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    Ghosts of the Past
    Ghosts of the Past
    Ghosts of the Past
    Ebook196 pages2 hours

    Ghosts of the Past

    By Raven Anxo

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Tormented by voices and fragments of images he does not recognize, the vampire Nicholas Balaur retreats to a cabin in the forest to fight his demons alone. His self-imposed solitude absolute – until the night she appeared...
    Her life destroyed by a vampire, Alex Carter vowed to do whatever it took to not only to take him down but all others of his kind. Her skills honed, she became a relentless hunter. Her opinion being the only good vampire was a dusted one.

    Two lives forced by fate to collide, setting them on a course which would have far-reaching implications for them both.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRaven Anxo
    Release dateJul 2, 2019
    ISBN9780463215111
    Ghosts of the Past
    Author

    Raven Anxo

    Raven Anxo - Dreamer, avid reader, and multi published author of paranormal fiction, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance. She writes not only because her insistent voices demand she puts their stories down on paper - or laptop, but because she loves it.Among a few of her addictions are chocolate, coffee, classic horror, sci-fi, and vampire movies. Her music tastes vary wildly from 90's pop to metal. When writing, her voices can choose some strange tunes to listen to, but she has grown used to that happening. Predictability rarely applies to her world.She can be found on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRavenAnxo/ and Twitter - https://twitter.com/RavenAnxo

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      Book preview

      Ghosts of the Past - Raven Anxo

      Ghosts of the Past

      A Blood Prince Novel

      ~

      Raven Anxo

      Ghosts of the Past

      ~*~

      This story is entirely a work of fiction.

      The names, places, characters, and incidents portrayed herein are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or localities is entirely coincidental.

      Copyright © Raven Anxo 2019

      First Edition June 30th 2019

      Published by Raven Anxo Publications.

      ~

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher, Raven Anxo Publications.

      No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded, or distributed via the internet or any other means, electronic or print without permission from Raven Anxo Publications.

      Edited By: R.F

      Cover Design: Raven Anxo.

      Find out more about the author and news of upcoming events by visiting her website.

      www.ravenanxo.com

      Table of Contents

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Chapter Fourteen

      Chapter Fifteen

      About the Author

      Other Books by Raven Anxo

      Reviews

      Everyone’s past comes into the light when the time is right.

      Chapter One

      Nicholas Balaur stood on the porch of the isolated cabin he called home watching the sun set on another day. As the last of its glow faded he wondered if the night would be one passed in peace? Or would the ghosts lurking in his mind rise again to torment him? In truth, their arrival was as unpredictable as the weather, and that was the main reason he had chosen to live outside the city of Moonstone. His solitude prevented him from harming anyone but himself when an attack hit, though it too had become an additional and constant level of torment. Time and time again he’d wondered what sin he had committed that was so grievous it had led him to where he stood. Perhaps if his past was an open book he would have gained the answer but knowing nothing prior to his arrival at Moonstone almost six years ago was an insurmountable obstacle.

      A few drops of rain dotted the weather-beaten steps as he retreated back inside, closing the door behind him before sitting on the faded couch, his gaze settling on the indentations some of the wall panels carried, their presence courtesy of times his attacks had overwhelmed him and he had lashed out. His home wasn’t the only place that bore such scars, within the forest surrounding his home were fallen trees, ones he had uprooted and tossed to the ground as if they weighed nothing. The void their destruction left was in some way a visible representation of the one within him which should be filled with his memories. The mere thought had him reaching for the gold chain around his neck, the light above his head catching what it carried at its end; a ruby and gold ring. How it had come into his possession was as unknown as his past, yet somewhere deep inside he knew it was important to him. For a moment he watched it slowly turn before releasing his hold allowing the ring to return to its hiding place behind the white silk shirt he wore. Maybe one day he would learn of its significance to him, but until it arrived he would continue to battle his demons and ghosts.

      By dwelling too much on what if’s, a familiar and unwelcomed pain started at his temples, its arrival a precursor of what was to come. He glanced towards the ceiling as the staccato beat of the raindrops hitting the timbers reached him. Its steady rhythm easing the increasing pain enough to enable him to remove his socks and boots before leaving to head into the heart of the forest. Soaked through he reached the area, looking up as a streak of lightning sliced through the darkness, its arrival heralding the first assault of the night. First one voice whispered, then a second, and it wasn’t long before a myriad of different voices filled his head with unintelligible words. His futile efforts to try and understand them only increasing the pain which was spreading from his temples to encase his skull in a vice-like grip. It was then the second wave began. Its arrival heralded by fragmented images passing by his eyes, their shards threatening to fracture his mind further. The continued onslaught drove him to his knees, his fingers clawing at the wet earth as the attack headed towards its crescendo. Head bowed, water droplets fell from his eyelashes, chin, and the tip of his nose onto the ground and the backs of his hands as he struggled to regain a level of control. Whether it was sheer force of will or some external force taking pity on him, Nicholas neither knew nor cared, but he somehow managed to get to his feet and look around. His limit had been reached, and as his rage, anger, and pain combined, a loud roar left his lips, scattering the birds trying to shelter from the rain within the canopy, their squawking reaching him as he grabbed the closest tree and ripped it from the ground before tossing it to one side. Three more swiftly joined their companion as the attack faded leaving him to survey the results of his latest battle. He’d survived another round, though it had taken more out of him than previous attacks and that worried him. Were they increasing in strength or had they started to wear him down? Neither thought was welcomed, but he had no choice but to consider them and try to find a way to deal with the possible implications. As the rain eased he headed back to the cabin to dry off, change, and eat. A plan put on hold when he picked up the unwelcomed presence of three vampires. Apparently, the night hadn’t quite finished with him.

