Chapter 3 Chapter 2

The van is driven by Deniska, a young dark magician who, out of sheer laziness, volunteers to work in the garage, among a group of vampires and other insignificant people.But laziness begets laziness, the car drives well, and he's quite adept at the incantations necessary for his work.When the car drove out of the center of Moscow, it was almost speeding on the road. The speed was so fast that even the president's motorcade could not match it.I felt the slap of power as his gaze swept across the line of reality, turning the policeman's gaze away or forcing other drivers to pull off the road.Edgar, a dark magician from Estonia, is now sitting next to Jeniska.He was a bit fat, with black hair and dark skin, not at all like the Baltic people, and he was a second-level magician.

There were nine people in the car.On the seat by the door was Anna Tikhonovna.As far as I can remember, she rarely left the patrol building.She thought about the goal alone. "Romashova Darya Leonitovna, sixty-three years old, but looks much younger in appearance. She probably draws powers regularly. Presumably - a witch, but could also be - Dark The Sorceress. Surveilled as an uninspired Other for nearly four years." Speaking of her colleagues in the discovery department, Remensheva cursed sharply and vulgarly. "You see, she avoids contact! She avoids the topic of revenge under the pretext of extreme piety! And what does faith have to do with 'another' power here? There's also the question of who their Jesus is... ..."

"Anna Tikhonovna, please don't blaspheme!" Lenka said in a low but firm voice, "I believe in God, too." "I'm sorry, Lena," Lemensheva nodded, "I didn't mean to insult you. Go on. It's very likely...Romasova developed a set of small spells. Including witchcraft, obsession, and bewitchment Spells, dispelling the curse..." "A sleight of hand at the youngest pediatrician," I said, rising. "It's not surprising that she wasn't formally examined." "But do the monitoring results show that her tricks really work?" Remensheva asked with interest, "No, I'm going to write a report. If Zaburon thinks it's a good report—then you start I'm gone! It's time for me to retire."

Olga coughed as a warning. "I'm going to tell him that, and I'll say it openly!" Remensheva was visibly annoyed. "No, why have you been speculating for four years that a woman was a witch—without doing enough tests! Our usual The procedure is to issue forms and monitor the release of power...By the way, the Light Realm does the same!" That's the way it is.I understood everything and was prepared inwardly.What awaits us is not an unpleasant general affair involving a mad witch causing unnecessary trouble, but a battle with the Night's Watch on the horizon.

Vidal, who was sitting across from me, let out a low growl.Rather than cheering myself up, it is better to say that I am excited about the upcoming confrontation.He's too lazy a mouse catcher in the duty room... I smiled wryly, and the shapeshifter grinned back.He's teething and his lower jaw is protruding forward. "Vidari, don't let us see the transformation scene in the car!" Remensheva strongly demanded, "The weather is so hot, and the smell of dog hair is really unbearable!" The three vampires sitting in the back seat laughed in unison.I know these lads better, they've been tested at work, and they're not as unpleasant as most goblins anyway.These are three brothers with a difference of one year in age. They are strong and agile young men from ordinary human families.First, the boss became a vampire while serving in the Airborne Forces, and he became a vampire consciously, out of ideological considerations, because his commander, a vampire officer, suggested that he become a vampire.Their troops were fighting somewhere in the south, and they were having a rough time, so the boy agreed.Naturally, after this the troops gained unheard of fighting power.Taking out dozens of enemies at night, sneaking behind enemy lines, and slipping past sentries unnoticed are all child's play to even the inexperienced vampire.Later, after the young man returned to the place, he told all this to his two younger brothers, so they also became vampires voluntarily.

"Anna Tikhonovna, how many are there?" asked Olga. "The Lightbringers?" "Not many. Four . The eldest of the three vampire brothers whistled.Obviously, vampires can't fight against a magician, and a magician with such powerful mana.If it's two powerful magicians... "There's also a shapeshifting girl," said Lemenshova, looking at me.I squeeze my lips together.I know.It's a little tiger.Warlike shapeshifters, or shapeshifters as Lightbringers prefer to call them.An old acquaintance...and a very close acquaintance.My dislocated left hand seemed to be sore again, and the scars on my face also came to my mind—it was the blood stains from a few fingernails.

But Zawulong helped me at that time.I'm completely healed - no disfigurement, no physical injuries.Feeling his encouraging eyes and reserved and strong smile, I happily and bravely threw myself into the battle. All right.Here we are.Aliska.The past--the past--the past, is all past.Forget it, don't torture your soul.Your face will be ripped off - then you'll just have to wear a "cover shirt" and wait for the magic to come to your rescue.However, the people waiting for magic to be saved have been queuing up for half a year. If you think that the whole healing magic, including the magic power of the universe, is worth waiting for everyone, that would be great.

