Sloan ignored the lieutenant as she stepped inside the cage. Her skin prickled with goosebumps, not from the cold, but from the monstrosity Aareth had turned into, the one that was lying in front of her.
Heavy panting came from the wolf beast. Calling it a true wolf wasn’t exactly accurate. Now that Sloan had a chance to see what Aareth had become and not worry about super soldier vampires trying to kill her, she was taken back by his transformation.
His body was covered in thick, black fur that did nothing to hide the musculature of his frame. Wounds from the fight with the vampires still criss-crossed his skin. His hind feet were that of a wolf’s, but his torso looked more like a man’s, with arms, hands, and fingers. His head was all canine, from sharp, pointed ears, to his muzzle that steamed with hot, panicked breaths.
He had stopped howling once Sloan had entered the courtyard, but low, almost inaudible cries still escaped his lungs. The only thing that truly remained of Aareth were his piercing blue eyes. The same eyes that had joked and laughed with her before, studied her now. It was impossible for Sloan to tell if he recognized her or not, but the fact that he wasn’t straining against his bonds to attack her was a good sign.
“I don’t know how much of you is left in there,” Sloan whispered to Aareth. “But your wife is alive. If you want to see her and get out of this cage, you have to listen to me.”
Aareth stopped whining. Besides the heavy lift of his chest when he breathed, he lay still. Sloan examined his bonds. He was lying on his left side with a pair of steel braces connecting his hind paws to one another and anchoring them to the ground. He had another pair around his forepaws. Finally, a steel collar fit tightly around his neck. It was also chained to the ground.
“Easy, I’m going to get you out of here.” Sloan’s heart raced. Every beat became too loud as she heard it in her head and ears. “If you bite me, I’m going to be so pissed.”
Sloan was aware of soldiers on all sides of the cage murmuring to one another and retreating to what they deemed a safe distance.
“Captain, Captain Sloan.” Lieutenant Baker was the only one brave enough to question her now. “Are you sure you should be doing this?”
Like before, Sloan ignored him. She was too busy praying that the same key that unlocked the cage would also release Aareth from his bonds.
Hindquarters first, Sloan inserted the key. With a loud click, the bonds fell away.
Sloan let out a huge breath she hadn’t known she was holding. Aareth still didn’t move, besides his rising and lowering chest. His bright blue eyes followed her actions.
Sloan moved to the second set of restraints on his front paws. The key did its magic. Once again, the shackles opened and released Aareth from their grasp.
“This is going to work,” Sloan whispered to him as she gathered her courage to release the collar from his neck. “We’re going to be okay.”
Alarms signaling a complete palace and city lockdown split the night air in a cacophony so loud it could have woken the dead. Aareth jolted in surprise. On instinct, his jaws opened, and he bit into Sloan’s right arm.
Sloan
As soon as Aareth bit her, two things happened at once. The feeling of a dozen knives clamping down on either side of her arm shocked Sloan, and for a split second the pain was held at bay by the pure shock of the moment. Sloan screamed in agony once that half-second had passed.
The second thing that happened was a group of guards who ran from the palace, all shouting things, trying to be heard over the loud sirens.
Sloan had bigger problems on her hands than trying to catch what the soldiers were saying, but she caught enough to understand. There was plenty of pointing and hand waving in her direction, along with the broken, “Stop the captain,” and “Get her.”
With Sloan’s right arm still in Aareth’s mouth, Sloan was left with only one choice. She pulled back her left fist that still held her sword and struck Aareth in the nose with all her might. The hilt made contact with the soft part of Aareth’s snout. Blood flew into the air, but brought the desired result. Aareth released his grip. Blue eyes watering, he shook his head from side to side.
Sloan didn’t have time to think. Soldiers from all around the cage were running at her now. There were precious seconds to react.
Sloan ignored her bleeding arm and the pain that accompanied the wound. She flipped on the switch to her mage sword, bringing the blade down on the last restraint around Aareth’s neck.
“Don’t kill anybody,” Sloan yelled at Aareth as she exited the cage. “Follow me.”
That’s all she could do. Hands were already reaching to tackle her to the ground. Rifles were pointed her way. The siren continued, followed by so much shouting, Sloan wondered how even the soldiers could hear one another.
Sloan did her absolute best not to seriously injure any of the soldiers trying to grab her. But the fact was she was still getting used to her own strength. Sloan bulldozed past the first few soldiers. When a hand did grab her, it was ripped away as they lost her grip on her, thanks to her newfound speed.
When Sloan did strike, she aimed for a stomach or a kick to a leg. She turned off her mage sword, worried she would actually kill one of the soldiers trying to grab her. As she bulldozed her way to the palace exit, the wrought iron gates began to swing closed.
Gunshots filled the air, flying past her head or striking the cobblestone steps, sending up broken pieces of stone.
Breathing was easy as she sprinted. Even the pain in her arm was beginning to dull. Sloan chanced a look behind her. Whether he understood what she’d said, or he was as eager as she was to escape from the cage and the bullets, Aareth ran just behind her.
