Shining in Crimson: Empire of Blood Book One (A Dystopian Vampire Novel) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Robert S. Wilson
his neck. When his neck would pop no more, he moved to something else. He lifted up onto his toes, held his heels up, and then set them back down over and over. Then he swung his arms from front to back. He almost started whistling when Luciano spoke.
"Your heart rate is rather high, Mr. Withers," the vampire said. Simon stopped moving immediately and swallowed.
"How... how do you know that?" he asked.
"I can hear it. It is louder to me than the cable pulling the elevator. You should relax or you will end up like Roger Wallen," he said.
Roger Wallen had been the third Mediator to the vampires. He had died of a heart attack on his seventh meeting with them. Simon swallowed again. He practiced the focusing techniques the doctors had taught him in order to calm himself. Then he sneered at the vampire's back.
"I'm not a stupid coward like Roger Wallen. You filthy demons don't scare me. I fear only the Lord of heaven and earth. Roger Wallen wouldn't be dead if he had been faithful to the Lord. God punishes the weak and unfaithful," Simon said, his voice nearly cracking.
"If you say so, Mr. Withers," Luciano said, looking at Simon and smiling.
Simon couldn't help but falter a little from that grin. He let out a nervous cough and looked up at the red digital numbers. The numbers changed from 87 to 88. After a moment of staring at him, Luciano turned and faced the elevator door. Simon exhaled the breath he had been holding the entire time. Somehow, he wasn't sure how, he could just tell that Luciano's grin had widened.
After a while of focusing and eventually daydreaming about his trip home, Simon heard the "ding" that marked the arrival to their destination. The elevator doors opened, revealing a huge round open room with dinner tables everywhere. The walls were angled glass windows that looked out on the city. There were as many street lights, it seemed, as there had been stars in the sky on his way in the car. At the far end of the room was a door leading out to the balcony that seemed to go all around the building. It reminded Simon of the space needle in Seattle . He had never been there but he had seen many pictures. Luciano motioned to the door.
"The council is outside waiting," he said.
"Thanks," Simon replied. Then after a moment of hesitation he walked numbly toward the door. When he got to it, he could see several pale figures in various shades of clothing sitting at a table outside the door and to the left. He weakly pulled open the door and almost lost hold of it. One of the figures, in a movement he could barely discern, swished from the table over to hold the door for him. The gesture, probably only meant to be helpful, scared him worse than anything else had so far. A fit of laughter broke out from several of the vampires at the table; however, one of them did not look the least bit amused. The vampire holding the door was a much older-looking male, with neat, short, gray hair and prestigious features. He had brown eyes, unlike the blood red eyes of Luciano. As Simon’s heart slowed, he noticed a faint, familiar, sweet scent he couldn’t quite place.
"I am sorry, Mr. Withers, I did not mean to scare you," he said.
The vampires that were laughing at the table only laughed harder. One of them attempted to speak in between fits of laughter.
"Sure, you didn't, Edgar, sure you didn't," a slender vampire with short, messy blond hair said.
"Please let me introduce all of us," the gray-headed vampire said. "My name is Edgar. This is Peter," he said pointing to the blonde. "Stanislov," he said aiming his hand at a short male with brown wooly hair on his head and face. "Rachel," he said moving on to a beautiful redhead with green eyes next to Stanislov. "And Ishan," he added pointing to the end of the table to what could have been Luciano's shorter twin. Ishan was the only one at the table who wasn't still laughing. All of them were wearing business attire as well. Ishan looked back at Simon with a look of
"Your heart rate is rather high, Mr. Withers," the vampire said. Simon stopped moving immediately and swallowed.
"How... how do you know that?" he asked.
"I can hear it. It is louder to me than the cable pulling the elevator. You should relax or you will end up like Roger Wallen," he said.
Roger Wallen had been the third Mediator to the vampires. He had died of a heart attack on his seventh meeting with them. Simon swallowed again. He practiced the focusing techniques the doctors had taught him in order to calm himself. Then he sneered at the vampire's back.
"I'm not a stupid coward like Roger Wallen. You filthy demons don't scare me. I fear only the Lord of heaven and earth. Roger Wallen wouldn't be dead if he had been faithful to the Lord. God punishes the weak and unfaithful," Simon said, his voice nearly cracking.
"If you say so, Mr. Withers," Luciano said, looking at Simon and smiling.
Simon couldn't help but falter a little from that grin. He let out a nervous cough and looked up at the red digital numbers. The numbers changed from 87 to 88. After a moment of staring at him, Luciano turned and faced the elevator door. Simon exhaled the breath he had been holding the entire time. Somehow, he wasn't sure how, he could just tell that Luciano's grin had widened.
After a while of focusing and eventually daydreaming about his trip home, Simon heard the "ding" that marked the arrival to their destination. The elevator doors opened, revealing a huge round open room with dinner tables everywhere. The walls were angled glass windows that looked out on the city. There were as many street lights, it seemed, as there had been stars in the sky on his way in the car. At the far end of the room was a door leading out to the balcony that seemed to go all around the building. It reminded Simon of the space needle in Seattle . He had never been there but he had seen many pictures. Luciano motioned to the door.
"The council is outside waiting," he said.
"Thanks," Simon replied. Then after a moment of hesitation he walked numbly toward the door. When he got to it, he could see several pale figures in various shades of clothing sitting at a table outside the door and to the left. He weakly pulled open the door and almost lost hold of it. One of the figures, in a movement he could barely discern, swished from the table over to hold the door for him. The gesture, probably only meant to be helpful, scared him worse than anything else had so far. A fit of laughter broke out from several of the vampires at the table; however, one of them did not look the least bit amused. The vampire holding the door was a much older-looking male, with neat, short, gray hair and prestigious features. He had brown eyes, unlike the blood red eyes of Luciano. As Simon’s heart slowed, he noticed a faint, familiar, sweet scent he couldn’t quite place.
"I am sorry, Mr. Withers, I did not mean to scare you," he said.
The vampires that were laughing at the table only laughed harder. One of them attempted to speak in between fits of laughter.
"Sure, you didn't, Edgar, sure you didn't," a slender vampire with short, messy blond hair said.
"Please let me introduce all of us," the gray-headed vampire said. "My name is Edgar. This is Peter," he said pointing to the blonde. "Stanislov," he said aiming his hand at a short male with brown wooly hair on his head and face. "Rachel," he said moving on to a beautiful redhead with green eyes next to Stanislov. "And Ishan," he added pointing to the end of the table to what could have been Luciano's shorter twin. Ishan was the only one at the table who wasn't still laughing. All of them were wearing business attire as well. Ishan looked back at Simon with a look of
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