The River Men: An Urban Fantasy Adventure (Joey Finch Book 2) (The Joey Finch Series) by Peter J. Woods

Author:Peter J. Woods [Woods, Peter J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781922728050
Publisher: Stingray Press
Published: 2023-04-27T23:00:00+00:00

24

A fist-sized ball of sizzling red energy hovered in front of him, casting everything in a hellish light. He brushed his scraggly black hair out of his eyes and looked up at the water. With a wave, he diverted the falling water to the sides of the room.

He removed his coat to reveal he wore no shirt underneath, although the flickering red light showed off dark ragged scars that criss-crossed all over his body. I couldn’t see a clear patch of skin more than three inches across. Then I saw the machinery.

Jeremy hissed out a breath next to my ear. Riss gave him a sharp elbow.

A series of electrical and mechanical devices hung off the Scarred Man’s chest and stomach, secured to his torso with wide black straps. A plastic tube ran from one of the boxes to his ventilation mask. I couldn’t see any oxygen tanks, so I assumed it was a purely mechanical device, physically pumping air in and out of the guy’s lungs.

He made a small gesture with his hand and a shard of concrete broke away from the wall, sticking out at a dangerous angle. He used it to hang his coat, then turned back to the centre of the chamber.

The Scarred Man extended his arm and walked forward. The scars on his arm flared to life, throwing even more red light around the room, and a strained grunt echoed towards us. With his jaw set in grim determination, he waved his arm back and forth, the energy coursing through his scars telling him whether he was getting hot or cold. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed the Well of Power.

The effect was immediate.

A blinding flash of scarlet light filled the chamber, followed by a howling wind and a freight train of magical pressure on my brain. I let out a small cry, surprised at the sudden pain. Luckily, the Scarred Man was too busy screaming to notice.

He fell to his knees in the water and bellowed an agonised roar. The scars covering his body glowed an intense red, too bright to look at. The pain coursing through his body would have been unbearable. When he finally stopped screaming, he stayed on his knees in tortured silence for a full minute as the light in his scars died down. With shaking hands, he pushed himself to his feet.

I put my mouth to Riss’s ear. “We should—”

The elf ranger clamped a hand over my mouth and stared daggers at me, then inclined her head back towards the chamber. She held my head so tightly I could only move my eyes.

A dark figure climbed down the wall of the chamber behind the Scarred Man, moving with spider-like grace. Then another appeared. And another. Before long, the Scarred Man was surrounded by a dozen red-eyed vampires, and more kept coming, crawling from the culverts at the top of the chamber. They bared rows of shark-like teeth as they clung to the walls, using minuscule cracks and protrusions for purchase.

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