Forsaken: The World of Nightwalkers Read Online Free PDF

of severe energy, the white of it blinding him and seemingly coming out of nowhere. But there was no way that was natural, and he knew that because it struck right at Jackson’s feet again, forcing him back, his leap covering enormous amounts of ground. The air between him and the dirt was incomprehensible to a man who had not seen any other displays of a Bodywalker’s power other than those of Kamenwati and Chatha, and those encounters had not been anything like this at all.
    No, theirs had been a very special brand of psychopathic supernaturalism.
    Ram was off the deck already and the savage, ominous rumble of natural thunder filled the air. Right before Leo’s eyes the sky blossomed with thick black thunderheads, whereas it had been a perfectly clear night beforehand. He knew this was Ram’s doing. Leo had been told Ram could control the weather, although he had no idea what a few rainclouds were going to do to help the situation.
    Another bolt of white energy burst out of the sky, the beam of it scorching past Jackson’s back. The intent was clear. Jackson would be hit if he moved forward, and hit if he moved backward. He was trapped out there in the open, like a frog on a lily pad in the center of a vast lake and nowhere to jump for safety.
    Leo’s lack of a target frustrated him. He rapidly cleared the stairs to shorten his distance to Jackson, all the while keeping his weapon trained on that empty sky. Something was there. They couldn’t see it, but all three men knew something was there.
    And it was toying with Jackson.
    That, more than anything, told Leo he was dealing with another sick paranormal psychopath.
    Just as Ram was closing in on Jackson, a new bolt of energy lashed out of the night sky, but this one hit Ramses square in the chest and literally blew him off his feet. The impact sent him backward by at least thirty feet, the impression of his body tearing up the earth, kicking up dirt and dust. Then the Bodywalker was still. The hit was horrifying and Docia’s scream came from the house behind him. Leo turned from the empty sky and tracked his aim back toward the house. There was a potted cactus, quite thick in circumference, to the right of the door. Two bullets into one side of the ceramic pot holding it made it explode and the heavy cactus within toppled over in front of the door, effectively blocking it shut, its spiny skin a natural deterrent to anyone thinking of touching it and shoving it out of the way. He saw Docia hit the door and was satisfied when he saw that she was unable to open it. That wasn’t to say she wouldn’t find another way out and into the fray, but it would take her more time…maybe enough time for them to deal with this…whatever “this” was.
    He tracked his aim back up to the sky, hurrying over to the very still form of Ram. He bent in order to touch fingers to the fallen man’s carotid artery, trying to detect a pulse while keeping his full attention trained upward. Whatever it was would show itself eventually, and he would be ready for it when it did. Leo exhaled with relief when he felt the awkward thrum of Ram’s pulse. For all their power and longevity, and as amazing as their ability to rapidly heal was, these people were more than capable of dying. And while he mistrusted the bastard, Docia loved him. It shone from every bright smile and warm cuddle he had seen her give him. It would break her heart if something were to snatch him away from her.
    “C’mon, c’mon,” he muttered under his breath as he aimed up at the sky, “do it again. Show us what a badass you are. You can do it.”
    That was when a furious Gargoyle blasted up from the ground in the garden, enormous wings spread wide, skin turned to heavy stone and a face as grotesque and frightening as any gargoyle on top of a church might be. Ahnvil was a thing of power, as were Stohn and Diahmond, two other Gargoyles that had launched into the air from the direction of the house. Jackson had told