The Tome of Bill (Book 8): The Last Coven by Gualtieri Rick

Author:Gualtieri, Rick [Gualtieri, Rick]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Urban Fantasy | Vampires
Publisher: Westmarch Publishing
Published: 2017-02-10T05:00:00+00:00

PART 3

ALTARED STATE

“He’s waking up.”

“What should we do?”

“We gave our word. It is our bond, so we will follow it.”

“But this ... this...”

“Be at peace. This is but another test of our faith. We shall weather it as we have all that have come before.”

Faith? Was that ... no. The conversation had started out low, hollow, barely audible, but it gradually gained volume and clarity. Sheila’s voice didn’t have a low raspy quality to it. This one sounded like the owner had spent a lifetime chain smoking Pall Malls.

Wait, I knew that voice – Bernadette?

“Look at all the blood. I ... I can’t take my eyes off of it.”

“Turn your thoughts to Heaven, brother. Draw strength from it. Resist the temptation, great as it might be.”

Shit! There were only a few things that tempted the Templar where I was concerned, and they all involved staking my ass six ways to Sunday.

My eyes popped open, painful consciousness returning to every inch of my bruised body. Guess my healing was still playing catch up from that tank shell. Nevertheless, it was best to get my ass back in the game before this debate took a slightly more lethal turn.

Smoke and haze filled the air of the forest, but it wasn’t nearly thick enough to hide the circle of red-robed zealots staring down at me ... an odd mix of disgust and over-eagerness filling most of their faces.

Bernadette stood directly over me, her plump legs to either side of my head. Thank whatever gods there were that she wasn’t wearing a skirt. I’ve seen a lot of disturbing things, but there were some memories I didn’t want haunting me until the end of time.

Despite being in prime position to shove a cross down my throat and stomp it in nice and deep, she took a step back and actually offered me a hand.

“Um, thanks,” I replied, feeling my jaw snap back into place. Rapid healing; it never stopped being weird.

I let her help me to a sitting position, then almost screamed when I looked down at myself. I was covered head to toe in gore, like I was a victim in a Saw movie. It was sorely tempting to ask if any of the Templar might be good enough to dial 911 for me, until I realized I felt a hell of a lot better than my appearance suggested.

The blood wasn’t mine.

That’s when I remembered I’d gotten hit by the shockwave of a tank round, and apparently the messy fallout, too.

I let out a bark of laughter at the realization, which the Templar duly frowned at. Humorless fucks.

Climbing gingerly to my feet, I glanced around, a frown of my own forming once I saw who was or, more precisely, who wasn’t with us. “Sheila?”

“Be at peace,” Bernadette said, averting her eyes from mine. “She fights still, over yonder.”

“Good,” I replied, relief evident in my voice. “We should go help her.”

“The Blessed One requires no help from ones such as us.”

“What?”

“I mean, she is best equipped among us to deal with the treachery of the Magi.

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