The Living Night (Book 1) by Jack Conner Read Free Book Online Page B

never limit our fun to one
possibility,” Jagoda said.
    "Is that what destroying Barrow was?"
Danielle said. " Fun ?"
    He smiled, revealing his large and seemingly
malformed teeth. "That was very entertaining—our coming-out party, you
could say. It's been some time since we'd access to that much ... skin. And I
think we did some good work there, too, although I doubt the police photographers
will give it the treatment it deserves." He seemed absorbed in thought for
a moment. “Today we won't kill you. But we will rape you both, oh yes." He
started to advance.
    Danielle looked around desperately.
    Just then, sounds of alarm issued from the south.
    “Seems Ludwig and the rest of the cavalry are on
their way,” Jagoda said, disappointed.
    “We’ve accomplished what we intended,” Junger
said, returning.
    "Next time, then."
    "Next time," Jagoda agreed, and
flicked away his cigarette.
    They jumped to all fours, changing from men to the
shape of great wolves in less than a second and running off into the forest
just as the first sounds of rifle fire erupted behind them.
    Ruegger dragged himself over toward Danielle,
who felt herself dying. She’d lost too much blood. Cradling her in his lap, he
bent his head to kiss her bloody mouth. She opened her eyes and tried to smile.
    Ruegger’s strength gave out, and he toppled
face-first into the snow. After a moment, darkness filled Danielle’s vision,
and she fell back into it, too.

 
    *      *      *

 
    Ludwig,
rifle gripped smartly, fired off his last shot at the retreating demons, then
turned to the other snipers that lined this brittle ridge of snow.
    “Let’s go.”
    Covered by more snipers, his crew moved swiftly
down the ridge toward the bloody snow where once-beautiful wolves littered the
scene, and for a second only Ludwig allowed himself to lament their loss, then
he knelt next to Ruegger and examined him. Maleasoel, kneeling over Danielle,
looked at him questioningly.
    "Alive, thank God," said Ludwig.
"How's she?"
    Maleasoel shook her head. "Bad.”
    "Let's get them out of here, sir," he
heard one of the others say. “They could come back.”
    Ludwig rose to stare in the direction in which
the Balaklava had vanished. His gaze lingered.
He didn't know when, or how, but he knew beyond question that he'd have hell to
pay. And hell was not forgiving.

 
    *      *      *

 
    The
first thing Danielle wanted when she woke up was a cigarette. A nice, fat,
hand-rolled one, made out of that wonderful tobacco Ludwig kept. She lay
sprawled in the absurdly large four-poster bed in her room on the top floor of
Ludwig's villa. The view was grand, if only she had the energy to go to the
window to see it. At least she still smelled and felt clean from all the
doctoring and bathing she'd been treated to.
    When he heard her request, Ruegger gladly
retrieved the tobacco for her and rolled the cigarette himself. He'd been up
and about not more than an hour after the attack, as his age enhanced his
recuperative abilities, and he'd doted on her constantly.
    "Better than cloves," she said softly,
once he lit it for her.
    "How do you feel?"
    "Great.” She reached for his hand.
"You're cold, baby. Come here."
    He obeyed. "We've been out searching for
them—Junger and Jagoda. Unfortunately, the snow's erased what tracks there
were. During the search, though, we came across something else—a mass grave of
shades.”
    “Damn.”
    “It explains all the disappearances
lately."
    "You’re sure it’s the work of the Balaklava?"
    "No, that's the worst part. The bodies were
intact and drained of blood, as only a kavasari could do."
    "What's a kavasari?"
    A dark light settled in his eyes, and when he
answered, his voice was bitter: "A type of immortal that feeds only off of
other shades—a vampire's vampire. They're the strongest race of known immortal,
and they're very rare."
    “You’re kidding me. There’s something that can
feed on us ?” When he nodded,