Read Online Vampire in the Woods (Merlin's Hoods Book 2) by Carl Waters - Free Book Online
Authors: Carl Waters
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some time, and his eyes flew to the sky. Yes, he realized. Purple, with only a hint of red left. The sun had set, or was very close.
And he was still two miles from his house, if he judged it correctly. Two miles from safety.
The abrupt sound of snapping twigs rang out to his right, and he jumped, his heart hammering. When he peered into the shadows, though, he saw nothing, and rather than going in to investigate—as Louis surely would have done—he pressed on, his footsteps shuffling through the dead leaves on the path. Get home, get home, he told himself. Get home, shut the door, light the fire, and warn his father not to open the door to any strangers. And that would be that.
By why, oh why, couldn’t home be a little bit closer? Why had he agreed to spend so much time in the forest with Louis that evening? He always made it a point to be home at sunset, so that he could go over the next day with his father. Why had he ignored that policy, today of all days?
The rushing of the wind through the trees above his head put a quick end to his questions, though, and he burst into a run, dashing headlong for the safety of home. He’d never felt so terrified of the dark in his life, and the worst part was that he didn’t even know what he was frightened of. But there was something dangerous in the woods tonight—Angeline had said so. And he wanted nothing to do with it.
You’re a man; act like it, a voice said suddenly in his head, and he could recognize Louis’s words when he heard them. Yes, it was just the sort of thing Louis would say, and probably had said on occasion. That axe at your side is more frightening than anything in the forest, the voice continued. And the animals around you are more wary of you than you are of them.
“Well, and it’s not the animals of the forest that I’m worried about now, is it?” Geoff huffed out loud, pumping his arms harder to increase his momentum.
Then, right when he was hitting his peak speed, a woman stepped out of the forest, right in front of him. Geoff slid to a halt, shocked at this sudden appearance. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, with long, flowing red hair, a face like an angel, and the most alluring eyes he thought possible. Prettier even than Alison. His eyes traveled slowly down her body and then back up. She wasn’t dressed for the forest, that was for certain. Her dress was thin, and she had no coat or mantle.
What was she doing out here alone?
“Please,” she said in a low, dusky voice. “Please, I need help. I seem to have lost my way.”
Geoff gazed at her, suddenly feeling … well, more adventurous than he had in a long time. “I’ll see you home, gladly,” he said, offering his arm. “Where do you live?”
She took his arm and gave him a sly grin. “Everywhere.”
At that moment, two men stepped out of the shadows, both smiling in a way that made Geoff feel distinctly uncomfortable. The men were just as handsome as the woman was beautiful, but his gut told him not to trust that. Now, as he glanced at the woman, he realized that his gut had been telling him the same thing about her. Beautiful, yes, but also … otherworldly. Untrustworthy. Dangerous.
Confused, he dropped her arm and took one step back, and then another. One more step took him hard up against a tree, though, and when he whirled around, startled, he saw that it wasn’t a tree at all. It was another man. Also smiling.
“What’s your name, son?” this man asked.
“G-G-Geoffrey,” Geoff mumbled, wondering why his tongue wouldn’t work right. Surely these were just some helpless travelers, lost in the forest. Surely they were smiling only because they’d found someone to help them. Surely.
“And do you value your life, Geoffrey?” the man asked, a slight hiss in his voice.
Geoff nodded. “Yes, of course.”
Suddenly the man opened his mouth and snarled, revealing not only a shockingly white set of teeth, but also—Geoff gasped—a set of
And he was still two miles from his house, if he judged it correctly. Two miles from safety.
The abrupt sound of snapping twigs rang out to his right, and he jumped, his heart hammering. When he peered into the shadows, though, he saw nothing, and rather than going in to investigate—as Louis surely would have done—he pressed on, his footsteps shuffling through the dead leaves on the path. Get home, get home, he told himself. Get home, shut the door, light the fire, and warn his father not to open the door to any strangers. And that would be that.
By why, oh why, couldn’t home be a little bit closer? Why had he agreed to spend so much time in the forest with Louis that evening? He always made it a point to be home at sunset, so that he could go over the next day with his father. Why had he ignored that policy, today of all days?
The rushing of the wind through the trees above his head put a quick end to his questions, though, and he burst into a run, dashing headlong for the safety of home. He’d never felt so terrified of the dark in his life, and the worst part was that he didn’t even know what he was frightened of. But there was something dangerous in the woods tonight—Angeline had said so. And he wanted nothing to do with it.
You’re a man; act like it, a voice said suddenly in his head, and he could recognize Louis’s words when he heard them. Yes, it was just the sort of thing Louis would say, and probably had said on occasion. That axe at your side is more frightening than anything in the forest, the voice continued. And the animals around you are more wary of you than you are of them.
“Well, and it’s not the animals of the forest that I’m worried about now, is it?” Geoff huffed out loud, pumping his arms harder to increase his momentum.
Then, right when he was hitting his peak speed, a woman stepped out of the forest, right in front of him. Geoff slid to a halt, shocked at this sudden appearance. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, with long, flowing red hair, a face like an angel, and the most alluring eyes he thought possible. Prettier even than Alison. His eyes traveled slowly down her body and then back up. She wasn’t dressed for the forest, that was for certain. Her dress was thin, and she had no coat or mantle.
What was she doing out here alone?
“Please,” she said in a low, dusky voice. “Please, I need help. I seem to have lost my way.”
Geoff gazed at her, suddenly feeling … well, more adventurous than he had in a long time. “I’ll see you home, gladly,” he said, offering his arm. “Where do you live?”
She took his arm and gave him a sly grin. “Everywhere.”
At that moment, two men stepped out of the shadows, both smiling in a way that made Geoff feel distinctly uncomfortable. The men were just as handsome as the woman was beautiful, but his gut told him not to trust that. Now, as he glanced at the woman, he realized that his gut had been telling him the same thing about her. Beautiful, yes, but also … otherworldly. Untrustworthy. Dangerous.
Confused, he dropped her arm and took one step back, and then another. One more step took him hard up against a tree, though, and when he whirled around, startled, he saw that it wasn’t a tree at all. It was another man. Also smiling.
“What’s your name, son?” this man asked.
“G-G-Geoffrey,” Geoff mumbled, wondering why his tongue wouldn’t work right. Surely these were just some helpless travelers, lost in the forest. Surely they were smiling only because they’d found someone to help them. Surely.
“And do you value your life, Geoffrey?” the man asked, a slight hiss in his voice.
Geoff nodded. “Yes, of course.”
Suddenly the man opened his mouth and snarled, revealing not only a shockingly white set of teeth, but also—Geoff gasped—a set of
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