The Four Realms Read Online Free PDF

pointing to a place on a page, "that's the Elvish for mana, I know that much."
    "Mana as in magic?   When did you learn to read Elvish?"
    "As I said, I'm not very good.   Just know the odd word or two."
    "Even so, that's pretty impressive," she said with a mouthful of chips.   "Don't know many people who can read Elvish."
    Cassidy looked at him, as if willing him to explain.
    "Go on," she said.
    "It's a long story," he said.
    "Here we go again with the secrets," she sighed.
    "They're not secrets.   I just like to keep certain aspects of my life ... private."
    "Yeah, cos they're bound to be more shocking skeletons in your closet than being a vampire,” Cassidy said sarcastically.   "Or would that be crypt?"
    "We don't all sleep in crypts.   That's a myth."   Well some of the traditionalists allegedly did, but that was beside the point .
    He hated it when she was like this, pushing him on his past.   He didn't push her on hers, despite knowing that she was a lot older than the late teens she looked.   In fact, he was sure she looked a lot younger than that.
    The truth was, he'd learned those words of Elvish at a very traumatic time in his life, and didn't want reminding of it.   Even so he was intrigued by the notebook.
    "I wonder what it says."   Cassidy asked, snatching it off of him.   "Do you know anyone who could translate it?"
    He remembered the old library in the Vampire Council, where he used to hide from the other vampires.
    "I don't know anyone who could translate it," he said absently, deep in thought, "but I know where there's a book that might help us."
    He realised his mistake instantly but it was too late.
    "Really?"   squealed Cassidy, "we should go there."
    "Why?"   Darwin said curtly.   It had taken him fifteen years to escape from that god awful place, he had no intention of ever going back.   Screw the traditionalists and Die Neuen and their fucking never-ending factional power plays.  
    "It could be important?   Maybe valuable?"   Cassidy said.
    Darwin snatched it back and threw it at the bin across what would have been the road, but was now a field of snow.   It missed, bouncing off the rim.   "It's a piece of shit," he said as he flung it.
    "Don't!" Cassidy got up and ran over to it.   She picked it up, dusted the snow off, and put it back in her pocket.
    "Why are you being like this?" she asked.
    "Like what?"
    "You're being lame."
    "No, I'm not," Darwin protested.
    "Yes you are.   Why don't you want to find out what it says?"
    "Cos I've got a headache and you're not helping it."
    In truth, what he wanted was a good feed.   Look at yourself, Darwin , he thought to himself.   What have you become?   You ran away from the Vampire Council because you wanted a better life, and what have you done with it?   Living like a tramp and living off rats.   That's hardly the bright future you envisaged for yourself .   At the Vampire Council he'd been an abomination, a child born to a woman sired when he was still in the womb.   Even she'd rejected him.   Beaten and tormented, he'd loathed his humanity.   The ability to grow old, the ability to go out into daylight without instantly bursting into flames, they had all seemed like such abnormalities as he was growing up.   It was only when he was in his teens that he realised he could step out into the daylight and they couldn't follow him that he found his freedom.   And what had he done with it?   Nothing.   He'd run out that day four years ago and had never stopped running.
    Cassidy was lying in the middle of the road, waving her arms and legs back and forth, making a snow angel.
    "So what we gonna do with the money?" she asked.   It was a leading question, Darwin knew, but he wasn't in the mood to play games.
    "I thought maybe we could go somewhere new.   You know, visit the country."
    Cassidy stopped playing and sat up, her face very serious.
    "Oh," she said.   She knew what he was saying.
    "Cass, I can't carry on like this.