First Bites by Darren Shan

Author:Darren Shan [SHAN, DARREN]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure - General, Juvenile Fiction / Boys & Men, Juvenile Fiction / Horror & Ghost Stories
ISBN: 9780316233576
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2012-09-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

The tunnels were littered with wounded or resting vampires. Larten didn’t see any fatalities, but he was sure there would be several by the end of the Festival. No vampire would feel pity for those who fell. Humans might consider it a waste of life, but for vampires death in combat was the noblest way to die.

Larten didn’t quite wish for death, but at least it would have spared him this indignity. He knew he was making things worse by hopping away–he’d now be seen not just as a weak new-blood but as one who ran when the going got tough–but he didn’t care. All he wanted was to find a quiet spot for himself so he could hide and nurse his injured leg and wounded pride.

“Hey!” someone called. Larten paused and looked around. Three young men were seated at a table in a niche in the tunnel, playing cards. The tallest of them was smiling invitingly. “Do you play?”

Larten blinked. “Why aren’t you fighting?” he asked.

“Challenges are so eighteenth century,” the vampire laughed, then extended a hand. “I’m Tanish Eul. Come and join us. Gambling is a far more civilized way to pass the time.”

Larten stared at Tanish Eul and his companions. A bottle of wine stood on the table, and another couple of bottles rested nearby. The men were dressed in the modern human fashion, hair carefully swept back. One even sported a monocle. They looked unlike any other vampire he’d seen.

Tanish Eul wiggled his fingers. “I won’t hold out my hand forever.”

Larten felt a great urge to join them, to share their wine and show off his card skills. He had a feeling they wouldn’t care about his humiliation in the gaming Hall, that they’d laugh and make him feel it wasn’t important. He took a step towards the trio, then stopped. If Seba found him here, drinking and gambling when he should be fighting, Larten knew his master would be disappointed.

“Thank you,” Larten mumbled, “but I have to go.”

“As you wish.” Tanish lowered his hand. “But feel free to drop in on us another time. You’ll always find a welcome here.”

Larten half-waved to the strangely dressed vampires and staggered away with a frown. After a while he stopped thinking about Tanish Eul and focused again on his battered ego. He had meant to rest in one of the more remote Halls, but as he limped down the tunnels, he just kept going. His feet almost had a will of their own. He came to a gate, ignored the stares of the disgruntled vampires who had been stuck with guard duty, and carried on down the maze of lower tunnels.

There were marks on the walls to show the way. He read them by the light of the glowing lichen that grew in most places here. At a fork he paused and considered taking a turn that wasn’t marked, to lose himself and perish in a godsforsaken corner of the mountain. But as bad as he felt, he hadn’t hit that low a point, or even anywhere near.

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