bryn n sinjin 02.5 - blood lust by h p mallory Read Free Book Online Page A

him.
    Are the wards disengaged? I inquired telepathically. The man simply nodded obediently. His black pupils were so dilated, they consumed the whites of his eyes. He was beginning to resemble an alien life-form. I tentatively stepped inside the threshold of the door. Feeling nothing, I knew the wards were deactivated. Had they still been in working order, I would have detected a snap of energy, a mild buzzing, or something of the like that would have indicated magic. Just before their magic incinerated me or did something equally disagreeable.
    I closed the door behind me before facing the man again. What is your name, soldier? I thought.
    “Will Hunter,” he responded in a monotone, soft voice.
    As soon as he uttered his name, cold beads of fury began to burst inside me. I immediately silenced my outrage, knowing it would do me no good. The cold reality of logic reigned at the moment. Allowing my baser emotions to direct my actions would only have thrown me off track and thereby become the source of my eventual defeat.
    And your roommate?
    “Gus Williams.”
    Very good. I was exactly where I wanted to be.
    You will return to your bedchamber and awaken your comrade, I commanded him. And when he is awake, you will lead him back to me.
    Will Hunter nodded before trudging dutifully down the hallway. Meanwhile, I turned around and took stock of the modestly furnished living room. Eyeing a lone armchair in one corner, I approached it and took a seat, crossing one leg over the other as I casually awaited their return.
    “What the hell?” rasped a gruff voice from the rear of the hallway. More sounds of heavy, shuffling feet clomping against … cheap, laminate floors.
    “Who the hell are you?” the gruff voice demanded, coming from an equally wizened face and body. As soon as the man, whom I could only presume was Gus Williams, looked into my eyes, he made his first mistake. Granted, his defenses were a bit harder to penetrate than Will’s, but once I redoubled my efforts, my pale exertion was rewarded. He was thoroughly under my control, and subject to my authority.
    Betta told me that both of these rodents were quite accomplished Elementals, something which only further spoke to my own powers as a Master Vampire. I had to admit I expected them to put up more of a fight. As it was, this would be quite like taking blood from an intoxicated and love-deprived woman.
    “The nature of my identity is inconsequential,” I answered, waving my hand in a dismissive gesture. “What is of consequence, however, is the nature of my visit.” They both stared at me with an almost dumbfounded expression. I felt a cold, mirthless smile overtake my face. “As a Master Vampire, I enjoy certain … hmmm … let us call them, physical gifts inherent to my species, and I accept my responsibility to protect and care for those who, for whatever reason, are incapable of doing so themselves.” I studied each of them for a moment or two, deftly restraining the growing fury which threatened to overtake me. “As regards someone who is very dear to me, I was not able to protect her when she needed me the most. Thus, I now find myself in the unenviable position of avenging her.”
    “Avenging her?” Will repeated dumbly.
    “Yes, my dear sir,” I answered. I arose from the uncomfortable chair and approached them, standing barely a foot from them. While I was nearly a head or more taller than either of them, they were still not small men; no, not by any stretch of the imagination. On the contrary, they were both broad-shouldered, barrel-chested, and well muscled. When compared to the Lady Bryn, they were gargantuan—a thought which I suddenly found incredibly difficult to digest.
    “What’d we do?” the larger of the two, Gus, demanded.
    I turned to face him and felt my authority waning. His pupils were beginning to shrink, returning to their ordinary size. That simply would not do. I immediately widened my eyes as I stared into the deep