Devil's Pathway by Vicki V. Lucas

Author:Vicki V. Lucas [Lucas, Vicki V.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fiction on Fire
Published: 2015-03-09T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Wild West

Mr. Harris crouches down. I pull back in fear that surprises me. The darkness lurches inside of me, returning with a vengeance.

Why should I be afraid of you? You go to our church after all.

“What do you want?” I ask. I hate being on the floor helpless.

Mr. Harris sits beside me. It does nothing to calm me, but I stay where I am. He clears his throat, looks around, and whispers.

“I know something weird is going on,” he starts. “And it’s gotten stronger, more apparent, since you arrived here.”

“What do you mean?” I want to act like I don’t know anything. Well, nothing about demons or vampires, but I think I’m failing miserably. I struggle to sit up.

Mr. Harris stops me with a firm hand on my good shoulder. “Your neck could be broken. Want to end up paralyzed?”

I don’t, so I comply.

“There’s no time to tell you the whole story, but my great-great uncle disappeared during the Gold Rush days. As he was very close to his mom, they couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t contact her unless he was killed. She sank into despair and grief, pleading with her other son to go look for him. After his children no longer needed him, he followed her wishes, although he knew it was a fool’s errand.”

Why are you giving me yet another boring history lesson? And why is it such a secret?

“He went to Florence, knowing it was the last place his brother had gone. But my family never heard from him again. Their mother died after that.” He stops for a while. “Grandpa went, too, after we were older, and never came back.”

“My father refused to continue the search,” Mr. Harris continues. “However, I couldn’t resist a mystery. I studied everything I could about my history and Florence.

He pauses and glances around as if he is afraid someone might overhear us. After a few seconds, he continues at a much lower tone.

“I have come to some conclusions. Something, not human or animal, killed my ancestors in Florence. And not just my family, although mine was the only one foolish enough to go looking for it.”

The door to the parking lot slams open, and footsteps pound down the hall.

Mr. Harris leans closer. “I dare not use my real name or go to Florence for proof, and honestly what evidence of my suspicions about what happened to my family would there be after all this time, for I fear they will kill me as well. But if I’m right, there’s going to be a war.”

“Why do you…?”

Before I can finish my questions, Mr. Harris pulls back as Aunt Kate rushes up to me with a look of concern. Megan lags behind her. Aunt Kate drops to her knees, and I work up a smile.

“I’m fine.” I try to get up. “Everyone is just overreacting.”

“Lay down,” she snaps. “What happened?”

I look at Megan to explain.

It was your friends. You tell them.

She gives Aunt Kate the same spiel she did to Mr.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.