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shoulders. Gasps and swears rang out as he unfurled his wings.
Chairs overturned. Weapons glittered in several hands. Josh
staggered from his wheelchair, a huge knife in his hand he d pulled
from God knew where, to put himself between Richard and the rest
of the room.
A hand on Josh s shoulder to steady him, Richard went on,  I
was made a monster, too. Twice now, I have been changed against
my will, made into something human society cannot bear to look
upon. Once, nine hundred years ago. And now again.
He glanced up and down the table.  Yet I retain my ability to
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reason. To create. To love. Is this not what makes our lives worth
living, all of us? I cannot sleep. I cannot have children. I cannot eat
as you do. I have these cursed, clumsy wings now. But how else
am I so different from you? How can you blame someone for what
circumstance and cruelty has done to them?
 But, Richard, Roark began.  Those things in there& 
 Are not beasts! They were human once! Richard shouted him
down, desperation taking hold. St. Michael help me, they re not
listening. They let their eyes rule them, their childhood fears.
 Una! He called aloud as well as in his mind, so everyone would
know what he said.  Una, come to the window! Please!
Una turned her head and cocked it in a listening attitude.
::Please. We must show them. Una& ::
She unwrapped her wing from around Quattuor and stalked to
the glass.
 Jack, Richard said softly.  Would you go to the window for
me?
Jack arched a brow but did as Richard asked.
 Una, do you feel Jack? Do you see him from what I see?
::Yes. I see him. Their pack leader.::
 Can you speak to him?
::Yes.::
 Shit. Jack s head jerked back, his eyes wide.  Was that her?
 In your mind, yes. She can speak to you, to any of you
sensitive enough. Una, do we hunt humans?
Una hesitated while Richard s heart pounded against his ribs.
::Septimus says we must not,:: she said finally. ::Humans are
not prey.::
 Dear Lord, I hear her plain as day, Jack breathed out.
::The Hunters will run beside us someday. We are all one pack.
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Meant to hunt together.::
Jack sat down hard in the nearest chair, pale and breathing
hard. In halting phrases, he related what Una had said.
 They are reasoning beings, Richard concluded as he guided
Josh back into his chair.  Once, perhaps long ago for some of
them, they were human, like you. They didn t ask for this. They ve
been badly abused and kept as animals. If they have been lost and
without guidance for their new life, it wasn t their fault. They are
unique, each of them. To destroy them would be to destroy the
only one of that being ever to exist.
Knives returned to sheaths, handguns to holsters. Stunned, the
hunters took a few moments to recover.
 Well, shit, Tiff finally said with shaky bravado.  Whatever
happened to having everything nice and black and white?
Tara chuckled.  That s the nice thing about real life, sweetie. It
comes in all sorts of colors.
* * *
Josh sat on the bed in his quarters, trying to recover from the
emotional rollercoaster. The Quorum hadn t resolved everything,
but it had answered the big questions. Mick was out. They would
turn Jenner over to the authorities. The Guild would go on, though
not as before. Richard and the Enavs would live.
His heart had swelled with pride to hear Richard speak to
bravely, so eloquently, and then it shattered again when Richard
put him to bed and left him there without a backward glance. He d
screwed up too many times. Done too many unforgiveable things.
The crack about the pack not being natural had been the last piece
of stupidity, the final one that would ensure Richard would leave
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him.
 Dammit. He buried his face in his hands, wishing he could
take all the stupid things back, wishing they were back home in the
big bed, oblivious to the outside world.
He wasn t going to make a scene, though. If Richard wanted to
end things, fine. He d take it like a man and not make it tough on
the big guy. He owed him that much, at least. There d been plenty
of breakups before, nothing new. Before, though, he d managed to
be angry, to make it someone else s fault. Depressed afterward,
hell, yeah, but he d never had this feeling of scorched-earth
devastation before. He curled into a tight ball. If Richard ended it
tonight, how would he face tomorrow without him? And the
tomorrow after that? For the rest of his life&
His chest constricted despite his promise to himself, a sob
burning there that he refused to let out.
A gentle hand fell on his shoulder.  I should take you to
medical if it still hurts so badly.
 I don t need medical, Josh murmured.
Richard cleared his throat.  Perhaps& I should find someone
for you to talk to? Lucy? Stuart?
He rolled over to stare at Richard.  Why the hell would I want
that?
 Because you re in such obvious distress.
 Yeah, well. Josh sat up slowly, arms wrapped around his
ribs.  Look& I know it s probably too late. I know I ve screwed
everything all to hell. But I just&  He stopped to take an impatient
swipe at his eyes.  I wanted you to know. I didn t whack you over [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]