Wait. Scratch that. Anita is angsting about how she got Graham addicted to the ardeur and how she needs to fix it so she can feel better. BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE'S ADDICTION MUST BE ALL ABOUT MEEEEE.
Jean Claude tries to talk sense into her. God knows, I'm the last one to say that JEAN CLAUDE is doing anything right by Anita, but here you go:
I tried to say something, but he kept his finger touching my mouth. “The fact that Graham wants you is not proof of addiction, ma petite. You underestimate the pull of your sweet self.”...I need a barf bucket.
Anyhoo, Anita INSISTS that Graham is addicted to the ardeur and MUST BE SAVED. Finally, Jean Claude realizes that Anita is being fucked with and hands her a cross.
There are some people who might go "THIS IS MYSOGYNISTIC" but I don't. I know how it feels when your emotions are out of control and there is nothing you can do to fix it. I can't drink diet sodas because I have an extremely bad reaction to aspartame, and my entire family voted that when I take OTC antihistamines, I sleep it off. My emotions are at the mercy of my body and my diet, and it is frighteningly easy for something as small as a spoonful of fake sugar to upset the balance. This would be a REALLY good scene in the hands of a good writer. It would make the Harlequin fucking scary. Not only can they fuck with you, they can control your thoughts. If the Harlequin can do this to Anita, they can induce severe depression and suicidal ideation and you cannot stop them.
But of course, because LKH chose to focus on sex and Anita's relationships and characters we don't care about, the psychic murderers who can alter your thoughts to suit their will are about as scary as a wet kleenex.
...outside of flu season.
Jean Claude hands her a cross, and takes a second to order her to handle the chain only. She takes it, and it goes supernova.
God. This scene could have been so fucking good. The timing is almost good, it's acutally something I relate to REALLY well, the psychology is right for once. WHY DO I NOT CARE ABOUT THIS SCENE.
I prayed,Thank you for reminding me that the ONLY thing I hate more than Rania is Anita's take on my faith. Please. PLEASE leave theology out of it.
With the cross, Anita find's the psychic attachment ("seed") that the Harlequin vampire stuck on her at the movies. HOW AND WHEN are never explained, but he got her at the movies. Right. She attacks him without thinking and--for once--this backfires and drags her down into his mind instead. He looks at her from inside a silver mask and basically says "Boo!"
She drops back into her own headspace and the chapter ends.
This chapter really pisses me off. One, maybe two good revisions and it'd be hot enough to melt plastic. ALL SHE HAD TO DO WAS PUT IN THE WORK. I should like the HELL out of this. And I don't.
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