Reading Online Novel

Netherworld: Drop Dead Sexy(28)



Dan whispered, “I know I don’t have to remind you, but Tristan as a vampire is different from his ghost self.”

“Dan and the girl are here,” Patricia said to Tristan, and he swung his dark gaze towards us. I couldn’t control the shiver that raced down my spine at that calculating stare. He looked at me as if I were a particularly delicious morsel he couldn’t wait to take a bite out of.

“Is he dangerous to us?” I whispered to Lana and Dan.

Lana’s smile slipped a touch. I felt better about her again. “All vampires are dangerous, even the good ones. You have nothing to fear from Tristan though. He’s never lost control.”

Her hesitant tone didn’t have to finish her last sentence. That we know of hung unsaid in the air.

A massive creature stepped to Tristan and Patricia’s side, and I gasped. Even on all fours, the majestic griffin stood tall, reaching Tristan’s shoulder. The pure white feathers on its eagle’s head laid flat … not a plume out of place, I thought. The eagle part of it extended down to its chest and shoulders. The black and brown plumage of its folded wings was a monochromatic contrast against its golden lion’s pelt that made up the rest of the gorgeous entity. I couldn’t help but stare. I didn’t know Fulton Falls had one of the ancient beings as a resident.

“Cool pet,” I breathed.

Lana bit her lip. “I wouldn’t call Augustus a pet to his face. You’ll lose poor Isabella’s head that way.”

Boy, I just kept putting my foot in my mouth. “Maybe I should just shut up for the rest of the night,” I groused.

There was no humor in Dan’s reply. “That might be wise.”





I scowled at him. “You know, you’ve been kind of a jerk since I borrowed Isabella’s body. I don’t like you too much right now, Dan.”

He grabbed my arm. I stopped as much from the surprise as from the strength of his grip. How did he do that? After all, he was a ghost, and I was in a solid body.

The warning in his tone distracted me from my shock. “Listen to me, Brandilynn. I don’t mind your wit most of the time. In fact, I enjoy it. But this is dangerous territory, even for a ghost. A lot of these people don’t have a sense of humor when humans show up.”

My pique ebbed away. Dan’s attitude came from fear, not meanness. He was afraid for me? His concern gave me warm fuzzies.

“Okay, I’m in the company of sensitive vamps and shifters. I can be PC. I won’t tell werefox in the henhouse jokes.”

He didn’t relax. “Try for more than political correctness, baby girl. See it from their point of view. Paras have had equal rights for only the last three decades. They’re under attack from the humans all the time.”

I swallowed. “It’s not that I don’t believe they deserve equality, Dan. They scare me. I always feel like I’m on the menu when I’m around them. You can’t tell me they’re not dangerous.”

He gave me a grim smile. “It’s true they’re predators first and civilized second. But that’s just another reason you need to stop being a tourist and show respect whether you think they deserve it or not.”

Lana added, “Many of them were once human like us. The shifters didn’t ask to catch the virus, and in some cases, the vampires had no say in their transformation either.”

I blew out a breath. “Fine. I’m walking on eggshells from here on out. But you need to cut me a break since I wasn’t properly prepared for this. I just found out I was dead only this morning, in case you’ve forgotten.”

Dan nodded. “Point taken. I’m sorry if I’ve been too hard on you. I just don’t want you getting hurt.”

Before he could say anything else, Tristan’s deep voice rolled through the room. “Bring Brandilynn here, Lana.”

I could bring myself, thanks so much. Nevertheless, I kept my tongue still as I presented myself to Tristan in my borrowed body.

I was glad I’d stayed silent. Tristan’s dark, almost black eyes were like obsidian marbles in his very white face. I searched for the warmth he’d looked at me with earlier in the day. I found no trace of it, only a terrible patience that a stalking predator might have for the prey it creeps towards.

Call me a racist all you like, but I really don’t like vampires at all. Not even this one.





“So?” he said to me. I suppressed a shudder looking at his bloodless lips. At least I saw no hint of fangs. Had he shown them, I might have run screaming, and never mind my control over Isabella’s body remained so-so.

The more uncomfortable I am, the more belligerent I become. Uneasy to the point of nausea, I forgot my promise to Dan. Respect went out the window and I snapped, “So, what? Complete sentences are most appreciated as I don’t read minds.”