Read 03 - Evolution for Free Online

than he could bear.
    “No!” he cried out. “Leave him be!”
    Distracted by the Elder’s cry, the archer failed to
unhook the chain from his crossbow quickly enough. William grabbed hold
of the links and jerked them violently, flinging the hapless Death
Dealer into the air. The soldier’s body slammed against a massive tree
trunk with bone-crushing force. He slid down onto the ground beneath the
tree and did not rise up again. Marcus feared that the vampire’s neck
had been shattered beyond repair.
    One more life lost to the madness that had consumed his
brother.
    William roared in triumph, but his victory was
short-lived. Marcus heard the twang of a crossbow being fired and
watched in horror as a well-aimed spear pierced William’s shoulder,
passing all the way through the bleeding meat and gristle. Vicious
silver hooks sprang to life at the exposed tip of the spear. The second
archer yanked back on the chain and the cruel barbs sank into William’s
leathery hide. The werewolf could not tug the spear free without tearing
his flesh to ribbons.
    The crossbow’s chain feeder spun rapidly as William
reared back on his hind legs and let loose an anguished roar. The second
archer hit a switch on his crossbow and the chain came free. Another
Death Dealer grabbed hold of the links and hastily secured them to the
frozen earth. The chain snapped taut as William tried in vain to tug it
loose.
    “Stop this!” Marcus shouted.
He felt his brother’s wounds as though they were his own. “You’re killing him!”
    Standing apart from the battle, Amelia looked at her
fellow Elder. She had removed her helmet, which rested on the snow
beside her feet. Her elegant face held a cold, inscrutable expression.
Snowflakes glistened in her lustrous black hair. Her eyes locked briefly
with Marcus’ before she turned back toward her troops.
    “More!” she commanded.
    Ignoring Marcus, the Death Dealers fired spear after
spear at their outnumbered prey. More chains were anchored to the
ground, trapping the werewolf within the clearing. His brawny shoulders
drooped beneath the weight of abundant chains, which hung tangled about
him like a spider’s web. His breaths grew ragged. He whimpered in pain
and exhaustion.
    Marcus could stand it no more. Furious, he grabbed one
of the archers and hurled him aside with an Elder’s strength. The
armored soldier landed in a snowdrift over a dozen yards away. Fearful
eyes peered from behind the Death Dealer’s black helmet as he scrambled
toward Amelia, seeking the other Elder’s protection. His petrified
expression betrayed his terror at being caught between two clashing
Elders.
    “Enough, Marcus,” Amelia said.
    Turning his gaze back toward his persecuted brother,
Marcus saw that the deed was done. The spears and chains had done their
work, overcoming even William’s preternatural strength and endurance.
Enmeshed in his chains, the werewolf collapsed onto the snow, beaten and
bleeding. His chest rose and fell beneath his heavy bonds. Only this
labored breathing assured Marcus that his unfortunate brother still
lived.
    “William,” he whispered hoarsely.
    Mixed emotions warred within his chest. It could not be
denied that his brother had posed a dire threat to them all. His
depredations had ravaged the countryside for years now, costing the
lives of countless innocent vampires and mortals. Worse yet, his hellish
curse had proven damnably contagious, creating an entire breed of
subhuman monsters like himself. Before William had succumbed to the
primeval infection in his blood, the world had never heard of
werewolves. He had become the progenitor of a loathsome new species.
    And yet, William could not be blamed for what he had
become. Marcus stared in sorrow at his vanquished brother. If not for a
capricious twist of fate, their destinies might have been reversed. He might have been born a vampire, Marcus
thought, and I… an animal. He