Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 142916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
A matching stone dragon appeared, the color of phantom violet, a shade that blended with shadows and yet looked vibrant when the moonlight hit it. Tomas flew the dragon low and with great skill. He came in from the west, targeting two clones who were running to gain the porch.
The third phantom-colored stone dragon was green. Lojos flew him through the taller trees and lush shrubbery, his color blending with the shadows and flora so that it was impossible to keep the dragon in sight, even though it was large. Lojos homed in on a target climbing the side of the house to gain the porch roof.
Nicu’s dragon was clearly wolf. He’d never seen Nicu with a wolf dragon, but it didn’t surprise Benedek that he had one for a friend. Wolf dragons were reputed to be ferocious as well as loyal to those they included in their pack. Few agreed to work with a Carpathian or human, especially after they had been hunted nearly to extinction. It was only a privileged few who could ride a wolf dragon.
Tora’s dragon was sleek and elegant, streaking through the air to protect Silke. Its colors were that of a sunset. She appeared like glass, or mirrors, so that one moment she was there and the next she disappeared, only to be seen thirty feet away.
Benedek held his ground. Unseen. Unmoving. He had a bad feeling. He’d had it all along, and it had grown to an enormous warning clamor shrieking at him. He didn’t allow the chaos happening in the yard to interfere with his focus. Castello’s body broke apart, the strips of flesh, bone and muscle igniting with the crystal dragon fire.
There it was. Time seemed to stand still. Around him everything ceased to matter, just this hulk of a shadow emerging from the fire. It came out in the form of ash and smoke, but Benedek was ancient and he knew the feel of that enemy.
Silke, get behind me now.
She didn’t hesitate to obey. She made the leap, allowing his body to totally block hers as the vampire was spewed in a volume of ash and smoke from Castello’s husk. This was no ordinary vampire—it was…more. Justice? Not Justice. He knew Justice and this wasn’t the legend, but he was a Carpathian ancient who had lived far too long and turned more beast than man. He had sold out his honor in the end, beast overtaking man.
Benedek shared the information with the others as the ancient warrior-turned-vampire shot straight at Silke.
His name is Emil, Nicu informed them. He rarely used a surname. I invited him to the monastery a few centuries back, but he refused to go, even for a respite from killing. He was already addicted to the rush of battle.
Benedek was invisible and the vampire hadn’t had a chance to orient himself. He struck quickly, determined to kill Silke and gain his freedom. Emil hit the barrier harder than Castello’s clones had, shaking the house, shaking the ground. He roared with rage and stared at Silke as he fully materialized. His eyes were red and his teeth were stained black. He didn’t seem to care to make his appearance pleasant, like most vampires did. His entire attention was centered on Silke.
She smiled at him. “Ah, at last I get to meet you, Emil. I’ve been waiting ever since I saw you crouched like a toad inside Castello. Hiding from little old me.”
Her sweet, soft voice belied her scathing words, throwing the beast off for a moment. He threw back his head and howled his fury, taking a step toward her. “You will come to me.” He opened his arms wide as he commanded her.
She frowned at him, not retreating. “Seriously? That’s your voice? You sound like a goat bleating.” She dropped her voice an octave. “You know you can’t defeat another ancient. You hide from them because you know how powerful they are. You must open your arms to ask for justice.”
Her voice was sweet and compelling. At no time did she appear to notice the dragons flying through the sky, the bursts of flame as they engaged with the demons. Her entire focus seemed to be on the beast. The red in his eyes deepened to bloodred when his arms began to open. He threw back his head and roared, shaking the house. He charged her. Benedek had been waiting for that move, and he stepped into the vampire, his fist driving deep as he solidified. He’d used the momentum of the charging beast to bury his fist deep. Killing a beast such as Emil would not be easy.
When he continued forward into Emil’s chest, he kept moving, driving the vampire backward until he was stumbling off the porch. They both went down to the ground, Benedek combining the momentum of the fall, his enormous strength and sheer power to force his fist deeper into the chest cavity. He managed to get his fingers around the heart before the beast sank teeth into his neck and ripped.