Shield of Innocence (Alternate Places Book 4) by P.S. Power Read Free Book Online

little vamps to understand they are doing that... Can
I get back to you on that? As for the other thing... Troy is a master
vampire. Also less than two years into the whole thing." She smirked, as
the others looked at her, unbelieving.
    David, brushing at his curly
black hair, rolled his eyes at her. He was good looking, for a guy, but Eve
just looked at him, not all that interested for some reason.
    "Oh? I suppose I must
be the Ambassador there then? I've been around for nearly fifty years. Over
here at least." There was a bit too much derision in the words, which got
Nikki to make a face at him.
    "Don't be rude, Dave.
Different worlds are bound to have different things happening in
them."
    Eve didn't attack, or even seem
upset, just holding up two fingers. Then she grinned at the fellow, locking
eyes until he looked away. On the shadow level there had been a rather
impressive display of power and threats, the internal monsters yelling at each
other. Eve's was vast and powerful however, David's much more modest seeming,
so he went silent and sat there, not moving in the slightest.
    Then Eve chuckled.
    " Second in command of
the Iowa Node, now. And yes, before you ask, also a master vampire. One of my
skills is getting people through that, so they can stay up all day. I don't
know if it will work here, but if I can learn to travel back and forth, so I
don't miss too much work back home, I'd love to try it? We need to see if you
all just missed out on forming links or not. I think that I can trace that
down, but I'll need a volunteer..." She looked around the room, and cutely
enough Chris raised his hand.
    "Oh, pick me, pick me!"
His inner being did the same thing.
    At least to Zack's eyes. Everyone
else saw things differently, he knew. The closest to him was actually Don, of
all people. Then, they were related by blood, if very different inside.
    The hot vampire girl laughed and
shook her head.
    "Not for that . I have
other ideas for you, but let's talk about that later? Alone? For this I need to
examine a vampire or two, while in a trance. Just to check their links, and all
that." Her inner being turned to Zack then, and smiled, her fangs showing.
    I'll steal the boy for a while? I
think he'd do well, working at our node.
    There was a lot more, in the
subtext, but Zack ignored most of it. On purpose. The main point was that she
wouldn't let him come to harm, and coddling him wasn't going to help him now.
She could see that. Then, everything about what she'd said was counter to that.
This wasn't a person that took it easy on others as a rule.
    A thing that they probably needed
to get on board with, if it was possible for their people to be upgraded like
that. The vampires at any rate.
    Looking at Eve, he saw her links,
as she'd described them. Fine lines of flowing energy that worked backwards
through the world, twisting and rippling with soft pink power. Life energy.
When he looked at the others there, he saw that same thing going on. At least
for the undead. It was fainter, but there. Then the new girl had said that
she'd worked out how to make the things last longer.
    People had been speaking, and Lyn
said his name, twice. He'd missed the whole conversation, having become too
focused for the room he was in.
    "Sorry! I zoned out, looking
at the energy links. It seems right to me, from the description. For the
vampires?"
    Eve sat up, and then nodded three
times. It was all very precise, and a little phony seeming.
    "Nifty! We can probably do a
lot then, that way. I'll still need volunteers. Vampires that aren't
afraid to die." She was hamming things up, playfully, and everyone except
the vampires got the idea.
    Hilda smiled then, and stood,
stretched a bit.
    "All of the beings here are
most brave. We should hold contests to see who will be allowed to do this, and
gain the powers of this far off strange world! It will be most entertaining.
Should we move to back of house, in the well cared for field?"
    Zack smiled, getting