"All equipment will be inspected," ordered Anna Tikhonovna. The girls stirred, and I patted my pockets, checking the pouches, vials, and talismans.Banshee's power - not just through sheer energy through the twilight.We also use some auxiliary means, in fact, this is what distinguishes us from magicians. "Alyssa?" I glanced at Remenshova. "Any suggestion?" This is much better.Think about the future, not the past. "The combat team has controlled Xiaohu's strength. Everything will wait until night." "We don't need help, Aliska," said the eldest of the three brothers kindly, "we can handle it."

Remenshova thought for a moment and nodded. "Well, the three of you will act together. Vidari—you are our immediate backup." The shapeshifter smiled happily.What a fool.Anna Tikhonovna threw him into the fire like sawdust, and into the hottest place at all. "Then the four of us..." "Five," corrected Lemensheva. Ha ha.The old hag decided to do the work herself? "The five of us form a circle of power," I went on, "to consolidate all power into Edgar. Deniska—keep in touch with headquarters." We've driven into the yard and the car is stuck in a pothole.

"Yes, the only distribution plan." Remensheva agreed. "Everyone pay attention! Let's do it!" I'm kind of thrilled that my plan was fully adopted.Although I have many personal flaws, I am an upright and warlike witch after all, so I dare to interfere with the unalterable privilege of the older witches to deploy reinforcements.I added rashly: "But since there are two second-level magicians there, I suggest calling for reinforcements in advance." "All possible reinforcements have been called," Remensheva retorted flatly, "we still have a trump card in our hands."

Vidari looked at the old witch in surprise, and proudly showed his big wolf teeth.He looks even more stupid like this.It's not about him.He wasn't even Little Aisi, at most six points...not even ace six points. "That's it, girls, let's get going!" Our car stopped.Anna Tikhonovna jumped out of the car, waved her left hand, and for a moment a thin cloud of black smoke rolled up from her fingers, and I felt a faint spell covering the yard.No matter what we do now, people don't pay attention to us. We popped out of the car like popping beans. This is an ordinary yard.South Butovo.Oh, what a remote place... It would be better to live in Metisheh or Lytkarino than to live in this dreadful remote place under the pretense of being a Muscovite.There seems to be nothing missing: houses, small dry trees trying to break through the soil that holds them down, and the cars parked by the entrances of the buildings are not the most shabby, but... "quick!" Lemensheva kicked me out of the van three meters away.I almost flew to a pile of loose sand, where a little boy and a little girl about five years old were quietly discussing the structure of the distant sky. But even the children didn't notice me, although they are more sensitive to others. The three vampire brothers flashed past like three shadows.They surrounded the van, already in the metamorphosis stage, baring their teeth, their skin turning a sickly pale color.Typical goblin look... "Circle of power!" shouted Lemensheva.I ran to the car and grabbed Olga and Lena's hands.Oh, what strength the old witch is! And next to the entrance of the building, only us others can see a small, sturdy little man standing on the ground... just a little man, what else can he be called, wearing Turkish water milled jeans, a fiber football shirt, and a head. Wear a goofy-looking peaked cap. Awful. This "man" is called Xie Miao, and he is a magician with amazing mana, even if he is not in a hurry to make mana work, it is terrible.What's even more frightening is that he is a magician with extremely rich combat experience... I felt Semyon's gaze passing through me—stern, powerful, and flexible gaze, like a surgical probe.Then Semyon turned and disappeared through the entrance. Awful. At this moment Jeanne caught Olga, Anna Tikhonovna sealed the circle—the emotion died away at once. We became living accumulators wired into Edgar.He was in the dark now, but he was walking softly and deliberately