could tell was that we were heading in the right direction.
Luc chose a hotel and hired a room several floors up from our friends. I wasn’t the least bit embarrassed to have loud, satisfying sex with him this time. A human fist banged on the wall and a muffled voice shouted for us to keep it down but I just ignored them. Then Luc’s phone rang and I heard Geordie’s irate voice asking us to be less noisy next time. Luc took one look at my mortified face and laughed so hard he had to sit down.
“Frigging vampire hearing,” I muttered and headed for the shower.
It was Luc’s turn to keep watch so I went to bed alone. My dreams were dark and threatening. I felt the First watching me, waiting for an opening so he could pounce. I sensed his confusion over why I hadn’t already been drawn to his cavern of doom after he’d ordered my shadow to rise. Like most vampires, he’d heard of the legend of Mortis. He knew I was the doom of our kind but no one really knew what that meant. I wasn’t like the other undead and therefore was unpredictable.
Waking just as the sun slipped over the horizon, I took a few minutes to focus and check on the group we were tailing. We were at a safe enough distance that they’d never know we were following them. As before, they were heading north-east.
I also picked up on a growing number of small groups of vampires, all heading in roughly the same direction. The courtiers weren’t the only ones being called to the cavern of doom. It seemed like every possessed vampire in Europe was on their way to join the First’s army.
Sitting on a rickety chair at the tiny two-seater table, Luc ventured a question. “Are we still heading in the right direction?”
“I think so. ” Rubbing my face, I tried to rid myself of the unclean feeling from having the First prying at my mind. “They don’t seem to be deviating from their path.”
Driving down a scarcely populated highway later that night, we had our first inkling of where the First might have his lair. Mind numbingly boring classical music, the only kind Luc would listen to, was playing quietly on the radio when a reporter suddenly broke in. She spoke in a foreign language that my freaky brain interpreted automatically. “Reports have just come in of an invasion in the Russian Federation.” Luc and I exchanged alarmed glances and goose bumps erupted on my arms.
“ The army was called in after reports of,” the reporter hesitated as she re-read her notes before continuing, “strange beings attacking villagers and dragging them away. It is unknown who or what these beings are. What is known is that many people are now missing or dead.”
If I’d had any live blood in my head, it would have drained away. “Oh my G-G-G. Argh!” Would I ever remember I was restricted from saying the lord’s name out loud? Don’t count on it, my subconscious said nastily.
“It would seem the First is makin g his move for world domination.” Luc’s tone was calm enough but his hands were white on the steering wheel. Whiter than usual, that was. His phone rang and he fished it out of his pocket and handed it to me.
“Hi, Gregor,” I said without checking the screen. Who else could it be? As renegades, we were on our own against the rest of the European vampire nation. It was doubtful any of the courtiers would be calling Luc for a friendly chat.
“Did you both hear?” Gregor was a lot less calm than Luc was pretending to be. We’d known this was coming but it was still hard to believe the time had finally come.
“Yeah, we heard.”
“Well, your senses have been leading us in the correct direction if we’re heading for Russia,” he said in a falsely hearty tone. “The humans will now be aware that they aren’t the only intelligent race on this planet. They might even become aware of our existence.” His last sentence came out sounding a trifle hysterical.
One of the oldest vampire rules was that we were forbidden to allow humans
Luc chose a hotel and hired a room several floors up from our friends. I wasn’t the least bit embarrassed to have loud, satisfying sex with him this time. A human fist banged on the wall and a muffled voice shouted for us to keep it down but I just ignored them. Then Luc’s phone rang and I heard Geordie’s irate voice asking us to be less noisy next time. Luc took one look at my mortified face and laughed so hard he had to sit down.
“Frigging vampire hearing,” I muttered and headed for the shower.
It was Luc’s turn to keep watch so I went to bed alone. My dreams were dark and threatening. I felt the First watching me, waiting for an opening so he could pounce. I sensed his confusion over why I hadn’t already been drawn to his cavern of doom after he’d ordered my shadow to rise. Like most vampires, he’d heard of the legend of Mortis. He knew I was the doom of our kind but no one really knew what that meant. I wasn’t like the other undead and therefore was unpredictable.
Waking just as the sun slipped over the horizon, I took a few minutes to focus and check on the group we were tailing. We were at a safe enough distance that they’d never know we were following them. As before, they were heading north-east.
I also picked up on a growing number of small groups of vampires, all heading in roughly the same direction. The courtiers weren’t the only ones being called to the cavern of doom. It seemed like every possessed vampire in Europe was on their way to join the First’s army.
Sitting on a rickety chair at the tiny two-seater table, Luc ventured a question. “Are we still heading in the right direction?”
“I think so. ” Rubbing my face, I tried to rid myself of the unclean feeling from having the First prying at my mind. “They don’t seem to be deviating from their path.”
Driving down a scarcely populated highway later that night, we had our first inkling of where the First might have his lair. Mind numbingly boring classical music, the only kind Luc would listen to, was playing quietly on the radio when a reporter suddenly broke in. She spoke in a foreign language that my freaky brain interpreted automatically. “Reports have just come in of an invasion in the Russian Federation.” Luc and I exchanged alarmed glances and goose bumps erupted on my arms.
“ The army was called in after reports of,” the reporter hesitated as she re-read her notes before continuing, “strange beings attacking villagers and dragging them away. It is unknown who or what these beings are. What is known is that many people are now missing or dead.”
If I’d had any live blood in my head, it would have drained away. “Oh my G-G-G. Argh!” Would I ever remember I was restricted from saying the lord’s name out loud? Don’t count on it, my subconscious said nastily.
“It would seem the First is makin g his move for world domination.” Luc’s tone was calm enough but his hands were white on the steering wheel. Whiter than usual, that was. His phone rang and he fished it out of his pocket and handed it to me.
“Hi, Gregor,” I said without checking the screen. Who else could it be? As renegades, we were on our own against the rest of the European vampire nation. It was doubtful any of the courtiers would be calling Luc for a friendly chat.
“Did you both hear?” Gregor was a lot less calm than Luc was pretending to be. We’d known this was coming but it was still hard to believe the time had finally come.
“Yeah, we heard.”
“Well, your senses have been leading us in the correct direction if we’re heading for Russia,” he said in a falsely hearty tone. “The humans will now be aware that they aren’t the only intelligent race on this planet. They might even become aware of our existence.” His last sentence came out sounding a trifle hysterical.
One of the oldest vampire rules was that we were forbidden to allow humans
Similar Books
