The soldiers nodded their agreement, but one shook his head in objection. “We cannot in good conscience endanger an innocent being. If somehow the vampires do discover their identity, they will be killed.”
“What if we assigned a guardian to protect the keeper of the key?” Lynxarione suggested.
“No. Then the vampires would be able to sense the guardian.”
“Not if no one on Flonar knows who the guardian is.”
“How is that possible?”
“We have made an alliance with the planet of Mathias. They are a mighty race of warriors; noble and brave. They could take the key, entrust it to a being who is innocent of our planet and assign a guardian to watch over them. We will not know who has the key or who the warrior is who guards them; thus protecting them both.”
“They should go to a little planet I know of that is very far away, called Earth. It is perfect for what we need. They know nothing of other planets and have an appearance that is the same as the people of Mathias. The guardian will be able to live among them easily. Let us take the key to Mathias now and then have our memories wiped of this meeting, forever.”
Suddenly, Lynxar’s dream changed. He was back in the cave on Mount Bluerock, but it was no longer the past. He sensed that somehow he was now in the present, or perhaps even the future. The coffin was gone and tracks in the dirt showed that it had been dragged away. With his heart pounding, Lynxar followed the tracks and discovered that they led to a transporter pad. Unfortunately, there was no way to find where the coffin had been taken to unless he activated the pad and had it transport him to its last destination.
He stood on the pad, took a deep breath and activated it. He only hoped it didn’t lead to the vampire realm, but when he opened his eyes he saw that the destination was far worse. He was back on Earth, in Colossal City! This could only mean one thing; the vampires had discovered where the crystal key was hidden and now the coffin and the key were nearly together again! All they had to do was put the key in the lock and the people of Colossal City would be enslaved by vampires! A new reign of evil was about to begin!
Chapter Two
Lynxar sat up in bed. His heart was pounding and he was dripping with sweat from the horrible nightmare that he had just awoken from. The clock showed it was only 4:00a.m., but he knew he’d never be able to go back to sleep now.
“What’s wrong?” Rachel asked with concern, as his startled gasp had awakened her too. She lovingly put her hand on his shoulder and kissed him gently on the lips. Just feeling her touch had a calming effect on him. His breathing slowed and he held her hand in his own.
“Nothing. I just can’t sleep.” He tried to sound casual, but Rachel wasn’t fooled. She knew her husband too well and could tell that something was bothering him. She decided to do what she could to help him relax.
Smiling mischievously, she said, “Well since we’re both awake, maybe we should try and think of something we can do to make ourselves tired again.” She let her hands trace their way down his muscular torso to his groin and gently massaged him there. Judging by his quick response, she knew her attempts to distract him from his worries had been successful.
“I don’t get tired easily.” Lynxar grinned back at her as he removed her nightgown. Her naked body aroused him even more and he took her breasts into his hands and began to nuzzle them.
“That’s because you don’t exercise your mind enough.” Rachel teased. “Try making love to me with just the power of your telekinesis and see if that helps you relax.”
Lynxar grinned, clearly turned on by the idea. He released her ample breasts from his hands, but Rachel could still feel the sensation of them being fondled and squeezed as Lynxar pleasured her purely with the powers of his mind.
A gasp of pleasure escaped her lips as she felt the sensation of him gently biting her nipples, although he wasn’t even touching her. Lynxar levitated her into the air and Rachel felt like she was floating on a cloud, as waves of pleasure rolled through her body. Lynxar stimulated every part of her, until her every nerve was pulsing with ecstasy and she cried out in orgasm.
“Enough mind play; I want to feel you inside me!” Rachel cried out between gasps of pleasure. “The real you!”
Lynxar lowered her from the air and laid her gently on the mattress. His male organ was throbbing and eager to enter her. He plunged deeply with one solid thrust, and she nearly climaxed again. Slowly and deliberately he paced his rhythm, drawing out her pleasure for as long as they both could stand. Her muscles rippled as she orgasmed yet again, and he groaned loudly in ecstasy as he filled her with his seed. When at last they had both finished, they collapsed side-by-side on the mattress, utterly happy and content.
