Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 50954 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 255(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50954 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 255(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
"This is fine,” he said to himself.
“This is not fine.”
He heard another voice. One he didn’t recognize. A vampire, obviously. Probably some asshole with an opinion. Worst fucking timing ever. Lorien did not have long before the sun started cooking him from the inside out. If one of the older day walkers was able to poke around, cause trouble…
“Listen, buddy, we’re doing some reconstruction here. If you'd like to come back…”
He turned to find himself looking into an expression of absolute domination. The bearer of the expression was tall and broad shouldered, powerfully built with almond-caramel skin and dark lashes ringing eyes of near pure blackness, each of which boasted a ring of bright gold around the cornea. High cheekbones and perfectly formed features contained a patient but dangerous spirit. He had to be at least six foot six, possibly taller. He was wearing a loin cloth, which on anybody else would have made him look like he just stepped out of a frat party, but on him looked correct. He had a thick, lustrous mane of hair and an air of ancient authority.
Lorien was not the sort to respect another vampire on sight, but finding himself before this creature, he was fighting the very odd urge to kneel, or at least, bow.
“Who are you?”
“I am your maker.” The vampire spoke in rich, deep tones, and an accent Lorien had never heard before. Something Middle Eastern, perhaps?
“I’m pretty sure you’re not,” Lorien said. “I’d remember you.”
The creature smiled, white teeth flashing in a way that made Lorien draw back. This thing had two sets of upper fangs. One next to the other, both flashing with unseemly sharpness. Lorien caught a glimpse of sharp lower teeth too. He felt his stomach sort of freeze, as if he were being slowly turned to stone just by being near the creature. Most vampires, no, all vampires were made. But there were stories, stories that had once been contained in the Library before it was exploded, that had told of predecessors, a species of creature that was not human and had never been human. A very old, very rare, and in the view of most, very mythical species of creatures who had passed on their gift of immortality to a few fortunate humans a very long time ago.
“Your ancestor, then.”
In an instant, Lorien knew that all the stories, the legends, rumors, whatever, were true. He was coming face to face with the origin of his species, and he was not entirely sure what the protocol was.
“What, er, what should I call you?”
“You may call me Gideon. Where is Maddox?”
“You know Maddox?”
Gideon’s smile flared. “More intimately than you could imagine, fledgling.”
Lorien let the slight go.
“Er. He’s on vacation.”
“I have slept for over a hundred years, but I have not been entirely insensate. I have listened to the whispers and the chattering of the Library. Most of it was tedious and irrelevant. None of it interested me. And then, there was a great disturbance. Not only was there a royal uproar like none I have ever heard since I took to slumber, but there was an infestation of beasts. Old blood. Forces of destiny are beginning to converge here. Do you know what that means?”
“No,” Lorien said, shaking his head vehemently.
Gideon leaned down, his fearfully handsome, ancient features ripe with menace. “It means, call Maddox back from vacation.”
2
“Maddox?”
Will would have known who was on the phone even if he hadn’t been able to hear Lorien’s voice across the room. Lorien had called so many times it was basically as if they were all still at home.
“Yes, Lorien,” Maddox said in a what have you done now sort of tone.
“So. I don’t know where to start. The Library has been destroyed…”
“Don’t call me because the place is messy, Lorien.”
“No. It’s been exploded. And there’s a guy. Not a guy. I don’t know what you’d call him…”
Maddox put his hand over the speaker and mouthed be there shortly to Will, who was watching the conversation unfold while tied to a bed and nursing a massive erection, overlooking out over the Mediterranean sea.
Will glanced at the pretty view, then back at Maddox. He wasn’t really listening to the conversation. More Lorien babble. Nothing for him to worry about. But when he looked back, Maddox was pale. Entirely without color.
“I’ll be there soon,” he was saying. “Lorien, I want you to get as far away as possible. Put Henry on. Good boy.”
Will frowned slightly at hearing Maddox call Lorien a good boy. That wasn't the way he usually spoke to him. Lorien had never been a good boy. Will was the good boy. Or at least, the boy.
“Henry. Yes. I need you to take Lorien and go back to your pack. And then I need you to take your pack and go somewhere as remote as possible. Don’t tell anyone where you’re going. You all need to hide. Now. Yes. Go.”