Read Jack Templar and the Lord of the Vampires for Free Online

more attractive in the world. A single curl of her hair could hold my attention for an hour if I thought I could get away with staring at it. The upward curve of her lip when she was amused made me think endlessly on something clever to say just so I could see it. Her laugh filled me. The way she moved through a room was another endless fascination.
    But as I looked at Daniel beside me and saw the way he stared at her, I knew the same brutal hold I felt had wrapped itself around him as well. 
    Unfortunately for the two of us, but fortunately for the sake of our mission, Eva seemed not to be stricken by any of these thoughts or concerns. Since the day after I killed the dragons, there was nothing but the banter of good friends between us. And I sensed the same was true between her and Daniel. Whether by choice or because of how she felt, she didn’t seem to have any interest in either of us outside of the needs of the quest.
    “I don’t think the teams make sense,” she said, either not seeing or choosing to ignore the adoring stares she was getting from both Daniel and I before we caught ourselves. “I think the three of us should each be separated.”
    Will stepped forward. “Are you saying I’m not as good of a fighter as the three of you?”
    “Yes,” Eva said. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
    “I’d feel a little better if we split up,” T-Rex said, looking guilty. “Sorry, Will. But Eva and Daniel are third degree hunters. And Jack is…well, Jack.”
    Will loosened up. “OK, I guess you’re right. I can hold my own though,” he added.
    “I agree,” Eva said. “That’s why I think you should be with Jack.” She pointed the hook attached to her wrist at me. “That needs to be our strongest team because if there’s an attack, he’s who they’re going to go after.”
    Daniel nodded. “Exactly. Like you said, that should be the strongest team. Either you or I should be with Jack. The initial assault, if there is one, will be brutal.”
    Eva shook her head. “No, each team needs one of the strongest fighters so there is no weak link.”
    “I don’t agree,” Daniel said, his voice rising. “And why are you always contradicting my ideas?”
    “The better question would be, why are you always wrong?” Eva said, standing her ground. “Ever think about that?”
    I held up my hand, the one with the Templar Ring on it, and they both fell silent. “We’ll do it Eva’s way. Will with me. Eva and T-Rex. Daniel and Xavier. We move out in five minutes. Let’s get ready.”
    Eva smiled and Daniel looked away. He clenched his jaw, but he didn’t argue my decision. By some unspoken agreement, everyone understood that this was my mission and my word was final. I used the power with care and tried to ask for advice every step of the way. But a group our size needed someone to be the leader and cut through the split decisions. Otherwise we would still be back in the French Alps trying to decide on the best route to the coast. I was quickly learning that authority freely given has its limits, and I could sense Daniel chaffing against being shown up in front of Eva. I made a note to step more carefully.
    “You better get dressed,” Daniel called after her. “Because I think we’re in for some fun today.” He looked at me seriously. “I hope whatever this guy can tell us is worth the risk we’re taking.”
    “Aquinas assured me it was,” I said.
    “But she wouldn’t tell you why?” he asked.
    I shrugged. Daniel had asked these questions many times over the last week. I chalked it up to nervous energy. We all expected trouble today. “She said it was worthwhile but that we must be careful. Whoever this man is, he may not react well to us finding him.”
    Daniel grunted. Maybe it was his turn to wonder why I was repeating information he already knew.
    “All right,” he said. “Let’s do this.”
    He nodded and headed to the next room to put his armor under his clothes. I turned and