Free Dark Soul Silenced - Part Two by Simon Goodson Page B

spoken of vampires as creatures from legend, from myths.
    Daniel was sure he’d seen the birth of the Order too, the start of those that would come to be known as witch hunters.  It saddened him to realise how far the Order had fallen from its original purpose.  They had been told to stand against the darkness and seek out those with power who could aid in the fight.  Somewhere down the years the message had become corrupted.  They had stopped seeking those with power as allies and come to treat them as enemies.  In doing so they had weakened the forces opposed to darkness, allowing it to strengthen its hold.
    Ned’s battle with the Creeping Dark, and Master Demotte’s fall to the same power, chilled Daniel.  The references to it as the Dark God and talk of the Citadel were especially worrying.  The Citadel had lain to the west.  Daniel suspected it was still a focal point, but for darkness now.  And the knowledge he had stripped from Razgul told him Mary lay towards the west.  He didn’t know if she would be within the Citadel, but the possibility worried him deeply.
    Last, but certainly not least, Daniel had learnt of the Golden Order, and of the transformation its members went through to become masters.  Daniel felt certain all the masters had perished long, long ago.  Perished or been turned into vampires.  Yet something had survived.  The power driving their transformation had been subverted by the darkness, used to create vampires down the centuries, until finally Rafael had unleashed it on Daniel.
    But Daniel had resisted, had fought back.  Finally he had faced the rising sun.  The darkness had been burnt from his body but something was left.  Daniel found himself faster, stronger and able to wield powers he’d never even dreamed existed.  He had gained all the powers the masters of the Golden Order had possessed.  The thought amazed and scared him.  The responsibility it implied was terrifying.
    “ I wondered if you were ever going to wake up.”
    The words were softly spoken but Daniel reacted as if they’d been yelled.  He jumped then span round, gathering power to focus a shield.  Ready to fight at a moments notice.
    The speaker laughed at his reaction.  It was a woman in her late twenties.  She had darker skin than anyone Daniel had seen before.  Long dark hair framed a pretty face.  Daniel would have found her attractive if it wasn’t for her eyes.  Glowing red eyes.  Vampire eyes.
    Daniel remained tense, watching for any signs she planned to attack.  She stood in the far corner of the room.  Daniel checked the rest of the room was clear then triggered the door, sealing the two of them in.  As the door closed he relaxed a little, confident that he wouldn’t be surprised by anyone else.
    “Impressive.  No one else has ever managed to control the doors.”  Her voice was soft, almost musical, but tinged with sadness.
    “ I would rather avoid having any more unexpected visitors.”
    “ I think you misunderstand.  I was here the whole time.  I’ve been trapped in here since the outer door was sealed yesterday.  Your doing I suppose.  I curled up here in the corner, unable to do anything else.  Then you came striding into the room suddenly, walked up to that table in a daze then stood frozen.  You must have been stood there for nearly an hour.  To be honest I was starting to get bored.”
    “ I was stood there that long?”
    “ Yes.  And if I had meant you any harm I had ample opportunity.  I doubt you could have defended yourself.”
    Daniel shivered at the thought.  The aches in his muscles confirmed he’d been standing for a long time, and he was certain he would have been helpless.
    “Why?  Why not attack me?”
    “ If you had come in earlier I would have.  I would have been forced to.  My master would have commanded it and anything my master commanded I had to do.  But my master is no more.  He died, not long before you arrived here.”
    “