The Witch Hunter by Nicole R. Taylor Read Free Book Online Page B

pointing to Zac. "He does not die until it is appointed." He kicked the remains of the wolf towards the pack.
    The wolves backed away, snarling, one of their number grasping the body of their fallen comrade by the rough of the neck, dragging him with them. 
    Then the three vampires were alone with the intruder, the one obviously sent by Katrin. He turned and sneered at them with contempt, like they were an annoyance he'd rather deal with the same way. Blatantly assessing Zac, he gave him a look that dismissed him as harmless. Turning without a word, he disappeared into the darkness of the forest.
    "Well, it's safe to say that we're being watched," Zac announced to no one in particular, annoyed that the fight had been ended prematurely.
    "Do you think they know about, you know?" asked Liz quietly.
    "No," Zac replied, still staring in the direction the vampire had disappeared. "If they knew, then this would have ended differently."
    They stood in silence for a few minutes as if waiting for the shadows themselves to come and fight them. A mournful howl in the direction of the river broke the heavy silence, making Zac smirk in satisfaction. 
    "Let's go home," Sam sighed and took Liz's hand, leading her away, Zac still staring after the unknown vampire.
    They hadn't solved anything with the wolves, but maybe now they would be spooked enough not to try anything. Only time would tell if they could venture out into the forest without incident. But he was more worried about Katrin. Until now her threat had seemed empty. Life had continued as normal, the ramifications of staking Alistair non-existent. Zac sighed uneasily. Perhaps he didn't know as much as he thought he did. He took his deflated ego and disappeared into the darkness.
     
     

 
     
     
    CHAPTER FIVE
     
     
    D rawing her first breath burnt her disused lungs and she coughed uncontrollably. Sitting bolt upright in a panic, she looked around herself wildly, disorientated.  Where the hell am I?  Her thoughts scrambled to make sense of her situation, her heart hammering wildly against her chest.
    The air was dark and damp around her, thick with the scent of earth. Slowly her murky vision cleared and she realized she was in the cave where she escaped the unbearable draw of killing. The reek of blood had stained the fields above and she couldn't take it anymore. The aura of death had driven her to the precipice and the thought of killing a human for pleasure abhorred her. Now, she began to remember.
    My name is Aya. I escaped to this cave for the long sleep. To clear my self of the urge to kill. To let an age past before I can walk the earth again. I am below the fields of southern America. Ashburton, Louisiana. The haze in her mind began to clear and she stood carefully, stretching her disused muscles. Casting her mind above, she felt nothing but silence. Aya was a vampire, but she had been granted with other skills besides. She could sense emotions, which was a blessing and a curse. Recalling the battlefields above, she shuddered. Too much concentrated emotion always threatened to overwhelm her and she had to be careful. War was enough to drive her mad if she didn't protect herself. The American Civil War. She was glad she slept through that. 
    She brushed the dust and cobwebs from herself and ran her fingers through her long black hair. She really had to remember to cover herself with something next time. Who knew what had lived in here with her over the years. She had to find her way outside, find something to eat and clean herself before exploring the world above. She smiled at the thought of going outside; she was starving. How long had she been sleeping?
    She made her way from the cave down the passageway she barely remembered. She had entered this place so abruptly, never taking in her surroundings fully. It was hidden from the outside, of that she was sure. Still at the mouth of the cave was the heavy rock she had placed to block the small hole that served as