“Well, it worked. I’m finally relaxed enough to fall back asleep.” Lynxar grinned, stretching across the bed exaggeratedly, but through his window he saw that the sun was just rising over the horizon.
“Too bad it’s morning now. Time to get up!” Rachel said and walked into the adjoining bathroom to take a shower.
Lynxar smiled contentedly as he heard her singing under the spray of hot water, thinking how lucky he was to be married to her, but then his thoughts quickly turned to worry again.
What if my dream last night was more than just a nightmare? He thought to himself. What if it was real? What if the historical legends are true and that the ancient coffin rumored to imprison the vampire king has been stolen and brought to Earth? I didn’t have the dream until I met Archer Speedlight. Clearly he is not human, and clearly he is hiding something. The Ghost even said that his office was full of books on coffins and murder. He must be the one the vampires have sent to search for the crystal key and release the vampire king, and I must be the one to stop him!
“What’s with the frown?” Rachel asked as she emerged from the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. “You look so serious.”
“Oh, it’s nothing.” Lynxar said, putting on his clothes in the blink of an eye. “I need you to take Lynxiennia to school today. I have some important work to do this morning.”
“No way; it’s your turn to do chauffer duty.” Rachel wagged her finger at him admonishingly. “I’ve got early morning meetings at the hospital with Dr. Archer Speedlight. He’s been doing trial surgeries with the new equipment I invented and we need to discuss the results. Colossal City is at peace right now; every villain in the solar system knows it’s protected by you and your little alliance of hero friends.”
“Is that what people are calling us now?” Lynxar asked with surprise and a bit of a blush.
“That’s what Vicky Campbell said on the news. You and Lynxonna are both friends who knew each other from Flonar. Then Bryan Hillman joined you as the Ghost with his powers of invisibility, so now they’re calling the three of you an Alliance of Hero Friends, or AHF for short. Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” Lynxar laughed with amusement, and then quickly became serious again. “Still, I have to meet with them. I think the city is under great threat again and I’ve called Lynxonna and the Ghost to come over for an emergency meeting of the AHF. I really think you should stay home from work today; or at the very least, stay far away from Dr. Speedlight.”
“Are you crazy?” Rachel cried out, and anger burned in her eyes. “Archer has been fundamental in getting my invention tested. I’m not going to stay away from him! This is my career and you can’t tell me how to run it! I didn’t spend all those years earning my doctorate for nothing! If you try and stop me from doing my work, I’ll show you what a real threat is!”
Lynxar followed Rachel down the stairs, apologizing all the way. By the time they got to the front door she’d already forgiven him, but it didn’t change the fact that she was going to keep working with Dr. Archer Speedlight. She kissed Lynxar goodbye and left for work just as Lynxonna and the Ghost arrived.
One look in his friend Lynxonna’s eyes and Lynxar knew that she had experienced the exact same dream that he had. That, c
ombined with all the information the Ghost had acquired about Archer the day before had all three of them convinced it was time to take action, before Archer found what he was looking for.
Chapter Three
Dr. Rachel Deering walked happily down the halls of Hillman Research Hospital. The early morning fight with her husband was already forgotten from her mind.
“Hi Archer!” she greeted pleasantly as she saw him exiting his office and walking toward her in the corridor. A lovely young woman with blond hair and a sweet smile was with him and a little girl who was about five years old and had her mother’s same blonde hair.
“Hi Rachel.” Archer said, with his usual charming smile. “I want to introduce you to Dawn Bright and her daughter Aurora. I used your new surgery equipment in a procedure on Aurora yesterday, and it saved her life. I was just preparing to run some post-surgery tests to make sure she’s healing correctly. You’re welcome to join us, if you like.”
