Read Online Heart of the Dead: Vampire Superheroes (Perpetual Creatures Book 1) by Gabriel Beyers - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gabriel Beyers
Tags: Suspense, Contemporary, Action & Adventure, Horror, Paranormal, vampire, Zombie, supernatural, dark fantasy, Urban, Ghost, Occult, action packed, Americian
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his secrets with him.
“I promise,” she said. “But only if you promise that you’ll write to me. Don’t leave me here alone. You’re my only lifeline to the wide world.”
A strange look passed across Foster’s face. Jerusa couldn’t tell if it was despair or excitement. Perhaps a hybrid of both.
“I promise,” he said.
Foster walked her to the door, then stood on the porch and watched as she descended the driveway.
Chapter Seven
A s Jerusa retraced her steps back to the man Foster had dubbed Silvanus of the Woods, Alicia’s behavior grew more erratic. Several times, Jerusa spotted the ghost running to and fro through the woods, passing through thick-trunked trees as though they were an illusion. After a bit, she resorted to materializing in front of Jerusa, her arms extended, as though her incorporeal presence could halt Jerusa’s physical form. After the fourth or fifth time, Jerusa just kept walking, never even missing a step, and passed through Alicia just as the ghost had done with the trees.
“What is your problem today? Are you having some kind of ghost PMS?”
Alicia’s only answer was to continue her attempts to stop Jerusa.
“I mean, I figured you’d be happy,” Jerusa continued. “For whatever reason, you’ve never liked Foster and now he’s walking out of our lives forever.” Saying it aloud drove a fresh dagger into her heart. She swallowed the pain and went on. “And Silvanus is just some poor guy with amnesia or something. I’ll give him the clothes and be gone. I just feel sorry for him, is all.”
Alicia had taken to waving her arms in alert as Jerusa passed through her.
“Besides,” Jerusa said, “what is there to be afraid of? Dying? You’re dead and you seem all right.” A dark giggle escaped her, but Alicia didn’t seem to appreciate the joke. “After all that I’ve been through, dying doesn’t scare me. Living does.”
Jerusa slowed to a stop, her mind reeling at her own admission. It was a foolish thing to say, but true none the less. Death was simplistic, unavoidable, as certain as the sun. But living — not just existing, but truly living — now that was a buzzing hornet’s nest.
Mundane things like driving a car or going on a date were as panic-inducing to her as the outdoors was to an agoraphobic. What made her think she actually had the nerve to leave her mother and move into Foster’s house?
Foster believed in her, though. Why else would he have given her the house?
Jerusa’s loathing of her own weakness churned within, pushing the bile up the back of her throat.
“Stop it!” Jerusa’s sudden outburst stunned Alicia — stunned Jerusa, as a matter of fact — and Alicia backed up a step. The hurt in her eyes brought shame to Jerusa and she had to look away. “You’re driving me crazy. I don’t know what you’re so frantic about, but I wish you’d take it somewhere else.”
Alicia crossed her arms over her chest.
“I know you think you need to protect me, but you don’t,” Jerusa said. “I owe you a lot and I’m thankful, but maybe it’s time you moved on to wherever it is you’re supposed to go.”
Alicia’s face pursed as though she were crying, but no tears fell. Jerusa gritted her teeth and walked on, passing right through Alicia. When she looked back over her shoulder, the ghost was gone.
Jerusa found the spot where she had spoken with Silvanus, naked man of the woods, but he was nowhere to be found. She stepped from the path, treading lightly through the scrub brush and ferns. The air felt close and heavy, making each breath a struggle. She looked around at the trees, at the path dwindling behind her. This seemed like the right spot when she had ventured in, but now she wasn’t so sure.
The sounds of nature — the rustling leaves, the singing birds, the whispering breeze — seemed somehow muted in the confines of the forest. Jerusa was very aware of her own raspy breathing. Her footsteps sounded as though an
“I promise,” she said. “But only if you promise that you’ll write to me. Don’t leave me here alone. You’re my only lifeline to the wide world.”
A strange look passed across Foster’s face. Jerusa couldn’t tell if it was despair or excitement. Perhaps a hybrid of both.
“I promise,” he said.
Foster walked her to the door, then stood on the porch and watched as she descended the driveway.
Chapter Seven
A s Jerusa retraced her steps back to the man Foster had dubbed Silvanus of the Woods, Alicia’s behavior grew more erratic. Several times, Jerusa spotted the ghost running to and fro through the woods, passing through thick-trunked trees as though they were an illusion. After a bit, she resorted to materializing in front of Jerusa, her arms extended, as though her incorporeal presence could halt Jerusa’s physical form. After the fourth or fifth time, Jerusa just kept walking, never even missing a step, and passed through Alicia just as the ghost had done with the trees.
“What is your problem today? Are you having some kind of ghost PMS?”
Alicia’s only answer was to continue her attempts to stop Jerusa.
“I mean, I figured you’d be happy,” Jerusa continued. “For whatever reason, you’ve never liked Foster and now he’s walking out of our lives forever.” Saying it aloud drove a fresh dagger into her heart. She swallowed the pain and went on. “And Silvanus is just some poor guy with amnesia or something. I’ll give him the clothes and be gone. I just feel sorry for him, is all.”
Alicia had taken to waving her arms in alert as Jerusa passed through her.
“Besides,” Jerusa said, “what is there to be afraid of? Dying? You’re dead and you seem all right.” A dark giggle escaped her, but Alicia didn’t seem to appreciate the joke. “After all that I’ve been through, dying doesn’t scare me. Living does.”
Jerusa slowed to a stop, her mind reeling at her own admission. It was a foolish thing to say, but true none the less. Death was simplistic, unavoidable, as certain as the sun. But living — not just existing, but truly living — now that was a buzzing hornet’s nest.
Mundane things like driving a car or going on a date were as panic-inducing to her as the outdoors was to an agoraphobic. What made her think she actually had the nerve to leave her mother and move into Foster’s house?
Foster believed in her, though. Why else would he have given her the house?
Jerusa’s loathing of her own weakness churned within, pushing the bile up the back of her throat.
“Stop it!” Jerusa’s sudden outburst stunned Alicia — stunned Jerusa, as a matter of fact — and Alicia backed up a step. The hurt in her eyes brought shame to Jerusa and she had to look away. “You’re driving me crazy. I don’t know what you’re so frantic about, but I wish you’d take it somewhere else.”
Alicia crossed her arms over her chest.
“I know you think you need to protect me, but you don’t,” Jerusa said. “I owe you a lot and I’m thankful, but maybe it’s time you moved on to wherever it is you’re supposed to go.”
Alicia’s face pursed as though she were crying, but no tears fell. Jerusa gritted her teeth and walked on, passing right through Alicia. When she looked back over her shoulder, the ghost was gone.
Jerusa found the spot where she had spoken with Silvanus, naked man of the woods, but he was nowhere to be found. She stepped from the path, treading lightly through the scrub brush and ferns. The air felt close and heavy, making each breath a struggle. She looked around at the trees, at the path dwindling behind her. This seemed like the right spot when she had ventured in, but now she wasn’t so sure.
The sounds of nature — the rustling leaves, the singing birds, the whispering breeze — seemed somehow muted in the confines of the forest. Jerusa was very aware of her own raspy breathing. Her footsteps sounded as though an
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