Absolution - The First Book Of The Vampire Immortalis Trilogy by Elizabeth Mitchell Read Free Book Online

ground disturbed by the Hundeprest's return, the lingering smell of a vampire filling his nostrils as readily as it did her's.
    Adam's attention was drawn to the handful of teenagers messing about in the park on the other side of the abbey's railings. They were close enough for him to hear their raised voices, but far enough away for him not to be able to make out what they were saying. They certainly showed no interest in what Anna and Adam were doing, but tourists looking at headstones would be nothing out of the ordinary.
    “Moles.”
    Adam and Anna were both startled by the sudden and unexpected interruption from behind them. They were even more taken aback when they turned round to see a hooded monk.
    “We are plagued by the wee bastards,” continued the man who turned out to be an abbey visitor guide in costume. “They are aye givin' us grief, digging up the ground. Give me a shout if you want tae know anything else about the abbey.”
    Adam and Anna watched as the man in the habit and blue Adidas trainers walked back into the ruins of the abbey. They knew that whatever made that hole in the ground, it was certainly no mole. Wherever the Hundeprest was now, there was no doubt in either of their minds that he had risen from this very spot. Little did their monk friend know, but that meant the sort of grief that comes in the size of mountains, not mole hills.

CHAPTER SIX
     
     
     
     
     
    Anna and Adam had been hunting in the foothills of the Eildons under the cover of darkness. Adam, in particular, was in need of nourishment after his long flight. They had been careful to follow a small herd of deer for some time to discover its weakest members, those that would probably not survive the severity of winter. After selecting a target a piece, the two vampires descended like lightning. The rest of the herd had barely scattered by the time the two vampires had grounded and killed their prey.
    Satisfied, they began to make their way back to Anna's house via the tracks that run around the perimeter of the golf course. “Do you know, I never got a chance to thank you for saving my life,” said Adam.
    “I didn't know you would still want to thank me after all these years stuck in a time warp.”
    “I don't know. Being permanently eighteen has its benefits,” replied Adam, putting his arm around Anna's shoulders as they headed for home. “Not so good if you want served in a bar, but I don't drink so even that doesn't bother me.”
    “You can get served in a pub in Scotland at eighteen,” said Anna, “but I'd forgot that it was 21 in the States. I'll take you to one or two of the local watering holes while you're here. They are the best place to go for local gossip.”
    “They certainly did a good job keeping us apart,” said Adam of the Immortalis. “I always thought I'd bump into you somewhere, sometime, but it wasn't to be.”
    “I was never told where you were, but I did hear snippets of news about you from time to time. You've made quite a name for yourself.”
    “Well, I'm getting pretty good at dodging silver bullets, that's for sure, although I think the fact that Sabbatarians are lousy shots has a lot to do with it.”
    “They might improve now that there's a price on your head.”
    “You heard about that, too? Well, if the bounty goes any higher, I might shoot myself just to claim it.”
    “Be serious. I can't imagine you working as an enforcer?”
    “I had a good teacher in Henry Warwick, and now that he has semi-retired, I seem to be getting a lot more gigs. I haven't figured out yet if it's because they think I'm good at what I do or because I'm the one they would miss the least if things don't work out.”
    “From what I've heard it's because they think you're good. Too good even.”
    “Too good? I just do what I'm told to do, Anna. I don't make the laws, I just enforce them. Live by a code, die by a code.”
    “Mary told me that you might enjoy your work a little too much.”
    “The likes