Kitabı oku: «Bloody Dawn. Daughter of Dawn», sayfa 3

And then she disappeared. Ferdinand looked stupid on an empty place. The feeling was like that, as if the statue itself went down from the pedestal and just left. He so hoped that she would look at him again. He wanted it insanely. Instead, at the exit, he was pushed by the very beautiful brunette, whom he noticed next to her. Obviously, he did it on purpose. His smile talked so much.

Today he didn’t make his business. There was only hell in his soul.

Chaste

Something was wrong. Something reminded her about heaven, empty after the fall of the devil. Something flourished in the soul like a rose with sophisticated blood spikes. Everything suddenly became like before, on a single moment. But this moment was decisive. Memories came back suddenly with frightening reality. All she could not remember earlier, lay like on the palm. Rather, stood before his eyes. The moment of fall, pain, fire, cuts.

Only one word was in the head. It should have happened. The consciousness burned. But her face remains a calm face of the statue.

Nicolette came out of the palace as a creature from another world. In essence she was it, but the purple cape had already hid the wings. The purple color – the privilege of kings. She was even more than the queen. After all, it is the essence of the king of the kings – the devil himself. Previously, no feelings were reflected on her beautiful face, but now it was frozen anxiety.

If someone saw her in the dark, he would not have resisted. Subconsciously people understand that there is a danger in front of them, but no longer can take a look from the destructive beauty of the magical creature. The first victim was not far off. Judging by cassock, it was a cardinal, for some reason remaining without satellites. Probably, he was also going to a secret meeting today, but he decided on the way that wine is much more important and so he was significantly late.

Well, he met the desired deity right on the road and did not even understand what he was honored. He was splashing, holding over the wall, but he saw suddenly Nicolette and an almost empty bottle with a rumble fell out of his hand. Why is a broken glass in the moonlight so much like precious stones? Nicolette’s face has been crushed repeatedly in every fragment, as if illuminating them from the inside.

It is not surprising that various dubious night creatures immediately stretched to the glass.

The cardinal did not look at them, he looked at her. His wallet was not entirely empty, but the search for courtesan today was not crowned with success, but the fallen angel stood in front of him in his entire beauty. A seductive insensible face in disturbed in a light disgust.

The unfortunate drunkard looked at her with such a lust, as if he had yet the strength to fit into the loop, if she would not satisfy his passion. Well, if from dissatisfaction, he will want to dye, she can help him. Nicolette felt than nails on her hand unexpectedly turned into gold claws, as if she became a dragon.

«If you know that the devil is in front of you, what prevents you from running?» She almost exhaled him into his face a stream of fire, not a word, but he was not even frightened. Her beauty prevented him to think rationally, as well as many others.

«Gold!» He took the velvet wallet on the ribbons, where the coins were. «Emeralds, rubies,» cardinal tried to take off the rings from his thick fingers, but was too drunk for this. «At least my cassock, everything you want for this night.

«All I want? And what if I want your soul? Didn’t you give it already to your God?»

«Oh, a lovely girl,» he touched her face with his fingers. «Who will not forget about God at the sight of you?»

«The one who believes in Him,» the face of a wonderful young man at the meeting did not leave her head. He was even more inflexible than she. That is why for a moment she confused him with her former heavenly fellows. His faith in God was even harder than her connection with the devil. He was indebted as a rock, dangerous as the blade dagger and at the same time absolutely innocent. This innocence did it somehow special. At the thought of him, everything was suddenly empty and nasty.

Nicolette pulled away from the greedy fingers..

Now she had no desire to play. She just became disgusting.

He waited. He was ready to begging, almost whine, but the angel’s face was left adamant.

«Lust is a sin!» Coldly said Nicolette and extended forward a clawed hand. Her fingers clutched right into the throat. The victim fought in convulsions for long. Nicolett easily tear off the fat body from the ground and pressed against the wall. He could not shout, just fought in agony. And his blood flowed on her claws.

Her wings trembled in the premonition of how the soul will spin from the dead body. In the meantime, he is still alive, let his sins wash off with blood.

Ferdinand came out of the empty residence with the feeling that the apocalypse was already accomplished. In his soul turned his blood pressure.

How could this happen? He always considered himself immaculate and suddenly… Consciousness was clouded.

The effect of a strong impact on the head moved into something fiery. It was not only the body, but also consciousness. He seemed to be trapped, there is no exit.

The gold creation still stood before his eyes. The heart beats like a caught bird.