Sloan’s feet barely touched the ground before they lifted again. Still, by the time she had reached the front gates, they had just swung closed.
What the hell, Sloan thought. I’ve already been punched, stabbed, and bitten tonight.
Sloan slammed into the iron fence at a full sprint. Her teeth rattled as she made contact with the unforgiving frame. It sagged, bent for a moment, and Sloan thought she had broken the gate off of its hinges. But it held. Sloan stumbled back, stunned, before Aareth slammed into her from behind, sending both of them crashing into the gate.
A rending metallic tear added to the sounds of the night. Side by side, Sloan and Aareth sprinted down the street toward the city’s main gates.
Sloan
Even with their inhuman gift of speed, Sloan knew there was no way they were going to make it through the city and reach New Hope’s main entrance ahead of the alarms. Already she could imagine the massive doors being swung shut.
All around them, people screamed or dove out of their way. Horses bucked at the sight of Sloan and Aareth pounding down the middle of the streets.
Sloan found herself with a free moment to worry about how Pia, Harrison, Edison, and Elwood had done. Not only that, but the idea had also entered her mind that she had made a unconscious choice to send them after one another while she saved Aareth. Very easily she could have chosen to go and warn Jack and the Ahab sisters, or Doctor Livingston and Commander Brookhaven.
Had she made the right choice? What if none of the others made it out at all? But she had made the only correct choice there was, hadn’t she? She was the only one who could have saved Aareth, right?
The cold air that should have chilled her lungs felt refreshing on her run. Fatigue was only a memory while the burning her muscles should have experienced was nonexistent. The pain in her arm where Aareth had bitten her was not only gone, but it also felt better than normal.
Sloan glanced down to see what had become of her wound. Just like the mortal knife she had taken to the ribs, her injury had healed. The exact science as to her new healing factor would have to wait to be explained, if it ever could be. Right now, Sloan had bigger problems to deal with.
Sloan and Aareth ran down a slight hill in the road. When they came to the other side, it was a straight shot to New Hope’s
city gates. Sloan’s worst fears were realized. The sirens had given the soldiers enough warning to not only swing the gates shut, but to also form a firing line at the front.
No less than ten rifles were pointed in her direction at the moment.
A plan came to mind, a plan so insane, Sloan knew she was already changing from the queen’s captain of the guard to some kind of rebel leader willing to take risks.
“Aareth, don’t kill them.” Sloan was surprised she was able to speak loud and clear, despite her lungs working overtime to support her speed. “You owe me one for saving you. Plus, I’ll bite you if you kill them. I need you to hold them off for a few seconds. I can get us through the gate.”
The nod from the massive wolf-creature that bounded next to her on all fours might have been Sloan’s imagination, but Aareth did look at her when she spoke.
There was no time left to plan. Sloan took a position in front of Aareth as the gunfire from the rifles exploded into the air. Whether the soldiers were terrified or Sloan was simply moving too fast, two bullets found their mark—one in her left thigh, and the other in her right shoulder.
Sloan felt the pain, but it seemed to have even less of an effect than Aareth’s bite. Sloan ran the last few yards to the soldiers, who were half-terrified, half-concentrating on lowering their rifles to unsheathe their swords.
To Sloan, they moved in slow motion as she vaulted over their line. In her hand, her mage sword came to glowing red life as she swung the blade hilt deep into the massive wooden door that denied them their escape.
Gritting her teeth, Sloan maneuvered her mage sword around in a huge circle. Slower than she would have liked, the heated metal ate through the wood, carving a path to freedom.
Sloan could hear Aareth more than she could see him as he barked and roared at the soldiers. Out of Sloan’s peripheral vision, she could see uniformed figures flying through the air, only to come crashing down yards from their previous spots.
Sweat formed on Sloan’s brow as she carved the blade through the wood. A dozen questions and doubts attacked her as her body strained against the task, but her mind was free to wander.
What was she becoming? Who would make it to Term in three days? She really should have been more specific in telling them exactly where to meet.
Sloan finished her rough circle that looked like a two-year-old had attempted to draw a sphere. With the same kick she used to dispatch The Scar, Sloan slammed her foot into the makeshift door. It flew out the other side of the gate without pause.
“Aareth.” Sloan turned to see how her accomplice was fairing. “We’re home fr—”
The words died in her mouth. Soldiers who were stupid enough to stay to fight had been scattered around the scene like empty beer bottles at a party. Aareth was sitting down, looking at her, a severed arm in his mouth, his tail wagging furiously. One soldier moaned beside him, holding the fresh wound.
“Are you kidding me?” Sloan marched over to Aareth, taking the arm from his mouth with a scowl. “What happened to not permanently hurting them?”
Sloan moved to the groaning soldier. She took off his belt and wrapped it around the wound, then placed his arm beside him.
“Hang in there. I can already hear help on the way. They’ll be here in seconds. Your arm isn’t lost. Tell them to ice it and they’ll be able to reattach it. I’m sorry about Aareth; he’s still getting used to the whole wolf thing.”
