Read Online White Devil Mountain by Hideyuki Kikuchi - Free Book Online Page B

sleeping.
    “What in blazes happened?” Dust asked, looking down at where the semiconscious Vera lay on the sofa.
    “Not a thing,” said the hoarse voice. “She’s sleeping like a baby.”
    “What? I got up for this?” said Lilia, letting out a great yawn.
    No sooner had the killing lust left Dust than D asked, “Do you hear that?”
    “Hear what?” Lilia listened intently, then blinked a few times and said, “Nothing—what, is there something outside?”
    “I can’t see anything,” Dust said with a shake of his head as he peered out the window.
    “Must’ve imagined it.”
    At that hoarse remark, Lilia shrugged her shoulders. “Troublemaker. If you’re going to put the bite on someone, try to keep it quiet.”
    “The doc—what happened to her?” Dust asked from beside the sofa.
    “Just a tad anemic,” the hoarse voice replied. “She’ll be fine soon.”
    “That’s not it. It’s not anemia, with that color in her face,” Lilia interrupted. Training a sharp gaze on Vera’s neck, she continued, “Her carotid artery’s fine, but just to be safe she should be stripped naked and checked. After all, we’re dealing with a dhampir here.”
    “You did this to her?” Dust’s eyes gleamed.
    “I suppose I did,” D replied, this time in his own voice.
    “When the doctor wakes up, I’m gonna ask her what happened. Depending on the answer, you might be in a world of hurt.” His rough hands tightened on his club.
    “Nothing happened,” Vera said, sitting up on the sofa.
    “You okay, Doc?” Dust asked, stealing a glance at her before quickly returning his gaze to D.
    “Just a little anemic. I’m not much good in the cold. Lilia, I’ll thank you to choose your words more carefully.”
    “What’s this—you’re on his side all of a sudden? Well, that must be because he’s so damn handsome.”
    “ Excuse me?” The doctor’s wrathful countenance made the warrior woman shrug her shoulders.
    “Okay, I’m sorry. That was out of line. But Mr. Bodyguard, you should look the doctor over from head to toe.” Swishing her tail, the Huntress returned to her room.
    “You can go too, Dust.”
    “But—”
    “I’ll be fine. He doesn’t seem to have much interest in humans. Particularly in women.” Vera was even able to smile at that. “Surely you don’t really suspect he’s sucked my blood, do you?”
    The giant of a man gave D a withering glare, looked once again at Vera, then promptly left.
    “Ain’t that a cold guard man. We’ve got a vampire panic here, and he’d walk away from the culprit and the victim?”
    At the disgusted tone of the hoarse voice, a bitter grin rose to Vera’s lips. “It’s okay, don’t trouble yourself about it. Forget that—what could’ve happened to me?”
    “Nothing. You just fainted from anemia. You should call it a night. I’ll sleep out here.”
    “I really do like this voice better than that other one,” Vera said, scratching her head. “And you intend to watch over the child as well? But you’re the one who needs to rest. Doctor’s orders.”
    “Have it your way.”
    As if his previous remark about sleeping there had been a fabrication, D headed for the door. He stepped out into the hall. It wasn’t a narrow passageway. One touch of a switch on the wall and a window opened—or rather, it came into being. Sunlight-loathing Nobles still liked to enjoy the night scenery. However, the existence of windows would let in the light of day. This was the resulting compromise.
    Gazing out at a world where the blizzard raged like a crazed white demon, the hoarse voice said, “They’re out there, aren’t they? Tomorrow our trip’s gonna be rough.”
    Naturally there was no reply. No matter what kind of trip it was, it could do nothing to deter this gorgeous young man from his course—or so his silence seemed to declare.
    The window closed.
    A number of presences that’d stayed frozen while D gazed at them finally began wriggling around out in the