His statue! His deity! Perhaps he himself created from the shrine an idol. And here is the punishment. The devil took the appearance of this idol.

It seems that this time the devil won. Ferdinand left only one desire, go to his beloved statue of angel, rush to her knees and reveal the veins. Let the blood wage the sculpture, flushing all his sins. And pain and desire to sin then simply will not remain. But how then the Order will have time to find and dedicate the next favorite. He cannot let down everyone. Can not! Nevertheless, the image of gold creation firmly sat down in his brain. He looked in the night, and saw Nicolette. Her lips moved slightly, like fading snakes.

«I am your death, and you are mine,» the words also sounded in the brain, almost burning.

«Do you not have little things for the needy?»

Ferdinand did not immediately notice some a beggar, but obediently put him a coin. Only a strange cut-off beggar in a torn cape not immediately left him.

«Gold!» He turned the coin in clawed brown hands. «Do you know that all gold in the world is from the devil?»

Ferdinand didn’t see the monstrous face under the hood, but saw only the scandal curls of Nicolette, the golden beauty of the fallen angel.

«Yes, I know,» he said with difficulty.

A strange creature suddenly laughed.

«Do not fall into trouble!» It warned and left.

«I already got,» he wanted to say, but could not. It was not just a trouble. It was the end of the world! For him one! And this is just some days before the end comes for the whole world.

If Nicolette survives and comes to power, the devil will own the whole world.

But how can you think about the elimination of the creature, without the beauty of which, the world seems to cease to exist?

How can you split the shrine to that you are praying?

All the paths suddenly became curves and wrong. And all because of this meeting. It was impossible to look at her earlier than you bring a ritual knife, but he looked. And everything suddenly changed.

Ferdinand returned not to himself in the cell, and broke into the chapel, fell on his knees before the altar, not far from the niche with a statue. He could easily pass for a madman. He asked all the saints about forgiveness and strengthen, he almost sobbed, because the prayers did not help. From the inside it seemed to burn fire.

He stood on his knees an hour, maybe more, and could stay night all night, if anyone’s hand suddenly did not lie on the shoulder.

The young man flinched and turned around.

«It happens with everyone,» said the old monk.

«With everyone?»

«All who are struggling with the evil, renounced from their own desires?»

«And how to deal with them?» Ferdinand strains, but nothing came to mind.

«Only killing the flesh,» the monk slightly moved the cassock, showing terrible scars.

Ferdinand nodded as a sign of understanding. When the monk went out, he took out his dagger. Beautiful thing with dragons on the handle and a deadly blade. This blade was designed to the devil, not him, but now there was a special moment. Ferdinand put the blade on the left palm and spent them on the skin with all his might. The cut was deep. Blood spoke immediately, but it did not make it easier. Probably because his desire was not physical. The soul suffered from it. And the angel in the niche greedily looked at his blood, and as if he was smiling.

Dreams of a Dragon

The feeling was as if her suddenly cut off. Nicolette looked at the left palm. Nothing! But the feeling that the blade passed by hand, cutting the skin to the blood, was so real. She already did not remember when the last time she made rituals with an admixture of her own blood. The estate in the forest has long been moaning from the number of victims. Surely, so many ghosts lived here that they were not counted. But none of them would not dare to disturb her. But one living creation dares. Nicholette frowned again, remembering the azure eyes and silky strands. What still in this young man was so special. Something that was not even in lost heaven. The feeling of some secret kinship. As if everything you had to find was already found.

Nicolette came home. Under the guise of a cold statue it was impossible to see the hellish fire. But the fire monster was sitting inside and waited.

This hour will come soon. Hell’s watch will beat soon. Nicolette felt like lips burned from her own inner flame.

«You are like Edwin,» unexpectedly she heard a voice from the dark hallway. Nicolette did not even turn. She knew who was there.

«Have you been familiar with him personally?»

«Perhaps, but only without officially presentation,» said Brett

«They say, he has a damn at the courtyard, it’s hard to get an audience,» in her voice, sarcasm was barely distinguished. She never was at this court, often described only in fairy tales. Over the court of evil spirits rules that whom she could well consider as her brother. Or almost such. It seems to be so beautiful as the devil himself, in the days of his fame in heaven. Therefore, Nicolette tried to do not particularly look at him. She needed to avoid the temptations. It was impossible to admit rapprochement with any living being, which will be valuable for her. And Edwin could become just like that. His name seems to be made by magic symbols, and blood was the same self-turning, like her. He could turn into the real dragon with golden scales. Maybe, so he too rarely left the limits of his empire, invisible for mortals. For people, he was also too a big temptation: beautiful and dangerous.

