Of A Darker Nature Read Online Free PDF

dusting. She motioned Emily over when she entered the sprawling, black and white Victorian. A bulge in her short apron revealed she had her beloved tarot cards with her.
    The funeral home’s lobby typically exuded a warm, homey feel. It’s simple décor and furnishings had a Victorianesque feel. 
    Goose pimples dotted Emily's skin. Although three days had passed, the attack was still fresh in her mind.
    “Scott in his office?”
    Wren tucked the duster away. “No, he's in the workroom with Beau.”
    Emily glanced at the clock. “Beau is here? I thought he didn't venture out until after dark.”
    Wren pulled fingers through her purple streaked hair and smiled at the prospect of juicy gossip. “I guess he didn't have a choice. He’s been in the chapel all day. His current girlfriend kicked him out right at dawn. I guess Mr. Creepy finally met someone who got tired of the game.”
    A giggle bubbled up Emily's throat. “Why do you call him that? I think Beau is very handsome.”
    Beau was tall and lanky with intelligent blue eyes and a Romanesque nose. He usually kept his dishwater blond hair pulled back in a short ponytail. His clothes were always stylish and neat, usually in shades of black or gray. Sometimes, if he felt particularly cheeky, he added a splash of red. He was very popular with the ladies, at least those enamored by the vampire lifestyle he lived.
    “Even after what happened the other night?” Wren shook her head. “I dunno. Maybe it's because he wears glasses.”
    “So?”
    Wren seemed flustered all of a sudden. “Well, he doesn't need them. He says it makes him look studious and trustworthy, but you and I both know it's an act. I mean, he's supposedly a vampire, right?”
    “That's what he claims.”
    “So, if he is, wouldn't he be able to glamorize himself?”
    “I suppose.” Scott trusted Beau and, thus far, Emily had no reason not to. 
    “Don't get me wrong.” Wren was quick to explain. “I like Beau. He's great, but you got to admit he can be weird at times. Do you ever think maybe he really is what he claims to be?”
    “A vampire?” Emily lifted a brow. “I don’t know. Do you think there might be more out there than we're aware of?”
    “What if folklore creatures are real?" Wren challenged. "What if that reality is hidden by what you and I were taught to believe?”
    Emily tried to keep the humor from her voice. “You’re saying there's a seedy underworld of neck biters out there?”
    “They're not the only ones who prowl the shadows.” Wren seemed undaunted by Emily's lack of conviction.
    “Werewolves and shape shifters?” Emily pursed her lips, thinking it over.
    Wren pulled the cards from her apron. She shuffled and set them out on the welcome desk. “Magic is real. I believe everyone has some amount of magic within them. The majority of people remain ignorant to their abilities. If they do catch a glimpse of it, it scares the shit out of them, and they write it off as a coincidence. Some label it as a freak occurrence. Society forces us to believe in the mundane, Emily. How do you explain the ability to perceive what the dead have seen? Do you think it’s a mere coincidence?”
    “I guess I never thought of it that way.” Emily watched Wren shuffle the cards again.
    She placed three on the desk. “That's weird.”
    Emily's attention was on Scott and Beau's voices in the backroom. She couldn't make out their heated words. “Didn’t get the card you wanted?”
    Wren swiped the cards into a neat pile. She shuffled and dealt again. “Don't poke fun, Emily. These are your cards. I'm pulling the same three, and they don't look good.”
    “I’m sure it’s just a fluke.” She leaned a hip against the desk and smiled. “Shuffle and give it another go.”
    “You shouldn't ignore this.” Wren pointed to the first card. It depicted a man with ten swords stuck in his back. “It means failure, loss…”
    “That’s old news. Everyone knows what happened to my