towards the door of the building, and he was about to appear on the human level. Edgar went up the stairs like his opponent.Of course he hadn't caught up with him yet.They were already waiting for him when he approached the door of the room on the fourth floor.All of us who form the circle of power now accept his world with the senses. The door is open - on a human level.An impenetrable wall held it back in the dark. In the stairwell stood two magicians.Semyon and Garico.I don't experience any emotion right now, but my mind is still there.Calm, peaceful, unhurried thoughts.This is the end of the world.The mana is equivalent to, or more than two magicians like Edgar. "The entrance is closed," said Semyon, "there is a movement of the night watchman here." Edgar nodded politely: "Understood. But the Keeper's operations are going on here, too." "What do you want?" Semyon stepped aside a little.In the narrow aisle behind him stood Xiaohu.She was tall, shiny, and grinning. What could Remensheva expect?We can't handle it!Can't deal with it anyway! "We want to take our own people," Edgar said, spreading his hands. "That's all." "The witch has been arrested and she will be charged. Third degree magical intervention, homicide, hexery without a license, ability to conceal the 'other'." "You planned these actions of hers," said Edgar coldly, "and the Day Watchers are conducting their own investigations into what happened." "No." Semyon leaned against the wall.The moss suddenly climbed up the wall, trying to stay away from the magician as much as possible. "It's settled." Garico didn't even say anything, he put a kind of bone dice-like evil spirit on his five fingers, and the light of energy penetrated into the air. It was probably an ordinary magic power accumulator... "I will take what is ours," said Edgar. He was unusually calm.Could it be that he knows something we don't? The light magicians remained silent.But they seemed alarmed at this unexpected stupidity.Now the witch's fate depends on who gets to investigate.If it falls to us—we know how to defend her and get her on our side.If it fell into the hands of the Lightbringer—she would die. Yeah, she's better off than all of us!Two second-level magicians, shapeshifters, and there are two or three "other world" people in the house!They will sweep us away! "I'm leaving," Edgar said calmly, taking a step forward.The darkness around him gathered enough force to roar—the sorcerer set up a protective layer. And the next thing I remember is the fight. As soon as Edgar took a step, the Lightbringer attacked immediately.Instead of hastening to use death spells, they used ordinary "squeeze" to push our magician down the stairs.Edgar was bent over, as if against the wind, the whirlwind of power protecting him forming a clearly visible silhouette.Combat takes place on a pure energy level, kicks off simply and without much drama.Hey, it would be great if Zaburon was in Edgar's place now!He dared to make these showy people disappear in an instant, forcing them to use all their strength and throw aside all their lost abilities. In fact, Edgar deservedly held on.For five seconds, he relied on his own energy to walk, and even pushed the opponent all the way to the door.Then I felt a chill on my fingertips. The magician begins to absorb our power. I immediately felt that the Lightbringer had caught the energy channel between us and Edgar, and we mustered our strength.They didn't try to break the passage, and in haste it only caused Edgar to gather their energies as well.They just stepped up the squeeze and hoped for their advantage.Also, the magicians who seem to be hiding deep in the house are starting to absorb their energies. The two sides faced off evenly for a while.Our combined strength immediately bolsters Edgar's attack, but the Lightbringer has his backup too.The Rubik's Cube in Ilya's hand scattered in all directions, and the golden powder scattered on the floor, and its recoil threw Edgar one meter away.Olga next to me groaned—her basic storage of energy has been exhausted, so now she has to suck out her own constituent energy.This is the deepest storage, and it is