Read Online The Fangs of Bloodhaven by Cheree Alsop - Free Book Online

covered their mouths and made little musical sounds Everett realized was laughter.
    “Oh, go back to your plants,” Adrielle said, rolling her eyes.
    The nymphs turned back to the willow with more laughter.
    “They think they can chase me away,” Adrielle told Everett with a shake of her head. “It’ll take more than a mint leaf.”
    “Chase you away from what?” he asked.
    She lifted her eyebrows meaningfully. Everett realized what she was talking about. “From me?”
    She nodded. “Don’t take it personally. They tease anything on two legs. I’ve ever seen them make Xander blush, and that’s saying a lot.”
    Everett glanced back at them over his shoulder. Both nymphs were watching them walk away. As soon as Everett met their gazes, they turned back with more laughter. If vampires had enough blood to blush, he figured his cheeks would be bright red.
    “More stairs,” Adrielle said.
    She put a hand on what he had thought was a tall bush, but turned out to be another winding staircase completely blanketed in creeping vines. He was glad to find out that, unlike the vines that covered the city faster than the clearing teams could chop them up, these had no thorns and the leaves were smooth-edged instead of rough. He shoved the mint leaf in his pocket and followed her up.
    “Come for a swim, Adrielle,” a voice called as soon as the door opened.
    “No, thank you, Kai,” she replied. She waved her hand behind her. “We have company.”
    “You never swim, Adrielle. I’m starting to think werewolves are afraid of the water.”
    Everett stepped into the room and paused. Warm, moist air enveloped him from the mist wafting above rocks, pools, and dark green plants. It felt as though he had just crossed into a true jungle like the kind he had read about in books, complete with thin rain that dripped from the ceiling light enough to feel as though it was a part of the mist. Out of sight within the moss and ferns came small trilling sounds and little colored lights glowed within the depths of the trees.
    Everett made out a form in the middle of the dark water. The boy was standing so that the water was waist high. He had dark green skin and strange black eyes. Leafy green tendrils made up his ears, and he moved his hands slowly through the water at his sides, catching it in his webbed fingers.
    “Who do we have here?” Kai asked, his eyes narrowing with interest as he regarded Everett.
    “This is Everett,” Adrielle said. “He’s, uh, he’s a friend.”
    Kai moved forward in the water. When he reached the edge, he climbed out of the mossy pool to reveal scaled legs below his black swimming shorts. Everett wondered if he had a tail, but he couldn’t make one out in the dim lighting.
    “Hello, Everett. Welcome to the Monster Asylum,” Kai said, holding out a hand.
    Everett shook it, grateful the boy’s fingers didn’t feel as slimy as they looked. “Thanks. You can call me Rett.”
    “Rett,” Kai replied with a nod. “What do you think of our little asylum?”
    Everett glanced around again, not bothering to hide his amazement. “This place is incredible.”
    “He hasn’t seen the artic room yet,” Adrielle said.
    Kai grinned, revealing flat gums instead of teeth. “You’re in for a treat. I avoid it up there because all that cold...” He made a show of shivering. “It really doesn’t suit me.”
    “You’re cold-blooded,” Adrielle reminded him. “You shouldn’t go up there.”
    “Who’s going to flirt with Chirit if I don’t?” Kai replied.
    Adrielle shook her head. “You’re hopeless.”
    Kai staggered back, holding a hand to his heart dramatically. “You slay me with your words, Adrielle,” he said. He fell backwards into the water, disappearing from view.
    “Amphibians,” she muttered with a shake of her head.
    Kai surfaced a few feet away. “Tell her I said hi.”
    “I will,” Adrielle promised.
    Everett followed her through the rainforest room. The trilling sound