Today’s night was a moment of celebration. She killed not for the first time. But the last victim has especially a black soul. But the blood was sweet. Nicolette was grinned. Lips as if still in the blood are sweeter than raspberry juice.

«Have you ever thought about meeting him?» Soft baritone of Brett echoed in the ears.

Nicolette was amazed. What’s this? Jealousy? Previously, he did not allow himself this. Perhaps so before she did not think about who he was actually so. A friend who did not make up for a year, although when she was a child, he was already an adult man. Since then, wrinkles have not appeared on his beautiful face. He froze into the state of his youth, as a perfect picture, only without dust and cracks. Nicolette did not surprise the fact that a person may not grow old at all. For creatures, it seems to be natural. Only Brett was not such a creation. He was something else, but so far he became her faithful companion and mentor. This situation suited both. Dark friendship. Union in the darkness. Therefore, they lived together, not counting those moments when she spent the nights in the crypt. An abandoned estate, lost in the forests, belonged to both of them equally.

It was quite luxurious here. Although they did not hold mortal servants. Their servants were invisible.

There was a small dragon on her desk. Absolutely gold, with another transparent wings and tail. He looked more like a toy than a dangerous creature. But soon he will become so. He will not even need to grow. When the clock points the fateful hour, he will throw off his visible vulnerability as the egg shell. In his eyes, similar to two living topaz, already sparkled the premonition of the soon rebirth and full power. Therefore, the look seemed dangerous.

The little dragon itself is placed in the forest, as well as many other creatures, crossed the line between the worlds. They felt Nicolette and stretched to her, like to a magnet. They knew that their place was at her throne.

Brett found a dragon in the forest and brought here. His hands were burned, and burns did not pass instantly. Nicolette hardly managed to understand such a vulnerability. She herself did not remember that any wound on her hesitated longer than a moment.

Even in such a miniature form, the dragon was great.

«I need a whole army of such,» Nicolette noticed. «I love them. Little lights of fire. But when they grow up…»

There was a legend in the world that after the fall of the devil, his beauty was not destroyed, but it remained to live by itself. Every few years, it was formed into a living creature, which is no suspect of a wandering somewhere her dark half. This creature was not born like a baby from people, it simply appeared like a silhouette created from the moon’s light. And here is a little girl with gold hair wandered in the forest, surrounding the light, and the dark creatures of the nights ran out from her. It was the first thing she remembered. Brett found her. He seemed to be eternally looking for her and not almost surprised when he finally found. He brought her to an abandoned estate, put in front of the mirror, combed her hair, offered a cup with blood instead of wine… and since then they were inseparable.

People might say that they became a family. But their kinship was somewhat different. In each time she had a trustee. He was always very beautiful. Brett had silky dark hair and pleasant features. He could be a prince for some mortal girl, but he preferred to live in the forests and serve Nicolette.

It is strange that with each year spent together she began to appreciate him less and less. But at the first meeting, he seemed surprisingly attractive. But over time in him, as if something was dying. This is all the power of the clock. It called her. It was a living creature owning this world. Only that moment was depended on her, when the scattered hands connect and start moving in one direction, and not in two different. Two worlds will unite, becoming her kingdom. But it is worth skipping one moment, and everything will be old. The hands will again disperse. Between the worlds pierce the same border. The clock will remain compounded formerly measured graph. And it is already tired of them. Live mechanisms of the golden creature have been lightened by freedom and discharge. The voices of the clock sang so sweet. Slim siren.

Nicolette listened to silence.

«I still hope to catch a whistle of the wings of Edwin, see how he flies across the sky, illuminating darkness,» she frowned. «But I can’t approach close to him, it’s impossible to look at him anymore… Our meeting will not lead to good. Bye!»

Up to the fatal dawn, when everything will change. Then she needs to fear anything. Once, she watched Edwin from afar, leaning against the column in his castle. It was impossible to watch him for a long time. Too great was temptation to forget about everything.

Therefore, she kept away. But it was impossible to forget about him anyway. It is better for Edwin not to see her, otherwise the fragile balance in his country will be broken. He is generally better not to know that there is someone above him in the world. Let him consider himself the only descendant of the devil and enjoys melancholy. His cargo is not so great.