      By tapping into his preternatural speed he reached their location. As he set his shield in place he realized they were younglings, ones who if they didn’t rapidly gain brains and sense wouldn’t live past their two hundred and first birthday. About to teach them a valuable lesson he paused as a soft feminine scent reached him; moonflower. Its mere presence chasing away the lingering residue of his attack and leave him curious to see the source of his relief. While he waited for its owner to arrive he continued to watch the three younglings, shaking his head at their unbelievable level of stupidity. Not once had they bothered to check their surroundings or move with care. It was almost as if they wanted to be discovered, which proved they certainly carried more stupid than sense within their heads. Suddenly two shots rang out, breaking the relative silence and sending two of the three males to the ground. The one left standing managed to gain enough wits to bolt deeper into the forest leaving his companions to their fate. Was the owner of the moonflower scent responsible for what happened? If so he would have to see them then decide what his next move should be. He didn’t have to wait long to gain his first look because a female stepped into the clearing, the moon’s glow catching her chestnut brown hair which was held in a loose ponytail, the slight movement of her head causing a few strands to slip free as it swayed from side to side. From his vantage point he watched her walk over to the vampires and crouch down. Less than a minute later she stood, changed the magazine in her gun and fired again. Her bullets turned the two into nothing more than gray piles of ash, which the water dripping from the tree branches quickly dissolved. As she hurried away a part of him wanted to follow, to see where she was headed, but common sense told him to hold back. Once she vanished from view he continued back to the cabin, the leaves and grass squelching under his bare feet as he walked, but he could not shake from his mind her image. Stay away, moonflower, he muttered, for both our sakes.

      ~*~

      One of the first things Alex Carter learned being a hunter was to let nothing ruffle your calm. You let that happen and there was a good chance it could get you a one way trip to the graveyard. That lesson had become so ingrained in her that not once had she failed to follow it – until those idiotic vampires crossed her path. They were too easy a prey to let slip through her fingers, besides she’d hoped they carried the information she wanted, and it had been her preoccupation with that which had caused her to lose her calm at the worst possible moment. One had bolted further into the forest and the two she had taken down gave her nothing of use, so she’d dusted them. While two fewer vampires in the world should be something to celebrate, Alex found herself more frustrated than cheery, something a few drinks in one of Moonstone’s bars would hopefully remedy. She gave her head a quick shake to shift some of the water clinging to her hair as she reached her Harley, relieved the rain shower had finally passed. Maybe her night was starting to even out, a thought that quickly faded as she realized there was something she had to do before drowning her frustrations could start, and what it was failed to sprinkle any joy on her sour mood.

      With skill and ease, Alex weaved her Harley through the traffic as she headed towards the city, the wheels slicing through puddles to send water flying as she sped forward, eventually peeling off to head towards one of its less desirable sections. She passed rows of houses; their once vibrant colors faded after years of neglect, their appearance a stark counterpoint to the gleam and shine of the buildings within the city center. One city, two halves. Yet she knew if things continued unraveling in the way they were, the dividing lines would soon vanish and Moonstone would be irrevocably changed for the worse.

      Dragging her mind away from such dark thoughts she headed towards a building that stood apart from its neighbors, driving to the rear where she parked her Harley out of sight then entered through a back door which was only held in place by two rusty hinges. Their creaking as she pushed against the warped wood and stepped into the kitchen echoing around the room. She carefully navigated around the broken chairs and crockery littering the floor on her way to the basement which was home to rats and who knew what else. The sound of small feet scurrying across the floor as she approached the far wall succeeded in sending a shudder through her. Vampires she could handle, but rats were a different thing entirely, and just knowing they were in the same room as her had Alex slamming her hand against three specific bricks before they decided to get up close and personal. The act set a hidden mechanism in motion which caused a section of the wall to move back, the gap it provided large enough for her to slip through into a narrow corridor on the other side. Above her head the lights flickered as she walked to the end, emerging into the circular foyer from which four new corridors filtered off. Without breaking her stride she continued forward, down the one directly in front of her before stepping through the doorway of the room at its end where she noticed four males huddled around a table in deep conversation. Brock, a word? The owner of the name turned to face her, his expression making it clear he was less than happy to be disturbed.

      This isn’t a good time, Alex. So what you say had better be important.

      While his words merely irked her, it was his tone that managed to get under her skin. Something she let him know by the tone of her reply Important? she snarked. Why would you think me tracking three young vampires who’d mentioned Lucien Nistern, important?

      Pull back your snark, he ordered. I’m not in the mood for it.

      And I’m not in the mood for you treating me like a child.

      I’m not. I’m in the middle of planning our next operation. But, seeing as you’ve disturbed me what did you learn?

      Nothing of use, just that they couldn’t wait for him to arrive in the city.

      You disturbed me to basically tell me nothing? Did you at least remove them?

      I managed to dust two, the third took off before I could have him join his companions.

      The great hunter losing her touch?

      She glared in the direction the taunt had come from. Shut the hell up, she yelled over Brock’s head, or I will tell your girlfriend about your secret hobby.

      Screw you!

      You wish! she smirked.

      Alex.

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