extremely difficult to recover.It seems that she is not in the state today. What did Remensheva hope for? There was a commotion behind the Lightbringer.Aha...it's the three vampire brothers...presumably they entered from the balcony... But the magician didn't seem to notice what was happening.Only Xiaohu rushed in the direction of the noise.She swept the poor furniture along, scratching the linoleum with her claws.In an instant, there was the wailing of one of the vampire brothers. No, three vampires against one shapeshifter are less... "Vidari!" Remensheva ordered quickly.A psychic command cut through the darkness, and our shapeshifter made a beeline for the door of the building, dropping his clothes along the way and turning into a wolf.We continued to feed Edgar with energy, and he moved forward again, even managing to push Ilya back into the room.Then suddenly a large wolf rushed out from behind Edgar, and it ignored the magician and rushed forward. good idea.Just a flash of fire from the depths of the room hit the shapeshifter head-on.A backup of the Lightbringers joins the confrontation.He immediately made it clear to everyone that this was no joke. The shapeshifter's thick brown hair burst into flames, and he jumped to his feet, pawed, and spun around on the ground, trying to extinguish the flames.If only he launched another attack now, he would have a chance to take down the magician before the opponent prepared to fire again. However, it seemed that he had indeed sat in the duty room for too long. Vidari was still trying to extinguish the flames, but fresh fire came at him from the darkness.The second time, the third time, the fourth fire attack... The blood suddenly gushed out, and pieces of hot, dirt-like pieces of meat flew away.It howled like a wolf and then fell silent—only two hind paws twitched, and a tuft of tail hair between the paws burned like a colorful flame dying.The sight was even pretty. The talisman on my chest—a delicate glass bottle filled with a little bit of red liquid shattered with a bang, flying away like fragments.Things are not good.This is both a sign that my energy is empty and at the same time that it is my last reserve.A drop of blood from a woman who died when she gave birth to the Darkbringer of Others - is a very powerful source of energy, but it can't last long either. "Lina!" Remensheva ordered. I felt the silent order again, Lian Na walked out of the energy circle slowly like a sleepwalker.My right palm was released, and the trance receded for several seconds, until Anna Tikhonovna slowly moved towards me.But in this short period of time, I saw a small folding table made of black wood inside our power circle, and on the small table was a thin sword made of burnt blue steel.And Lianna was already standing beside the loose sand, stopping over the two children who were playing, as if she wanted to choose one of them... "Choose a little girl!" Lemensheva shouted, "Choose one." Girls are better than twelve boys!" Now I understand everything.Except for one thing I don't understand, and that's where did Anna Tihonovna's right to choose the sacrifice come from, why she decided to go to such lengths to save an ordinary witch! But Remensheva suddenly squeezed my hand, and I became again a weak-willed part of the circle of power.Edgar had been squeezed into the stairwell, no one was pushing him anymore, they were trying to crush him against the wall.Suddenly he raised his hand and shouted: "stop!" It hurts... The circle of power sucks the last few strands of my energy.And Olga couldn't supply even a burst of energy, she had been sucked dry.She stood between us twitching, as if bumping into a stripped wire.Jeanne moaned softly, her head dropped to her chest, lower and lower, lower and lower... "If you don't budge..." Edgar said coldly, "we have the right to make sacrifices." The Lightbringer was stunned.I watched them watch for a moment, and Garico shook his head suspiciously. Xie Miao seemed to believe it immediately. Sacrifice is a great and terrible release of power.Especially when a child is used for the sacrifice, especially if it is a sacrifice within the circle