Avador Book 2, Night Shadows Read Online Free Page B

disappearance, thinking of her tempting breasts, her slim hips, that sensual walk of hers, all these qualities that taunted him with a myriad of desires.
    Angus Kendall glanced at the hourglass on Connor's desk. "Best I leave soon. But I wanted to tell you of a recent discovery, something I'd intended to say before your servant arrived." He leaned forward, speaking in low tones. "Wait 'til you hear about the new mineral my workers found at one of my mines."
    "The sunstone? You mentioned that a few days ago."
    "Yes, but let me tell you something new, something we just discovered." He paused, as if for effect. "The stone can make a person invisible when he bleeds."
    Kelvin Connor sat upright. "Impossible!" He narrowed his eyes. "How do you know this?"
    Angus Kendall smiled. "We found this remarkable quality quite by accident. One of my workers was in my office, fingering a stone chip, which cut him. Then he became invisible, surprising everyone, including me."
    "Then how does he become visible again?"
    "When he stops bleeding. But do you understand what this means for us?" His voice rose with enthusiasm. "For years–centuries!—the bandregas have sought dominance over the vampires, who can make themselves invisible. What the bandregas wouldn't give to own this stone! Think of the fortune we can make, you and I!  And you know, I have friends and influence among those creatures. They hate the vampires and the vampires hate them. A constant struggle between the two forces. If a vampire bites a bandrega, of course he will bleed. Even the bandregas are not impervious to bleeding. But as soon as the blood begins to flow, they will become invisible and–"
    "Gradually?"
    "Immediately!" Kendall snapped his fingers. "Just like that! So–"
    "Wait a minute.  If the vampire still has the bandrega in his clutches–"
    "Even so, easy to escape when you are nothing but a cloud. Try holding on to something intangible. Now what I was saying–if you could fashion a ring or pendant of sunstone, the bandregas can easily escape the vampires by touching the stone as soon as they are bitten." He smiled his crafty smile again. "You and I will make a fortune. Don't you see the beauty of it?"
    "What if a bandrega receives a mortal knife wound?" Connor asked. "Will he still disappear?"
    Kendall shrugged. "Who knows? Something tells me he won't disappear, because his magical abilities will die with him."
    Connor frowned. "But mining the sunstone and getting the gem to me is a long process."
    "Unfortunately, yes. But fortunately, we have enough of the stone mined already to start with, perhaps enough to make one-hundred or so rings. Our gem cutter has already begun work on them. The stone needn't be large. A quarter of a carat will do."
    "Then get these stones to me as soon as possible." Connor rubbed his hands together. "I'll begin work right away."
    Kendall nodded. "The bandregas will pay us handsomely for these jewels. And we will
    have them in our control. Ah, you see how much we can accomplish with this stone?" He rose to his feet.  "And now, it's time for me to leave. I'll have a servant deliver the stones to you. I'll send another servant after your stepdaughter."  He paused, as if just thinking of something. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Your share of the bandregas' money is dependent upon our finding Fianna. No Fianna, no money."
    "What!" Fierce anger burned a path from his head to his stomach. He wanted to kill the Goddess-damned prick.
    "You heard me. It's your fault Fianna escaped in the first place." With those last words, he walked out the door.
    Still reeling with fury, he returned to his desk and sank into his chair. He clenched and unclenched his hands, his head pounding. Fianna would be found, he tried to assure himself but failed miserably. He sprang to his feet and paced the floor. 
    His mind drifted back to a time years ago, when he'd first become a jewelry craftsman in the village of Uisnech, far to the north. Such pride he'd