Dark Ember: Night of Blood, #3

By E.L. Jones

He is a dead man.

Abel, the eldest of all vampires, leader of the Lorcans, tall, pale with a pointy nose, who likes to kidnap unsuspecting victims and turn them into vampires without their consent.

I'm hoping 'The Samaritan' will be able to help us to end this war.

Claude says that Ruby has something that have been stolen by other vampires years ago so they can kill Abel.

Seems the vampire clan don't like him either.

Marcel and Vega are taking their time to gather other werewolves to fight in this war.

Vega thinks I'll wait it out.

Until I don't.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Habrid Publishing House
• Release date: Jan 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215241875

E.L. Jones

Elizabeth Lauren (E.L.) Jones is a mother to one little terror who keeps her on her toes. She's always loved books and have a soft spot for paranormal romance and fantasy genre. She is an introverted soul and on her spare time, loves to read various books, go on adventures with her little terror and her much taller husband, such as horse riding, snorkelling, kayaking and rock climbing, as well as watching different genre movies. She loves her coffee with no sugar and sitting by her deck taking in the soft breeze and fresh air.

Book preview

Chapter One

Ruby

Ruby watches Claude’s truck pull out of her driveway. She can see him clearly through the rear windshield- he, alone, with Amara, the newly turned vampire, who seems to have captured all of his attention. She remembers what it was like to be his only muse. It makes her smile warmly but also brings out a deep-seated jealousy. It briefly transports her back to an emotional state she had left behind years ago.

Oh Claude, even after all these years.

She pulls her eyes away from the truck and closes the window blinds. Her hands gracefully reach inside one of the drawers and removes a medication for chronic anxiety. It is the only thing that can help her overactive mind settle into a gentler rhythm. There were things beyond Claude that the past few days had dredged up. Looking inside Amara’s mind was a trigger for her own nightmares. There was a figure from her own past- a tall vampire who makes her spine tingle with fear and revulsion. The same monster that was responsible for luring and turning Amara.

She leans back comfortably on the sofa and waits for the medication to kick in.  Minutes pass and she feels no relief. She concentrates only on the rhythmic ticking of the metronome. The only thing accompanying her is a lingering sense of dread. A fear that all of her actions will come back to bite her. The cold sweat gently drips off her forehead as she passes into a dream like state. And, as in most cases, her last thought became the subject of her dreams- or in this case, her nightmares. The tall vampire.

Her surroundings transform into a dark, cold January night. She’s in bed listening to the creaking of some pipes and the distant moaning of the wind when she hears the clear rapping on the front door. She watches herself crawl out of bed diligently- she's a younger version of herself and already used to the odd timings associated with her line of work.

The knocks on the door grow more persuasive as she stumbles around her room, throwing on a robe and hurrying downstairs. The knocking ceases once the front lights come on. She observes the figure through the security cameras. A young man so agitated and nervous he can barely stand still for a second.

Interesting.

She opens the door just a tiny bit and peers out.

Yes? she asks and waits for an appropriate response. She’s ready to turn him away if he’s here for any purpose other than her psychic services.

Ruby? He puts his hand door on the door and leans against it. It immediately stretches the door chain to its limits and gets her guard up. She scans him from head to toe. He is out of breath. His face is unnaturally pale and gaunt with purplish veins visible below his glossy skin. She makes the connection immediately. He’s a vampire.

A friend recommended your service. I’ve heard you restore people’s minds. He speaks quickly without stopping for another breath.

Something about his desperation makes her immediately sympathetic to his cause. She unlatches the chain and holds the door open. He is fully visible now. There’s a small puddle at his feet along with muddy footprints and his clothes are soaked with moisture.

Come in.

He looks around nervously before following her inside.

Are you in danger or in trouble with the law? she asks him.

You could say I’m in danger. He immediately notices his own muddy footprints on the floor and self-consciously looks down at his shoes.

Don’t worry about it, Ruby assures him and directs him to the nearest chair. She quickly assumes a professional attitude and takes the seat opposite him. Legs crossed, she gathers up a notepad and looks at her latest subject.

Sorry, I’m not used to all of this, he adds while nervously twiddling his fingers.

We can start with names. Are you comfortable sharing yours?

There’s the sound of seconds ticking by on the grandfather’s clock before he finally replies. They call me Silas. But that’s probably not my real name anyway.

She sits up and looks at him inquisitively. Who’s ‘they’?

His eyes dart towards the doorway again before he replies in a hushed voice. The Lorcans.

She feels an involuntary twitch on her cheeks. The Lorcans were no mystery to her. She was aware of their reputation and what she was getting into by helping Silas.

Her guest notices the change in her demeanor and abruptly charges towards her. He stops at her feet.

Please, you’re my only hope right now. I’ll make it worth your while. I just can’t go back to them. He pulls out a wad of crisp bills denominated in the hundreds and securely placed inside a ziploc bag.

Ruby feels the walls closing in around her for the first time. She feels trapped. She’s caught in two minds. One worried about the risks of associating with her guest and the other half curious- eager to know what’s inside Silas’s memories. The money is an added bonus.

Curiosity wins out in the end. A rare opportunity had presented itself before her and she couldn’t let it go to waste.

Do they know you’re here? she asks in a serious tone.

No, I took every precaution in the book. I took some detours, parked my car a mile away, made sure I wasn’t trailed and...

She stops him mid-sentence. Someone as desperate would take every precaution available. It was safe to assume he was very capable in his craft seeing how he had managed to contact her.

There’s no need to go into detail. I’m sure you did your best. C’mon, we have a lot of work ahead of us.

She ushers him into her office. There’s a sense of relief in his eyes where there was previously fear and uncertainty.

Take a seat. She works quickly and professionally. It’s impossible not to, with the Lorcans in the back of her mind. They wouldn’t be far behind when they figured everything out.

Concentrate on the sound of this metronome. I’ll see you on the other side. She taps the device lovingly as she speaks. Her client senses her urgency and complies. The cold fluid is injected into his veins and slowly his icy blue eyes start to cloud around the edges.

One..two...three. Seconds