The soldier’s face was pale from lack of blood, but he nodded along with Sloan’s explanation. “Thank you?”
Sloan nodded, getting back to her feet. She glared at Aareth, who lowered his head in shame.
“Come on.” Sloan jumped through the hole in New Hope’s gate. “We have an appointment in Term to make, and a war to plan.”
End Book Two
Author’s Note
Hello friends,
Thank you, thank you, thank you, not just for reading my work but staying interested enough to read and finish book two.
By far this has been my most successful series. I’ve been writing for five years now with fourteen books published before I began penning The Vampire Project books. Up until that point my sales were dismal. I’ll keep my drama in check but between you and me I was disappointed. I knew that I would never stop writing but pouring hours of effort into a novel and seeing so little interest was beginning to wear on my determination.
But then, like a surprise fart, my career took a turn. I wish I could take credit for this but honestly there were only two things that really changed. First, I started investing serious money into my books. My wife began running Facebook and Amazon ads for my books, she booked promotion sites and worked with the cover designer to create the covers you see on all The Vampire Project books.
She’s been amazing. Not just because she believes in me to the point she’s willing to invest money into my product but because she’s taken it all on in stride. Through the process I haven’t heard her complain once. Okay, maybe she did mumble something about not sleeping anymore but other than that she’s been a trooper.
The second major thing that saved my writing career has been the support from other authors. There are so many great writers who offered advice when I reached out or featured my book in their newsletter or blog. Everyone was willing to give me some advice and a push in the right direction.
So here we are finishing book two and beginning book three. This is a great time to tell you that I’ve been reading your reviews on Amazon and I’ve noticed a few people say they felt mislead by the synopsis since it seems like the novel will take place completely from Sloan’s point of view. I’m listening and I agree. You may have noticed a large portion of the end of House of Blood, comes from Sloan’s point of view, that’s not a coincidence.
I’m already working on book three in the series and I’ll be writing from Sloan’s view point for the majority of the book. I think the bulk of the tale revolves around her. I’m thinking a sixty to seventy percent split between her and the other characters would be nice. But we’ll see a lot can happen when you’re a pantser like I am. Oh, wait if you don’t know what a pantser is you might get the wrong impression of me.
A “pantser” is a term writers use to describe someone who writes by the seat of their pants. This means I do no outlining at all. Some people call me crazy and they’d be right. I know where I want the story to go when I sit down to write and it’s more fun for me to follow the characters in their adventure letting them dictate how things happen. It’s like I’m along with them for the ride.
I still however, have to take notes, with so many characters, backstory and terms to remember I’m having to note every time I introduce a new character or an important piece of information in a character’s back story so I can stay true to the story.
Anyway it’s been great chatting with you but I have a gnome speaking gibberish in my head that I have to attend to.
Oh, before I go, I want to let you know I’ve included a sneak peek at book three in The Vampire Project below, along with a personal invitation to join my Wolf Pack.
Finally, if you can spare a few minutes of your day leaving a review for the book would mean a lot. It helps other likeminded readers decide if they want to invest the time in my story or not. I know it’s just a review to you but to me it means more visibility for my novels.
You’re the best. I hope you decide to join my Wolf Pack (keep reading) so we can stay in touch,
Jonathan
P.S. Join the Pack on Facebook I’m on there most days: https://www.facebook.com/JonathanYanezAuthor/
Here’s a sneak peek at the third book in The Vampire Project.
House of Spells
“When can I see my sister? And Jack, you said I could see them.”
“And you will. You know the deal. You master this first step in your journey and you’ll be allowed to visit them,” Leah Noble stood with her arms crossed over her chest. “I promise you they are safe and close by, now focus.”
Beads of sweat fell down Elizabeth’s brow as she concentrated on her open palms. More than anything she wanted to conjure the magical force to not only see her sister but to be done with Leah Noble at least until their next session.
“Breath slowly,” Leah coached from the other side of Elizabeth’s new room. “Empty everything in your head and feel the power that courses through you. Don’t think you can, know you can.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes. Frustration at not being able to bring the magic to her palms enraged her. Why couldn’t she do it? It seemed simple enough. There was no doubt she was special, so why couldn’t she touch the mage power like Jack and Leah could.
“Your sister thinks there’s something wrong with you,” Leah’s voice penetrated Elizabeth’s concentration. “She thinks you can be fixed from what you are.”
Elizabeth knew Leah was trying to poison her mind, she knew her sister was only trying to look out for her but there was a part of her that agreed with Leah. Since Abigail discovered that Elizabeth had been experimented on in the secret laboratory in Burrow Den she had been adamant about finding a cure. The truth was Elizabeth liked being different. It was who she was now.
“I say there is nothing wrong with you,” Leah coaxed on. “I say you’re as complete as you ever could be. Now, child find the flame within yourself and become what you were always supposed to become.”
House of Blood: (A Paranormal Urban Fantasy) (The Vampire Project Book 2) Page 16