Free THE ANOINTED 3: PROPHECIES OF FIRE by Dale Ridley

half-truths? I have every reason to kill a threat like you where you stand. Give me reason why I should not?” Nathan asked calmly.
    His blades descended from their bracers. The vampire’s eyes twinkled in amusement, as he took stock of the threat.
    “Even if you could achieve the feat of destroying me, it would do you no good. I am only one of many in the dark lord’s army and we will still hold your kin hostage.” The vampire saw the startled look in Nathan’s eyes.
    “Yes, that is the reason why I will keep my head this day. Do you wish to hear my lord’s offer here or would you prefer we speak alone?”
    “I will not speak behind closed doors with shadow dwellers. Speak now, openly in front of my people. We have nothing to hide from each other.”
    Crimson eyes studied him intently.
    “Very well, let it be done with. I grow tired of looking at such hostility around me.”
    “That may be the least of your problems if you don’t speak Pallida Mors.”
    “My lord’s offer is this, surrender yourself to him peacefully when your organ comes into alignment and he will spare our hostage of something worse than death.”
    Nathan felt anger grip him. With a menacing scowl on his face, he moved closer to the Pallida Mors. “And who do you have so important that I will give in to a deceiver’s proposal? What’s more horrible than torturing the mind and body before death, Pallida Mors?” The veins stood out dangerously in his neck as he fought an inner struggle with himself to restrain his anger.
    “Careful now, possession leader, before you cut yourself on one of those dangerous looking blades you have there. But, to answer your question, we have Miss Samantha Cook, your general of the guards of Gabriel. The dark lord can do many things, but I believe the most horrible is ripping of the soul from the body, leaving it to linger attached to the dark lord as he consumes pieces of it daily. Trust me, possession leader, there is no worse fate. Or he could just turn her to the shadows against her will.”
    Nathan could not help but close his eyes at the thought. A weight like bricks settled in the pit of his stomach. Anais knew he couldn’t stand by and let such an abomination come to pass. Too many had already died for some of his mistakes. Now Sam could possibly have her soul consumed, if he didn’t agree to play ball. He hated feeling the strings of manipulation.
    As he reopened his eyes, he reached out to grab the Pallida Mors by the arm. He felt the bone chilling coldness of its body. It was enough to numb his fingers instantly and started to spread up his arm like fire. Nathan refused to let go though, not until he had his answer.
    “How do I know that he has her and that she’s alive?”
    “Possession leader, you can’t be seriously considering this. One person cannot take prominence over the mission. We will help her if we can, but not at that price!” spoke Kimiko heatedly at his side.
    “No matter what, I can’t leave her to that fate, Kimiko. I wouldn’t leave you to such a fate, as to have your soul sucked out of you by that fiend. Plus, I owe it to Andrew to watch over the only thing he had left in this world.”
    The numbing cold had reached his shoulder but his grip remained firm, his gaze was steady.
    The Pallida Mors lifted his arm with a jerk, dislodging his hand in disgust at Nathan’s touch.
    “Do not touch me again. Our kind do not mix well,” it said before lifting the same hand before him.
    A pitch black fire erupted in the palm of his hand. In the center was the profile of a woman naked and bruised. She looked to be searching for something in the middle of rubble.
    “Samantha,” the Pallida Mors called, causing the flame to blend sideways like it was in a breeze. The woman whipped around in surprise, eyes searching for the source of the words.
    “Who’s there?” she asked before her voice was muted.
    “As you can see, she still has her fiery temper. She’ll fit right in.” He