Read Online Hallowed Circle by Linda Robertson - Free Book Online
Authors: Linda Robertson
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do about them, how to approach them, our options are minimal timewise.”
I nodded in agreement. Trying to keep the subject off me, I asked, “How do you know so much?”
Johnny tapped his temple. “It’s in here. Don’t remember where it came from and I can’t access my past, but the part that works is filled up with rock’n’roll and the Lustrata.” He shook his head. “I’ve known every minute of every day since I woke in that park, with these tattoos, that I would find the Lustrata. That I would instruct and serve her. That I was … prepared … just for her.” His rapacious, masculine expression stole my breath. “For you.”
He saw me, and the glistening light of the Lustrata wasn’t dimmed knowing I had a stain. Hoping my eyes shone with as much sincerity as his voice held, I said very seriously, “I hope I can appreciate that as much as you deserve.”
A boyishly lopsided smile sprang to his face. “I know how you can start.”
“Yeah?”
He reached to caress my cheek. “Yeah.”
He guided me closer as if I were floating like Aquula—
I jerked away. “Shit!”
Exasperated, Johnny asked, “What now?”
“I forgot to tell you! In the grove, a water-fairy came to me. She warned me. Said three other fairies were plotting against Menessos and might strike at me to get at him. That’s who might have been out there in the field tonight.” I started to get up. “I’ll need to ask Nanatomorrow if anything in the Codex could help and I have to warn Menessos.”
Johnny caught my arm and kept me sitting. “Why do you need to warn the vamp?”
Staring pointedly at his hand on my arm, I let disapproval show in my expression.
He straightened and released me, his arm sliding across the back of the couch. Twisting into the corner, he pretended to be relaxed, but his pose was too rigid. “Let the three little fairies do their worst.”
My head dipped forward. “They’re more dangerous than you think!”
“Not to me.”
“They might target me, or did you miss that part?”
“So we get you ready, I help protect you, and we ignore the threat to him.”
“I have to tell him.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s the right thing to do.”
In a flash, Johnny was off the couch, pacing before me. “I get the right-action-for-the-right-reason thing, Red. But this isn’t either! This is nothing but showing obedience to him.”
“It is not showing obedience, it’s me being me! Doing the right thing. You thought the stain was gone. You don’t trust me now because you know it’s not.”
“Of course I trust you. I don’t trust him. You’re marked, Red. Still . That’s why you can run so fast.” His arms went up as he figured it out, then his fingers ran over his hair. “Why you smelled the metal of my strings. He is here and he’ll always be here. In you.”
“Doing the right thing for the right reason is important to me, Johnny. It always has been, and that hasn’t changed. If I don’t act when I know I can make a difference, I fail. I fail at being a good person and fail at being the Lustrata.”
“The right thing to do would be for you to acknowledge that you feel something for me that’s remotely close to what I feel for you. I’ve asked for only a single grain of sand from you, Persephone, while I’m the whole fucking beach at your feet. You want to appreciate me but your thoughts are always turning to him !”
What could I say? I stood, walked to a table, and blew out one of the candles. The tang of smoke hit my nostrils sharply.
Behind me, Johnny continued in an angry whisper. “If you contact him, even to warn him, he’ll find a way to reel you in a little more, manipulate you again. That’s what fucking vamps do!”
Johnny came toward me, motion fluid and easy. “I saw you take the stake. I saw the pain transfer back to him. He could not dump it on you anymore. He would have if he could have. How can you still be marked?”
I didn’t want to tell him I chose to
I nodded in agreement. Trying to keep the subject off me, I asked, “How do you know so much?”
Johnny tapped his temple. “It’s in here. Don’t remember where it came from and I can’t access my past, but the part that works is filled up with rock’n’roll and the Lustrata.” He shook his head. “I’ve known every minute of every day since I woke in that park, with these tattoos, that I would find the Lustrata. That I would instruct and serve her. That I was … prepared … just for her.” His rapacious, masculine expression stole my breath. “For you.”
He saw me, and the glistening light of the Lustrata wasn’t dimmed knowing I had a stain. Hoping my eyes shone with as much sincerity as his voice held, I said very seriously, “I hope I can appreciate that as much as you deserve.”
A boyishly lopsided smile sprang to his face. “I know how you can start.”
“Yeah?”
He reached to caress my cheek. “Yeah.”
He guided me closer as if I were floating like Aquula—
I jerked away. “Shit!”
Exasperated, Johnny asked, “What now?”
“I forgot to tell you! In the grove, a water-fairy came to me. She warned me. Said three other fairies were plotting against Menessos and might strike at me to get at him. That’s who might have been out there in the field tonight.” I started to get up. “I’ll need to ask Nanatomorrow if anything in the Codex could help and I have to warn Menessos.”
Johnny caught my arm and kept me sitting. “Why do you need to warn the vamp?”
Staring pointedly at his hand on my arm, I let disapproval show in my expression.
He straightened and released me, his arm sliding across the back of the couch. Twisting into the corner, he pretended to be relaxed, but his pose was too rigid. “Let the three little fairies do their worst.”
My head dipped forward. “They’re more dangerous than you think!”
“Not to me.”
“They might target me, or did you miss that part?”
“So we get you ready, I help protect you, and we ignore the threat to him.”
“I have to tell him.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s the right thing to do.”
In a flash, Johnny was off the couch, pacing before me. “I get the right-action-for-the-right-reason thing, Red. But this isn’t either! This is nothing but showing obedience to him.”
“It is not showing obedience, it’s me being me! Doing the right thing. You thought the stain was gone. You don’t trust me now because you know it’s not.”
“Of course I trust you. I don’t trust him. You’re marked, Red. Still . That’s why you can run so fast.” His arms went up as he figured it out, then his fingers ran over his hair. “Why you smelled the metal of my strings. He is here and he’ll always be here. In you.”
“Doing the right thing for the right reason is important to me, Johnny. It always has been, and that hasn’t changed. If I don’t act when I know I can make a difference, I fail. I fail at being a good person and fail at being the Lustrata.”
“The right thing to do would be for you to acknowledge that you feel something for me that’s remotely close to what I feel for you. I’ve asked for only a single grain of sand from you, Persephone, while I’m the whole fucking beach at your feet. You want to appreciate me but your thoughts are always turning to him !”
What could I say? I stood, walked to a table, and blew out one of the candles. The tang of smoke hit my nostrils sharply.
Behind me, Johnny continued in an angry whisper. “If you contact him, even to warn him, he’ll find a way to reel you in a little more, manipulate you again. That’s what fucking vamps do!”
Johnny came toward me, motion fluid and easy. “I saw you take the stake. I saw the pain transfer back to him. He could not dump it on you anymore. He would have if he could have. How can you still be marked?”
I didn’t want to tell him I chose to
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