Romeo & Juliet & Vampires Read Online Free PDF Page B

Benvolio.”
    â€œRomeo, look! The light came on inside the castle!” Mercutio said, pointing at the room where the servant maid had promised to give them safe passage.
    Romeo sighed in relief. “Thanks be to God.”
    â€œDo not thank God yet,” warned Benvolio as he patted Romeo hard on the back. “This mission has only just begun. Who knows what will happen when we enter the vampire lair during dinnertime?”
    â€œStop being so dramatic,” Mercutio said as he reached into a burlap sack and pulled out three garlic cloves attached to link chains. “Here, take these. Friar Laurence dipped the cloves in triple-blessed holy water and the chain is made of pure silver. This combination will render us invisible to both vampires and werewolves. But it only lasts for another hour, so Romeo, you and your wench cannot dawdle.”
    â€œOne more foul word about Rosaline, and I will pummel you with my fist,” Romeo snapped, ripping his string of garlic away from Mercutio and putting it around his neck.
    â€œActually, I think you should bludgeon him with this.” Benvolio reached into the burlap sack and brought out a foot-long crowbar.
    Romeo stared at it in sheer amazement. “What else do you have in that bag?”
    â€œJust the usual—a handsaw, wooden stakes, a mason chisel, shears, and a couple of axes,” Mercutio explained matter-of-factly.
    â€œI suppose that will suffice,” Romeo said.
    â€œWe cannot carry it all. That would only slow us down. Pick just one or two weapons and follow me.” Benvolio snuck out of the bushes with cloves of garlic dangling around his neck and the crowbar in his right hand.
    Romeo stuffed the mason chisel and a wooden stake into the waistband of his trousers and then darted off behind Mercutio, who was already ahead and walking stride for stride with Benvolio.
    Romeo’s heart started pounding as he and his cousin dashed across the outskirts of the estate, making their way toward the gate. Romeo kept his eyes trained on the tower guards to make sure they had not been spotted. Fortunately, no one seemed the slightest bit aware of the Montague trespassers. The necklaces must have been working.
    â€œHere it is,” Mercutio whispered. He halted in front of a warped section of the gate, where one of the bars was bent to the side, creating a small hole. “Maribel told me that when she steals away to see me, she slips through this spot here to evade the guards.”
    Benvolio examined the damaged gate and snickered. “Obviously she eats less than your last lady friend. That boar could not have gotten through here if she tried!”
    Mercutio poked Benvolio in the stomach with the handle of his mallet. “Neither will you, my paunchy friend.”
    â€œQuit fooling around and step aside.” Romeo snatched the crowbar away from Benvolio, wrapping his fingers around the base of it with all his strength. “We have a party to attend.”
    Careful not to make any loud sounds that would alert the guards, Romeo placed the crowbar between the two metal rungs in the gate so he could get ample leverage. He shifted his shoulders forward and then leaned backward, hoping to pry the rungs apart even farther so he and his cousins could sneak through. However, his effort made little difference.
    Romeo tried again, this time using both his arms and his leg muscles with all his might. His palms became wet with perspiration and his arms ached, but he ignored the pain and thought of Rosaline—her gorgeous, milk-colored skin and bright, beaming eyes. He was so close to seeing her, he would not let anything or anyone stand in between them.
    Romeo dug deep into his soul for a surge of brute power, and with one final swift, heaving motion, he bent the metal rung so far that it almost snapped in two.
    â€œAha! I did it!” Romeo said, pumping a fist into the air in jubilation.
    â€œCongratulations, Romeo. That only