"Huff, Tanya - Keeper 3 - Long Hot Summoning" - читать интересную книгу автора (Huff Tanya)

Sam swallowed. УNothing.Ф
As they entered the hall, the tile turned to a rough concrete floor. The bench and its flanking planters of plastic trees, although outwardly no different from other benches and other trees, had a temporary look. Only three stores long, the hall ended in a gray plywood wall stenciled with a large sign that read, УConstruction Site: No Entry.Ф The last store before the wall was the Emporium.
Tucked into another convenient shadow, Diana studied the storefront through narrowed eyes. УI canТt sense a power signature, so IТm guessing the power surge only went one way.У
УIf theyТd known you were coming, theyТd have baked a cake?Ф
She stared down at the cat. УSomething like that, yeah. Who . . . ?Ф
УYour father.Ф
УWell, do me a favor and donТt pick up any more of his speech patterns because that would be too weird.Ф
УWhy?Ф
УSam, you sleep on my bed. Just donТt, okay?Ф
He shrugged, clearly humoring her. УOkay.Ф
Diana turned her attention back to the store. УTheyТre not being very subtle, are they? If any of the Lineage had ever window-shopped their way down here, the name alone would have given the whole thing away.Ф
УThe Lineage is big into window shopping?Ф
УNot my point.Ф
УOkay. But I think Erlking Emporium has a marketable ring to it.Ф
УMarketable? First of all, youТre a cat; marketable for you involves a higher percentage of beef byproducts. Second; do you even know what an Erlking is?Ф
Sam shot her an insulted amber glare, the tip of his tail flicking back and forth in short, choppy arcs. УAccording to German legend, itТs a malevolent goblin who lures people, especially children, to their destruction.Ф

Which it was. УSorry. I keep forgetting about that whole used-to-be-an-angel-had-higher-knowtedge thing.Ф
УYeah, you do. But I learned that off a PBS special on mythology.Ф
УWhile I was where?Ф
УCleaning the splattered remains of a history essay off your bedroom walls.Ф
УRight.Ф A lapse in concentration and the Riel Rebellion had spilled out of her closet. It had taken her the entire weekend to clean up the mess, and most of it had turned out to be nonrecyclable. УI think IТve seen enough. LetТs go.Ф
The purely physical lock on the door took only a trickle of power to open.
Sam radiated disapproval as he slipped through into the store. УBreaking and entering.Ф
УTechnically, only entering.Ф Locking the door behind them, Diana tried not to sneeze at the overpowering odor of gardenia coming off the display of candles immediately to her left. A quick glance showed that the gardenia had easily overpowered vanilla, cinnamon, bayberry, lilac, belladonna, monkshood, pholiotina, and yohimbe. Unless the Colonial Candle Company was branching out into herbal hallucinogens, at least half the display had clearly been brought over from the Otherside.
Not just the bracelet, then.
Rubbing her nose, she moved cautiously into the store, skirting a locked glass cabinet filled with crystal balls, and ending up nearly treading on SamТs tail as, hissing, he backed away horn.. . . Diana bent over to take a closer look and had no better idea what animal the pile of stuffed creatures was supposed to represent. In spite of neon fur, they looked remarkably lifelikeЧgiven a loose enough definition of both life and like.
УI was just startled,Ф Sam muttered, vigorously washing a front paw.
УIf I was closer to the ground, theyТd have startled me, too.Ф
УI wasnТt afraid.Ф
УI know.Ф She stroked down the raised hair along his back as she straightened. УI think we can safely say the holeТs not out here. LetТs check out the storeroom.Ф
УItТs not back there either.Ф
Not Sam. Not unless SamТs voice had deepened, aged, and moved up near the ceiling.
Diana dropped down behind a rack of resin frogs dressed in historical military uniforms and began to gather power.
УThink about it for a minute, Keeper; if I wasnТt on your side, IТd have already sounded the alarm. Why donТt you drop the fireworks and come over here so we can talk.Ф
HeЧwhoever he wasЧhad a point. Diana stood, slowly, and looked around. The shadows made it difficult to tell for certain, but sheТd have been willing to bet actual cash money that she and Sam were alone in the store. УWhere are you?Ф

УUp in the corner.Ф
The only thing she could see in the corner was the convex circle of a security mirror. Just as she was realizing the reflection seemed a little off, a familiar pair of blue-on-blue eyes appeared. УYouТve got to be kidding me. TheyТre using a magic mirror for security?Ф
УAinТt life a bitch,Ф the mirror agreed. УGot pulled out of a well-deserved retirementЧquiet hall, nice view out an oriel windowЧand got stuffed up here by Gaston the Wondertroll.Ф
УSo thereТs a real troll?Ф
УLarge as life, and twice as ugly. Actually, larger than life if weТre reflecting accurately.Ф
УGreat.Ф
УI wouldnТt worry about him, kid; heТs just the front man.Ф Faint blue frown lines. УFront troll. Those actually running this segue are keeping their heads tucked well down until itТs too late for your lot to stop it.Ф
Good thing sheТd touched that bracelet, then. The energy discharged had been enough to crack the shielding and send the Summons. No touching, no Summons, no chance to stop the . . . УWait a minute. Did you say, segue?Ф
УI did.Ф
УOkay. This is one of those times when I really wish I could swear.Ф She took three quick steps away from the mirror. Three quick steps back. УI should have known there was more to this than a cheesy gift shop selling ...У A glance down. Ф. . . fake fairies on sticks.У
УLook again.Ф
Under the lacquer and the glitter . . .
УEww.Ф