of power, especially if it is presided over by an experienced witch.And Lenka Kileyeva has already stood in the circle of power.She holds the sword in both hands, while the little girl lies on the black table. If we infuse Edgar with the power we have freed up now, then the Lightbringers will definitely not be able to survive.Of course, they can also find extraordinary means, but are they authorized to use these means? The shapeshifter Tiger rushed into the corridor, roaring.Apparently she beat the vampire up on the balcony, and she saw what we were about to do. "You can't keep it," Edgar said coldly. "We're going to take our own people anyway, and because of your fault, a child of humanity will be sacrificed." The Lightbringers panicked.It's not difficult... The situation, while highly conflicting, is unlikely to lead to particularly serious consequences.Nations do not threaten each other with nuclear attacks if combatants are caught espionage.If there is a small conflict among the combatants, others will not threaten each other with first-level spells. It's just that the Lightbringers are still attacking our magician at this time, maybe just subconsciously, but they are still using "squeeze", and we have no power to give Edgar.Olga stayed there, unconscious, now standing in the circle of power like a numb, unconscious puppet.Jeanne had already knelt down to the ground, but she still heroically did not let go of her hand, contributing her last bit of energy.Lian Na's face was disfigured sickly, and she raised her sharp sword at the trembling little girl—the child was conscious, but was cursed and unable to speak, otherwise the release of power would be reduced.My body was limp, and I felt like I couldn't stand upright.Hurry up...I can't stand anymore. "Stop!" Semyon yelled, "We hand over the witch to you, keep...keep the circle of power." I tried to absorb energy from the surrounding space, from the little girl who was scared to death, and from a distance. Passers-by who try not to notice what's happening drain energy from pedestrians. It didn't work, everything was sucked dry.That's what Remensheva did... No wonder she stands firmer than anyone else, the scoundrel... We're here to die for an old woman who nobody needs, but she's holding on... Badass... The Lightbringer had shoved the slovenly woman in the dirty home gown and worn-out slippers straight into Edgar's hands.The woman hadn't figured it out yet, she looked around cautiously, and was about to make the sign of the cross. "You will have to pay the price." Xie Miao finally said. Edgar quickly bent the hand of the rescued witch behind his back, without time to explain, without the strength to cast the spell.Then he led the witch down the stairs. Keep the circle of power... Sacrifice is a very energy-intensive act, so it's best to save it.This right to use it was developed perhaps twenty or thirty years ago through various intrigues and counterespionage operations.So Kirieva stood over the little girl with an impassive expression, the knife about to cut the heart gleamed in her hand, while Deniska repeated the incantation in a monotonous voice.We can get a burst of energy at any given moment... but it's best not to happen. Keep the circle of power... Only resentment protects me.Resentment at the whole bad day, at all the failures of the last year, at Remensheva.Apparently she knew more than she let on.I don't know where I found my last ounce of strength, but I found it!So I passed the power through the thin and thin bodies of Olga and Jeanne, and let Lemensheva pour power into Edgar like a trickle... The three vampire brothers jumped into the van first... followed by the combat team members... Then Lian Na let the little girl go, and the little girl ran away crying.Deniska stopped chanting, grabbed the small table used for the ceremony, and threw it into the carriage.Only then did Remensheva cut off the circle of power. Everything in front of me floated.I coughed for some reason, and suddenly withdrew my hand from Olga's stiff fingers. "Get in," cried Anna Tikhonovna, "quick!" Edgar appeared - and he looked quite refreshed!He threw the witch into