Read Online The Damned by Nancy Holder, Debbie Viguié - Free Book Online Page B

of her face, refusing to answer any questions he might ask, and they crept into the darkness. What was left of the light gleamed through more arched windows.
    They approached a flared stairway. It too was marble, but still quite opulent. From the looks of it no one had gone up or down for a long time, as dust and cobwebs coated the stairs like a carpet. Jamie made out the banisters of a second-story balcony, and then more darkness.
    Candlelight flickered through an arch facing the staircase. The resistance cell must be inside. He nodded at Eriko, and she nodded back.
    Gliding like shadows, they reached the doorway. He followed her lead across the transom. Half a dozen people sat in a semicircle on ornate chairs with faded brocade upholstery. A guttering candle stuck in a mound of melted wax on a similar chair flickered weak light cast over their faces. Two were middle-aged; three looked to be about Jamie’s age; one was a withered old gal wearing a black sweater and a kerchief. The old gal had something white pinned to her sweater. Jamie squinted at it. What was it, a piece of paper?
    Eriko slowly approached the old bird and said, “Buon giorno?” She tapped the woman’s shoulder. “Hello?”
    Old gal was not talking.
    Not moving.
    Not living.
    “Bloody hell, Eri,” Jamie swore. “Trap!”
    He and Eriko flew out of the room of dead people. With perfect timing, a Cursed One plummeted from the balcony above the stairway just as Jamie and Eriko reached it. Jamie dove at the sucker as he landed, sending the vampire onto his back. Shouting, he shoved the stake into the C.O.’s heart.
    Something landed on top of Jamie as the vampire turned to dust beneath him. He heard Eriko’s battle cry as he twisted to try to stake the feckin’ vampire who’d jumped him. Eriko yanked the creature from Jamie’s back and ripped off its head in one smooth motion.
    Springing to his feet, Jamie raced beside her to the door, to sunlight and safety for as long as it lasted. Another bleeder leaped into their path, and Jamie dove at his feet, while Eriko got out a vial of holy water and threw it into his eyes. While the vampire screamed and clawed at his face, Jamie yanked another stake from his belt and killed him.
    Eriko grabbed Jamie’s hand, and together they made it to the front door and out into the waning sunlight. They began to sprint for all they were worth across the bridge back to the mainland, racing the sun.
    As Jamie charged along, he glanced at Eriko. If she kept pace with him, they weren’t going to make it to the car before nightfall.
    “Go!” he shouted.
    She frowned. “I won’t leave you behind.”
    “I’m not asking you to. Go get the car and pick me up!”
    She nodded and poured on the speed, bounding ahead. He made it to the other side. A few minutes later the car screeched around a corner as Eriko fought to keep control of it at the crazy speed she was driving. She slowed down; Jamie pulled open the door and barreled inside.
    “Hit it!” he bellowed.
    Eriko slammed the pedal to the floor, and they careened back toward the main road.
    “So much for the Venetian resistance cell,” Jamie muttered.
    “Jamie, it was a note,” she said, holding something out to him. The piece of paper that had been pinned to the old gal. “It’s from Aurora.”
    Jamie held it to the window. The blur of the streetlights strobed against elegant black lettering.
Antonio, or all of you will end up like Heather.
A.
    “Feckin’ hell,” he said.
    “Yes, I agree,” Eriko replied. Then, as Jamie moved to tear up the note, she held out her hand. “Master Juan will want to see it.”
    “Christ. That bloody Curser is nothing but trouble. Well, I know what we should do.” He stared out the window. “About this,” he added, in case she wasn’t catching his drift.
    Eriko was silent. Then her phone rang, and she dug it out of her pocket with one hand while taking a curve.
    “Master, something terrible,” she began, then