“Thank you. I’m so glad to know my invention helped and I would love to see the results,” Rachel said sincerely. As they walked down the hall together, she couldn’t help but notice the dazzling crystal pendant that Dawn wore on a chain around her neck. She said to her, “Wow, what a beautiful necklace.”
Dawn blushed and touched her hand to it, almost as if she were trying to cover it up or hide it. In a soft voice, she said, “Thank you.”
Aurora wasn’t as reserved, and cried out with her childish exuberance, “It’s an old family heirloom, passed from mother to daughter for three hundred years! One day Mommy will give it to me and I’ll give it to my own daughter, if I have one!”
Anxious to stop Aurora from saying too much, Dawn said to Rachel, “Thanks to you, I’ll still be able to carry on the tradition. I can’t thank you enough for inventing the tools that allowed Dr. Speedlight to save my daughter. Tell us more about them.”
Rachel was just about to speak when suddenly the crystal pendant began to glow brightly and they all stopped and stared at it.
“I’ve never seen it do that before!” Dawn gasped in amazement. Looking at Archer with wide eyes, she said, “What is that supposed to mean?”
Archer’s brow creased into a frown and he suddenly looked alert. Grabbing Dawn and Aurora by the hand, he started rushing toward the back stairs of the hospital. “It can only mean one thing; they’re here! We’ve got to get as far away as possible—fast!”
Totally confused, Rachel ran after them, following them down the stairwell. Breathless, she cried out, “Wait! What’s going on?”
The foursome burst out the backdoor into the alley behind the hospital and was instantly surrounded. Black storm clouds filled the sky, making it dark outside, despite the fact it was daytime. It made it difficult to see, but they all sensed the figures closing in on them and looked around, trying to see who was out there.
“Don’t move! We know who you are and we know about the crystal!” a deep male voice shouted from the shadows and Rachel instantly recognized that it was her husband Lynxar. What was he doing here?
Lynxar walked out from the shadows, along with Lynxonna, and they both stood on either side of Archer, surrounding him. Archer began to glow with a magical light and Rachel realized there was more to him that she first thought. Perhaps she had better listen to her husband after all. Slowly, she backed away from Archer, and then she felt a rush of air that she knew meant the invisible form of the Ghost was also with them. The entire Alliance of Hero Friends had come; this must be serious indeed.
“They know about the crystal!” Dawn Bright said to Archer, as she and her daughter cowered behind him for protection, trembling with fear.
“Stand back, Dawn! They must be working for the vampires!” Archer shouted. He held out his hands and instantly a bow appeared and a quiver of arrows. They shone brightly, as if made out of energy or light, and yet they were solid and sturdy as metal. With lightening quick reflexes, he put an arrow into place, cocked back the string, and aimed it right at Lynxar’s throat.
Lynxonna charged at Archer in an attempt to defend Lynxar. She knocked him to the ground and the arrow flew straight up into the air before falling to the earth again. When it struck the ground, the arrow exploded with a blast of pure light, as if unleashing the power of the sun.
The shadow of a man could be seen in its flash and everyone gasped as they realized the Ghost had been caught in the blast. He flew back from the concussion of air, but the blinding light preventing anyone from knowing where he had landed.
“Bryan!” Rachel cried out in horror, forgetting to call him the Ghost, but he didn’t answer. “Bryan! Are you conscious! Where are you?”
There was still no response and Lynxar and Lynxonna realized the danger of the situation. Because the Ghost was invisible when he was hit by the blast, they had no way of knowing where he was in order to give him medical attention. He could be seriously injured and needing help. They turned to search for their friend, but quickly saw that Archer had a new arrow in his bow and was aiming it right them.
“My first shot may have missed, but my next arrow won’t!” Archer warned, pointing his arrow directly at Lynxar’s throat once more. “I won’t let you take the crystal key and unleash Lord Vladimus! Go back and tell the vampires that you have been defeated or I will kill you both!”
Lynxar and Lynxonna paused their attack and stared at him surprise. Lynxonna said, “We don’t work for the vampires; you do!”