the carriage and jumped onto the seat next to Deniska.Anna Tikhonovna dragged Olga into the car, and I helped Jeanne into the car—she was in a terrible condition, but she was still sane. "Who are you? Who are you?" cried the rescued witch.Anna Tikhonovna slapped her hard across the face, and the witch fell silent. "Deniska, come on!" I said.As if he needed that urging... We rushed out of the yard, the wheels squealing.Edgar, with his head in his hands, casts a spell—riding the line of reality, cleaving a path in front of us. "Not feeling well, Aliska?" Lianna asked with a greedy curiosity.I gritted my teeth and shook my head negatively.Lian Na complained, "I'm exhausted and exhausted. I need to take a rest." The rescued witch complained in a low voice, and shut up immediately when she saw my resentful gaze.She tried to step back, away from me, but the vampires sat there, vicious, listless, covered in blood—they seemed smart enough to get rid of the shapeshifters, but each of them was still haunted by her. A paw or two. "Vidari was completely burned..." Lenka said sadly, "of course he is an idiot, but he is our idiot after all... Anna Tikhonovna, are you sure that this abominable fellow is worthy of us?" Is it so frustrating?" "It was Zaburon's order," replied Remensheva. "Perhaps he sees it better." "He could help out at the beginning," I couldn't help replying, "This is something he can do, and it's beyond our power." Anna Tikhonovna looked at me curiously. "Don't say that. You've done a great job, girl. You've been absolutely brilliant. I didn't expect so much energy from you." I barely restrained myself from crying.I glanced at Olga to hide my tears—she was still unconscious.Her situation could have been worse, and this can finally be consoled... I stood up slightly with difficulty, and patted Olga's cheek.There was no response, so I pinched her again, but nothing happened. Everyone looked at me curiously.Even the vampires who whispered obscenities there stopped licking their wounds, waiting for something. "Anna Tikhonovna, you can help her," I said, "injuries in the line of duty, according to the rules..." "Alyssa, dear, how can I help her?" said Remensheva kindly. "She's dead. She's been dead for five minutes. I didn't calculate it well, and I used all my strength." I hastily removed my hand.Olga's thin and frail body was trembling in the armchair, her drooping chin turned around on her chest. "What's the matter with you, don't you feel it?" Jeanne asked softly, "Aliska, what's the matter with you?" Distinguish between the dead and the living - it doesn't even require any spells.This is a minimum ability.Some people are instantly perceivable by that subtle substance of the soul...if the soul is still in place. "She gave too much energy!" Lenka understood. "Oh, Alyssa, you are now a person who has lost spells! Five years without spells. Just like Yulia Boryantseva, two years ago She used up all her energy in one operation, so she hasn't been able to enter the Twilight Realm yet!" "You can't wait for this day," I just said, trying to keep my face calm, "following the rules will help me recover." That sounds pathetic. "Is there anyone to help Bo Liang choose the baby?" Lian Na asked. Anna Tikhonovna sighed: "Aliska, when you won Zabulon's favor a year ago, everything was indeed going according to order." Before I could even think of words to respond, Romasova screamed: "Where are you leading me? Where are you leading me?" I finally broke out.I jumped up and started to slap the witch in the face, scratching hard.The witch was too frightened to resist.I beat her for three minutes amid the applause of the vampire brothers, the reproaches of Lemensheva, and the encouragement of Lenka and Jeanne.Only dead Olga, whom I kept bumping into in the darkness of the van, couldn't say anything.But I think she will definitely support me. Then I sat down and took a breath.The old witch sobbed and touched her bloody face. As long as those light emissaries dare to chase us, I will definitely bite their throats, no worse than a vampire!Destroy them all without any spells! But they never came after us. No one will call