Free Destiny (Absent Shadows Trilogy Book 1) by S.M. Spencer Page A

my sister. I saw Elizabeth. That’s why I stayed—and why I don’t kill people. I’ve always live close to the gardens—you’ve seen my current house. Tom lives there with me, most of the time, and together we help protect the gardens, and the whole area, as much as we can. I don’t want any more ghosts than what are already there.
    ‘It’s a big job, protecting that area. The streets around the market and gardens are full of backpacker hotels. That’s what attracts the vampires. Backpackers are easy prey as they are often alone and unfamiliar with their surroundings. They venture down dark laneways where they become easy targets. There are vampires everywhere, particularly this time of year. Travellers from the northern hemisphere come here for their school breaks and summer holidays … and vampires follow them here. And with our winter grey skies, the vampires feel safe.’
    ‘Wait … do you mean to tell me there are lots of vampires in Melbourne?’
    ‘Yes, especially this time of year.’
    ‘Well, that’s just … gross—not to mention frightening.’
    ‘Now you know why I didn’t want you walking home after work.’
    ‘Ahhh … yes. Thanks, I guess.’
    I looked at him, trying really hard to believe all this, but I still felt uncertain. It was, after all, pretty unbelievable.
    ‘I can see you still doubt me. Look, if you want, I’ll take you for a walk around the streets near the market one day—in the late afternoon. I can sometimes spot them on the rooftops, watching the streets below. I might even be able to point one out to you. I spend a lot of time in the gardens and all around the market; most nights in fact.’
    I thought about this—about him protecting the gardens.
    ‘But you’re here, now? Aren’t you neglecting your duties?’ I couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of my voice. It was all so absurd, wasn’t it?
    ‘It’s not just me. There are others. Tom and I help, but it’s mainly Michael’s job. He’s the main protector, and he’s looking after things this weekend. That’s why Tom and I were able to get away. He doesn’t really need us, you know, but he’s gotten used to having us—it gives him the ability to relax some nights.’
    ‘Michael? So, I take it he’s another vampire?’ I asked, shaking my head, still trying to clear it.
    ‘No, Michael isn’t a vampire. He’s a vampire hunter—a dhampir.’
    ‘Ah, right … the dreaded vampire hunters again. Yes, yes of course,’ I said, still shaking my head with disbelief. ‘And so this, Michael … you say he’s the main protector? And you and Tom just help him. That makes no sense to me … none at all. Didn’t you just say before that vampire hunters kill vampires? Isn’t that the whole point of them? And what’s a dhampir anyway?’
    ‘A dhampir is a vampire hunter. They are the offspring of a vampire and a human woman. They have the strength, power and immortality of a vampire, but they are not vampires. They don’t kill humans, they protect them.’
    ‘A vampire … and a human woman … you mean they can …’ I couldn’t even bring myself to say it.
    ‘Yes. Not often, but it does happen. Mostly, it’s the man’s own wife, from before … from when he was a human. But sometimes a woman simply gains the attention of a vampire—and not because he wants to drink her blood.’ He smiled at me shyly, and I could feel my cheeks growing hot with the realisation of what this meant.
    ‘I see,’ I whispered, trying to force my mind back to the more important issues facing me. This man I was so attracted to wasn’t a man … he was a vampire. And I had to come to terms with what this meant even though I knew I wasn’t thinking clearly.
    ‘So, let me go back. You say this Michael is a vampire hunter, a dhampir. If that’s true, then how can you be friends with him? Or, more to the point, how come he hasn’t killed you?’
    ‘Michael’s father is Erranase.’
    ‘Right, Erranase … the one that created