Cobblestone Press Presents

The Vampire Oracle

Rebirth

by Lyric James

Genre: Vampire, Interracial

Blurb:
A professional thief by choice, Robyn keeps her heart under strict lock and key. An orphan human raised by a vampire. Brandon works tirelessly to keep the creatures of the night a secret from the normal world. Things get a little complicated, however, when the one woman he hoped to never see again gets blamed for a crime he knows she didn’t commit.

Robyn has always loved Brandon, but doesn't know if she has the willpower to accept Brandon and everything being a vampire entails. Will they be able to mend their relationship before she becomes the killer's next victim?

Excerpt:
A thick layer of clouds wafted over the moon, dimming the expanse of the backyard. Robyn Hood sprinted across the freshly cut lawn. The now-covered full moon hid her shadow. There was no sound. Not a whisper of wind, no rustling leaves. She was a silent figure lurking in the night.

Dressed all in black, she crept up to the door and peaked inside. Met with darkness, she smiled with satisfaction and pulled her lock pick out of her back pocket. Using both hands, she stuck each piece inside the door and maneuvered it around just so. When she heard the lock click open, she twisted the knob, slipped quietly inside the home and found the alarm system on the wall. She took her equipment out of her bag, pried off the cover, and attached the correct wires. On the green florescent panel, she watched as the six-digit code materialized one by one on her screen.

She keyed in the code and waited for those magic words—system disarmed. "Works like a charm every time," she whispered.
She had it on good authority that the owners of the house were out of town on vacation, so she leisurely looked around, taking in the beautiful surroundings.

They had a large kitchen with crisp white cabinets, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. The house had been empty for at least two days, but the aroma of pine and ammonia still hung in the air.

In the adjoining family room, there was a big screen plasma TV mounted on the wall, surrounded by cabinets filled with books, DVD movies and small items she was sure they had collected on their many travels. A large room, the moonlight cast a glow over the plush, chocolate leather furniture and oak tables. She traced a gloved finger over the edge of the pool table, then sat and twirled around in one of the chairs at the large poker table in the corner.

"Now this is how to live."

The small refrigerator behind the bar was filled with an assortment of beer and soft drinks, and a collection of crystal wineglasses gleamed above her head.

Out in the foyer, a large chandelier twinkled from the ceiling. She passed an office on her way to the spiral staircase, which took her upstairs.

Robyn quickly found the master bedroom. The blueprints she’d "borrowed" from the state registry office revealed there was a secret room hidden behind the large mirror on the far wall. She found the correct remote control off the coffee table in the sitting area and clicked it to open.

"Un-freaking- believable," she murmured as the glass slid quietly into the wall. She tugged the strap of her bag up and over her head so it slanted across her breast. Then she pulled out the other bag she'd tucked inside it and went to work.

She opened one drawer and found several Rolex watches. After dropping them in her bag, she found another had diamond necklaces and bracelets. "He might be an ass, but he sure has good taste."

A third had diamond, emerald, sapphire and ruby rings. She found pearls in a fourth, and almost screamed when she opened one with several bundles of cash in it. "This is so going to make up for the crap that man put me through the last few months."

Finished, she looked around to make sure she'd shut all the drawers, then stepped out. She picked up the remote, slid the mirror back into place, and placed it exactly where she'd found it on the table.

When she stepped into the hallway, she paused, flattened herself against the wall and waited. She thought she heard voices. After several seconds of silence, she crept down the steps.

Damn.

It sounded like someone was in the office she had to pass on her way back to the kitchen.

Shit. This house is supposed to be empty, damn it..

Her black tennis shoes made no noise as she slinked across the room to the wall. Her fears were confirmed when she heard two men arguing. But she blocked out their words, hoping she could get past the room unseen. She dipped her body low. Just as she was about to go by the room, she saw an unusual green flash of light out of the corner of her eye.

Unable to ignore it, she turned to look. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw a man dressed similar to her holding a dark stick pointed toward the other guy. A long sliver of energy struck the other man in the chest, and he went flying against the wall, knocking over a lamp and two winged back chairs along the way.

A scream split from her throat at the same time the man slammed into the wall, breaking a mirror. The attacker turned toward her, and she saw his evil red eyes narrow. A table went sailing through the air as he came in her direction.

Robyn twisted around and bolted for the exit. She flew around the island in the kitchen and ran out the door, not even bothering to shut it as she jumped over the four steps to the grass. She sprinted across the lawn as green flashes of light missed her and hit bushes and trees instead. "Oh my god."

Her backpack, full of the jewelry she'd "borrowed", thumped against her back, almost making her fall. She jumped at the wall surrounding the property, but slipped and fell to the ground. An energy pulse hit it, sending several of the bricks tumbling to the ground. She scrambled up, used the hole he'd made for support and clamored over the top.

She hit the concrete with a thud, scraping her knee and elbow as her body smacked the ground. Ignoring the pain shooting through her limbs, she got up and sprinted down the street to her car parked on the next block.

Robyn heard his feet hit the pavement with ease as he chased behind her. She rounded the corner and made it to her car. She dug in her pocket for her keys, unlocked the door and jumped inside. When she stuck the key in the ignition and turned, nothing happened.

"Not now. Don’t do this to me now."

She pumped the gas and tried again. Nothing.

When she looked up, he was running full speed toward her, his wand raised. Yes, she knew what he held and what he was. She'd promised herself ten years ago never to return to that life.

"Please, please work," she cried, turning the key again. The engine purred to life. "Thank you, thank you."

He was almost on her as she gunned the engine, sending the car wheels spinning in reverse. Her right side window shattered as he aimed the weapon at her again. She sent the car into a one-hundred- and-eighty- degree turn, yanked it into drive and sped down the street. The last thing she saw was the man standing in the middle of the road and green flecks hitting the ground.

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Available TODAY from Cobblestone Press