Read Online Blood Cursed (Rogue Angel) by Alex Archer - Free Book Online
Authors: Alex Archer
Ads: Link
Luke also guessed. “I’m sorry for your pain, but—”
“It was a monster!” the man protested, beating his shoulder for emphasis.
“I thought the mullo appeared as a wolf?” Annja posited.
The man shook a fist in the air. “Wolf-monster! It lives in the forest!”
“What could you possibly have done to anger a skeleton that could be centuries old?” Annja defied the man. “And even if the legend were true, the mullo only goes after those who have provoked its vengeance.”
“The mullo is after our children,” the woman who had spoken earlier broke in. “The bones must be burned. It is the only way to ensure the safety of our children and families.”
“No.” Luke started toward the dig pit, ignoring the click of the pistol triggers behind him. “This is an important find.” He shoved aside the Gypsies standing in his way. “We’ve got to unearth the skeleton completely and bring it in to study. It is not animate or alive in any manner. It simply cannot return from bone to torment you. It cannot!”
Her colleague was unaware of the growing danger. Annja kept an eye on the man with the sword, which he’d quietly drawn out of the sheath at his back and held, blade down, near his thigh. The guy, she noticed, watched carefully as the one with the pistol rushed up behind Luke. The lackey raised his pistol hand, preparing to smash it across the back of Luke’s head, when Annja shouted, and drew all eyes to her—and her battle sword.
As Luke went down to his knees, having received an abbreviated blow to the back of his neck, she swung toward the two gunmen still facing her. They dodged the swing of her blade, and one fired haphazardly. The bullet shattered the Jeep’s left headlight. Annja swung wide. She didn’t want to cause damage, just scare the men more than the skeleton apparently already did. She succeeded in backing them toward the crowd, which now moved as one toward the nearby forest.
A wolf-monster? This was fast becoming a Chasing History’s Monsters episode.
With a throaty shout, she sent them all running toward the brushy edge of the forest. Only the man with the katana stood firm, blade held high and over his head, ready for her.
Someone called out encouragement to him to “send the gorjas running.”
“This isn’t necessary,” Annja said, holding the battle sword out to her right in a sign that she would not engage if he did not press her.
She hated revealing the sword to Luke, but hadn’t seen any other way to stop what had already turned violent. Besides, at the moment, Luke was discombobulated at best.
“You are making it necessary,” the swordsman said. “You know nothing about the ways of my people. The dead travel fast.”
Again, that line from Dracula . And that he used it to defend a ridiculous belief in the impossible didn’t impress her. Something about the man was off. He wore a pristine black shirt, the collar pointed with silver tips, as were the toes of his boots. At his ears, thick diamonds glinted. A bit flashy, if truth were told.
“If you are concerned about what we will do with the remains removed from the earth you can assign a man to watch over us,” she said. “We’ll keep you in the loop regarding where the bones are brought when the dig is finished. We’ve found three skeletons so far, so we’ll be here a few more days—”
The man swung his sword, cutting the air. Behind him, his people had gathered in a pack, eyes wide.
Out the corner of her eye, Annja took in Luke sitting at the edge of the pit, rubbing the back of his neck. Staying out of trouble. Good boy.
The man swung the tip of his sword out near her hip, and she heard it cut across the steel loop hanging from her belt loop where she often hooked a canteen. He stepped back, and by the look in his dark eyes, she realized he’d orchestrated that strike. Intimidation tactics, then. When bloodshed was what the angry Romani wanted.
The fact he’d found opportunity for such a
“It was a monster!” the man protested, beating his shoulder for emphasis.
“I thought the mullo appeared as a wolf?” Annja posited.
The man shook a fist in the air. “Wolf-monster! It lives in the forest!”
“What could you possibly have done to anger a skeleton that could be centuries old?” Annja defied the man. “And even if the legend were true, the mullo only goes after those who have provoked its vengeance.”
“The mullo is after our children,” the woman who had spoken earlier broke in. “The bones must be burned. It is the only way to ensure the safety of our children and families.”
“No.” Luke started toward the dig pit, ignoring the click of the pistol triggers behind him. “This is an important find.” He shoved aside the Gypsies standing in his way. “We’ve got to unearth the skeleton completely and bring it in to study. It is not animate or alive in any manner. It simply cannot return from bone to torment you. It cannot!”
Her colleague was unaware of the growing danger. Annja kept an eye on the man with the sword, which he’d quietly drawn out of the sheath at his back and held, blade down, near his thigh. The guy, she noticed, watched carefully as the one with the pistol rushed up behind Luke. The lackey raised his pistol hand, preparing to smash it across the back of Luke’s head, when Annja shouted, and drew all eyes to her—and her battle sword.
As Luke went down to his knees, having received an abbreviated blow to the back of his neck, she swung toward the two gunmen still facing her. They dodged the swing of her blade, and one fired haphazardly. The bullet shattered the Jeep’s left headlight. Annja swung wide. She didn’t want to cause damage, just scare the men more than the skeleton apparently already did. She succeeded in backing them toward the crowd, which now moved as one toward the nearby forest.
A wolf-monster? This was fast becoming a Chasing History’s Monsters episode.
With a throaty shout, she sent them all running toward the brushy edge of the forest. Only the man with the katana stood firm, blade held high and over his head, ready for her.
Someone called out encouragement to him to “send the gorjas running.”
“This isn’t necessary,” Annja said, holding the battle sword out to her right in a sign that she would not engage if he did not press her.
She hated revealing the sword to Luke, but hadn’t seen any other way to stop what had already turned violent. Besides, at the moment, Luke was discombobulated at best.
“You are making it necessary,” the swordsman said. “You know nothing about the ways of my people. The dead travel fast.”
Again, that line from Dracula . And that he used it to defend a ridiculous belief in the impossible didn’t impress her. Something about the man was off. He wore a pristine black shirt, the collar pointed with silver tips, as were the toes of his boots. At his ears, thick diamonds glinted. A bit flashy, if truth were told.
“If you are concerned about what we will do with the remains removed from the earth you can assign a man to watch over us,” she said. “We’ll keep you in the loop regarding where the bones are brought when the dig is finished. We’ve found three skeletons so far, so we’ll be here a few more days—”
The man swung his sword, cutting the air. Behind him, his people had gathered in a pack, eyes wide.
Out the corner of her eye, Annja took in Luke sitting at the edge of the pit, rubbing the back of his neck. Staying out of trouble. Good boy.
The man swung the tip of his sword out near her hip, and she heard it cut across the steel loop hanging from her belt loop where she often hooked a canteen. He stepped back, and by the look in his dark eyes, she realized he’d orchestrated that strike. Intimidation tactics, then. When bloodshed was what the angry Romani wanted.
The fact he’d found opportunity for such a
Similar Books
