1305 & 1306 The Oracle & the Vampire (The 13th Floor) Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Christine Rains
alley. Terror demanded she run, but she’d lose her helpmates then.
Nothing came for her, but when she was safely out of the alley, she was reluctant to send away the wisps. People were staring, but it didn’t matter. They’d reason it out to be something mundane.
Thanking the wisps, Harriet stood under a lamppost as she released them. They twirled and zipped around the pole before disappearing into the late afternoon sky. She leaned against the post, breathing heavily, with one hand clutched to her chest.
There was nothing she knew that could do this. No creature, no spell. Even more so, no purpose. She was the only fool that came to check on the poor cat.
No one paused to ask if she was all right. Many people were running along the streets. More sirens echoed from downtown. What was going on in Carmine?
Another vision slammed into her. Her head fell back. Monsters, blood, destruction.
Her screams drowned out the sirens.
CHAPTER 6
Kiral jerked out of the chair in the same second he opened his eyes. Harriet!
When had he drifted off? He didn’t feel as though the sun had set, and a quick glance at the antique clock showed it was nearly six.
He threw open his door, darted across the hall, and knocked on apartment 1305’s door. The lights in the corridor dimmed. Harriet had to be there. He needed her to be there.
When there was no response, he knocked louder. A cat hissed from the other side, but there were no other sounds. Kiral pressed his ear to the wood and listened. Only two very quick heartbeats. Just the cats.
His head twisted toward the other end of the hall. Was Harriet still at Marc’s? Would Marc allow him to see her if he asked? Not likely, but he found himself already standing in front of apartment 1301.
At least Harriet would hear him, know that he wanted to talk to her, that he was sorry.
There was no answer from Marc’s apartment, and listening, there wasn’t any sign of life.
Kiral cursed, threw a fist at the air, and smacked his back up against the wall. He slid down to crouching position and ran his hands through his hair. Her scent was still lingering in the hall, and he could almost feel her warm body pressed to his. Her surrender was his undoing.
Where was she?
He could go back to his apartment and wait. That was the most logical option. This time he wouldn’t fall asleep until he saw her.
Standing, Kiral couldn’t force himself to go back to his place. Waiting wasn’t an option. He needed to find her.
The old woman wasn’t home either. Maybe Harriet and her grandmother went out together. That meant they couldn’t be gone for long nor could they’ve gone too far. Kiral could track her by scent. He wasn’t a hunter like some of his kind. His prey had always been from the city and easy enough to find in the gutter.
He didn’t need to be a hunter. She was in him, body and mind. He’d be able to find her anywhere.
Entering the stairwell, he nearly flew down the stairs and came to an abrupt halt in the lobby. Shadows covered the streets, but the sun hadn’t fully set. If he stayed out of the direct rays, he’d be fine, but that wasn’t what stopped him.
Something small and black raced over the tops of cars, which moved slowly along the street. Human eyes wouldn’t have caught it, but Kiral’s did. It wasn’t a cat or dog or even a bird. It was built more like a shaved monkey, but it wasn’t an animal from this realm. It was no animal at all.
What was that thing doing in Carmine?
Harriet.
She was out there with something foul. Kiral was out the front door in the blink of an eye. She wasn’t anywhere on the street coming home. He took in a deep breath and nearly gagged.
It wasn’t the pollution or unwashed humans. There was a stench in the air that he hadn’t smelled in decades. He was ashamed to know what it was, but he had been born in a different time and fire had been the church’s great purification tool.
Burning flesh. Human.
Kiral wondered for a
Nothing came for her, but when she was safely out of the alley, she was reluctant to send away the wisps. People were staring, but it didn’t matter. They’d reason it out to be something mundane.
Thanking the wisps, Harriet stood under a lamppost as she released them. They twirled and zipped around the pole before disappearing into the late afternoon sky. She leaned against the post, breathing heavily, with one hand clutched to her chest.
There was nothing she knew that could do this. No creature, no spell. Even more so, no purpose. She was the only fool that came to check on the poor cat.
No one paused to ask if she was all right. Many people were running along the streets. More sirens echoed from downtown. What was going on in Carmine?
Another vision slammed into her. Her head fell back. Monsters, blood, destruction.
Her screams drowned out the sirens.
CHAPTER 6
Kiral jerked out of the chair in the same second he opened his eyes. Harriet!
When had he drifted off? He didn’t feel as though the sun had set, and a quick glance at the antique clock showed it was nearly six.
He threw open his door, darted across the hall, and knocked on apartment 1305’s door. The lights in the corridor dimmed. Harriet had to be there. He needed her to be there.
When there was no response, he knocked louder. A cat hissed from the other side, but there were no other sounds. Kiral pressed his ear to the wood and listened. Only two very quick heartbeats. Just the cats.
His head twisted toward the other end of the hall. Was Harriet still at Marc’s? Would Marc allow him to see her if he asked? Not likely, but he found himself already standing in front of apartment 1301.
At least Harriet would hear him, know that he wanted to talk to her, that he was sorry.
There was no answer from Marc’s apartment, and listening, there wasn’t any sign of life.
Kiral cursed, threw a fist at the air, and smacked his back up against the wall. He slid down to crouching position and ran his hands through his hair. Her scent was still lingering in the hall, and he could almost feel her warm body pressed to his. Her surrender was his undoing.
Where was she?
He could go back to his apartment and wait. That was the most logical option. This time he wouldn’t fall asleep until he saw her.
Standing, Kiral couldn’t force himself to go back to his place. Waiting wasn’t an option. He needed to find her.
The old woman wasn’t home either. Maybe Harriet and her grandmother went out together. That meant they couldn’t be gone for long nor could they’ve gone too far. Kiral could track her by scent. He wasn’t a hunter like some of his kind. His prey had always been from the city and easy enough to find in the gutter.
He didn’t need to be a hunter. She was in him, body and mind. He’d be able to find her anywhere.
Entering the stairwell, he nearly flew down the stairs and came to an abrupt halt in the lobby. Shadows covered the streets, but the sun hadn’t fully set. If he stayed out of the direct rays, he’d be fine, but that wasn’t what stopped him.
Something small and black raced over the tops of cars, which moved slowly along the street. Human eyes wouldn’t have caught it, but Kiral’s did. It wasn’t a cat or dog or even a bird. It was built more like a shaved monkey, but it wasn’t an animal from this realm. It was no animal at all.
What was that thing doing in Carmine?
Harriet.
She was out there with something foul. Kiral was out the front door in the blink of an eye. She wasn’t anywhere on the street coming home. He took in a deep breath and nearly gagged.
It wasn’t the pollution or unwashed humans. There was a stench in the air that he hadn’t smelled in decades. He was ashamed to know what it was, but he had been born in a different time and fire had been the church’s great purification tool.
Burning flesh. Human.
Kiral wondered for a
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