Read Online Bloodfire (Empire of Fangs) by Andrew Domonkos - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Andrew Domonkos
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absurd.
He went out the front door and into the dark street. The air was smoky and the usual audience of stars didn’t gaze down on him. He wondered how his dad was doing as he walked down the stiff planks of the sidewalk, past his murky, bent reflection in the windows of the closed storefronts.
13.
The funeral for Micah Caspari was a rather private affair. Only family were permitted to attend the funeral, although all were invited to Micah’s former bar, the Church, the following day, where all of Micah’s forlorn friends had a one-night all-you-can-drink tab waiting for them at the bar, paid for by Damon.
Micah had been swept into a vase already, his bloody clothes sent to the incinerator. He was already on the shelf in the foyer of Damon’s new house, formerly the Winters’ estate. Drake and Abby, Damon and Norah, stood there, heads bowed, while Doctor Reynolds paced the kitchen.
When the moment of silence was over, Damon sent the women to away, so that he might talk to Drake in private.
“So the father is gone. You are sure?” he asked while retrieving a cigar from a small box next to his dead son. He checked his teeth in the reflection.
“Yes,” Drake said solemnly. He was looking out the window at the big yard.
“And your face? Was that his work?”
“Yes,” Drake repeated. He turned away from his mentor.
“I wouldn’t worry about it. I’ll have one of our surgeons take a look once we’ve settled things with…that girl.”
Drake nodded, and looked over at the vase.
“He was always too soft for war. To kind for what he was.”
Damon lit his cigar and snapped loudly. “Reynolds, scotch!” he barked. In the kitchen, something crashed loudly and then the whimper of an apology followed.
“Right away sir!”
Damon puffed and looked at the vase. “It’s true. I often wondered how such a person could be of my blood. Perhaps he wasn’t.”
Drake looked perplexed. “Of course he was. No man was stupid enough to go near Vivien Zokos . Plus, he had your eyes.”
“Not always.”
Drake shrugged. “What’s it matter now? He’s gone. And so is Vivian and Jonas. We are but three. We need to recruit, and fast. What about Norah?”
“I need her as is. Her dealings require her to remain human, for now.”
“We need soldiers, not politicians. You think the Lesai clan is going be up for a political discussion when they pounce?”
“I know all this, boy!” Damon snapped. He took a deep breath of cigar smoke and relaxed a bit. “I know this well.” He moved closer to Drake.
“The Lee girl,” he said calmly.
“Safe in the basement, although I don’t see a point—”
“Don’t second guess me. You focus on your duties and let me handle mine. As we speak a law is being voted on. A complete lift on genetic research regulations. I have a fully staffed facility counting the minutes before they can start synthesizing. Lee knows everything that James Sollero once kept in that head of his and much more.”
Drake smiled at the crafty general. “You’re gonna have her make you some of that liquid sunlight, to use on the other clans?”
“Yes, as well as a second serum. An inoculation. But those are only theories as of now. But I do have something special from the lab that might dispel any doubts as to their skills.” He reached out his hand behind him and Reynolds placed a glass of scotch in it. “Out worm,” Damon said. He reached into his pocket and carefully handed Drake a small vial filled with a black substance.
Drake waited for the shameful human to exit. “And this will do what exactly?” He turned around in the light.
“It will give you your army.” Damon blew a big plume of smoke at the vase, where his
He went out the front door and into the dark street. The air was smoky and the usual audience of stars didn’t gaze down on him. He wondered how his dad was doing as he walked down the stiff planks of the sidewalk, past his murky, bent reflection in the windows of the closed storefronts.
13.
The funeral for Micah Caspari was a rather private affair. Only family were permitted to attend the funeral, although all were invited to Micah’s former bar, the Church, the following day, where all of Micah’s forlorn friends had a one-night all-you-can-drink tab waiting for them at the bar, paid for by Damon.
Micah had been swept into a vase already, his bloody clothes sent to the incinerator. He was already on the shelf in the foyer of Damon’s new house, formerly the Winters’ estate. Drake and Abby, Damon and Norah, stood there, heads bowed, while Doctor Reynolds paced the kitchen.
When the moment of silence was over, Damon sent the women to away, so that he might talk to Drake in private.
“So the father is gone. You are sure?” he asked while retrieving a cigar from a small box next to his dead son. He checked his teeth in the reflection.
“Yes,” Drake said solemnly. He was looking out the window at the big yard.
“And your face? Was that his work?”
“Yes,” Drake repeated. He turned away from his mentor.
“I wouldn’t worry about it. I’ll have one of our surgeons take a look once we’ve settled things with…that girl.”
Drake nodded, and looked over at the vase.
“He was always too soft for war. To kind for what he was.”
Damon lit his cigar and snapped loudly. “Reynolds, scotch!” he barked. In the kitchen, something crashed loudly and then the whimper of an apology followed.
“Right away sir!”
Damon puffed and looked at the vase. “It’s true. I often wondered how such a person could be of my blood. Perhaps he wasn’t.”
Drake looked perplexed. “Of course he was. No man was stupid enough to go near Vivien Zokos . Plus, he had your eyes.”
“Not always.”
Drake shrugged. “What’s it matter now? He’s gone. And so is Vivian and Jonas. We are but three. We need to recruit, and fast. What about Norah?”
“I need her as is. Her dealings require her to remain human, for now.”
“We need soldiers, not politicians. You think the Lesai clan is going be up for a political discussion when they pounce?”
“I know all this, boy!” Damon snapped. He took a deep breath of cigar smoke and relaxed a bit. “I know this well.” He moved closer to Drake.
“The Lee girl,” he said calmly.
“Safe in the basement, although I don’t see a point—”
“Don’t second guess me. You focus on your duties and let me handle mine. As we speak a law is being voted on. A complete lift on genetic research regulations. I have a fully staffed facility counting the minutes before they can start synthesizing. Lee knows everything that James Sollero once kept in that head of his and much more.”
Drake smiled at the crafty general. “You’re gonna have her make you some of that liquid sunlight, to use on the other clans?”
“Yes, as well as a second serum. An inoculation. But those are only theories as of now. But I do have something special from the lab that might dispel any doubts as to their skills.” He reached out his hand behind him and Reynolds placed a glass of scotch in it. “Out worm,” Damon said. He reached into his pocket and carefully handed Drake a small vial filled with a black substance.
Drake waited for the shameful human to exit. “And this will do what exactly?” He turned around in the light.
“It will give you your army.” Damon blew a big plume of smoke at the vase, where his
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