Archer grinned at him and said, “Vlorian won’t be at the Mafia King’s lair, but he will have gone back there one last time to fetch his father’s coffin. We might be able to find some clue of his whereabouts. Hurry, there’s not a moment to waste!”
The four friends raced across Colossal City, traveling at speeds faster than the human eye could see. Within seconds, they arrived at the gaping hole in the ground that marked the place where Lynxar, Lynxonna, and Bryan had entered the Mafia King’s secret lair hidden below the city. The first time they had come to this place, they had been over-confident in their ability to capture him and Prince Vlorian, and had suffered a humiliating defeat at their hands. Now, they were prepared to enter the lair with much more caution.
The Mafia King had built the underground fortress out of a special alloy that blocked their superhero senses. Lynxar and Lynxonna could not use their mind reading abilities and Archer couldn’t use his vision to see within the fortress. It virtually left them all blind to what they might be facing inside. That left only one solution; someone would have to go in first to see what was down there.
“I’ll do it.” Bryan Hillman volunteered. He activated his powers of invisibility, turning himself into the Ghost. Instantly, he was as transparent as the air itself. He said, “If anyone is down there, they won’t even know I’m there.”
“Just be careful. The Mafia King has fought you before and he may have come up with a way to detect you.” Lynxar warned.
The Ghost nodded his head, but then he realized no one could see the gesture and said aloud, “Don’t worry, I will be.”
Moving cautiously, the Ghost lowered himself down the hole into the gangster’s lair, hanging by his fingertips. The room looked safe, so he let himself fall the fifty feet to the floor, landing easily on the ugly carpet. The room was a mess, with tables and chairs overturned from the battle they had fought earlier that day. The area in the center of the room where the crystal coffin had sat was now empty. No one else was there.
The Ghost deactivated his power of invisibility, turning himself into Bryan Hillman once more and shouted up to his friends. “It’s safe to come down! No one’s here!”
The three remaining members of the AHF jumped down the hole, landing powerfully in the center of the room, making the walls tremble for a moment. Once they were on the inside of the shielded lair, the heroes found they could use their powers again and each of them scanned the room. Lynxar’s violet-colored eyes immediately looked alert. He said, “We’re not alone; there’s someone else here!”
Lynxonna nodded in agreement. She had sensed it, too. Archer manifested his bow and cocked an arrow back on the string. He asked urgently, “Where are they?”
Lynxonna placed her hand on the tip of his arrow and lowered it safely toward the ground. Smiling, she said to Archer, “You won’t need that. It’s not a vampire or a gangster. It’s Dawn Bright.”
“Where is she?” Archer cried out excitedly. His entire face was lit up with happiness at the thought of seeing her again.
“She’s in there.” Lynxonna pointed to a wooden coffin across the room. Archer used his vision to peer through the wood and the moment he saw her inside, tears of joy filled his eyes. He crossed the distance in a flash and reached out to open the lid, but Lynxonna interrupted him, crying out “Wait! I can hear Dawn’s thoughts. She’s telling us not to free her; it’s a trap!”
Archer cried out, “I can’t just leave her in there! You three stay on the far side of the room. When I open the lid, whatever trap has been set should just hit me, and the rest of you should be safe to rescue Dawn.”
“No. Let’s analyze the trap first and figure out what it is. If we put our minds together, we can think of a safer way.” Bryan said smartly, and Lynxar and Lynxonna nodded their heads in agreement. It was too late, however. Archer couldn’t wait another second rescue her and impulsively pulled open the lid to the coffin. Dawn was lying there, frightened but perfectly safe. He scooped her into his arms and held her tightly to his chest, kissing her passionately while tears streamed down both of their faces.
“Thank goodness you’re safe!” Archer said to her, when finally their lips parted.
“None of us will be safe for long.” Dawn said with concern. “Vlorian and the Mafia King took the crystal key and Vladimus’ coffin. I thought they would kill me, but instead they left me here as bait for all of you. They plan to kill you with a trap that was activated by opening this coffin!”
