Black Moon Rising (DarkLife Saga) Read Online Free

answering her question.”
    Baker absentmindedly shook his head as he began to talk.  “I’m surprised you haven’t heard of me before…” His voice shook, and fresh tears began to fall as he talked.  “I’m the man that stole his fiancé from him , over forty years ago.”
    “I’m sorry , come again,” Valerian said with mild surprise.
    “You heard me just fine.  Fee and I were students of Constantine’s when he was professor at Cooke University near Shreveport, Louisiana.  He was in love with her, and I‘ll admit, she loved him more than she ever loved me.  But in the end, she wasn’t willing to give up her humanity for him, so I won by default.  Constantine wasn‘t t oo happy about losing her to me: in fact, I spent two months in traction.  Fee never spoke with him again.”
    I didn’t know what to say.  I was face to face with the unknown reason behind Constantine’s move.  For a long time, we thought that he would never leave Louisiana; he'd lived there almost two hundred years, and claimed that nothing could pull him away.
    Close to forty years ago he showed up at my parents door, and said he was moving back home.  Valerian and I never knew the reason behind his sudden change of heart, but I would have never guessed it was over a woman.  My brother was too reserved to let a woman shake him like that, or at least I thought he was.
    As I tried to reign in my surprise, Valerian poked at my shields.  “ Constantine had no business putting me in this position.  I have every mind to refuse this case and refer him to another lawyer.”
    “ Constantine has his reasons, Vedo. Besides, any human lawyer is going to take one look at his file and assume guilt--you know that as well as I.”
    William Baker frowned and slapped his hand against the table.  “Don’t do that!  If you're going to talk about me, at least do it in the open so I can defend myself.”
    Valerian strummed his fingers against the table as he considered his thoughts.  “Alright then, you want to know what’s on my mind.  One, my brother shouldn’t have put me in this position; your previous relationship could be a cause for the prosecution to cry conflict of interest, if things don't go their way. And two, while I’m quite certain of your innocence, proving it in a human court, by human means, is another thing all together.  I won't lie to you.  All the evidence says you're guilty.  I’m not in the habit of taking losing cases.”
    Valerian was lying through his teeth, and he knew it.  He was a champion for the underdog.  My brother loved lifting up the downtrodden and less fortunate.  He did a lot of pro bono work in his spare time.  Why he was lying to William was beyond me, but as soon as we were out of here I was going to make him tell me what he was up to.
    William laughed bitterly.  “So , that’s that then.”  He waved his hand toward the door and turned away from us.  “Whatever.  Leave me to the prosecution. When they execute me, at least I’ll be with Fee again.”
    I was just about to give Valerian a piece of my mind when I fel t him buzzing in my head.  “ Give me some privacy, Val .”
    “ I’m supposed to stay with you the entire time, Vedo .”
    “ Yes, IF, the situation warrants it, but this doesn't. I‘m fine.”
    I reluctantly agreed , and left the room.  I wiggled my fingers at the ladies behind the nursing station, and strolled past the maintenance crew that was trying to repair the fried panel.  I couldn’t help but laugh at the confused look on one guy’s face as he held up a blackened panel with its melted wires and circuits for the others to see.  If the look of disbelief wasn’t so funny, I almost felt a little guilty.
    I didn’t go far, just outside the doors to a chaise lounge that was against the wall.  I agreed to give him some space, but I wasn’t comfortable with being too far away from him when I was supposed to be guarding him.
    No sooner than I sat down,