The Forbidden Trilogy (Special Omnibus Edition) by Karpov Kinrade

Author:Karpov Kinrade [Kinrade, Karpov]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Metaphysical, Paranormal, Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Sci Fi & Fantasy
ISBN: 9781622530144
Publisher: Daring Books
Published: 2012-11-26T14:00:00+00:00

Chapter 69 – Drake

Drake slugged another mouthful of cheap vodka and waited for the burn to dull his pain. The abandoned apartment building he'd holed-up in stank like shit and piss and vomit, but he didn't care. He sat on an old mattress with his back against the wall and watched the void where a door had once hung.

Every second of existence tore at him until even alcohol couldn't bury the feelings. The place in his chest where his powers had once lived now felt empty, like the core of a rotten apple. Even when Dr. Pana had tied him to a hospital bed and drained him of his powers, he hadn't felt this helpless. There, he'd known it would end. His powers hadn't been destroyed, just blocked. He hadn't felt empty, just useless.

He'd been so naive to think it couldn't have gotten any worse.

Sam was out there somewhere, fighting to keep their baby safe while her father still hunted her. And what am I doing, loser that I am? Running away. What good am I without my powers? I couldn't keep them safe, so they were better off without me.

The lies he told himself did nothing to silence the guilt.

When he'd drained the last drop of vodka from his bottle, he smashed it against the wall, and left his hiding spot to search for more. He counted the money he had left: five dollars and some change. What the hell could he buy with five bucks? Nothing strong enough to get the job done, that was for sure.

The moon hung heavy in the sky as Drake walked the empty streets. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen the sun. It seemed a lifetime ago. Memories of warm rays and the splash of cold salt water haunted him. Vampires lived like this for centuries, outcasts relegated to the shadows of life. Drake finally understood why these beings fascinated so many people. Their plight gave form to the empty death that lived inside him.

A homeless man's cough brought him back to the present. The man sat against a garbage dumpster, tucked under a newspaper blanket. Drake didn't care about the smell or the trash; he only noticed the paper bag-wrapped bottle in the man's hands.

He mustered as much authority as he could now that he'd lost his powers of mind control. "I'll give you five bucks for that bottle."

The man looked up at Drake and back down at the bottle. His face looked like an ancient map that had been written on so many times the lines all blurred together. He smacked his lips, took another swig and then held the bottle out with a cackle.

Before Drake could take it, the man yanked it back and rubbed his fingers together in the universal sign for money.

Drake sighed and pulled out the last of his cash.

They traded at the same time, and the man cackled again as he stuck the money into some hidden compartment in his clothes.

The bottle felt light. Too light.

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