Aleron: Book One of Strigoi Series (Stringoi Series) Read Online Free Page B

had forgotten us over the water, yet remembered us on land.
    I still didn’t know where we were or how far we had traveled. I turned around and was amazed at the vastness of the lake we crossed. The castle was but a small spot in the distance. I turned to Mynea, who was staring at me, smiling, her eyes glowing like those of a cat. She seemed even more beautiful now than before.
    “Look, my love. Look through your vampire eyes and see the world as you’ve never seen it.”
    Indeed, she was right. Everything was much more vivid. It was as if I had opened my eyes for the very first time. I was again a child. I could hear insects and tiny vermin scurry about. Mice stomping nearby sounded like elephants. The gentle breeze whispered through the trees and brush that surrounded the area in an infinite blanket of brilliant dark greens. The moonlight seemed to make inanimate objects come to life. All of these sensations and sounds filled my head at once. It became more and more difficult to distinguish one sound from the next, one scent from another. My vision blurred from the numerous objects moving. I closed my eyes for a moment when I felt a cold hand gently caress my cheek.
    “Try to open your mind and take in nature’s beauty. The vampire blood in your veins has awakened your once-human senses and made them sharp. In time they’ll guide you.”
    I tried to open my mind, but I must admit, I didn’t know what she meant at the time. Nevertheless, the noises became distinct once more. I was able to focus.
    “You, my love, now walk between life and death. We’re God’s perfectpredator, and we remain children of the devil. Even though we can be as gentle as angels, we possess strength beyond measure.”
    Mynea turned and looked at me, her eyes studying me from head to toe. Then suddenly her gaze turned into a staunch stare. She was now looking at me as if she could see through me.
    The thought of being a vampire plagued my mind. “Am I dead?”
    “No, my love. We’re very much alive. But merely being alive is not why I’ve brought you here. I’ll teach you how to live. Our way of life is not what you’re accustomed to. We’re beautiful, alluring creatures who must use all of our abilities to maintain our immortal gift.”
    Abilities
, I thought.
Yes, abilities
, she replied without moving her lips. “Let me show you.”
    We began to move swiftly through the trees, traveling like cheetahs, without making the slightest sounds, save the whistling winds. We saw candles burning in the distance, and in an instant we were upon them.
    “We move as fast as the wind, Aleron. Stealth is our cloak, for under its cover you’ll survive for millennia. Without it, you’ll surely perish. We’re stronger, faster, and smarter than mortals; however, our numbers are few and the mortals are many, thus we fear their intentions lest they ever discover us and our true natures. We don’t live among them. We do, however, interact with them, as they’re our finest and most pleasurable delicacy. You see, my love, we survive by drinking blood. We thrive by drinking blood. We replenish ourselves by consuming it. Therefore, we become better predators as our prey remains constant.”
    Delicacy implies that we can survive on the blood of other beings
, I thought.
    “Yes, we can, but to deprive yourself of human blood is to be but alive. As I said before, I’m here to teach you to live. To live is to do exactly what I’m going to show you.”
    The candles were burning outside a theater. The marquee promised a performance of
Ozymandias, Pharaoh of the Exodus
. I knew him as Ramses II. But we were not there to see the play. We dared not attempt the front doors, for they would surely open into a great room full of people. Instead, Mynea led us to a rear door situated in the center ofa dark and lifeless alleyway. The smell of unattended mildew and filth filled my nostrils, the unmistakable scent of decaying flesh nearby buried under some trash. This