Read Online 03 - Evolution by Greg Cox - (ebook by Undead) - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Greg Cox - (ebook by Undead)
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shrouding the
guard’s fate in darkness. His dying scream trailed off into a pathetic
moan before Kraven heard another body drop limply onto the floor.
Suddenly, it was over. The screams and gunfire no longer
assailed his ears. Silence descended once more over the abattoir the
defiled crypt had become. Kraven trembled uncontrollably as he realized
that he was alone in the dark with… it.
“Milord?” Kraven had never known an Elder to Awaken in
such a bloodthirsty rage, but who else could it be.
He groped desperately for his own rifle, but could not
find the weapon amidst the rubble. He choked on the dusty air, coughing
loudly. Staggering to his feet, he gazed desperately at the open doorway
only a few yards away. His own cold blood continued to trickle down his
face.
The nearby exit tantalized him. Escape was so close!
But not close enough.
Something landed on the floor behind him with a meaty
smack. He could hear the creature’s raspy breathing. It smelled of
decaying flesh. Bony talons scraped against the broken tiles.
Kraven whimpered in fright. He wasn’t sure what was
worse, not seeing whatever was behind him or being forced to face it.
His hair stood on end, and he could hear the panicked palpitations of
his heart. Marshaling his last ounce of courage, he nervously turned
around to confront the mysterious apparition that had just slaughtered
his men so effortlessly.
Perhaps he could still talk his way out of this situation?
The smoke, dust, and dim lighting made it hard to see
the monster clearly, even though it was now standing only a few feet
from him. Kraven strained his eyes to see a hairless, mummified figure
wearing black silk trousers. A tarnished gold belt girded the creature’s
waist. Gilded armbands circled his bony biceps. Molten black eyes,
unlike any vampire’s, coldly examined Kraven. Fresh blood dripped from
its jaws. Its blackened skin was the color of a gangrenous limb.
Shrack! Without warning, a
pair of batlike wings snapped out of the creature’s shoulder blades. The
wings spread out behind him, spanning nearly ten feet from tip to tip.
Arched bones and twisted networks of veins were visible throughout the
fleshy membranes. Ebony talons crowned the demonic wings.
Kraven’s eyes widened in disbelief. Never had he
witnessed anything like this. Tales of vampires transforming into bats
were foolish mortal myths, nothing more, so how was this possible? What was this creature before him?
“Please,” he begged.
A sudden flurry of movement cut off his desperate plea.
The creature’s wings exploded forward, striking Kraven with the force of
a wrecking ball. The regent’s back slammed against the wall behind him
so hard that the impact cracked the dense stonework. Deep fissures
spread like cobwebs across the face of the wall. The force of the
collision left Kraven stunned and breathless.
He felt a sharp, searing pain in his shoulders. Looking
down, he saw with alarm that both shoulders had been impaled by the
spearlike tips of the monster’s wings. Blood streamed down the front of
his black silk shirt. Kraven realized in horror that he had literally
been nailed to the wall of the crypt!
The creature leaned toward him. A beam of light from the
control room exposed a gaunt, emaciated visage with ebony eyes and an
aquiline nose. A mouthful of pointed, sharklike teeth dripped blood onto
the figure’s bare chest. Tapered ears lay flat against the creature’s
skull. Purple veins pulsed across the monster’s smooth, bald cranium.
Its mottled skin was dry as dust.
Kraven barely recognized the transformed Elder. His
overwhelmed brain struggled to account for the ancient vampire’s bizarre
metamorphosis. Marcus’ unearthly black eyes jogged Kraven’s memory, and
he suddenly recalled where he had seen such eyes before: on the face of
Michael Corvin during his final battle with Viktor, after Selene’s lycan
sweetheart had undergone a
guard’s fate in darkness. His dying scream trailed off into a pathetic
moan before Kraven heard another body drop limply onto the floor.
Suddenly, it was over. The screams and gunfire no longer
assailed his ears. Silence descended once more over the abattoir the
defiled crypt had become. Kraven trembled uncontrollably as he realized
that he was alone in the dark with… it.
“Milord?” Kraven had never known an Elder to Awaken in
such a bloodthirsty rage, but who else could it be.
He groped desperately for his own rifle, but could not
find the weapon amidst the rubble. He choked on the dusty air, coughing
loudly. Staggering to his feet, he gazed desperately at the open doorway
only a few yards away. His own cold blood continued to trickle down his
face.
The nearby exit tantalized him. Escape was so close!
But not close enough.
Something landed on the floor behind him with a meaty
smack. He could hear the creature’s raspy breathing. It smelled of
decaying flesh. Bony talons scraped against the broken tiles.
Kraven whimpered in fright. He wasn’t sure what was
worse, not seeing whatever was behind him or being forced to face it.
His hair stood on end, and he could hear the panicked palpitations of
his heart. Marshaling his last ounce of courage, he nervously turned
around to confront the mysterious apparition that had just slaughtered
his men so effortlessly.
Perhaps he could still talk his way out of this situation?
The smoke, dust, and dim lighting made it hard to see
the monster clearly, even though it was now standing only a few feet
from him. Kraven strained his eyes to see a hairless, mummified figure
wearing black silk trousers. A tarnished gold belt girded the creature’s
waist. Gilded armbands circled his bony biceps. Molten black eyes,
unlike any vampire’s, coldly examined Kraven. Fresh blood dripped from
its jaws. Its blackened skin was the color of a gangrenous limb.
Shrack! Without warning, a
pair of batlike wings snapped out of the creature’s shoulder blades. The
wings spread out behind him, spanning nearly ten feet from tip to tip.
Arched bones and twisted networks of veins were visible throughout the
fleshy membranes. Ebony talons crowned the demonic wings.
Kraven’s eyes widened in disbelief. Never had he
witnessed anything like this. Tales of vampires transforming into bats
were foolish mortal myths, nothing more, so how was this possible? What was this creature before him?
“Please,” he begged.
A sudden flurry of movement cut off his desperate plea.
The creature’s wings exploded forward, striking Kraven with the force of
a wrecking ball. The regent’s back slammed against the wall behind him
so hard that the impact cracked the dense stonework. Deep fissures
spread like cobwebs across the face of the wall. The force of the
collision left Kraven stunned and breathless.
He felt a sharp, searing pain in his shoulders. Looking
down, he saw with alarm that both shoulders had been impaled by the
spearlike tips of the monster’s wings. Blood streamed down the front of
his black silk shirt. Kraven realized in horror that he had literally
been nailed to the wall of the crypt!
The creature leaned toward him. A beam of light from the
control room exposed a gaunt, emaciated visage with ebony eyes and an
aquiline nose. A mouthful of pointed, sharklike teeth dripped blood onto
the figure’s bare chest. Tapered ears lay flat against the creature’s
skull. Purple veins pulsed across the monster’s smooth, bald cranium.
Its mottled skin was dry as dust.
Kraven barely recognized the transformed Elder. His
overwhelmed brain struggled to account for the ancient vampire’s bizarre
metamorphosis. Marcus’ unearthly black eyes jogged Kraven’s memory, and
he suddenly recalled where he had seen such eyes before: on the face of
Michael Corvin during his final battle with Viktor, after Selene’s lycan
sweetheart had undergone a
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