Read Online 1305 & 1306 The Oracle & the Vampire (The 13th Floor) by Christine Rains - Free Book Online
Book: 1305 & 1306 The Oracle & the Vampire (The 13th Floor) by Christine Rains
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Authors: Christine Rains
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This was when the monsters took Kiral.
Harriet picked up the nearest thing: a discarded water bottle. She chucked it at the closest rider, but it paid her no attention.
The other rider snapped a whip and caught Kiral around the arm. His struggles bought him torn flesh as the barbs dug deeper.
She pounded a fist against her thigh. Time was of the essence. What could she do?
Maybe these things didn’t like light any more than the darkness that attacked her in the alley.
Kiral cried out, and Harriet choked on a sob. No, they couldn’t have him.
Fast and a bit sloppy, she summoned one wisp after another. They zipped down from the sky and circled her, dancing as if attending a grand party.
Harriet commanded them to shine bright and blind the monsters. Well, the mounts since the riders had no heads. The wisps had no attack other than with their light. It had to be enough. It had to.
Their illumination didn’t chase the monsters away, but as the wisps swirled around the things, they definitely got their attention. One of the horses reared, and the riders swatted at the wisps like annoying gnats.
Hunched over, Harriet scurried onto the sidewalk and moved behind the cars parked along the road. If she could get into a car, she could bull the monsters over. But she didn’t have the keys to any of them nor could she hotwire one.
Another plan. She needed another plan.
She tripped over something and yelped as she scraped her knees and elbows. Peering behind her, she wanted to cry in relief. The shotgun.
Snatching the weapon up, she used a cherry red car to help her stand. Harriet tossed back her mass of hair and shuffled onto the road.
The wisps no longer bothered the monsters. The riders had Kiral stretched between them. Any move he made threatened to tear off a limb.
Without uttering a word, Harriet marched toward them and planted her feet two car lengths behind the monster with its whip wrapped around Kiral’s leg. She raised the gun, braced it against her shoulder, and fired.
Catherine wasn’t kidding when she said the shotgun had kick. A dozen cries filled her ears knocking Harriet flat on her back. At first she thought she was having more visions, but nothing came before her mind’s eye. She raised her head in time to see the remaining lower half of the rider and its horse fall apart. Not like a puzzle or a tower, but a tumble of bodies that hadn’t seemed to be there before.
The headless rider and its steed were made of little monsters.
As she lay there on the road with her mouth hanging open, Kiral wasn’t wasting a second of time. With his leg free, he planted both feet against the far side of a car, and using his immense strength, yanked on the whip of the remaining rider. He smashed it against the vehicle with an awful thunk. The monster exploded into smaller monster bits.
Harriet thought maybe the little devils would scramble to get back together, but they raced off in various directions. One could kill her, but perhaps they knew nothing of guns and that a shotgun needed to be reloaded. They gave her a wide berth and disappeared into the night.
Kiral dashed toward her, scooped her up, and ran toward the north side of town.
CHAPTER 12
Ms. Bates smiled when Harriet and Kiral knocked at her door. She undid a half dozen chain and bolt locks and welcomed them in with the scent of freshly brewed tea. It was like stepping out from a war zone into a storybook tea party. It made Kiral feel light-headed.
“Come in, come in. It’s a nasty night.” Cynthia Bates invited them in. Once Harriet and Kiral had stepped into the hall, Bates swiftly locked the door again. “I can’t believe you’re wandering around out there.”
Kiral couldn’t either, but to find Harriet, he’d fight his way through Hell if need be.
The old woman pushed her walker and escorted them into the kitchen where two other elderly ladies sat at the table, set with a full tea set and a large plate of biscuits.
“Please, join
Harriet picked up the nearest thing: a discarded water bottle. She chucked it at the closest rider, but it paid her no attention.
The other rider snapped a whip and caught Kiral around the arm. His struggles bought him torn flesh as the barbs dug deeper.
She pounded a fist against her thigh. Time was of the essence. What could she do?
Maybe these things didn’t like light any more than the darkness that attacked her in the alley.
Kiral cried out, and Harriet choked on a sob. No, they couldn’t have him.
Fast and a bit sloppy, she summoned one wisp after another. They zipped down from the sky and circled her, dancing as if attending a grand party.
Harriet commanded them to shine bright and blind the monsters. Well, the mounts since the riders had no heads. The wisps had no attack other than with their light. It had to be enough. It had to.
Their illumination didn’t chase the monsters away, but as the wisps swirled around the things, they definitely got their attention. One of the horses reared, and the riders swatted at the wisps like annoying gnats.
Hunched over, Harriet scurried onto the sidewalk and moved behind the cars parked along the road. If she could get into a car, she could bull the monsters over. But she didn’t have the keys to any of them nor could she hotwire one.
Another plan. She needed another plan.
She tripped over something and yelped as she scraped her knees and elbows. Peering behind her, she wanted to cry in relief. The shotgun.
Snatching the weapon up, she used a cherry red car to help her stand. Harriet tossed back her mass of hair and shuffled onto the road.
The wisps no longer bothered the monsters. The riders had Kiral stretched between them. Any move he made threatened to tear off a limb.
Without uttering a word, Harriet marched toward them and planted her feet two car lengths behind the monster with its whip wrapped around Kiral’s leg. She raised the gun, braced it against her shoulder, and fired.
Catherine wasn’t kidding when she said the shotgun had kick. A dozen cries filled her ears knocking Harriet flat on her back. At first she thought she was having more visions, but nothing came before her mind’s eye. She raised her head in time to see the remaining lower half of the rider and its horse fall apart. Not like a puzzle or a tower, but a tumble of bodies that hadn’t seemed to be there before.
The headless rider and its steed were made of little monsters.
As she lay there on the road with her mouth hanging open, Kiral wasn’t wasting a second of time. With his leg free, he planted both feet against the far side of a car, and using his immense strength, yanked on the whip of the remaining rider. He smashed it against the vehicle with an awful thunk. The monster exploded into smaller monster bits.
Harriet thought maybe the little devils would scramble to get back together, but they raced off in various directions. One could kill her, but perhaps they knew nothing of guns and that a shotgun needed to be reloaded. They gave her a wide berth and disappeared into the night.
Kiral dashed toward her, scooped her up, and ran toward the north side of town.
CHAPTER 12
Ms. Bates smiled when Harriet and Kiral knocked at her door. She undid a half dozen chain and bolt locks and welcomed them in with the scent of freshly brewed tea. It was like stepping out from a war zone into a storybook tea party. It made Kiral feel light-headed.
“Come in, come in. It’s a nasty night.” Cynthia Bates invited them in. Once Harriet and Kiral had stepped into the hall, Bates swiftly locked the door again. “I can’t believe you’re wandering around out there.”
Kiral couldn’t either, but to find Harriet, he’d fight his way through Hell if need be.
The old woman pushed her walker and escorted them into the kitchen where two other elderly ladies sat at the table, set with a full tea set and a large plate of biscuits.
“Please, join
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