our return a triumph. The vampire silently carried out Olga's body and carried her to the headquarters.It seemed that even they understood the tragedy of the whole incident.But why didn't they understand?They exchanged life for non-life, but continued to think and feel, and theoretically could continue this existence forever.But Olga is gone forever. Deniska drove the car to the parking lot, and Edgar held the hand of the rescued witch tightly and led her to the patrol building.The witch did not resist.We are close behind. Despite Remensheva's yet another spell -- avoiding attention, hauling corpses through the crowded streets next to the Kremlin walls in central Moscow -- it's not the most reassuring thing to do.People didn't look at us, they picked up their pace and tried to get around our line.But the Twilight Realm was worried. The living tissue here is too sensitive.The emotions from the depths of another reality are too rich, and the traces of the past are too clear.There are some places where it is almost impossible to draw the line between the human world and the dark world, and the center of Moscow——is one of them. If I'm in good shape now, I can see the impact of forces from another reality.Even Zaburon may not be able to explain exactly what is behind them. The Twilight smelled the witches sacrificed in a one-on-one duel, and it breathed greedily.We have to not react to it, not to notice it. "Hurry up!" said Remensheva, and the vampire quickened her pace.Perhaps, the Twilight Realm is indeed anxious. However, I don't feel it anymore... We walked through a door invisible to ordinary people, and Lena had to escort Jeanne and me.The team members have come running head-on.The witch who started shouting again was dragged to the interrogation room on the ninth floor.The magician in the treatment room received Olga himself.There is no hope of any remedy - only the fact of death needs to be confirmed.A doctor on duty looked at us seriously, estimated Jeanna's condition, and shook his head pessimistically.He glanced at the bruised vampire and frowned.Then he shifted his gaze to me—the expression on his face froze. "What, is it bad?" I asked. "More than that." He replied without showing much sadness, "Alyssa, what do you think when you provide energy?" "I play by the rules." I replied, feeling the welling up of tears again, "or Edgar's doom will come—because there are two second-level magicians against him!" The doctor nodded. "Well deserved effort, Alyssa. But it comes at a price." Edgar, who had already hurried to the elevator, stopped, gave me a sympathetic look, and kissed my hand—timidly but politely.These Baltics perpetuate themselves as Victorian gentlemen. "Alyssa, I extend my deepest thanks to you! I feel that you have given your best. At that time, I was really worried that you would follow Olga." He turned to the doctor and said: "Karl Lvovich, what can be done about this brave girl?" "I'm afraid there's nothing you can do," said the doctor, spreading his hands regretfully. "Alyssa sucked the energy out of her soul. It's like malnutrition, do you understand? Digest yourself. Destroy the liver, muscles, stomach - as long as the brain is preserved in the end. Our girls are in a similar situation. Jeanne seems to have passed out in time, so she didn't give her last reserves. Alyssa and Olga Persevered until the end. Olga had less internal reserves, so she died. Alyssa survived, but had a complete mental breakdown..." Edgar nodded in understanding, and everyone else listened curiously while the doctor continued to explain. "The power of the Other is in some respects like any energy reaction, such as—a nuclear reaction. We maintain our own power, drawing energy from the world around us, from people and other low-level objects. But in order to get power , first put it into it-the natural law is so cruel, and this original strength is actually gone in Alyssa. Clumsy pumping is useless, like a piece of over-salted pork or fried crispy meat Not a half-starved person. Organs can't digest nutrients like this - it just kills it, it doesn't save it. That's the case with Alyssa - it's ok to give her energy, but she chokes die." "Can I not use the third person?" I asked. "Also, don't use this intonation." "I'm sorry, girl," sighed Karl Lvovich, "but I'm telling the truth." Edgar carefully lowered my hand.He said: "Alyssa, don't be sad. Maybe the higher ups will figure out something. Well, speaking of roast meat . . . I'm starving." Remensheva also nodded in agreement: "Let's go to a Russian fast food restaurant." "Wait for me, will you?" Jeanne begged, "I'm going to take a shower, I'm sweating..." There is no strength left. It makes me shudder.