Read Online Darkened Days by C. L. Quinn - Free Book Online

stop, unable to move a muscle, or even speak.  It wasn’t unfamiliar to him, he’d felt it before.  Once.  A year ago in Vancouver .  The ability of a first blood.  Freezing humans and vampires was just one of their skills. 
    He could still hear and see what was happening around him although he couldn’t move anything.  Starla was within his line of sight and he saw her press her hands against the still face of the tall young man.
    She called out “Henri” and turned toward Jacob just as she froze, her body twisted and locked in the movement of turning.  Jacob saw the panic in her eyes.  He wanted to be able to reassure her th at it was alright but he couldn’t speak. 
    She couldn’t know what was going on.  He did.  The first blood that resided in Paris, the one his friend Sarah was blood-bonded to.  He must be here to deal with the cadre.  They’d broken too many covenants to be allowed to continue unchallenged.  Jacob and Starla were just in the wrong place at the wrong time and swept up in his wake.
    He knew eventually he could sort this out. But for the moment, all he wanted was to assure Starla it was okay.  They were trapped until the first blood decided to let them move again.  He knew they’d be transported to a secure location before that happened.
    A flash of movement to his right drew his attention.  Someone was moving amongst the frozen bodies.  He came into view a moment later.  A huge vampire.  Koen’s size.  Long blonde hair tied back.  Sharp cut jaw, intense glowing eyes.  First blood, without doubt.  Sarah’s vampire, Xavier.  He stopped briefly to stare at Jacob.
    “Huh,” the first blood said, then turned away.
    A moment later Jacob lost consciousness.

 
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER FOUR
     
     
    He woke disoriented.  Every muscle in his back and legs ached.  With a push, Jacob lifted himself off a hard concrete floor.  Even his eyes hurt as he moved them around the room to assess the situation.   The air had a cool dankness, a certain dense, moist quality that told him they were underground again.  Only this time he was in a cell, the thick iron bars crossing the front of the small enclosure were evidence he was exactly where he thought he would be.  In a holding cell.  When he was steady enough on his feet, he walked over to the cell door and tried to disengage the lock, but it didn’t budge.  He didn’t expect it to.  First blood skills.  It was spelled to stay locked.  Shit!
    After his eyes adjusted to the low light, he looked around to see if he could find anyone else, but could only see the front of many cells lined up and down a corridor.  Between his cell and the adjacent cells, a concrete wall kept him from seeing his neighbors.  He heard no other sounds so he assumed the others were still unconscious.  All he cared about was Starla.  Just before he’d gone out, he’d had a desperate need to get to her.  To protect her.  He’d awakened with the same need.
    Jacob hated the loss of control more than anything.  Vampires generally did what they wanted to do, so to be at someone else’s mercy was awful.  He should be able to break free and find his woman with no trouble.
    He dropped back and l eaned against the wall.  His woman?  Hardly.  Never .  She was his mission, was all.  He’d be an idiot to think of her as anything more.  Eillia entrusted him to get her back safely and he would do that if it killed him.  Or anyone who got in his way.
    A loud scraping sound and then the screech of hinges on a heavy metal door let him know someone was coming.  He pushed upright quickly and was at the front of his cell when a smaller figure came into view.  A woman.  Vampire.  Not first blood, he thought.  He hoped.  Bleached blonde. Pretty.  Pitch dark eyes like most vampires.  Brilliant electric red lipstick that seemed to hurt his eyes when he looked at her.  She smiled.
    “So.  Are you the leader of this misbegotten group of baby