The Knights of Arthur by Frederik Pohl (free novel reading sites txt) 📕

“You have fifteen seconds to try again,” the mechanical voice echoed.

“Uh oh.” She pouted.

Drake cursed, and slammed the music box into her waiting palm. “There! Now you have it. Open the damned door, or we’re all dead!”

“You have five seconds to try again.”

“No need to tremble, little boy,” she teased. “Abyss,” she said.

“You have... gained egress,” the sentry said, and the huge doors unlocked and pulled open. Fang pulled the toy inside, and the soothing music played from the small confinement as the men shoved the cart outside into the downpour.

“I ain’t sure if this was worth the gold,” Drake said.

Through the sheets of rain, the chimes of the music box played along with the soft whispers of the vampire. Those near glanced at each other as she whispered with a kind, loving voice. A stark contrast to the stories of her brutality. Or maybe those stories weren’t true?

“Let’s go, gentlemen,” Drake said. “We got a book to find.” He wiped his face and took his hat off. Steam rose from his matted hair.

Gerrick side-eyed him. “We’re almost done, Drake. We’ll get a beer at Maggie’s after this.”

But Drake ignored the consolation. His bloodshot eyes stared at the cage for far too long. He wiped his head again and leaned close to the cage.

“Shut up in there,” he said. “Who are you talking to, anyway?”

Fang ignored him and giggled the way girls do when they’re whispering their secrets.

“I’m warning you!” he roared.

Her voice hushed, as if scolded. But, before long, more giggles spilled out.

“Are there two of them in there?” Gerrick asked.

“Stop!” he shouted. “Stop the damned the cart!” The men held fast as he grabbed the aurorium rod and shoved it inside. Horrid screams erupted as he struck the vampire again and again. Violence filled the air and some of the men shrank back, including the tall ogrek. Drake finished and yanked the rod out, baring his teeth.

“You all done? Because I’ll keep this up until your little imaginary friend is dead!” he growled.

The cage rocked with a bang, and the men jumped. Grumbling from within turned into cursing, turned into fists smashing against the iron hatch. Knots boiled across the metal with horrible speed.

Drake stepped in and slammed the rod inside.

She roared.

Rifles were pointed at the cage, some trembling, and all waited for the inevitable command to open fire. Drake’s arm jerked violently, and the rod was yanked out of his grip. The mercenaries froze. Loud moans and sobs echoed out from within and the mercenaries eyed each other.

Gerrick turned to Drake. “Do you think—” He stopped when the iron cage erupted with violence.

Metal groaned under the strength of the vampire. Weapons were readied, and the men repositioned for more accuracy. Lightening creased the sky as great drops of rain fell.

“Do... do we have another aurorium rod?” Gerrick asked as he stepped back.

Drake shook his head.

Screeching metal pierced the air as the iron door wrenched open and the men’s eyes shifting between Drake and the emerging threat.

A tall woman unfolded herself and stepped out, arching her back and rolling her shoulders, ignoring the rifles pointed at her. Lightening flashed across the sky, highlighting her features. Tangled, short hair the color of midnight lay pasted across an attractive, lean face. Skin-tight, black leathers clung to her slender frame, far too slender to have punched her way out of an iron cage. With her eyes shut, she tilted her face up as cold rain tapped against her pale skin. Taking a deep breath, she stood there for a moment mumbling to herself, lost in thought it. Finally, she turned to the men and opened her eyes, the glow of fiery vengeance emanating from under her brow. Her sharp gaze counted the armed men in rapid succession. There was a great sense of a dangerous predator amidst them, one they wouldn’t escape from.

She lowered her pointed chin, locking eyes with Drake as a plume of frozen air rose from her smiling lips.

“You know what they say,” Fang said. “If you spot a vampire...”

Drake’s skin froze.

***

If there was anything at all Fang was good at, it was spreading chaos. Using her training meant violence, either by blade, firearms, bare hands or sharp teeth. She never asked to be made into who she was, but in times like this, she was thankful to be an indomitable force. When she was in her element, as she was now, time slowed like molasses compared to her speed.

Rifle bores flashed in the dark, filling the air with sizzling lead. Her quick eyes tracked the bullets trajectory and made small adjustments to the initial salvo and dodged out of the way. It would become a problem when more weapons were fired at once, but right now there was complete pandemonium as men uttered their last before the angel of death collected their souls.

Five mercenaries fell before she felt the sting of a carbine. Sharp claws dug into their soft flesh and she ripped open a throat before he could scream. A bullet tore into her shoulder blade and she somersaulted through the air, twisting her body through the storm of bullets. Her feet hit the deck, landing between two thugs. With terrible strength she grabbed their heads and slammed them together, splashing her with their bone, brains and blood. That one moment cost her; bullets tore through the flesh of her back and legs. With a grunt she back flipped and picked up the iron door to shield her from the fiery spray of the rifles. Open, bloodied wounds along her skin sealed shut when a bright burst of aurorium exploded inches away from her face. Even though she squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath, the noxious cloud of vapor flashed-burned her skin like scalding water.

She spun, and launched the iron door into a cluster of men. Limbs and meaty chunks flew in different directions. Bullets zipped past her as she leapt into another group, tearing throats, shattering bones and