Read Online Afterglow (Brotherhood of the Blade Trilogy #2) by Eve Paludan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Eve Paludan
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whispered. “You will not return.”
“ I have to go there,” I whispered back as I looked out the train window at the dark silhouettes of the passing countryside at night.
“ Why must you go there?”
“ I want to see if my daughter is there.”
“ You have a daughter?” Uta asked.
I took out my wallet and flipped to a photo of Kristen.
“She is beautiful. Blonde hair and blue eyes.”
“ Thank you. Have you seen my Kristen?”
“ No. Did he take her there?”
“ Someone took her. I don’t know who took her or where she is. I’m going to look for her at Raven Citadel.”
“ I believe the vampire numbers are many. It is a dangerous colony, Uncle. You cannot go alone or you will not return.” Her voice trembled.
I took a deep breath. “I should be able to handle them. Their leader, Vlad, was killed last night, just outside of Zürich.”
She gasped. “How?”
“ I can’t tell you.”
“ No, he is not dead. He cannot be killed. He has killed a hundred thousand people.”
“ What? I don’t think so. Not that many.”
“ Yes, he has . He is invincible.”
“ Uta, he’s gone. We killed him.”
“ I do not believe you, Uncle.”
“ I heard his dying cries.”
“ But did you see him die?”
“ Um, no. What do you mean, did I see him die?”
“ Did you verify that the exact vampire you killed was Vlad?”
“ Well, there is no proof left of him, and he doesn’t show up on camera or in a mirror but—”
“ He is very clever. Vlad seldom goes into a battle first. First, he sends in his dark servants to make way for his evil path.”
“ Shit!” I considered this. “You mean maybe we didn’t kill the right vampire last night?”
Uta frowned. “You must not go to Raven Citadel. It is a trap. Once you are in the belly of the ruins, in the dank corridors and in the dungeons, you will not be able to get away. And you will become either his food or you will be killed.”
I ran my fingers through my dyed, dark long hair. “I need to make a phone call.”
“ That phone call better be for your train reservation back to Zürich and then a plane ticket back to America.”
“ No, I just need help. I’ll get him. I have been on trains for almost three days. I’m almost there and I’m going to see if Kristen is there. Even if I have to tear apart the vampire king and every stone of his castle with my bare hands.”
“ Give me your hand, Uncle.”
“ My hand?”
“ Yes. Your dominant hand.”
I hesitantly held out my hand and I didn’t expect her to do what she did.
“I want to read your palm.” She examined it closely.
“ I thought you were a sausage maker.”
“ That is how I support my family. This is what I do for a passion. What is your profession?”
“ It’s better if you don’t know.”
She ran her finger over my palm. “Oh,” she crooned and a tear splashed on my hand from her eye. “I’m very sorry about your wife.”
“Thank you.” I was blown away that she knew.
“ I see how stubborn you are, Uncle, and how sad. But then, there is a new light, a new love for you.”
“ Yes. She doesn’t really know it, though.”
“ Oh, she knows. She is coming for you.”
“ To Transylvania?”
“ Yes.”
“ No, it’s too dangerous. I don’t want her anywhere near here.”
“ Nevertheless, she will be here. It is already in motion.”
“ Damn it.” I pulled my hand from hers. “Uta, don’t try to stop me from doing this.”
“ I cannot. Destiny already shows what you will do, like it has history that is already written. When you go to the ruins, after the big battle, if you still live, I want you to do something for me.”
“ If I can. What is it?”
She drew a photo album out of her handbag and took out one of the photos. “Take this photo with you of my missing husband and if you find him at Raven Citadel, bring him home to me.” As an afterthought, she wrote their names and address on the back. And a phone number.
I memorized
“ I have to go there,” I whispered back as I looked out the train window at the dark silhouettes of the passing countryside at night.
“ Why must you go there?”
“ I want to see if my daughter is there.”
“ You have a daughter?” Uta asked.
I took out my wallet and flipped to a photo of Kristen.
“She is beautiful. Blonde hair and blue eyes.”
“ Thank you. Have you seen my Kristen?”
“ No. Did he take her there?”
“ Someone took her. I don’t know who took her or where she is. I’m going to look for her at Raven Citadel.”
“ I believe the vampire numbers are many. It is a dangerous colony, Uncle. You cannot go alone or you will not return.” Her voice trembled.
I took a deep breath. “I should be able to handle them. Their leader, Vlad, was killed last night, just outside of Zürich.”
She gasped. “How?”
“ I can’t tell you.”
“ No, he is not dead. He cannot be killed. He has killed a hundred thousand people.”
“ What? I don’t think so. Not that many.”
“ Yes, he has . He is invincible.”
“ Uta, he’s gone. We killed him.”
“ I do not believe you, Uncle.”
“ I heard his dying cries.”
“ But did you see him die?”
“ Um, no. What do you mean, did I see him die?”
“ Did you verify that the exact vampire you killed was Vlad?”
“ Well, there is no proof left of him, and he doesn’t show up on camera or in a mirror but—”
“ He is very clever. Vlad seldom goes into a battle first. First, he sends in his dark servants to make way for his evil path.”
“ Shit!” I considered this. “You mean maybe we didn’t kill the right vampire last night?”
Uta frowned. “You must not go to Raven Citadel. It is a trap. Once you are in the belly of the ruins, in the dank corridors and in the dungeons, you will not be able to get away. And you will become either his food or you will be killed.”
I ran my fingers through my dyed, dark long hair. “I need to make a phone call.”
“ That phone call better be for your train reservation back to Zürich and then a plane ticket back to America.”
“ No, I just need help. I’ll get him. I have been on trains for almost three days. I’m almost there and I’m going to see if Kristen is there. Even if I have to tear apart the vampire king and every stone of his castle with my bare hands.”
“ Give me your hand, Uncle.”
“ My hand?”
“ Yes. Your dominant hand.”
I hesitantly held out my hand and I didn’t expect her to do what she did.
“I want to read your palm.” She examined it closely.
“ I thought you were a sausage maker.”
“ That is how I support my family. This is what I do for a passion. What is your profession?”
“ It’s better if you don’t know.”
She ran her finger over my palm. “Oh,” she crooned and a tear splashed on my hand from her eye. “I’m very sorry about your wife.”
“Thank you.” I was blown away that she knew.
“ I see how stubborn you are, Uncle, and how sad. But then, there is a new light, a new love for you.”
“ Yes. She doesn’t really know it, though.”
“ Oh, she knows. She is coming for you.”
“ To Transylvania?”
“ Yes.”
“ No, it’s too dangerous. I don’t want her anywhere near here.”
“ Nevertheless, she will be here. It is already in motion.”
“ Damn it.” I pulled my hand from hers. “Uta, don’t try to stop me from doing this.”
“ I cannot. Destiny already shows what you will do, like it has history that is already written. When you go to the ruins, after the big battle, if you still live, I want you to do something for me.”
“ If I can. What is it?”
She drew a photo album out of her handbag and took out one of the photos. “Take this photo with you of my missing husband and if you find him at Raven Citadel, bring him home to me.” As an afterthought, she wrote their names and address on the back. And a phone number.
I memorized
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