Dominant Species Read Online Free Page B

strangely seductive at the same time.
    Overlord Karick raised his head and looked up into the Queen’s soulless eyes , unable to stop the thought that slid briefly through into his mind of how those eyes, as undeniably beautiful as they were, reminded him of two black pools of death.
    ‘My Lady, I was not expecting you.’ He shot a look of pure venom at Rodan who failed to conceal a lopsided smile that caused another thought to flash through Karick’s mind, one where he would rip Rodan’s throat out and wipe the smug look off his pale, pointed face for good. Rodan caught Karick’s piercing gaze and barely stifled a laugh.
    ‘Well?’ repeated the Queen. ‘I’m waiting for an answer.’
    Karick paused, considering his words very carefully before replying. He had long understood that the Queen wished to change the age-old constitution, removing the council completely, allowing her full control. He knew the vampires would not stand for that, a council was part of the constitution and that was that. But if she could remove him, specifically, well that was a different matter. If she succeeded in that aim, he knew it would weaken the Vampire council. To do that she would need a reason, not necessarily a very good one, but a reason nonetheless, something he was determined not to give her
    He had been walking a dangerous path for some time now, challenging her views. He couldn’t afford to put a foot wrong, or lose his composure in anyway, in case it provided her with that reason.
    Rodan ’s thin tongue flicked around his lips as he watched carefully, waiting for Karick’s response, hoping for a mistake, wanting nothing more than Karick to be removed as Overlord because the Queen had decided he had lost his ability to maintain control of the City.
    Karick smiled, he knew that the vampire who hankered for his position more than anything was currently standing no more than four feet away. So instead of saying what he wanted to he didn’t rise to the bait and smiled instead, showing the tips of his fangs, whilst he replied in as reasoned and calm a voice as he could muster.
    ‘I am sure Lord Rodan has already said more than enough. There fore there is probably little I can add, my Queen. All I can offer is my personal assurance that things are in hand and that order will be maintained.’
    The Queen sighed and Karick could almost sense her disappointment .
    ‘I’m sure Lord Rodan only came to me because he was concerned that the current troubles, not to mention the dissatisfaction within the Council itself, draw us perilously close to a vampire War,’ she glided silently closer to him, ‘you will maintain order, Overlord Karick as I would consider anything less, a total failure of your command,’ she stared straight into his eyes, her voice soft, but carrying an icy edge ‘and you know I do not accept failure, Overlord Karick…. of any kind.’
    ‘My Lady ,’ Karick heard himself say as the Queen drifted silently away, with Rodan following like some long haired lapdog quickly behind.

Chapter 4
 
The Abandoned Churchyard
     
    The two watchmen that sat in the shadows raised their shotguns in unison as the lone figure of Jake appeared out of the mist from nowhere, they watched in silence, their weapons aimed at him as they tracked him trudging towards the church. As he closed, and they recognised him, they lowered their weapons and dissolved back into the darkness with not a word spoken. Jake could taste the dust that always hung in the air and seemed to give an illusion of an early morning mist, as it sat over the derelict churchyard. Deep in thought, he ignored the broken walls, automatically moving around the shattered and lopsided gravestones that littered the ground all around him as he made his way to the church entrance.
    He stepped over the threshold and into the silence of the abandoned church. He hesitated as he caught sight of a weak shaft of light that slashed across the otherwise dark church from a