Read Night of Nyx (The Nightfall Chronicles 2.5) for Free Online Page B

your life."
    "When you have thousands of years to choose from, it's hard to pick what to share."
    "Then tell me about your week." She stops near a large white rock and sits on it in The Thinker pose.
    Zorin rolls his eyes. "I did some research to catch up on the times, learned the new Pope likes tournaments."
    "New?"
    "Well, new for me. How about you? How was your week?"
    She shakes her head. "We're still on you."
    He sighs, then speaks rapidly. "I started the week buying more marshmallows. Then I painted part of the Cathedral. Then I had a snack. About mid-week, everyone was asleep, and I considered getting a dog for company. But then I thought about the smell and the poop, and I thought what if I ever get hungry, would I really be able to resist? So, I decided no dog. That enough?"
    She grins. "For now."
    "Now your turn." He pulls a bag of marshmallows from his cloak and starts snacking.
    She jumps off the rock and grabs a marshmallow for herself. "I saw a play. Nox Aeterna ."
    "Oh, yes. I've seen it. Not particularly historically accurate."
    "That's what my roommate said."
    "Who's your roommate?"
    "Princess Corinne of the House of Ravens."
    He freezes mid-bite. "That's a dangerous roommate to have."
    "It gets better. Her father's coming to New York. To capture Nightfall."
    He hides the marshmallow bag back in his cloak. He hoped they wouldn't have to talk about Varian quite yet. She is in more danger than Zorin realized, if she is rooming with their enemy's daughter and the heir to the Kingdom. "If Varian is coming here, we must be extra careful. I've seen him fight. You are not ready for him."
     
    ***
     
    They walk back into the Cathedral, to the training room, and Zorin tosses Scarlett a practice sword and tells her to repeat the Way of Nyx.
    She is only at it a few minutes when she sighs, her form only moderately acceptable. "Zorin, I need to fight. To fly."
    "You need to practice your form."
    "I've done it a million times. Can't I learn the other six now?"
    He rubs his head as he reclines in one of the golden chairs. "Trust me, I know what's best. You need to learn patience. You're an immortal now. Stop acting like a whiny human girl."
    She groans and continues the drill. "New subject. I need your help with something. I need an apartment in the city. My new friends at school were getting suspicious about me leaving and I needed a cover."
    Carter walks in with a cup of LifeForce. "I'm happy to set that up for you, miss.” He acts the kind servant around her. Is it only for Zorin’s sake, or does Carter plan something more?
    “Do you have a particular part of the city in which you'd prefer to live?" asks Carter.
    Nightfall looks at Zorin, but he just shrugs. She takes the LifeForce and sips it. "I don't know. Someplace fun, artsy. Someplace my friends would believe I would pick."
    Carter bows. "Consider it done. I know just the place. You will have your keys by the end of the weekend."
    "Thanks."
    Carter returns upstairs and Nightfall resumes her drills, still distracted by her own thoughts. "How would you turn someone?"
    Zorin pauses. "You're losing focus, but okay. First, the person must be drained of blood."
    "So you feed from them."
    "Yes, but if they had lost blood another way, say an injury, that would suffice."
    She stops her training for a moment. "Did you have to feed off me?"
    "Yes. You were bleeding out, but I needed to speed up the process. There was an Angel there, after all."
    She resumes the drill, performing a block, then a strike. "What next?"
    "You feed the person your blood, often by cutting open your wrist. The Nephilim blood replaces the human, and the person begins to change."
    "How long does it take?"
    "It is different for everyone, but it often takes a while to awaken."
    She finishes her form. "Zorin, if you knew where I could find the Angel, would you tell me?"
    His face hardens. "I would tell you what you needed to know."
    Her eGlass beeps at her ear and she pauses, pressing a button. Her AI