Vampires Don't Sparkle: Deathless Book 3 Read Online Free PDF Page A

trio of clear white pulses blasted into the sky. The energy draw made him dizzy, and Blair lost hold over the gorilla’s mind as he caught himself against a stunted tree. He felt weaker than he had in months, and a dozen alarms competed for his attention as systems failed all over the Ark. What the hell had just happened?
    He tried to focus, tried to make sense of the conflicting demands the structure placed on his consciousness. Blair was barely aware of the approaching roar. He could feel the ground shaking as heavy footfalls sent up puffs of dust. His vision focused in time to see the gorilla, its putrid gaze focused hatefully on him as it approached.  
    “Oh crap,” Blair said, staggering behind a larger tree. He wanted to blur, to leap away with the agility his form normally granted. But he couldn’t. His body was sluggish, his mind thick as molasses. It pissed him off. Why the hell couldn’t he ever get a straightforward fight? He was supposed to have the Ark on his side, not have it hamstring him at a critical moment. It wasn’t fucking fair.
    He cringed as a giant, hairy fist snapped the tree into splinters and continued into his gut. Ribs shattered as he was launched skyward, tumbling end over end into the dirt a good fifty feet away.
    “Oww,” Blair said, struggling to regain his footing. The gorilla was already charging again.

Chapter 3- Hesitation

    Liz stumbled forward, staggered by the blow from behind. Claws ruptured her kidney, hot pokers jabbing into her again and again. She gritted her teeth, rolling onto her back to see her attacker.
    The man standing above her had been an athlete in life, maybe a boxer or football player, judging by the broad shoulders. He had long, stringy, black hair, with a thick beard to match.
    “Not so tough, are you, little puppy?” he growled, eyes flaring toxic green as his grin widened.
    Liz considered a witty response, but settled on kicking a spray of gravel into his face. He winced, knocking the stones away. That bought her a moment, which she used to swing her sword in a low, tight arc. It hummed through the air, meeting brief resistance as it sliced through both his legs just below the knees.
    She rolled to her feet, planting the blade in his chest, and willed the weapon to drink his essence, bracing herself for the cold shock as the pulses of light flowed up the weapon and into her. Each one was like a shot of espresso, bringing strength and clarity, along with a small portion of the host’s memories.
    The latter were troubling, but she shrugged them off. She needed to focus on the combat. Being a female werewolf meant she was the only combatant on the field without the ability to blur. She was strong and she was stealthy, but she was also the slowest one here.
    “Liz!” Jordan roared from somewhere off to her right. “The militia’s in trouble. They need immediate support.”
    She glanced in the direction he was pointing, up the hill to a cluster of rocks just off the path. About a dozen men and women had taken shelter there, and were firing their weapons into a trio of deathless.
    Those deathless appeared unfazed by the assault, and all the militia had accomplished was drawing attention to themselves. She watched in horror as a deathless bounded into their ranks, disemboweling a woman with a wicked slash. It snatched up her rifle, and brought the stock down on the man next to her. His skull cracked in a spray of blood, and he collapsed onto the ground next to his companion.
    Liz was about to charge, but the ground began to shake. She darted a glance to her right, noting the massive undead gorilla charging at Blair. She’d expected him to have already dealt with it, but he wasn’t even looking in the creature’s direction
    He was focused on the Ark, and a moment later she understood why. The entire surface glowed white hot, then a burst of light shot from the tip into the sky. Another followed, then a third. Liz had no idea what they were, but she was