Read Online Broken Heart 09 Only Lycans Need Apply by Michele Bardsley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Michele Bardsley
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didn’t want to seek treasure; I wanted to seek truth. I wanted to understand the past, to find a window into the lives of people who’d lived three thousand years ago, those stalwart souls who had loved, and fought, and cleaned houses, raised children, written stories, built pyramids. Yes, answering the questions about those lives lived so long ago was what I sought. Connections, I supposed.
I glanced at the clock on my desk, and heaved a tormented sigh. The countdown to gala time had begun, and I didn’t want to go home and sort through my closet. After Dove’s crack about my black lace dress—which was modest and pretty, FYI—the hell if I would wear it now.
I looked down at the book. A pink Post-it note stuck out of the top. No doubt Dove had marked the location of chapter 12. Well, it was either explore the theory of ancient Egyptian vampires or start Operation Beautify. Winner: procrastinating with the undead.
When I opened the book, I noticed that Dove had made notations in the margins and had even highlighted portions of text. Say what you wanted about her attitude and style, the girl was smart and studious. And had no respect for the sanctity of the printed page.
As I started to read the chapter’s introductory paragraph, my academic arrogance deflated. The tone was crisp, informative, and wry with humor. Theodora Monroe wrote seriously about her topic while also acknowledging the absurdity associated with it.
I was three pages in, fascinated despite my initial reluctance, when I stumbled across another of Dove’s highlighted portions:
From what I’ve pieced together, there were seven original Ancient vampires. The lines, and powers, of our fanged friends rely heavily on their original maker. The theory is, of course, that if the originator of the vampire line is killed, then so, too, are all the vampires associated with the Family. I believe this may be because the magic of the first vampire connects him, or her, to all their—for lack of a better term—children. Magical strings, as it were, and if those lines are instantly cut . . . ah, I suppose you understand.
The greatest mystery associated with the Ancients is the loss of Amahté. Some three thousand years ago, he disappeared. Some vampires “go to ground,” which means they go into hiding in an underground location for an unspecified time. Some do it to heal from grievous wounds, others to sleep through time, or to mourn quietly the loss of their mortal friends and lovers. I speculate that Amahté has gone to ground the longest. And he must still live if his vampiric children still walk the earth. But who is to know for certain?
Alas, I have not met any vampires who can give me answers to my many questions. My research has been pieced together through numerous source materials (listed at the back of this book), eyewitness accounts, and laborious field research. Evidence is always difficult to gain, no doubt because vampires prefer to remain in the dark (for obvious reasons).
I stopped reading and let the thought of an ancient Egyptian vampire roll around in my mind. It would be unwise to eject my scholarly insight, years of archaeological experience, and jaded mentality for a theory that was ridiculous. And yet . . . exciting. Not that I believed in the bloodsucking undead. Theodora Monroe obviously had an agenda in writing her book, and I knew full well that research could often be skewed to support a particular viewpoint. But what if there really was an Amahté? A king, perhaps. A blood drinker who created a Sekhmet cult. What if Amahté ruled along the same lines of Akhenaten, who brought monotheism to a very reluctant people?
I couldn’t get rid of the idea of a blood-drinking Egyptian pharaoh. The fanged
ushabtis
offered slight evidence for this outlandish theory. We’d found a very strange crypt. And I hadn’t looked at it from this viewpoint at all. I’d been disappointed to find it empty, sure, but given our time
I glanced at the clock on my desk, and heaved a tormented sigh. The countdown to gala time had begun, and I didn’t want to go home and sort through my closet. After Dove’s crack about my black lace dress—which was modest and pretty, FYI—the hell if I would wear it now.
I looked down at the book. A pink Post-it note stuck out of the top. No doubt Dove had marked the location of chapter 12. Well, it was either explore the theory of ancient Egyptian vampires or start Operation Beautify. Winner: procrastinating with the undead.
When I opened the book, I noticed that Dove had made notations in the margins and had even highlighted portions of text. Say what you wanted about her attitude and style, the girl was smart and studious. And had no respect for the sanctity of the printed page.
As I started to read the chapter’s introductory paragraph, my academic arrogance deflated. The tone was crisp, informative, and wry with humor. Theodora Monroe wrote seriously about her topic while also acknowledging the absurdity associated with it.
I was three pages in, fascinated despite my initial reluctance, when I stumbled across another of Dove’s highlighted portions:
From what I’ve pieced together, there were seven original Ancient vampires. The lines, and powers, of our fanged friends rely heavily on their original maker. The theory is, of course, that if the originator of the vampire line is killed, then so, too, are all the vampires associated with the Family. I believe this may be because the magic of the first vampire connects him, or her, to all their—for lack of a better term—children. Magical strings, as it were, and if those lines are instantly cut . . . ah, I suppose you understand.
The greatest mystery associated with the Ancients is the loss of Amahté. Some three thousand years ago, he disappeared. Some vampires “go to ground,” which means they go into hiding in an underground location for an unspecified time. Some do it to heal from grievous wounds, others to sleep through time, or to mourn quietly the loss of their mortal friends and lovers. I speculate that Amahté has gone to ground the longest. And he must still live if his vampiric children still walk the earth. But who is to know for certain?
Alas, I have not met any vampires who can give me answers to my many questions. My research has been pieced together through numerous source materials (listed at the back of this book), eyewitness accounts, and laborious field research. Evidence is always difficult to gain, no doubt because vampires prefer to remain in the dark (for obvious reasons).
I stopped reading and let the thought of an ancient Egyptian vampire roll around in my mind. It would be unwise to eject my scholarly insight, years of archaeological experience, and jaded mentality for a theory that was ridiculous. And yet . . . exciting. Not that I believed in the bloodsucking undead. Theodora Monroe obviously had an agenda in writing her book, and I knew full well that research could often be skewed to support a particular viewpoint. But what if there really was an Amahté? A king, perhaps. A blood drinker who created a Sekhmet cult. What if Amahté ruled along the same lines of Akhenaten, who brought monotheism to a very reluctant people?
I couldn’t get rid of the idea of a blood-drinking Egyptian pharaoh. The fanged
ushabtis
offered slight evidence for this outlandish theory. We’d found a very strange crypt. And I hadn’t looked at it from this viewpoint at all. I’d been disappointed to find it empty, sure, but given our time
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