The Amulet Read Online Free PDF

book through muddy water. Yours is not only clear as a bell, but quick as well. Although you're still processing your heightened senses, you're still able to process other information. You have the mind of a vampire centuries old, rather than hours."
    Nevar seemed to take some pride in Xander's words because he squared his shoulders and the guilt he'd been wearing all night seemed to lift off his face. What she saw beneath nearly took her breath away. He had always looked stunning, but now, he had a light in his eyes and a presence about him that dominated the room. She caught herself thinking that she was in a room with two of the most gorgeous men she'd ever seen. The models and actors she'd worked with before could not hold a candle next to them, and that said a lot.
    "Okay," she said, "May I ask just how old you are?"
    Nevar's laugh filled the room. "How long has it been, Xander? Let's see, I was turned back in 1326, so that makes me nearly 700 years old."
    "Are werewolves immortal, too?"
    "I wouldn't use the term immortal. We die, but as long as we continue to transform, our bodies don't age. It's not so much involuntary as the legends make it seem. We can change at will, but we do draw strength from the moon. It affects our blood the same way it pushes and pulls the tides, waxing and waning each day as it rises and sets, not just how much shadow may or may not be covering it." He scoffed and shook his head slightly. "Humans are such superstitious beings. They tend to invent explanations to things they don't understand."
    "Don't underestimate them, Xander. Their science is getting much more advanced."
    "But we, I mean, they believe that vampires and werewolves are just figments of their imaginations... I would still believe it if I wasn't here now."
    "Well," Nevar noted, "we prefer it that way. Life was far more difficult in the 18th century when our kind were abundant. Too many of us meant that the humans caught on. Not only did they hunt us, but they managed to succeed in killing a few of us. Luckily for us, the majority of their victims were half-rotten corpses."
    Alyssa turned back to Xander. "What about the legends about werewolves? Are you allergic to silver like the stories say?"
    He laughed. "Why? Are you planning on trying to shoot me with a silver bullet?" He ran his hand through his golden mane and put on a more serious expression. "Unlike my friend over here, my kind are a little more vulnerable. Now, we heal quickly enough, but some wounds are fatal. As far as a silver bullet goes, it could be made of lead and still kill us if it hits a vital organ. Our hearts still beat."
    Alyssa felt a twinge of jealousy. How nice it must be to have life and the abilities that he had, and to be able to end them if he chose to do so. It seemed that he had gotten the better end of the bargain. He looked up at her and his eyes locked with hers.
    "Don't think that mine is a pampered existence," his tone was harsh, but there was a softness in his eyes that confused her. "When the wolf takes over, I must fight to keep myself in check. If the beast were ever to gain complete control, I would never be able to return to my human form. My soul would be lost to the beast, a fate far worse than death.”
    She was slightly taken aback by his tone, but she could certainly understand the seriousness of his words. “Speaking of souls, what about mine? Did I lose it when my heart stopped?” She made her tone match Xander’s, and held his eyes with her own.
    “ There’s no good answer for that question, because in all honesty, no one knows. The only ones who might know, well, they aren’t saying. Only death will answer that question for you.”
    Nevar looked at her with sympathetic eyes, no doubt thinking he was at fault for her current condition. "And I am," he answered her thought. "If you will allow me to prepare a room for you, Alyssa, I wish you to stay here until you recover fully."
    She looked at them both in turn. They looked