Read Online Dread Nemesis of Mine by John Corwin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: John Corwin
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gender,
because there were plenty of females in the riotous mix. Each
attacker wore a red armband around one bicep, each bearing a
valentine-shaped heart with two fangs piercing it. Some vampires
wore pink shirts with the same heart logo on it.
A flutter of pink drew my attention to the
SUV Elyssa had been in. Bella hung halfway out of the backseat.
Blood dripped from her outstretched hand, forming a puddle on the
ground. I roared with anger. Grabbed the jagged shard of metal in
my side and pulled it out. The world faded to black for an instant,
and a scream tore from my throat. As the ringing in my ears
subsided, I pushed myself to my feet and ran for Bella.
I dragged her from the SUV. She groaned. Her
eyelids fluttered.
"Bella?" I said.
"I—I'm okay, Justin."
I watched a slice down her arm slowly heal as
her supernatural healing kicked in. "Can you run?"
She nodded.
Strong hands grabbed me by the shoulders and
jerked me away. Threw me across the road. I turned my roll into a
three-point landing and looked into the red eyes of a gaggle of
vampires. One-on-one, I knew I could beat them, but—
Something snapped around my neck. I turned
and saw a female vampire smile, her fangs glistening. Bella shouted
something.
And the world went black.
Chapter
8
Elyssa
Elyssa stared at the burned-out hull of the
SUV in shock. Her father and Christian were in there! Adrenalin
burned through her blood. She had to get to them. He couldn't be
dead. But he probably was. What sick joke was the universe playing
on her to steal her brother and her father from her in the space of
a week? She reached for a sword, ready to slice through the mob of
vampires surrounding her meager circle of Templars, but her sheath
was empty. The sword was in the back of one of the SUVs.
She kicked away one attacker and looked
around to see who was in charge. Everyone looked too busy fighting
for their lives to think about the chain of command. Considering
how many vampires were swarming them, she had to do something.
"Call for reinforcements," she shouted to a
local Templar fighting next to her. "I'll cover your position."
He gave her a confused look at first, then
seemed to realize who she was. He nodded and backed inside the
circle, pulling out a cell phone.
The circle was faltering. Dozens of other
Templars were scattered about, fighting individual battles.
Considering the odds, they wouldn't last long. Whoever was supposed
to have taken charge hadn't. She took a deep breath and bellowed,
"Templars, form cohort! Skirmish ranks!"
As if she'd just pushed a button, individual
Templars shouted out positions, trading spots and lining up in a
wedge, while scattered individuals formed a smaller rank and fought
their way toward the main group.
Elyssa backed behind the wedge for a clear
view of the battlefield, and checked for Justin. She'd seen him
through the throng only a moment ago. Thankfully, the attacking
vampires were untrained at hand-to-hand. Maximus was obviously
counting on sheer numbers to do the job, but with order restored to
the Templar ranks, the tide of battle was turning.
She clubbed the closest vampire in the nose.
He yelped. Elyssa thrust a foot straight out, slamming into his
chest. He flew back, taking several other vampires tumbling to the
ground with him.
With her view momentarily cleared, Elyssa
spotted Justin dragging Bella from an SUV. She looked okay,
but—Elyssa's eyes caught sight of a group of vampires rushing the
two of them. Before he could react, a vampire slapped a sleeper
collar on Justin.
"No!" Elyssa shouted. Despite years of
training and a sense of duty hanging heavy around her neck, she
didn't hesitate a second. She left the protective wedge and ran for
him.
The vampire, who'd collared Justin, slung him
over her back and dashed down the road. Elyssa dodged a clumsy
swing from a vampire and shoved him away. Another charged straight
at her. She ducked under his grasp and flipped him over
because there were plenty of females in the riotous mix. Each
attacker wore a red armband around one bicep, each bearing a
valentine-shaped heart with two fangs piercing it. Some vampires
wore pink shirts with the same heart logo on it.
A flutter of pink drew my attention to the
SUV Elyssa had been in. Bella hung halfway out of the backseat.
Blood dripped from her outstretched hand, forming a puddle on the
ground. I roared with anger. Grabbed the jagged shard of metal in
my side and pulled it out. The world faded to black for an instant,
and a scream tore from my throat. As the ringing in my ears
subsided, I pushed myself to my feet and ran for Bella.
I dragged her from the SUV. She groaned. Her
eyelids fluttered.
"Bella?" I said.
"I—I'm okay, Justin."
I watched a slice down her arm slowly heal as
her supernatural healing kicked in. "Can you run?"
She nodded.
Strong hands grabbed me by the shoulders and
jerked me away. Threw me across the road. I turned my roll into a
three-point landing and looked into the red eyes of a gaggle of
vampires. One-on-one, I knew I could beat them, but—
Something snapped around my neck. I turned
and saw a female vampire smile, her fangs glistening. Bella shouted
something.
And the world went black.
Chapter
8
Elyssa
Elyssa stared at the burned-out hull of the
SUV in shock. Her father and Christian were in there! Adrenalin
burned through her blood. She had to get to them. He couldn't be
dead. But he probably was. What sick joke was the universe playing
on her to steal her brother and her father from her in the space of
a week? She reached for a sword, ready to slice through the mob of
vampires surrounding her meager circle of Templars, but her sheath
was empty. The sword was in the back of one of the SUVs.
She kicked away one attacker and looked
around to see who was in charge. Everyone looked too busy fighting
for their lives to think about the chain of command. Considering
how many vampires were swarming them, she had to do something.
"Call for reinforcements," she shouted to a
local Templar fighting next to her. "I'll cover your position."
He gave her a confused look at first, then
seemed to realize who she was. He nodded and backed inside the
circle, pulling out a cell phone.
The circle was faltering. Dozens of other
Templars were scattered about, fighting individual battles.
Considering the odds, they wouldn't last long. Whoever was supposed
to have taken charge hadn't. She took a deep breath and bellowed,
"Templars, form cohort! Skirmish ranks!"
As if she'd just pushed a button, individual
Templars shouted out positions, trading spots and lining up in a
wedge, while scattered individuals formed a smaller rank and fought
their way toward the main group.
Elyssa backed behind the wedge for a clear
view of the battlefield, and checked for Justin. She'd seen him
through the throng only a moment ago. Thankfully, the attacking
vampires were untrained at hand-to-hand. Maximus was obviously
counting on sheer numbers to do the job, but with order restored to
the Templar ranks, the tide of battle was turning.
She clubbed the closest vampire in the nose.
He yelped. Elyssa thrust a foot straight out, slamming into his
chest. He flew back, taking several other vampires tumbling to the
ground with him.
With her view momentarily cleared, Elyssa
spotted Justin dragging Bella from an SUV. She looked okay,
but—Elyssa's eyes caught sight of a group of vampires rushing the
two of them. Before he could react, a vampire slapped a sleeper
collar on Justin.
"No!" Elyssa shouted. Despite years of
training and a sense of duty hanging heavy around her neck, she
didn't hesitate a second. She left the protective wedge and ran for
him.
The vampire, who'd collared Justin, slung him
over her back and dashed down the road. Elyssa dodged a clumsy
swing from a vampire and shoved him away. Another charged straight
at her. She ducked under his grasp and flipped him over
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