[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Her frailty actually caused a stab of pity in him.He knew better, but Bella… she might have been through assassin training, but she was still a woman, and women hadsympathy.Sympathy that would get her killed."Come." The Oracle pointed at Bella and crooked her finger.The wheelchair shot forward with such speed that when itstopped, Bella fell out, spilling to the floor.When Max tried to run to her, he couldn't.He added telekinesis to the list of shit he hated about the Oracle."Hey, bitch!" he shouted, hoping he'd catch her attention with his boldness and she wouldn't just twist his head off his shoulders."You know, for wanting that baby, you're not being too gentle with the mother.""What happens to the wolf does not concern me, only what happens to the child she carries, and it is in no danger." The Oracleturned back to Bella."My daughter is strong in you.""She is not your daughter," Bella shrieked, pushing herself up with her arms."She will never be yours!""You presume to correct me?" The Oracle laughed."I, who know all?""For knowing all, you sure don't have much common sense," Max shouted, desperate to get the Oracle's attention off of Bella."Why would you hook up with the Soul Eater? He'll double-cross you faster than you can come up with one of your stupidprophecies."The Oracle crooked her finger and pulled him forward, his feet tangling together as he resisted her.She brought him to withininches of Bella, smiling cruelly."You doubt the legitimacy of my prophecies?"Trying for bravado, he laughed."I do.Hell, half the time we can only figure out what they're about after the thing happens.That'snot a real handy skill, making general observations and then pinning them on an event after the fact.""I have never done such a thing.It was your Order of the Brethren that decided I spoke of a future that would include them."She closed her eyes, hands clutching the carved arms of the throne.When she looked at them again, her eyes were obscuredwith a haze of blood."Their time is over.""Yeah, kinda got that when you toasted the place." Max tried to move his arms, and when he managed, there was nothing to dowith them.It wasn't like he could fight the Oracle.It was a losing battle before it even started."But you're still asking for aworld of hurt teaming up with the Soul Eater.He's not a real trustworthy guy."The Oracle laughed."He is a pawn.He has no power over me.He has my heart.He could have killed me at any time.But hedoesn't, because he is weak, and he does not know how to proceed without my help.""But you sent him your heart," Bella said, wiping a trickle of blood from her split lip."He has your heart.""He does." She gave another eerily knowing laugh."He does."Max shook his head."He's totally going to kill you."The Oracle leaned back, her eyes fading slowly back to normal."He desires power above all else.He will not kill the source ofit.""But he won't coexist with someone who has more than him.He's trying to become a god.God means all-powerful." TheOracle's hold on Max had slipped a bit, and he bent to help Bella.The Oracle made a fist and drew his spine painfully straight."He will never reach that level.I will use him up and discard him.""For what? To get yourself killed for free? Hell, I could have done that for you." Max grimaced as her invisible hand tightenedaround his spine."If you're going to kill me, kill me!"The Oracle relinquished her hold."My vision is not clouded by lust for power.I will not fall as easily as him."Max stretched his neck, hoping his back wouldn't collapse into dust."Then what's your vision? Lay it on me, babe.I got time.""You have less time than you believe." The Oracle pointed at him, but didn't use her destructive powers."I am establishing a neworder.With the Soul Eater's help, I will destroy all those who would oppose me.When he has exceeded his usefulness, I willdispose of him.Those loyal to chaos will reign.""Chaos?" Max raised an eyebrow.Seemingly pleased at his interest, the Oracle nodded."The world will become a vampire's paradise.Mortals will weep in fear atour feet and tremble before us.The earth will become saturated with the blood we cannot drink for the abundance of it.""Sounds… nice" He cleared his throat."But that doesn't sound like chaos.I mean, you're using the term 'order,' you're talkingabout people worshipping you.Sounds kind of like what the Soul Eater is doing.""Let me finish!" She held up her hand and snapped it closed, and his jaw tightened, teeth shifting against each other under thepressure."Lowly ones will rejoice, powerful ones will seek more power.It will be as it is now, but only for a time.They willsoon realize they are not bound by laws or sides in a never-ending war.They will begin to turn on each other."Vampires will hunt vampires, new Soul Eaters will rise.Others will kill them.No leader will emerge who can sustain his rule.Allthe earth will be lost in darkness and blood.""Why would you want that?" Bella whimpered.Tenderly, the Oracle reached down to touch her face "I would not expect a lowly werewolf to understand.""What does the kid have to do with it? I mean, if you're superpowerful, why do you need a baby to help you?" Why do youneed my baby? He fought to keep the unspoken question from surfacing.The bitch might get him, might get Bella and theirdaughter and everything important to him, but she wouldn't know it.He didn't know how, but if she didn't know what they meantto him, he got to keep a part of them.Just for himself."The prophecy." It was Bella who spoke, her sorrow cutting straight to his heart."I didn't want to tell you.I wasn't ready to letyou know.""What prophecy?" He looked from the Oracle to Bella."What prophecy?""There is a prophecy among my people, made by the Oracle long ago." Bella's head dipped.She wouldn't look at him.When the Oracle spoke, her voice was low and mechanical."The sword forged of blood.A natural-born vampire.""But she's not a vampire.Bella's a werewolf.The baby will be a lupin." Max protested, though he was pretty sure it wouldn'tmatter.The Oracle spread her hands, an expression of bewilderment on her porcelain face."So, I may control the wolves, as well.It isnot a setback.Be proud.The child you gave me will rule after my one hundred years of chaos.""You're doing this all for just a hundred years?" Max sputtered in disbelief."That's like a blink of an eye to you!""If I have the child, the natural-born vampire, the course of events in those hundred years can be altered considerably." Sheleaned forward with a predatory smile
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]