there was a mark from a wolf's paw that had gone through with its claws. The matted hair almost covers the face. His hands are twisted behind his back, and a barely audible whisper escapes from his broken lips. At first, Vlad did not make out the words, and only listening, he realized that the boy, without ceasing to repeat prayers, reaches the end and starts again from the beginning, and so continuously."Cesare," he called cautiously.No effect. The archer didn't even look up, the mumbling didn't stop. Vlad slightly shook the boy by the shoulder and said louder:-Cesare!The young man tossed his head, looked so that goosebumps passed over the skin - so much pain and approaching madness shone in his eyes. The endless prayer sto