"Esther M. Friesner - Elf Defense" - читать интересную книгу автора (Friesner Esther M)

deeply, a reprimand.
"Ouch! Cesare ..."

"Look!" Jeff thrust his arm over Cass's right shoulder,
pointing. "They've got their lights on! Someone's still in-
side!"

"We won't have to call. Oh, thank God!" Amanda
sighed.

They were there. Jeff leaped out onto the swamped gravel
drive and ran around to open Amanda's door. He offered her a
hand out, an arm to lean on.'

"Be careful, you idiot! What do you think you're do-
ing?" Cass was outside too, the rain plastering his long hair
to the sides of his face. The cheap dye left black smears on his
cheeks, stained the collar of his Hawaiian shin past hope. He
barred Amanda's way, refusing to let her out of the car. "Here,
I'll take care of her."

Standing side by side in the storm, the two worked to-

4 Esther M. Friesner

gether. Next to Jeff's robust athlete's body, Cass looked thin-
ner than he was, almost sickly, all bones and promise. His
youthful fragility made Jeff seem much older by comparison,
certainly much stronger. But then he reached into the backseat,
swaddled Amanda tightly in the clear plastic sheeting, and
passed her into Jeff's waiting arms as easily as if she weighed
no more than a kitten. Jeff carried her up the walk, struggling
to keep the plastic in place, while Cass checked out the interior
of the car.

"No blood," said a sleepy voice from the front seat.

Cass looked up sharply. A gray brindled tomcat perched
on the back of the seat and regarded him with a superior smirk,
whiskers quivering.

"Why waste your time looking? Trust me, Cass. Trust
my nose, if you'd prefer. There is no blood, not a whit, not a
sniff. Not yet. You did a perfect job of keeping it under wraps,
but you're not through yet. Hurry up and go inside. You'll
have to be twice as cautious in there."

"I will be," Cass said grimly.

The cat yawned. "Good luck." His mouth did not move