"Karen Koehler - Slayer 02 - Dragon Blood" - читать интересную книгу автора (Koehler Karen)

instead. тАЬVery little, IтАЩm afraid.тАЭ After a momentтАЩs hesitation, he chose to take the initiative and approach
the great Ryuujin without invite. When they stood with only the glass to separate them, Kage unsheathed
his katana. The Ryuujin made no move to discipline him in any way for his actions, so Kage offered his
master his sword.

After a moment, the Ryuujin took it.

Kage knelt down and turned his head aside. A moment later his master discreetly nicked the underside
of KageтАЩs chin with the painlessly sharp edge of the katana. When the black blood began to well up--it
did not take long--Kage felt his masterтАЩs hand on his chin, felt his masterтАЩs mouth on the wound, taking.
In most cases such exchanges caused a particularly powerful and sometimes dangerous sexual throb in
one of KageтАЩs kind, except that Kage had learned the discipline to curb such awry emotions. He had
done so for years. He was not an animal because he chose not to be.

He waited until the Ryuujin had taken what he wanted, what he felt he needed, and then, when his
masterтАЩs mouth was gone, Kage rubbed a bit of his own saliva into the wound to speed along the healing.
The Ryuujin told him to stand up. He did so. The Ryuujin gave him back the katana and Kage sheathed it
under his long leather greatcoat.

тАЬThis dhampir disturbs me,тАЭ the Ryuujin said.

Kage had seen his master fight in Seoul. He had seen Edward Ashikawa tear the face off of another man
with a fistful of ground glass. He had seen Edward Ashikawa break the necks of two of his own hired
men when they had sold out to Tong in Chinatown. Once, when he was younger and working for his
father, he opened fire on a church to show a group of black gangbangers that had taken refuge in it that
there was no part of this city that he did not own. He was a savage. He was a warrior. He feared
nothing, outwardly. He only spoke so openly now about his fears because he knew he would not be able
to disguise his worry from Kage. And he was correct. тАЬI should not have sent the boys for the girl,тАЭ he
said.

тАЬThey were the only ones capable of finding her in this city. You did what you had to. In any event, the
more experienced men would have had no better luck with the Slayer than they. If anything, the Slayer
might have killed them all.тАЭ

The Ryuujin frowned. тАЬDoesnтАЩt matter anymore. I want you on the job now.тАЭ

тАЬI will do it,тАЭ said Kage.

тАЬBut you donтАЩt want to. I can feel it.тАЭ

Kage hesitated. And then, with head bowed: тАЬI would prefer not to.тАЭ

тАЬI sense no fear from you, yet you are reluctant. Should I ask why?тАЭ

тАЬYou know I will answer any question of yours put to me, my Ryuujin.тАЭ

There was a moment of indecision on the RyuujinтАЩs part. Then he said, тАЬFind the girl and get from her
what I need. When you have it, kill her. If the Slayer intervenes, kill him as well. If he gives her up
willingly, then you and he can work out whatever arrangement makes you both happy, according to the
rules of engagement of your kind.тАЭ