我站在那儿，迟钝地听着他们的谈话，尝试着感觉哪怕一点点处于他者层次上的东西，看到自己真正的影子，呼唤黑暗，感受一下情感的交流声…… 一片空白。 好像已经把我给忘了。 要是让娜或者莲娜处在我的位置，我也会那样做的。最终总不能因为别人粗心大意而去上吊吧？人家要求我毫无保留地献出所有的能量了吗？没有……想逞英雄呗！ 这一切都要归罪于谢苗和小虎。当我明白我们在与谁交锋的那一刻，我就决定复仇了。不知为了什么，想向谁证明什么…… 可现在怎样了呢？证明了。 而且成了个残废。与小虎交战过后还有什么更重要呢…… “让娜，快一点呀，”列缅舍娃说，“阿利莎，你跟我们一起去吗？” 我向安娜·季洪诺芙娜转过身去，但没来得及说什么。 “现在已经哪儿都去不成了，”背后传来一个声音。列缅舍娃的眼睛睁得老大，而我认出了这声音，不禁战栗起来。 扎武隆站在电梯旁。 他现在以人的面貌出现：消瘦而忧郁，眼神里带着几分心不在焉。我们当中很多人只知道他是一个冷静、从容，甚至有些乏味的人。 可是我知道另外的一个扎武隆。不是那个有控制力的守日人巡查队的头儿，不是那个有着否认一切的异常强悍外表的强大斗士，不是那个超级黑暗魔法师，而是他者，是有无限想象力的快活的人——同我们之间没有任何存在天壤之别的痕迹，好像没有年龄、经验、力量上的差别…… 曾经是这样。once…… “都到我办公室来，”扎武隆吩咐道，“马上。” 他消失了，也许很快就潜入到黑暗中去了。但在他消失之前，他的目光在我身上停留了片刻。他的眼神没有表达出任何意思。既没有嘲讽，也没有怜惜和厌恶。 毕竟他看了我一眼，我心里一紧。最近这一年扎武隆似乎没有发现这位不成功的女巫阿利莎·东尼科娃。 “又吃了，又冲了澡，”列缅舍娃郁闷地说，“走吧，姑娘们”。 我坐在旁边的地方其实纯属偶然。 我的两条腿把我引到壁炉旁的圈椅——这是一张昂贵的皮圈椅，我曾经习惯在这张圈椅上半坐半躺地蜷缩成一团，看着忙于事务的扎武隆，看着壁炉里无烟的火焰，看着满墙的照片…… 我意识到，当我下意识地远离其他人，在墙边的沙发上占据了一个恰如其分的位置时——要改变什么为时已晚。只是这看起来很傻。 于是我脱掉凉鞋，双腿盘坐着，这样更舒服些。 列缅舍娃开始做汇报前惊讶地瞥了我一眼，其他人甚至看都没敢看我——都盯着头儿。这些溜须拍马的人！ 扎武隆往自己那张巨大的桌子后的圈椅上一靠，同样没有对我做出反应。至少表面上如此。 也用不着…… 我听到列缅舍娃平稳的声音——她汇报得很好，简明而清晰，没讲任何多余的东西，也没有漏掉任何重要的东西。她看着工作台上悬挂的照片，这是一张很老很老的照片，有一百四十年了，还是用胶粘的方式做的——头儿曾经给我详细地解释“干粘”与“湿粘”两种方法的区别。照片上扎武隆以新西兰克赖斯特彻奇大学塔楼为背景，身穿老式牛津大学学生服。这是路易斯·卡罗尔的原作，不知怎么头儿发现，很难说服“这个古板的诗学老学究”不把时间花在小姑娘上，而是放在自己的学生身上。不过照片很成功，也许，卡罗尔也确实是位大师。照片上的扎武隆很严肃，但双眸间闪动着温和的讥讽，而且他看起来年轻得多……尽管对于他而言一百五十岁…… “东尼科娃？” 我看了列缅舍娃一眼，点点头说： “完全赞同。如果我们的使命就在于拯救被劫持的女巫，那么形成能量圈和用祭祀方法威胁对方就是最佳的决定。” 沉默了片刻，我怀疑地补充道： “当然，如果这个笨女人值得我们费这么大的力气。” “阿利莎！”列缅舍娃的声音里有一种金属的质感，“你怎么敢评判上司的命令？头儿，我替阿利莎表示歉意，她激动过头了，所以有点……有点失态。” “这很自然，”扎武隆说，“实际上阿利莎保证了行动的成功。牺牲了自己全部的能量。她要提些问题这不奇怪。” 我抬起头。 扎武隆十分严肃，没有丝毫嘲弄或讽刺的意思。 “不过……”列缅舍娃开口说。 “刚才有人说到等级服从制度？”扎武隆打断了她的话。 列缅舍娃突然停下来。 扎武隆从桌子后面站起身，慢悠悠地走到我跟前——我一直看着他，但没有起身。 “那个笨女人”，扎武隆说，“不值得费这么大力气。这毫无疑问。但是反对守夜人巡查队的行动本身确实至关重要。所以你们在作战中受的伤都是值得的。” 我像是某处被人用锥子扎了似的…… “谢谢，扎武隆，”我回答道，“知道自己没有白白地使出全部力量，我往后所有这些年都会活得轻松些。” “多少年，阿利莎？”扎武隆问。 真是奇怪的事……我们整整一年根本没有讲过话……我甚至没有从他本人那里接受过任何命令……而现在他开口说话了——我又感到胸口冒出一团冰冷刺人的东西…… “医生说我需要很长时间才能恢复元气。” 扎武隆冷笑了一下。突然——他伸出了手！轻轻地拍了几下我的脸颊。很亲切……是那样的熟悉…… “医生什么都会说的……”扎武隆平和地说，“医生有医生的观点……而我有我的。” 他抽出手，我好不容易才控制住，差点儿没伸长脸随着他移动…… “我认为，阿利莎·东尼科娃在很大程度上保证了今天行动的顺利完成，这一点谁也不会反对是吗？”扎武隆问道。 嘿……我可真想看一眼那个反对的人！只有列缅舍娃小心翼翼地补充了一句： “我们都付出了相当的努力……” “根据您的状态很容易明白，谁付出了什么。” 扎武隆回到桌子旁。但没有坐下来，只是倚靠在桌面上打量着我，似乎他在透过黑暗认真地琢磨我。 可是我感觉不到这个…… “大家都同意守日人巡查队应该帮助阿利莎吗？”他试探地问大家。 列缅舍娃眼里充满了愤怒。这个老妖婆曾几何时也做过扎武隆的女友。所以当我受宠时，她嫉恨我……所以当头儿疏远我时，她又将愤怒转为对我的好感。 “如果说到帮助，”她说话了，“那么卡尔·里沃维奇用了一个很好的比喻。我们准备好了与阿利莎一起分享能量，但这无异于给一个即将死亡的人一块咸肥肉，而非一碗救命的汤。不过我打算尝试一下……” 扎武隆转过头，列缅舍娃才闭上嘴。 “如果需要汤——汤就会有的，”他用一种很温和的嗓音说，“大家可以走了。” 吸血鬼兄弟最先蹿了起来，接着女巫们起身，我也开始双脚摸索着寻找凉鞋。 “阿利莎，如果不麻烦的话，请你留一下。”扎武隆请求道。 列缅舍娃突然双眼冒火——但又马上熄灭了。她明白了我还仍然害怕相信的东西。 不一会儿只留下我和扎武隆两个人。我们默默注视着对方。 我喉咙干涩，嘴上却拒绝道歉。不，这样不可能……甚至不值得自欺欺人…… “你怎么样，阿利娅？”扎武隆问道。 只有妈妈才叫我阿利娅。 还有扎武隆——曾经这么叫…… “像被挤干的柠檬，”我说，“请你告诉我，我真的是可怕的笨蛋吗？把全部的能量消耗在了一件谁也不需要的事情上？” “你很聪明，阿利娅。”扎武隆说。 而且微笑了一下。 就像从前一样，一模一样。 “可是我现在……” 我不出声了，因为扎武隆向我迈了一步——已经不需要语言了。我甚至无法从圈椅上站起来，我抱住了他的腿，拥抱着他，紧偎着——号啕大哭起来。 “你今天为我们最棒的一次行动奠定了基础。”扎武隆说。他的手拍了拍我的头发，但我终究还是觉得他很遥远，很遥远。当然，像他这样的魔法师是永远不会允许自己松懈的：他心里装着莫斯科市和莫斯科州整个守日人巡查队，他心里装着黑暗界，掌握所有和平和安宁地生活的普通人的命运，他不得不与光明界的阴谋作斗争，还有关注人们……“阿利莎，在你愚蠢地耗尽力量后，我还是觉得你未必无愧于我对你的关注。” “扎武隆……我真是个自负的笨蛋……”我咽着泪水低声地说，“原谅我。我辜负了你……” “你今天完全恢复名誉了。” 扎武隆一下子把我从圈椅上提了起来。我微微踮着脚站在那里，否则我会在他的手中晃来晃去，这时我不知为什么想起第一次他那消瘦的身体发出巨大的力量令我震惊的那一刻。即使他以人的面貌出现时也是如此…… “阿利莎，我对你很满意，”他微笑一下，“你可别为自己丧失了一切力量而难过，我们还有那么些储备。” “就像使用祭祀的权限一样？”我试图微笑起来。 “是的，”扎武隆点点头，“你去休假吧，今天就去。回来时你会感觉比以前好的。” 我的嘴唇不争气地抖起来。这是怎么回事，我像个歇斯底里的人一样号啕大哭，睫毛膏恐怕全掉了，浑身软绵绵的…… “我要你，”我低声说，“扎武隆，我是那么孤独……” 他温柔地推开了我的手。 “以后吧，阿利娅。等你回来时，否则这会是……”扎武隆微微一笑，“利用职务之便达到个人目的。” “谁敢对你这样说？” 扎武隆久久地注视着我的眼睛。 “有这样的人，阿利娅。去年对于巡查队来说是艰难的一年，很多人希望看到我受侮辱。” “那就不要了，”我连忙说，“不要冒险，我自己慢慢恢复……” “要的。别担心，我的小姑娘。” 他的声音，还有他平静、自信的力量使我的一切都颠覆了。“那你为什么为了我这样冒险呢？”我低语道，并没有期待得到答复，可是扎武隆还是回答了我： “因为爱情——这也是力量。巨大的力量，因此不可以轻视它。”