Read Online From Fear to Eternity: An Immortality Bites Mystery by Michelle Rowen - Free Book Online
Authors: Michelle Rowen
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“Sold to Ms. Peterman for thirty-two thousand dollars.”
Ms. Peterman, who was seated in the back row, seemed very pleased to now own the creepy-haunted-teacher painting.
Thomas moved the easel to the side and brought out the next item, unwrapping it from shimmery blue fabric and holding it up for everyone to see. It was a knife about seven inches in length with a wavy golden blade and sapphires set into the hilt. The blade itself was carved with small swirling symbols.
“The Amaranthian Dagger. There are rumors that to drink the blood from a wound made by this dagger will substantially lengthen a mortal’s life. Legend has it that if the blood is consumed by an vampire, they will never need to fear death, for they will be truly and wholly immortal, without any fear of wooden stakes or other means used to end their existences.”
“More strange talk of vampires,” Jacob mused. “Quite a coincidence, don’t you think, my sweet?”
“Yes, quite,” Veronique agreed.
After a heated battle that drove the price up to nearly two hundred thousand dollars, Frederic Dark was the victor. I couldn’t tell if he or his wife, Anna, was pleased by the win. Their pale, morose expressions didn’t shift for even a moment into anything cheerier.
“I’m not surprised he won,” Thierry said under his breath. “Frederic is said to possess a wide collection of supernatural weaponry.”
“He sounds like a really fun guy.”
“And Anna likely would be interested in such an item, too. She was once a vampire hunter.”
I stared at him. “You’re kidding.”
“No, I’m not.”
“How long have they been married?”
“Twenty years, I believe. He is also her sire.”
I glanced toward the Purist couple with much more interest now, and a large helping of caution. A vampire hunter and a vamp who liked things old-school.
Talk about opposites attracting.
The auction continued and I lost track after a full hour passed. My mind began to wander to other subjects beyond that of what creepy object was being highlighted at the podium. I kept a close eye on Atticus, who hadn’t bid on anything yet. However, he did seem every bit as focused on the proceedings as Thierry.
Was he really a murderer? And if so, how far would someone like him be willing to go to achieve a higher level of power? Had it all been to become the sole elder in charge of the Ring?
Yet he’d spoken to me about Thierry as if he was the real danger.
It made no sense. All I knew for sure was that I trusted Thierry and I didn’t trust Atticus.
That made things very simple. If Thierry was at risk from his current vampire boss, then I would do anything I could to protect him.
By the time the auction had nearly reached its end, we were well past eleven and moving closer to midnight.
“Our last item,” Sebastien said, taking a black velvet box the size of his hand from Thomas, “is themost infamous by far. Please, if you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask. I will answer them the best I can.”
He opened the box and walked down the aisle so everyone could get a look at what lay inside.
It appeared to be a small emerald bottle about two inches in height. Thin gold bands wrapped around it, holding it in place like a large pendant. On the gold bands were lines of engraved symbols. A thick gold chain was attached to two golden loops on either side of it.
As he passed my chair, I could have sworn I felt something coming off the object. A hum. A vibration. It
felt
magical even from a distance.
“This is the Jacquerra Amulet,” Sebastien said as he turned around to walk back to the front. “Created in the sixth century by a coven of witches who possessed a spell to summon and trap a djinn. Djinn—sometimes referred to as genies—are real, but they are not exactly what one might expect. Inside this amulet is a djinn, imprisoned by that original coven’s spell, which is etched into the amulet itself. Once summoned, the djinn will be bound to its
Ms. Peterman, who was seated in the back row, seemed very pleased to now own the creepy-haunted-teacher painting.
Thomas moved the easel to the side and brought out the next item, unwrapping it from shimmery blue fabric and holding it up for everyone to see. It was a knife about seven inches in length with a wavy golden blade and sapphires set into the hilt. The blade itself was carved with small swirling symbols.
“The Amaranthian Dagger. There are rumors that to drink the blood from a wound made by this dagger will substantially lengthen a mortal’s life. Legend has it that if the blood is consumed by an vampire, they will never need to fear death, for they will be truly and wholly immortal, without any fear of wooden stakes or other means used to end their existences.”
“More strange talk of vampires,” Jacob mused. “Quite a coincidence, don’t you think, my sweet?”
“Yes, quite,” Veronique agreed.
After a heated battle that drove the price up to nearly two hundred thousand dollars, Frederic Dark was the victor. I couldn’t tell if he or his wife, Anna, was pleased by the win. Their pale, morose expressions didn’t shift for even a moment into anything cheerier.
“I’m not surprised he won,” Thierry said under his breath. “Frederic is said to possess a wide collection of supernatural weaponry.”
“He sounds like a really fun guy.”
“And Anna likely would be interested in such an item, too. She was once a vampire hunter.”
I stared at him. “You’re kidding.”
“No, I’m not.”
“How long have they been married?”
“Twenty years, I believe. He is also her sire.”
I glanced toward the Purist couple with much more interest now, and a large helping of caution. A vampire hunter and a vamp who liked things old-school.
Talk about opposites attracting.
The auction continued and I lost track after a full hour passed. My mind began to wander to other subjects beyond that of what creepy object was being highlighted at the podium. I kept a close eye on Atticus, who hadn’t bid on anything yet. However, he did seem every bit as focused on the proceedings as Thierry.
Was he really a murderer? And if so, how far would someone like him be willing to go to achieve a higher level of power? Had it all been to become the sole elder in charge of the Ring?
Yet he’d spoken to me about Thierry as if he was the real danger.
It made no sense. All I knew for sure was that I trusted Thierry and I didn’t trust Atticus.
That made things very simple. If Thierry was at risk from his current vampire boss, then I would do anything I could to protect him.
By the time the auction had nearly reached its end, we were well past eleven and moving closer to midnight.
“Our last item,” Sebastien said, taking a black velvet box the size of his hand from Thomas, “is themost infamous by far. Please, if you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask. I will answer them the best I can.”
He opened the box and walked down the aisle so everyone could get a look at what lay inside.
It appeared to be a small emerald bottle about two inches in height. Thin gold bands wrapped around it, holding it in place like a large pendant. On the gold bands were lines of engraved symbols. A thick gold chain was attached to two golden loops on either side of it.
As he passed my chair, I could have sworn I felt something coming off the object. A hum. A vibration. It
felt
magical even from a distance.
“This is the Jacquerra Amulet,” Sebastien said as he turned around to walk back to the front. “Created in the sixth century by a coven of witches who possessed a spell to summon and trap a djinn. Djinn—sometimes referred to as genies—are real, but they are not exactly what one might expect. Inside this amulet is a djinn, imprisoned by that original coven’s spell, which is etched into the amulet itself. Once summoned, the djinn will be bound to its
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