Read Online Obsidian Wings by Laken Cane - Free Book Online Page A

Rice, the master,
and the two vampires at Kelic’s back.
    “Ah,” said Rice. “Shiv Crew. Meet master vampire Simon
Kelic. Simon, this is Rune Alexander and her crew.”
    Before Rune could say anything, Ellis rushed forward. He
yanked the fang from beneath his shirt, then shook it at the vampires. “Back!”
    The two vampires with Simon hit the wall with a force almost
strong enough to leave two vampire shaped holes in it. They screamed, covered
their eyes, and then their flesh began to bubble and blacken.
    “Ellie,” Rune yelled. “Put it away.”
    Simon crouched behind the table, his arms over his head.
    “Oh, my goodness,” Ellis said, watching them with part
disbelief, part delight. “It really works.”
    Jack grinned.
    Rune strode to Ellis. “Put it away, Ellie. Please.”
    But she was glad Ellis had taken the initiative to reassure
himself. And she was overjoyed the tooth only affected her if she touched it.
To the vampires, the mere sight of it was agonizing.
    And now they knew.
    Half an hour later the vampires were once again
calm—relatively speaking—and their burned flesh had healed. But not one of them
would get near Ellis.
    He was thrilled.
    Elizabeth and Bill apologized profusely, maybe to make up
for Rune and the crew’s lack of remorse.
    Simon spoke only once to Ellis. “What is that?” His voice was hoarse as he darted his stunned gaze from
Ellis’s face to his shirt, where Ellie had finally hidden the fang.
    “Something to keep the vampires away,” Ellis answered. He
smiled.
    And finally, they got back to business as Rice once more
began to make introductions.
    Rune took Simon’s proffered hand.
    He was around five feet ten inches tall, maybe closer to
five eleven. His hair was on the short side and dark blond. He must have been
twenty five, thirty at the most, when he’d turned. His eyes were green and
friendly.
    Just an ordinary guy.
    But Rune knew better than to underestimate the monsters.
Simon’s physical appearance didn’t matter. He was a vampire. A master vampire.
    “May I ask,” Simon said, “what you are?”
    “No,” she replied. “You may not.” She didn’t want to tell a
fucking vampire master that she wasn’t sure exactly what all she was.
    She withdrew her hand and introduced her crew. Simon
appeared sufficiently impressed by them, especially by Raze and Jack. Every new
person they met was impressed by the sizes of Raze and Jack.
    Strad was one of the giants as well—the biggest of them all.
But Strad wasn’t there. He was on Spikemoss Mountain with his birds. With Cree
Stark.
    Then she forgot about Strad as Simon caught sight of Lex.
    If he’d been alive, his breath might have caught. His face
might have paled, his lips tightened.
    But he was a vampire, and he’d been schooling his features
for God knew how long.
    Rune saw anyway. Maybe because she was a monster herself, or
maybe because she was just that observant.
    Lex was introduced to him. She automatically held her hand
out for him to take.
    He eyed it with something close to horror.
    Simon did not like Alexis Love. And it wasn’t simply that he
didn’t like her—he was repulsed by her. He pulled back, the slightest bit, and
dug his fingers into his thighs.
    The room quieted.
    “What,” Rune asked, her voice flat, “is the fucking
problem?”
    Lex let her hand drop to her side. “Me?” she asked.
    Ellis put his arm around her, squeezing the fang with his
free hand.
    Raze had stiffened and glared at the vampire. He wasn’t the
only one. The entire crew caressed silver shivs, ready to take Simon out.
    The two vampires Simon had brought with him watched
impassively, standing with the characteristic stillness of the vampire.
    Elizabeth stood between her people and the vampires. She
never lost her calm expression, and her voice was steady when she spoke. “Mr.
Kelic. Is something wrong?”
    He shuttered his eyes and shot a smile at the crew. “I
apologize.” His voice held the slightest hint of a