Shining in Crimson: Empire of Blood Book One (A Dystopian Vampire Novel) Read Online Free

concentration. His hands trembled as he turned it over to see if maybe the other side would start making some kind of sense. Trying to read the street sign up ahead, he noticed just how much noise he’d been making. Now that he stopped moving, the rustling map echoed in his brain over the dead silence. He stood there a moment just listening. Eventually, the echoes died out and were replaced by what sounded like the steady beat of a bass drum. It scared him as it became faster, forcing him to realize it was actually his own heart beating. He took a deep breath, reminding himself he was the only human truly safe in this place. The thought calmed him, at first because of his safety. Then, it fed his ego, taming his heart even more. When he felt as relaxed as he could get, he took another look at the map. With his mind much clearer and his panic subdued, he quickly found where he was on the map. According to it, getting to the building where the vampire's held their council was just a straight walk from where he stood.
    He started walking again, this time not quite as aimlessly, now that he knew where he was and where he was going. Still a little nervous, he reached into the jacket pocket of his Armani suit and pulled out an unopened pack of cigarettes. He opened the pack, took one out, and lit it. Simon threw the plastic from the pack on the sidewalk and dragged deeply on the cigarette as he walked. He looked up at the brightly lit colorful buildings that took up the skyline ahead. He felt his chest loosen as the nicotine caused adrenaline to release through his body.
    He was actually starting to relax when in the wink of an eye a tall man with long black hair and red eyes, dressed in a black suit and bowler hat seemed to appear out of thin air right in front of him. He barely stopped himself from running into the man. When he managed to catch his balance, he immediately backed away. As he scrambled backwards, he fell on his backside and tried to scoot further away. The man looked down at him and smiled, revealing a mouthful of shiny white teeth complete with long sharp canines coming from the top row like the fangs of a dog. It was a human vampire.
    "I presume you are Mr. Withers?" the man said in a deep scratchy voice with an accent Simon couldn't quite place. Simon swallowed and cringed. His first time meeting one of these blood suckers and already he was panicking.
    "Y-yes. I am sir. And who... who might you be?" he asked.
    "My name is Luciano Sandalio. But I am of no importance. I am merely here to guide you safely to the tower," the man said while reaching his hand out to Simon. Simon reluctantly took the cold hand and felt a chill run up his arm and down his back as Luciano helped him effortlessly off the ground. Then he brushed off the back of his clothes, reached down, and picked up his cigarette that had landed on the edge of the sidewalk when he fell. He took another deep drag and threw it back on the ground and stomped it out.
    "Now, if you will follow me, this way, sir," Luciano said motioning ahead of himself with both arms.
    "If you don't mind me asking, why do I need a guide if it's just right up the street?" Simon asked.
    "Well, Mr. Withers, there has been a drop-off tonight from the Kansas City justice department and it seems there are still several convicts unaccounted for. So, I have been sent to make sure that you arrive safely," Luciano said casually, turning his back to lead the way.
    "Oh, I see." Simon said. He found himself looking around for felons hiding in the surrounding dark alleys as he followed the vampire.
    After a while of walking, the street curved to the right. As they came around the curve, Simon could see down the strip more clearly. Many of the buildings had busted old neon signs hanging all around them. Some of the buildings had large gaping holes where their front walls used to be. It looked as though several random explosions had gone off up and down the street. Piles of rubble lay just