Frailty: The Darkshine Read Online Free PDF Page A

level. “So beautiful. So feminine.”
    Helina didn’t know what to say to his comment. “Wh-what is your name?” Her words seemed to stutter out of her mouth as she asked the question, not so much because she feared him. Her neck was craned back in order to see him and she saw another one of those stunning masculine smiles cover his lips.
    “I am called Gaijryc, high prince of the DarkShine.”
    Her eyebrows knitted in confusion at his words. “DarkShine? Is that what you are? I mean, you’re a vampire, right?”
    His low deep laugh surprised her. “We have been called many things, vampires being one of them. Our true name, the name our kind was born to, is the DarkShine.”
    He still had her hand as he led her in a slow, steady walk through the woods. They were quiet, the sounds of the leaves crunching beneath their feet seeming loud and piercing. She didn’t know why she was letting him take her away from the comfort of her cave, didn’t know why she was having anything to do with him at all.
    Helina looked down when she felt his thumb run small circles across her inner wrists. She caught herself continuously looking at their joined hands and then at his face. She don’t know why she’d even let it get this far. For all she knew he was leading her to her very death. Helina looked back in front of her and watched the brown trunks of the trees pass them. The colorful flowers brushed by their feet and she heard the sound of the trickling water as they neared a stream. He stopped by a large boulder and let go of her hand.
    “So, sweet Helina, what brings you to living in a cave?”
    She took a couple of steps back and watched him stare at her. She didn’t know how much she should tell him, didn’t know if revealing that she had watched one of his kind kill her sister was the smartest of moves.
    Opting to tell him part of the truth and see if he would leave it at that, she spoke softly. Although she should keep what she knew to herself, she couldn’t help the feeling inside of her. It was a feeling that made her feel warm and safe, protected in a world gone crazy. She couldn’t explain the strange feeling, for she had never felt it before. It was as if he were her protector, a feeling that he wouldn’t let anyone or anything hurt her. It was ridiculous to have these feelings about someone she even didn’t know—a vampire nonetheless.
    “What are you thinking right now?”
    His words brought her back to the present and she looked into his face. His skin was a golden color, as if the sun had come down and kissed it intimately. His eyes were a bright blue, a startling contrast with his pale blond hair. The locks touched his forehead, short and neat in its appearance. She let her eyes travel down his muscular body and took note that every tendon and sinew was defined to perfection.
    Dropping her eyes to the ground, she stared at her running shoes that had little pieces of dirt and leaves stuck on them. “I was just thinking about your question,” she lied. “My family used to come here with me when I was little. After my sister died, well, I guess I just felt like this was the place I needed to be.” Helina was not about to tell him that she’d moved into a cold, dark cave because she feared the monster that had killed her sister would come after her. A sad look crossed his face, a look that made her think that he really did feel sympathy for her.
    “That must have been very devastating for you. I am truly sorry for the loss of your sibling.”
    Helina started to kick around the rocks at her feet, willing herself to stay strong. “Why didn’t you kill me? I mean, didn’t you want to suck my blood or something?” She didn’t know what possessed her to ask him, but the words just spilled out. Her head downcast, she didn’t dare look at him after she asked the question. When he didn’t answer right away, Helina glanced up. He was staring at her with what appeared to be utter shock.
    “I can’t