Dark Soul Silenced - Part Two Read Online Free

strengthen his own abilities.
    Daniel reached out with his powers once more, forming the mental bridge with Razgul’s mind.  Razgul pounced immediately, using his power to drive Daniel’s probe back and trying to follow it in.  This time Daniel left the connection in place.  He could feel Razgul’s joy as the vampire thought he had won, followed by confusion as his assault became mired in the mental traps Daniel had created.
    While the vampire was off balance Daniel attacked again, this time forcing his probe deep into Razgul’s mind.  Boosted by power from the keep he was able to override Razgul’s will with his own, forcing the vampire into a docile state.  Deep down a spark of Razgul’s will still raged, but it no longer held sway over the vampires mind.  Daniel started to draw in the vampire’s knowledge.  He shivered as he did so, the dark thoughts and feelings he was absorbing sending ice down his veins.
    The process seemed to last for an age — the vampire was many hundreds of years old.  Daniel couldn’t begin to absorb the huge numbers of thoughts and memories, instead he filtered them — only retaining anything that related to Rafael’s current plans or location.  All the time the chill built in Daniel, settling into his chest like a lead weight.
    Finally the flow of information slowed to a stop.  Daniel staggered back, swaying and nearly falling.  He sat down heavily.  Razgul couldn’t collapse, he was held up by the flickering power of the barrier, but it was the only thing keeping him standing.  Where a huge warrior had stood before there was only a shrivelled old man now.  A last chuckle escaped the creature’s lips, more a choking rattle, then life faded from its eyes.
    Daniel bowed his head.  He hadn’t known what would happen when he extracted the knowledge and certainly hadn’t expected it to suck the life out of Razgul.  The results were uncomfortably close to how the vampires fed — draining the life force from a victim.  Daniel knew he’d had no choice but it didn’t make him feel any better.
    Staggering to his feet he considered what he had learnt.  The memories were fragmented but he thought he could piece them together.  Razgul had indeed known where Rafael was headed and Daniel now had the chance to follow.
    Daniel became aware of a feeling both alien and familiar.  A hunger ignited deep in his soul.  A hunger he hadn’t felt since the darkness had been burnt from his body at the end of his transformation.  It surged within, urging Daniel to feed.  Urging him to seek out a victim and drain their life.  Daniel fought the desire, feeling like he was being battered by a storm.  This was far more powerful than anything he had felt before.  Somehow the darkness in Razgul’s soul had been drawn across with the vampire’s memories.  Darkness that had developed and strengthened through decade upon decade of dark deeds.
    Horrific visions of violence flashed through Daniel’s mind.  He fought the desire to recoil, to draw back, knowing he’d be lost if he did so.  At the same time the hunger was gnawing at his resolve, and he could feel the pulse of the dark power within his chest as it tried to spread through his body.  This was a battle he couldn’t hope to win alone.  Concentrating hard he tried to reach out to the keep, seeking to strengthen his resistance.  Nothing happened.  He tried again.  And again.  Every probe of power he sent out was tainted with darkness, preventing them joining the power of the keep.  Daniel started to panic.  Without untainted power he couldn’t open any door or window.  He would be trapped within the keep and overwhelmed by the darkness roiling within.
    At that moment he sensed a change in the darkness.  A sense of satisfaction, of enjoyment.  He realised with horror that the dark power trying to take over his soul had an awareness.  That it was alive in some way, alive and exceptionally dangerous.  Several