The Siren (Laments of Angels & Dark Chemistry Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

any circumstance,” Lucienne said. Stepping forward, she fixed her stare on the Lama. “Open the path and let us go!”
    The Lama staggered back, his face distorting. When he collected himself, his eyes fell on Lucienne. “You’re The One. You have the power of persuasion.” A ghost of a smile touched his eyes this time. “I suggest you not use it again. This power consumed your energy when you drew on it.”
    Lucienne’s face paled. The distance between her and the Lama had weakened her power, but the Khampa leader must have learned to resist mind compulsion. She respected him for that, but appreciated it much less that he laid bare one of her secrets in front of Vladimir. He would see her in a different light—he’d regard her as a freak if he knew about her paranormal abilities.   
    “You’re hallucinating, Lama,” she said coldly.
    Vladimir immediately stepped before her to shield her. “You think you’re quite smart, don’t you, Khampa?” He snickered. “But you have no idea who really opened the vault. You knew an ancient item was at the Samye, and you were dying to have it, but you were clueless as to where the saint hid it, until we spelled it out for you. Until we set off the alarm.” 
    A dangerous light entered the Lama’s eyes. “The scroll is the holy sentinel of Tibet. Hand it back, and we’ll let both of you go.”
    “He’s lying,” Lucienne said. Even if the Khampa kept his promise, she had no plans to give him the scroll. “He’d never let us go.”
    “The scroll doesn’t belong to you,” Vladimir said to the leader in Tibetan. “It’s been waiting for the rightful guardian for centuries, as the prophecy said, so I came to claim it. Now get out of our way before things get ugly.”  
    “Not until you leave the scroll, boy. Look around you. Even a fly can’t get out,” the Lama said. “We’ll get it one way or another. If you give it back willingly, you’ll be treated as our honored guests. You have my word.”
    “He’ll force us to crack the message on the scroll if he captures us,” Lucienne said. Without a warning, she pulled the beads off her braids and hurled them toward the Khampa and his warriors. He deflected the two whizzing beads hurtling toward him, but several monks around him weren’t as fortunate. They swayed and dropped to the ground in heaps, unconscious.
    “Acupoints Meridian?” The Khampa leader looked shocked.  
    Lucienne smiled faintly. When she was ten, Kian enlisted a hermit who called himself Nameless to coach her. Master Nameless observed her for three months and tested her countless times before deciding she was worthy of learning the lost Meridian art that so few on earth still grasped. 
    “Thirty-six acupoints are lethal. They can stop the subject’s blood from flowing and damage his organs. Another seventy-two points can cause severe injuries to the subjects’ nerve plexus,” said the Lama.   
    “He’s quoting again. Man,” Vladimir sighed.
    “Who taught you the ancient Meridian?” the Lama asked.
    “You’re only lucky I haven’t aimed to kill,” Lucienne said, then threw Vladimir a look.
    Vladimir produced a deck of cards and hurled them toward the monks on the sidelines. The cards had no Meridian powers, but the monks didn’t know that. They drove the monks several steps back, buying Vladimir and Lucienne extra time.
    Turning on their heels, Vladimir and Lucienne broke into a dead run toward the chasm, accelerating at the midpoint of the runway.
    “Stop! You won’t make it!” the Lama shouted.
    Vladimir reached the chasm first. Without hesitation, he lifted his legs in the air, his muscles tensing.
    Lucienne watched him leap across the chasm like a graceful panther as she ran after him. His feet hit the ground on the other side, leaving the edge of the abyss a few inches behind him. Lucienne smiled as pride swelled in her chest. Vladimir spun around and tossed the end of the bat hook toward her with a grin. It