Smoke and Mirrors by Phaedra Weldon

Author:Phaedra Weldon [Weldon, Phaedra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Caldwell Press

Alastair Conway settled back in his office chair. His white-painted desk with its gold trim was burdened with paperwork. Though running a church had its perks, including commanding others to do just works in the name of cleansing the world of monsters, it was always the tedious running of the day-to-day that wore him out. He could rehire another secretary, but he preferred keeping things hands on. Alastair had already been burned once by those without true commitment to carry out the church's work.

The knock at his office door was a nice respite. "Come in."

One of the newer members who worked at the front desk stepped in and bowed. He could install microphones, or even insist on using the intercom button on his phone, but he didn't trust them. If he could program those phones to listen to his flock's conversations, he certainly didn't want them listening to his. "Yes?"

"You have a visitor."

"Mr. Smith?"

The member hesitated and then nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Please, send him in. Oh, and Riley?"

The member turned back to him. "Yes, sir?"

"He gives me the creeps, too."

The member gave him a worried smile before disappearing back through the door. Another few minutes and the door opened again, revealing Alastair's latest pet project.

Mr. Smith. An alias Alastair had given him. The boy's name was actually Eric Gordon, the youngest son from a nobody in Boston. Eric had come to Atlanta in search of a reason for the voices in his head, refusing to listen to what the doctors said. And when he arrived he met a girl and fell in love and he started to feel better.

Unfortunately the boy's optimism was crushed that girl he so wanted to marry was taken by one of the foul Vampires that roamed the city. Night Walkers. Or whatever they wanted to call themselves.

Eric had witnessed it and would have been the second victim for the evening if hadn’t heard the call of the Onryō inside of him to seek vengeance. Or that was his story. It had seemed a long and arduous tale when he first told it to Alastair, insisting he believed what the Reverend had been preaching since his own daughter was turned into a monster and then killed was true. At first, Alastair humored the boy, nodding and looking at him, but not really listening.

Until Eric had said, “Other Onryō told me you were the one who could help rid the world of those corrupted by this darkness. Innocent lives destroyed by their blood. And I can exorcise their agents, rendering them powerless. I can be vengeance.”

It was a word the boy used that intrigued Alastair. "Agents? What agents?"

"These creatures of darkness possess the souls of the innocent and force them to do their bidding. They feed off of them and force them to commit evil acts.” Eric had put his fist against his chest. "But as an Onryō I have the power to release them!"

Alastair assumed the boy had been talking about the Vampires' Retainers, humans under employment, who did tasks for their Vampire Overlords, things that could only be done in the daylight.

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