Death Deceives: Book Three (Mortis Vampire Series) by J.C. Diem Read Free Book Online

They knew something that I didn’t, which wasn’t hard since I had zero knowledge of the catacombs at all. Igor looked uncomfortable and Geordie was downright grim. It was strange to see such a serious expression on the teen’s usually mischievous face.
    Taking the lead, Igor headed towards the back of the building. We passed a servant’s staircase that led to the upper floors. It was the entrance I’d used when breaking Luc free several days ago. Turning the corner, we entered a narrow, dark hallway. It stopped abruptly and Igor pressed a recessed button that was almost invisible even to my sharp eyes. A cleverly hidden door popped open.
    I didn’t like the look of the staircase that awaited us. It brought to mind a dungeon with a mad scientist waiting at the bottom. Being at the mercy of a mad vampire scientist once had definitely been enough.
    Down we went and the air quickly turned stale and damp. Since we didn’t need to breathe, there was no need for air conditioning. Rough concrete stairs gave way to a smoother, paved floor after we’d traipsed downwards for twenty or so steps. Lamps that had burned out hours ago were spaced out at regular intervals. A faint odour of smoke still lingered.
    Igor quickly strode down the hall, forcing me to almost trot to keep up with him. He made a few turns, pushed open a door and we ended up in a gigantic, lavish living area. It was nowhere near as opulent as upstairs but it was far from shabby. The couches, coffee tables and other assorted furniture were antique and well kept.
    I couldn’t see any books, TVs, stereos or entertainment of any kind. I’d been told that vampires slept, fed and had sex and that was all. Gregor seemed to defy the odds and enjoyed reading. So did I. I wasn’t sure about the rest of our friends. We’d been too busy trying to stay alive to discuss what we liked to do in our spare time. At the moment, we didn’t have any spare time.
    Doors and hallways branched off on three sides. We performed a quick sweep of what turned out to be numerous well-appointed bedrooms but found no one lying in wait or trying to hide.
    “I guess this is where the courtiers sleep,” I said to no one in particular when we regathered near the stairs. I also guessed it was where they practiced most of their naked entertainment. Some of the rooms had contained chains, handcuffs and sex toys that would have made me blush if I’d still been able to.
    Geordie nodded in response to my guess. “The servant’s quarters are on the levels below this one.” His answer was decidedly glum and my curiosity was peaked again.
    We took the stairs, descending deeper into the earth. Almost immediately, the wealth and comfort were left behind. Reaching the next level down, the hallways were roughly dug and the dirt walls and ceiling were bolstered with cracked or rotting boards that badly needed replacing. Doors stood open, revealing rows of small cells furnished with a thin pallet on the floor and not much else. There were no comfortable living areas or bedrooms down here.
    “Don’t tell me you and Igor live down here,” I said in appalled shock. I’d often lamented that my one bedroom apartment had been small and shabby. It had been a palace compared to these bare cells. I mentally vowed never to complain about my life as a human to any of my friends. Their sympathy would be understandably lacking.
    “ We do, chérie . Or did.” Geordie looked even glummer now. I wondered which cell was his but didn’t ask. Just knowing he’d been living here for two centuries was bad enough. If the Council and Court truly had been called to the First then Geordie, Igor and Luc would now have the mansion all to themselves. How long would it be before they were discovered by curious humans once the bills stopped being paid? I could picture them fleeing from a crazed mob bearing flaming torches and pitchforks all too easily. Now that I’d joined their merry band, I’d also be fleeing from the