Wolves and the River of Stone Read Online Free PDF Page B

he thought you’d be interested in.”
    I walked up to the counter and looked at the solid black tome. It looked thin and was very light when I picked it up.
    “What is it?” I said.
    “Some old witch’s book of shadows.”
    I frowned and cracked it open. It smelled old, but the pages looked almost new. “Why would I want a book of shadows?”
    “Well, for one it’s an antique, and for another it’s from the Salem witch trials.”
    My eyes widened. “Really?”
    “Yes, really.”
    “Wow, I’ll have to thank Frank.” I didn’t have any interest in a normal book of shadows, but one from an actual witch at the Salem witch trials? Oh yes, definitely.
    We said our goodbyes for the night before Zola and I waved to Cara as I locked the shop behind us. I sighed and opened the passenger door for her.
    “Thank you, boy,” Zola said as I closed the door.
    I climbed in the driver’s side. “Alright, let’s get you to the houseful of vampires.”
    Zola smiled as we drove down the cobblestone street.
     
    ***
     
    It was a twenty-minute drive to the Pit’s impressive home in Town and Country.
    “These poor people have no idea there are vampires nearby,” I said, for probably the thousandth time, as we drove through the neighborhood. A miasma of flowers, mature trees, and pristine landscaping decorated the well maintained road, driveways, and homes. A healthy sampling of evergreens would give the area a little color in winter.
    Zola watched the nighttime scenery roll by.
    “What do you think Philip will do next?” I said.
    She stayed silent for a while. “Ah’m not sure. Ah’ll think on it while Ah research.”
    “You doing alright?”
    The metal in her braids tinkled together as she turned to look at me. “Ah will be, boy. Ah will be.”
    I pulled into the u-shaped drive a few minutes later.
    “Are you going to come in and see Sam?”
    “Nah, I need some sleep,” I said. “I’ll give her a call tomorrow.”
    She nodded and stepped out of the car. Before she walked to the front door, she leaned in and said, “Damian?”
    “Yeah?”
    “Thank you.”
    I grinned as she closed the door, walked to the enclosed porch behind the four enormous pillars, and knocked on the Pit’s opulent black door. I could see Vik’s outline as Zola walked in. He waved briefly before closing the door.
    “Let’s go home,” I said to Vicky.
    Unfortunately my apartment was right back the way we’d come. We made it to Saint Charles and eventually out to the edge of civilization. I groaned as I stood up and closed the car door. The night was dead quiet and my footsteps sounded like hammer strikes as I climbed the wooden steps. If it hadn’t been so quiet, I may not have heard my intruders.
    My heart rate spiked when I heard a scuffing sound and muffled voices as I topped the stairs to my apartment. I thought about knocking politely just to be a smartass, but opted for kicking the door in like a crazy person. With the knob turned just enough so I wouldn’t break the door frame, I grasped my staff in my left hand, the pepperbox in my right, and kicked the door in, screaming, “You picked the wrong night you son of a–”
    “ Damian!” Sam shrieked.
    It took me a horrified moment to realize it was my half-naked sister nuzzled up to a half-naked Frank on my now-violated, battered leather couch. It took a much longer moment not to pull the trigger just to change the scene that was quickly imprinting itself on my brain.
    Sam zipped across the room, suddenly clothed again, and crushed me in a vampire hug. Bear hugs have got nothing on vampires. Her words came out in a rush, lost in the folds of the old leather jacket I was wearing, where her face was planted. “Thank god you’re okay. Carter told Aideen what you were doing and Aideen told me. We were really getting worried.”
    “Why are you here?” I squeaked out.
    “Frank’s in-laws are at his place. Vassili has a bunch of out-of-town vamps at the Pit. I had a key.” She