"Mary Janice Davidson - Betsy 01 - Undead And Unwed" - читать интересную книгу автора (Davidson Mary Janice)

choose to come back and you know it. Your knockoff-wearing henchwhore hurt a friend of mine to get
me here. And IтАЩm not participating in any ceremony. And I want you to leave me alone.тАЭ

There were a couple of stifled gasps at this. Nostro looked around slowly, a cobra watching for
careless mice, but nobody was making eye contact. They were all staring at the floor.

Nostro turned back to me and forced a smile. His pupils, I noticed for the first time, were rimmed in
red. It was quite a bit scarier than the big spooky house, the dumb tux, the throne and the fake courteous
mannerisms. That stuff just made me want to laugh. The thing he couldnтАЩt helpтАФhis creepy, creepy
eyesтАФthat was really scary. тАЬI must insist. I require your participation in the ceremony and I willnot тАжтАЭ
тАШNotтАЩ was screamed, actually screamed; I jumped. He continued in a perfectly mild voice. тАЬтАжtolerate
you siding with Sinclair.тАЭ

(Note to self: either being undead drove this guy crazy, or he was crazy first.)

тАЬSinclair?тАЭ I was ready to swoon with relief. тАЬYouтАЩre worried about me siding with him? DonтАЩt sweat it,
chief. I wouldnтАЩt go near him on a bet. Yuck!тАЭ

Nostro blinked slowly like a frog. тАЬYou do not wish allegiance with my clan or Sinclair?тАЭ

тАЬBy jove, I think heтАЩs got it! No, I donтАЩt want to hang out with any of you. I donтАЩt want ceremonies or
vamp politics or my friends getting ambushed because someoneтАЩs really hot to talk to meтАжI donтАЩt want
any of it. No offense,тАЭ I added, seeing his expression darken.

тАЬNone taken,тАЭ he said with completely fake sincerity.

I tried really hard to keep the sarcasm out of my tone as I continued. тАЬI just want to live my death the
way I lived my life.тАЭ I looked around the room, trying to make eye contact with somebodyтАжanybody.
тАЬOh, come on!тАЭ I said loudly. тАЬI canтАЩt be the only one who feels like this. DonтАЩt you guys want to see
your friends? Maybe find your old boss and scare the shit out of him? Show your parents youтАЩre not
taking a dirt nap? Why do we have to huddle together in little undead covens?тАЭ

тАЬFor protection, forтАФтАЭ

тАЬFor bullshit. The stories arenтАЩt all trueтАФweтАЩve managed to hang onto our souls. Why canтАЩt we stay
individuals? Why donтАЩt we turn the goddamned lights on? Why are you all wearing black? Why do you
all look like extras from a B-movie vampire set?тАЭ

Nostro flinched at тАЬGod,тАЭ just like Shanara had, but other than that, he was completely unmoved by my
rallying cry.

тАЬEnough,тАЭ he said, because a few of the others were looking at me with surprise and not a little
curiosity. тАЬI hate to use a clich├йтАжтАЭ

тАЬYoudo?тАЭ

тАЬтАжbut youтАЩre either with us, or with Sinclair. Which is it?тАЭ

тАЬNeither! I think youтАЩre both creeps.тАЭ As soon as it was out of my mouth I knew IтАЩd gone too far. He
lunged for me, crossing the six or seven feet between us in a blink, his hands going to my throat, closing