«Until now, it seemed to me that there is no one who is seductive, there is no one,» Nicolette shook her head, diligently running the memory, flashed, like lightning. Assembly, night, dozens of gloomy faces and a young man with a surprisingly innocent face and a killer dagger hidden in the cassock. An innocent killer?! In the name of the Lord! Simple as that! Religious fanaticism. So it is called people. And any atrocity is justified by the fact that they make it in the name of God. They feel saints. Will they burn in hell?

Nicolette tried to drive a young man’s face from memory and could not. It was nice to look at him and at the same time hurt. He will die soon. She felt the seal of death on his smooth forehead. Suicides! They always seemed to especially attract her. There was some kind of mystery in them, not even a devil. What makes people go to death in the name of their faith.

That young man was ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of good deed. He did not know what would create. Nicolette presented how the dagger cuts into his own guts. It was so easy to eliminate him right now, but she slowed.

Why? What for? Is it worth keeping his life. He himself chose death. Rather, self-sacrifice. So he calls it. He is ready to kill himself to drag what he believes evil.

She easily shrugged. Heavy velvet curtains with brushes dropped themselves on the windows, closing the night. She silently told it to do it. She did not want to think about Edwin or see him. She wanted to see the young man once again.

Rejected

Joselin waited in vain. As once a long time ago in the spacious hall of the palaces and now at the fine binding of the lattice. The chapel was empty. Ferdinand did not hurry for a date. Probably, he will not come at all. But she waited anyway. Her outfit was strict and how it should be to a widow, black, but still luxurious. Expensive fabric, efforts of seamstress, jewelry, shiny in black taffeta and black hair, elegant ridges, earrings, hairstyle, even tastefully selected lacy mantle – and all this is just to attract the attention of a young man who would prefer to be a sexless creature.

Sometimes she began to be angry. It is a pity that monks from this order could not be whipped. It is a pity that the father of Ferdinand died. He would not allow the only direct heir to finish like this. In this grave. Here people are buried alive.

Previously, the smell of jasmine, who fled the hedge, calmed her down, but now no longer. To see flowers in a dream is bad. Now she understood it. Recently, she often dreamed of yellow roses, bright and lush, similar to the multilayer sun. And after these dreams, the painful outbreaks of jealousy were coming. It seemed to her that someone settled in the cell of Ferdinand. A certain creature similar to an angel. It was not a dream. She saw her everywhere, it seemed that her sharp claws were about to cut earrings from her ears. In dreams, they often did it. In her recent dreams, worms crawled out of yellow roses. And Ferdinand was anyway.

He prayed to himself… as a person who considers himself close to God may be at the same time so insensitive? Why did he never notice the suffering of women who went on him crazy? After all, then he was not yet a monk. And then as if something called him, and he disappeared from the world.

Crazy, but so desirable.

Her fingers dug into the twisted binding. Iron rods crashed into the skin to blood. How long can you go down the steep monastery stairs to reach the one who came to visit you? The time that has already passed seemed eternity. She was no longer hoping to see in the distance his blond head. Ferdinand almost passed by, without even noticing her. She had to verify him several times before he looked in her direction and nodded dryly.

Has he remembered at least something from his former life, seeing her here? Will regretted what left?

Wealth. Request. Heritage. Lovers. Bind-free life for which he was born. For what could be left all this? Any other would have dreamed of being in his place. Is there something great for which you can throw and forget all earthly goods?

She almost asked him about it out loud. You need to be more careful. He did not like her attention.

«How are you?» She had a lot of questions that she asked in a hurry, but Ferdinand seemed to not listen.

«Things are good!»

And it was all! One sole phrase, obscured by chance. In addition to a beautiful nape, removing from her, Josselin could no longer consider anything. He seemed to not notice her. Rather defeated than praying. She suddenly felt wild evil. What power keeps him here? Far from her. Far from the world. Around everyone, except for something secret that he was completely swallowed and turned away from all alive.

Josselin was in despair. How she did not want to put up with the thought that he was lost forever. But today he will definitely return. You will need to choose a more favorable moment. And now she was waiting for a groom and a black carriage, which would be fit more for the funeral. In such a place in the other and you will not come. She was not even let to visit the territory of the monastery. Everyone who saw her was turned away from her as from the plague. Madmen who pray on the statues and do not want to notice living people! Josselin looked at one of the winged sculptures in the altar and felt suddenly such humiliated, as if she was crawling on all fours under the pedestal, and did not go on two legs. The greatness of this thing as if turned her into a worm. She wonder if she will faint right now, will her servants find her? Or anyone can consider that her body seemed to crush a marble block?