Лиза Смит - The Return - Shadow Souls

Not so much husky as snarly , Bonnie thought helplessly. You could almost say Caroline growled her answers.

Little sounds told Bonnie that the girl under the desk was moving. Bonnie’s own breathing quickened.

“But we want to see you ,” Meredith said quietly. “And you know that Bonnie’s scared of the dark. Can I just turn on your bedside lamp?”

Bonnie could feel herself trembling. That wasn’t good. It wasn’t smart to show Caroline you were afraid of her. But the pitch-blackness was making her tremble. She could feel that this room was wrong in its angles — or maybe it was only her imagination. She could also hear things that made her jump — like that loud double clicking noise directly behind her. What had made that?

“All rrright then! Turrn on the one by the bed.” Caroline was definitely snarling. And she was moving toward them; Bonnie could hear rustling and breathing getting closer.

Don’t let her get to me in the dark!

It was a panicked, irrational thought, but Bonnie couldn’t help thinking it any more than she could help stumbling blindly sideways into…

Something tall — and warm.

Not Meredith. Never since Bonnie had known her had Meredith smelled like rancid sweat and rotten eggs. But the warm something took hold of both Bonnie’s upraised hands, and there were strange little clicking noises as they clenched.

The hands weren’t just warm; they were hot and dry. And the ends poked oddly into Bonnie’s skin.

Then, as a light by the bedside went on, they were gone. The lamp Meredith had found put out a very, very dim ruby light — and it was easy to see why. A ruby negligee and peignoir had been tied around the shade.

“This is a fire hazard,” Meredith said, but even her level voice sounded shaken.

Caroline stood before them in the red light. She seemed taller than ever to Bonnie, tall and sinewy, except for the slight bulge of her belly. She was dressed normally, in jeans and a tight T-shirt. She was holding her hands playfully hidden behind her back, and smiling her old insolent, sly smile.

I want to go home, Bonnie thought.

Meredith said, “Well?”

Caroline just kept smiling. “Well, what?”

Meredith lost her temper. “What do you want?”

Caroline just looked arch. “Have you visited your friend Isobel today? Had a little talk with her?”

Bonnie had a powerful urge to slap that smug smile off Caroline’s face. She didn’t. It was just a trick of the lamplight — she knew it had to be — but it looked almost as if there was a red dot shining in the center of each of Caroline’s eyes.

“We visited Isobel at the hospital, yes,” Meredith said expressionlessly. Then, with unmistakable anger in her voice, she added, “And you know very well that she can’t talk yet. But”—with a triumphant little pounce—“the doctors say she will be able to. Her tongue will heal, Caroline. She may have scars from all the places she pierced herself, but she’s going to be able to talk again just fine.”

Caroline’s smile had faded, leaving her face looking haggard and full of dull fury. At what? Bonnie wondered.

“It would do you some good to get out of this house,” Meredith told the copper-haired girl. “You can’t live in the dark—”

“I won’t forever,” Caroline said sharply. “Just until the twins are born.” She stood, hands still behind her, and arched her back so that her stomach protruded more than ever.

“The — twins?” Bonnie was startled into speaking.

“Matt Junior and Mattie. That’s what I’m going to call them.”

Caroline’s gloating smile and impudent eyes were almost too much for Bonnie to stand. “You can’t do that!” she heard herself shouting.

“Or maybe I’ll call the girl Honey. Matthew and Honey, for their daddy, Matthew Honeycutt.”

“You can’t do it,” Bonnie shouted, more shrilly. “Especially with Matt not even here to defend himself—”

“Yes, he did run away very suddenly, didn’t he? The police are wondering why he had to run. Of course”—Caroline lowered her voice to a meaningful whisper—“he wasn’t alone. Elena was with him. I wonder what the two of them do in their spare time?” She giggled, a high, fatuous giggle.

“Elena isn’t the only person with Matt,” Meredith said, and now her voice was low and dangerous. “Someone else is, too. Do you remember an agreement you signed? About not telling anyone about Elena or bringing publicity around her?”

Caroline blinked slowly, like a lizard. “A long time ago. In a different lifetime, for me.”

“Caroline, you’re not going to have a lifetime if you break that oath! Damon would kill you. Or — have you already—?” Meredith stopped.

Caroline was still giggling in that childish way, as if she were a little girl and someone had just told her a naughty joke.

Bonnie felt cold sweat break out all over her body at once. Fine hairs lifted on her arms.

“What are you hearing, Caroline?” Meredith wet her lips. Bonnie could see that she was trying to hold Caroline’s eyes, but the copper-haired girl turned away. “Is it…Shinichi?” Meredith moved forward suddenly and grasped Caroline’s arms. “You used to see and hear him when you looked in the mirror. Do you hear him all the time now, Caroline?”

Bonnie wanted to help Meredith. She did. But she couldn’t have moved or spoken for anything.

There were — gray threads — in Caroline’s hair. Gray hairs, Bonnie thought. They shone dully, much lighter than the flaming auburn Caroline was so proud of. And there were…other hairs that didn’t shine at all. Bonnie had seen this brindled coloration on dogs; she knew vaguely that some wolves must look the same. But it was really something else to see them in your girlfriend’s hair. Especially when they seemed to bristle and quiver, lifting like the hackles of a dog….

She’s mad. Not angry mad; insane mad, Bonnie realized.

Caroline looked up, not at Meredith, but straight into Bonnie’s eyes. Bonnie flinched. Caroline was gazing at her as if considering whether or not Bonnie were dinner or just garbage.

Meredith stepped to stand beside Bonnie. Her fists were clenched.

“Don’t starrre,” Caroline said abruptly, and turned away. Yes, that was definitely a snarl.

“You really wanted us to see you, didn’t you?” Meredith said softly. “You’re — flaunting yourself in front of us. But I think that maybe this is your way of asking for help—”

“Harrrrdly!”

“Caroline,” Bonnie said suddenly, amazed by a wave of pity that swamped her, “please try to think . Remember back when you said you needed a husband? I—” She broke off and swallowed. Who was going to marry this monster, who a few weeks ago had looked like a normal teenage girl?

“I understood you back then,” Bonnie finished lamely. “But, honestly, it won’t do any good to keep on saying Matt attacked you! No one…” She couldn’t bring herself to say the obvious.

No one will believe something like you .

“Oh, I clean up rrrreal prrretty,” Caroline growled and then giggled. “You’d be surprrrised.”

In her mind’s eye, Bonnie saw the old insolent flash of Caroline’s emerald gaze, the sly and secretive expression on her face, and the shimmering of her auburn hair.

“Why pick on Matt?” Meredith demanded. “How did you know he was attacked by a malach that night? Did Shinichi send it after him just for you ?”

“Or did Misao?” Bonnie said, remembering that it was the female of the twin kitsune, the fox spirits, who had spoken the most to Caroline.

“I went out on a date with Matt that night.” Suddenly Caroline’s voice was a singsong, as if she were reciting poetry — badly. “I didn’t mind kissing him — he’s so cute. I guess that’s when he got the hickey on his neck. I guess I might have bitten his lip a little.”