Darren Shan - The Saga of Larten Crepsley 01 - Birth of a Killer by Shan Darren

Author:Shan, Darren [Shan, Darren]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, pdf
Tags: Vampires, Action & Adventure, Horror, Fiction, Horror & Ghost Stories, Boys & Men, Horror stories, General, Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 9780316078634
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2010-10-05T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

The walls of the ruined mansion were scorched black from the fire that had destroyed it. There was still a foul smell in the air, although it had been years since the blaze. It felt like a dark, forbidding place, even to a night creature like Larten. It didn’t surprise him that the monster–the vampire?–had picked this spot for its base.

They each took a stake from the bag. Wester kept the hammer. He gave Larten the cross and stuck the holy water in a pocket. He left the saw and the garlic in the bag outside the ruins, telling Larten that they could return for those later if they were successful.

The scared boys slowly picked their way through the debris, saying nothing, studying each new room or corridor at length before entering. The roof and the upper floors had fallen in, but lots of floorboards and tiles remained in certain sections, casting scores of shadows. There were many places for a sun-fearing killer to hide.

If Larten had been by himself, he would have waited until midday, when the sun was at its strongest, then proceeded at a snail’s pace, making as little noise as possible. But Wester was in a hurry to wreak revenge. He couldn’t bear to stand still—he might go mad if he did.

Larten spotted the opening to the cellar. It had been half-covered by several planks. He considered saying nothing to Wester. It might be for the best if the boy never saw it, if he explored the rest of the ruins and came to the conclusion that the beast wasn’t here. They could go home and that would be the end of it.

But Larten had come to uncover the truth, not engage in an act of deception. He was here to help Wester, not slyly direct him out of danger’s way. The orphan deserved his shot at revenge. So Larten tugged Wester’s sleeve and pointed.

Wester’s cheeks paled. For a moment he looked as if he might bolt for safety. Then he steeled himself, nodded grimly, led the way to the steps, and pushed some of the planks aside.

They descended in silence and soon found themselves in a small cellar that had probably been used to store food and wine in the past. It was dark but not pitch-black. Light filtered through from the entrance behind them and also from cracks in the ceiling.

There was something lying by the wall to their right, in the darkest part of the room. It was the shape of a human, covered by thick blankets. Wester started forward, but Larten stopped him. Before advancing, he made a slow turn, studying the walls and the ceiling. He had been taken by surprise once in a place like this—he wasn’t about to be caught twice.

Having checked for an ambush, Larten moved ahead of Wester and edged to one side, leaving clear the most direct route to the body. He would give Wester the first strike. If the boy failed, Larten would leap to his aid.

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