“I am a guardian, sent here from the planet Mathias to protect the keeper of the key. I have seen its glow, warning that danger is near. I know you are here to steal the key and I will defend it to my death!”
“We had a dream warning us that the key had been discovered. We thought it meant you were here to steal it. We came here to protect it as well.” Lynxar explained and Archer sensed that he was telling the truth. Cautiously, he lowered his bow.
Confused, Dawn said, “If they’re not here to steal the key, then who is?”
“We are!” a chorus of voices cried out in unison. Suddenly, a dozen vampires appeared seemingly out of nowhere and filled the alley. Archer recognized that one of them was the vampire king’s son, Prince Vlorian. He commanded his vampires to spread out and grab the key.
“I won’t let you!” Archer said, and fired two arrows in rapid succession. Each one hit a separate vampire, causing them to disappear in a puff of smoke as the magical light exploded into them. He wasn’t fast enough; however, for a third vampire was able to grab Dawn Bright. She struggled in his grip.
Lynxar said to Archer, “You won’t have to fight this battle alone; you have friends!” With his super speed, Lynxar closed the distance to the vampire who was holding Dawn hostage and grabbed the creature by the throat.
“You cannot stop me by strength alone,” the vampire laughed as he kept his grip on Dawn.
Lynxonna found the same to be true of the vampire she had picked up. Normally, her superhuman strength would have subdued a criminal she had captured, but these unholy monsters seemed utterly unaffected. She squeezed the vampire by the throat, but he continued to hold young Aurora in his grasp and searched for a place on her neck where he could bite the little girl and drink her blood.
Archer called out to his new allies, “Vampires can only be killed by pure light or by impaling them with silver or wood! They can be weakened by garlic or holy water! There is no other way to defeat them!” He fired arrows into the ground directly in front of his friends. The blinding flash of light caused the vampires they were holding to release their human hostages and cry out in pain. Dawn and Aurora went running to Rachel’s side, and she guided them to hide with her behind a row of garbage cans.
Lynxar looked desperately for a weapon he could use against this strange enemy, and suddenly inspiration struck. He sent a message with his mind to Lynxonna and she looked around until she saw what he wanted.
“Ready!” she said to him with a nod. Together, with the combined powers of their minds, Lynxar and Lynxonna uplifted
the long wooden fence that lined the alleyway. It shattered and split into sharp stakes that Lynxar and Lynxonna sent flying through the air, directly at the vampires. The dangerous stakes, combined with Archer’s arrows of light, were too much for them.
“Retreat back to the lair of the coffin!” Prince Vlorian cried and disappeared in a puff of smoke. The remaining vampires huddled together in a circle and prepared to follow him, but they were too late.
“You’re not getting away that easy!” a voice from an invisible source cried out, and suddenly long strands of garlic were wound around the vampires like a rope, weakening them and making them unable to escape. Rachel sighed with relief, as she realized that Bryan as the Ghost wasn’t unconscious or injured after all. He had merely been hiding in invisible form. When the fighting broke out, he had run to a nearby restaurant, knowing that they would have ropes of garlic that could weaken the vampires.
Archer banished the vampires to a dimensional prison that his people used to capture vampires, and then turned with a relieved sigh to his new friends. “Thank you so much for helping me by protecting Dawn and the crystal key. Prince Vlorian may have escaped, but things could have been a lot worse. I wouldn’t have been able to defeat so many of his men on my own.”
“Welcome to Colossal City’s Alliance of Hero Friends.” Lynxar said to Archer and the others nodded in agreement. “It’s not often we gain a new member to our group, but I think you definitely merit the invitation, if you’ll accept it. You help us protect Colossal City, and we’ll help you protect the crystal key.”
“I accept.” Archer grinned and shook hands with each of them. The Ghost had to remember to turn himself from being invisible back into Bryan Hillman before Archer could find his hand, making everybody laugh.
Lynxar Series - The Vampire King: Books 7-13 (7-Book Bundle) Page 4
