Duel Nature Read Online Free Page A

about his battles –
with werewolves, vampires and even Elder Fedor,” she said,
obviously uncomfortable under his wilting gaze, focusing on me
instead.
    “Ah, do you see how
dangerous this…this propaganda is, Ms. Demidova? Even my assistant
has begun to believe the drivel that is spreading about you. Enough
for her to buy into
your little act. But I think Dominick here is less gullible, eh,
Dom?” he asked the big guy that had killed Lenny.
    “Oh, right you are Mr. Langsford, sir. I’m
not one for theatre or fiction, but I’m not averse to playing
bedroom games, ‘specially when the game involves such prizes,” he
replied, looking Tanya over from top to bottom, focusing on her
hips and chest.
    The monster inside me demanded out.
    “So I’ll be challenging
Gordon here for you. He’s no proper kind of choice. I’ll show you a real choice!”
the big vampire continued, making a show of hip thrusts.
    “A formal Challenge then?” Tanya asked her
voice dangerously quiet.
    “Oh yes, it’s official,” said Langsford,
nodding at Dominick who instantly started his rush my way.
    ‘You’re up!’ I told my inner demon, letting Grim take over.
Immediately, the world became sharper and brighter, as every detail
of the room around me was mapped and laid out on a mental grid.
Every vampire’s position was plotted, their bodies shaded in
thermal vision, their slow beating hearts visible to my eyes as
orange lumps in dark chests.
    Dominick’s blinding rush slowed to a molasses
crawl as Grim side-stepped , moving closer to Langsford’s desk. I
watched my right hand snatch up the crystal brandy decanter as my
left hand, which was wreathed with a monomolecular edge of hardened
purple aura, sliced off the neck and top of the thick lead glass at
an angle. The result was a heavy crystal jar with a sharp glass
edge, like the tip of a giant hypodermic needle. Grim put the
container to use as I/we spun behind the slow moving Dominick,
shoving the jar through the vampire’s back, slightly to the left of
center.
    The blow was powerful enough to jam the
decanter all the way through the ninety year old vampire’s chest,
his heart instantly canned like last summer’s tomatoes. My left
hand caught the sudden corpse by its hair, arresting the forward
movement and then pulled back, throwing Dominick’s remains off my
right arm which was elbow deep, and into the same marble fireplace
that was already stained with Lenny’s brains and blood.
    Grim stood us in front of Langsford’s desk,
gently setting the bloody jar full of heart on the cherry surface.
My combat persona can drive my virus modified body at speeds that
equal Tanya’s and at somewhat greater power. Tanya was the only
vampire in the room who had followed my actions, the rest not being
able to perceive the movements as anything but a continuous blur,
although most of Langsford’s side of the room was now speckled with
a fine misting of blood.
    It takes a great deal to horrify a vampire,
especially one as old as Calvin Langsford, and I’m pretty sure that
he wasn’t grossed out by the crystal decanter of blood and heart, a
bit of aorta spilling over the edge. But when his eyes flicked up
to look at mine, seeing Grim staring back at him, the fear was
blatant. He froze as the realization of how close he was to his own
death hit home.
    Older vampires grow contemptuous of most
threats, only fearing older and more powerful vampires than
themselves. Growing stronger and more impervious as they age, they
find it that much harder to face a true threat when it does show
up.
    “Anyone else want to Challenge Christian?”
Tanya asked in a soft voice.
    “How about you Langsford?
Want to see how far you get with my human
pet ?” she continued.
    Langsford flicked his eyes to hers then
quickly back to me, carefully not moving any other part of his
body. Every other vampire in the room was frozen, watching me like
I was a Black Mamba.
    “No?” Tanya said. “Well,