Dominant Species by Guy Pettengell Read Free Book Online Page B

the streets, before being confronted by Kadir.
    T he creatures were neither wholly human nor vampire, but were instead something caught in the middle. Now as the he closed, already out of breath from the brisk walk, he stared with a mixture of contempt, and not a little fear, at the things that were left after a vampire had bitten a human, leaving them alive, but many would argue actually worse than dead. He knew them as the half-lings.
    As the Mayor climbed the steps, Kadir’s hand pushing into his back , encouraging and guiding him, the two creatures jerked hard against their chain leashes, their vampire masters struggled to contain them despite their own prestigious strength. The Mayor pulled sharply back as one of the creatures reared up, its teeth gnashing and snapping at the air as he passed. Drool dripped from its yellowed teeth onto his trouser leg as their contorted faces scowled only inches from his own. The two vampires who held them erupted into roars of laughter, joined from behind by the deep rumbling laugh of Kadir, amused at the Mayors reaction. Kadir’s laugh, like rolling thunder, sent shivers down the Mayors back and with his head down he hurried quickly inside.
    He hated the creatures . It wasn’t just the simple fact that they were dangerous, it was only too obvious that these creatures possessed a tremendous strength, but more the fact that he knew they felt absolutely no fear.
    He had once been forced to watch what they could do, as sometimes, although technically outlawed by Overlord Karick, vampires still conducted half-ling fights. Fights in which he had seen with his own eyes what they were capable of. He remembered watching in horror as they’d literally torn each other apart; yet still they fought on. It was a sight that had made him sick to his stomach; a memory that had never left him.
    The beasts hadn’t seemed capable of even registering pain, seemed in fact unable to feel anything. In reality this was one of the by-products of the vampire’s bite, which apparently contained a virus that destroyed certain parts of the victim’s nervous system and pain receptors. All that remained was instinct and one thought and one thought only – that of survival.
    The half-lings were unable to think, feel or function for themselves, however the vampires could direct and control them, and this was an even more terrible thought. How? Well that was an interesting question and one the Mayor couldn’t answer. All he understood was that the bite of the vampire contained a virus that destroyed certain neurological links, but in doing so provided a mind with which the vampires could make some form of connection, on some telepathic level he presumed. It was this unearthly connection that enabled the vampires to control the beasts to do their own bidding, regardless of consequence, or danger to the half-ling.
    Usually the connection was between the vampire Lord that had bitten and infected the half-ling, but in reality, in the absence of the originator, any vampire could make a connection and thereby direct the beasts to their own end. There was a limit as to how many beasts they could control at once, but he’d heard that they could command at least four half-lings at any given time, although apparently some vampires were so adept that they could direct double that. He shivered at the thought.
    The Mayor was led into the old hotel through the courtyard entrance, leaving the baying creatures outside with a certain amount of relief. Steps ran down in front of him to a desk and a set of abandoned lifts, however Kadir led the Mayor up the steps to the right and toward what was once a superb restaurant. The sign ‘Gilt’ could still be made out above the doorway as Kadir guided the Mayor through and into a room filled with empty chairs and what had clearly once been a bar. Haunting but beautiful music filled the air and the Mayor swallowed hard. The feeling of relief he’d felt at avoiding the half-lings