"Wanton Fire" - читать интересную книгу автора (King Sherri L. - Horde Wars 2 - Wanton Firevoto6[htm)

УWould you quit that? YouТre embarrassing me! Just be cool, be real, and youТll blend right in.Ф

УCady, weТve been blending in with humans since long before you were born,Ф Obsidian growled. УWe know what weТre doing.Ф

УYeah. Right. Then if youТre so damn comfortable out here why are you darting in between cars, ducking into corners, looking over your shoulder every few minutes, and basically appearing like youТre a bunch of lunatic criminals? YouТre drawing far too much attention to us with your antics. IТve noticed that youТre not so great at subterfugeЕand so has half of the city!Ф

УHow would you have us act, Cady? Would you have us stand in the middle of the road and wait for an attack from any quarter? Is that what you would prefer?Ф

УYou are such a jerk, Sid. Just be cool, as I said, and follow my lead.Ф Cady sniffed the night air. УAh ha. Hang on. IТll be right back.Ф She darted across the dirty wet street and ducked into a garishly lit shop on the other side, leaving her group to stand behind and wait for her.

УI donТt feel comfortable being out here like this, Obsidian.Ф EdgeТs smooth voice betrayed none of his nervousness, despite his words to the contrary.

УNeither do I. But Cady thinks weТll find something here. WeТll just have to bear with her until she knows more.Ф

УI hate the stink of this place.Ф Cinder scowled. УI much prefer the farmlands weТve been frequenting of late. The smell of animals and crops is not so unnatural asЕthis.Ф He gestured to the passing cars, wandering people, fast food restaurants and nightclubs that lined the dingy city street.

УDo you think I enjoy this any better than either of you? I would much rather be at home playing with my son or loving my woman until she bears me another. But we have a duty here and IТll be damned if weТll go back home before we kill a few Daemons this night.Ф Obsidian looked around with no small amount of discomfort at their surroundings. Cady may be used to frequenting the world of humansЧshe was a former human after allЧbut he definitely was not. Where Edge and Cinder often frequented the surface world to find willing female companionship, he himself had not often found the time to so indulge himself before meeting Cady, his wife. He was ill at ease here, on the surface world.

He thought back to the meeting between himself and his loveЕif so tame a word as СmeetingТ could be used to describe the cataclysmic effect theyТd had upon each other that first night. TheyТd fought like wildcats, each sustaining injuries from the other, battling for supremacy in those first few moments of confrontation with a tireless fervor. They still warred for supremacy of each other, fighting for the upper hand in almost every situation, no matter how insignificant. Though now instead of ending their skirmishes with bloodshed and bruises they usually ended up settling things in bed.

Obsidian smiled dangerously. He often enjoyed pricking his mateТs temper if only to spice up the play in their bed. She was a fiery lover. More than a match for his voracious Shikar appetites. Sex with her was explosive and truly amazingЕwhen it wasnТt mind-blowing, tender, full of gentle kisses and soft-spoken vows of love. He would never tire of her. And he would see to it that she never tired of him.

He loved her more than life itself.

And now he had a son, ArmandЧnamed after CadyТs lost baby brother, the tragic victim of a Daemon attackЧthus his heart was full of tender emotions. His son was the image of himself, with his motherТs impish smile and mischievous ways. He was perfect. Never in his life had Obsidian expected to be so blessed in so short a time. But now he was a husband and a fatherЕand more than ever he vowed to defeat the threat that could one day snatch those precious things away from him. Cady and Armand were his life. He would protect them with all of his being and more.

Cady emerged from the shop with a sack in her hand. She came to their sides with a slightly smug, yet gamin grin on her face, drawing Obsidian from his inner musings.

УTa da! Now these will help us appear more like tourists instead of no-good thugs. Ever had a foot-long with the works?Ф

Cinder laughed. УI always have a foot-long that works.Ф

УHa, ha. You are such a geek, Cin. I mean a foot-long hot dogЧbratwurst actually, I think.Ф She pulled out a cylindrical package of foil and handed it to him. УTry it, youТll like it. ItТs loads better than your usual Shikar-grown mutton or grain, if you ask me. Ugh. I am getting so tired of eating the same old stuff day in and day out. Maybe Tryton will be willing to import some fast food now and then if I ask.Ф She distributed her treasures to Edge and Obsidian, keeping one for herself, then showed them how best to open and eat the confections without getting the messy toppings all over themselves.

Hot dogs? Cinder looked at Edge and sent him a worried, questioning look. Were they really expected to eat dog? Edge shrugged, looking as confused as he felt. Cinder sniffed the food and winced. It smelled tangy and rancid and he was certain that the clear, white topping upon it was inedible. УWhat is this?Ф he asked, picking up a piece of the warm, squishy stuff.

УSauerkraut. ItТs fermented cabbage. Try it,Ф she said firmly, УyouТll like it.Ф Cady took a healthy bite of hers and Cinder struggled not to turn green.

Fermented cabbage? In other words, it was rotten. HeТd be damned before he ate anything rotten. Cinder smiled and, to please Cady, he took a tiny bite out of the end of his poor, cooked dog. The dog tasted far worse than it smelled! He quickly turned his head away from the others and spat the offensive refuse out onto the street. He held the hot dog behind his back, focused his energy, and burned it to a crisp in his hand. He crumpled the ashes and let them scatter harmlessly on the wind behind him.

Edge sent him an angry look. He would not get off the hook so easily as Cinder had. He had not the skill of an Incinerator. Edge was on his own. Cinder sent him a smug grin and dusted his hands clean of the offensive food.

УYouТre already finished, Cin? Good grief, you must have been hungryЧwhy didnТt you say something earlier? Here, have another.Ф Cady reached into the paper sack and retrieved another of the awful dogs. Cinder tried not to cringe. УSee? I told you they were good.Ф She smiled, but Cinder could have sworn that she knewЧsomehow actually knewЧwhat he had done with the first dog.

Cinder bit back a groan and accepted another foot-long from CadyТs hand. Edge chuckled and took a daring bite out of his ownЕCinder was surprised when he took yet another, larger bite, after that. Edge was obviously possessed of a much higher tolerance than he for the horrible human food.

УWhat exactly are we looking for here, Cady?Ф