Suddenly, the floor of the lair split open at the middle and the two halves began to move into the walls, disappearing like a sliding door. Below, the floor was nothing but a great chasm in the earth, plummeting miles into nothingness. The furniture in the room began careening into the chasm, falling for what seemed like forever before crashing at the bottom. The heroes realized that none of them could survive a fall of that distance. If they fell into the chasm, they would surely be killed.
Chapter Two
The five friends scrambled toward the walls of the Mafia King’s lair as the floor was rapidly disappearing beneath their feet, retracting into the wall. Archer and Dawn were on one side of the lair and Lynxar, Bryan and Lynxonna were on the other. The gap between them grew wider by the second. Frantically, they each looked for a way out. Lynxar tried to open the doors used by the Mafia King and the vampires, but they had been sealed shut. The hole in the ceiling was now the only way out.
“Use your strength and jump out to safety!” Archer cried out to his friends across the gap in the floor.
“What about you?” Lynxonna cried out to Archer. She recognized what Archer already knew. The angle of the hole in relation to the area where he and Dawn were trapped made it impossible for him to leap to safety while carrying Dawn. He’d never be able to make it.
“Just go without me!” Archer said, feeling deep concern for the safety of his friends. “I’ll find another way out!”
“Forget it! We’re not leaving until we can all escape together!” Lynxar shouted to Archer across the chasm, and the others shouted their agreement. The floor plates had receded into the wall over half the distance of the lair. Within moments, the floor would be fully retracted and they would all fall to their deaths.
Lynxar suddenly had an idea. He communicated his plan telepathically to Lynxonna and she nodded her head in agreement. Working together, they tried to levitate their friends up to the hole in the ceiling. It looked like the plan was going to work, but as they approached the ceiling; the metal alloy that shielded the lair hindered their abilities. Their powers of levitation weakened the closer they got to the ceiling and then failed completely. They fell from the ceiling until they were far enough from the shielding for Lynxar and Lynxonna to be able to catch them with their mind powers once more and set them gently on the floor where they had started. Dawn and Archer were on one side of the gap and the rest on the other.
Dawn clung to Archer, trembling, as it seemed like their last chance at survival had failed. There was barely enough room now for them to stand on the receding ledge, and in seconds, the floor would be completely gone. They were all standing on tip-toe now to keep from falling into the gaping earth. Dawn felt consumed by the guilt that they would all die because of her, and that her daughter Aurora would now be an orphan. She clung to Archer, thinking that at least she would be dying in the arms of the man she loved.
Suddenly, Archer shrugged out of her arms. Dawn felt heartbroken until she realized he wasn’t trying to end their embrace, but to string an arrow in his bow. He had manifested a rope that shimmered like the sun. He anchored the rope to the rock wall of the lair on one end and the other end was tied to his arrow. Archer fired the arrow across the room, sinking it sturdily into the wall right above Lynxar’s head, effectively creating a lifeline that strung across the chasm. As the last inch of the floor vanished, everyone was able to grip the rope with their hands. Breathless with fear, they dangled over the gaping earth, alive but not out of danger yet.
“Hang on!” Archer s
houted out needlessly.
“Now what do we do?” Lynxonna asked, staring down into the pit of nothingness.
Archer pulled himself up onto the rope like a circus performer and wrapped his legs around it in such a way that he could dangle from it by his knees, allowing him to use his hands. He held them out and manifested a rope ladder that glimmered like sunlight. With careful aiming of his arrows, Archer launched the ladder as close to the hole in the ceiling as he could. Then one by one, his friends climbed up to safety. When they were on the top rung of the ladder, they were able to reach up, grip the edge of hole in the ceiling, and pull themselves out to safety. Archer was the last to emerge onto the street above, and each of them hugged him gratefully for having thought of the plan that saved them. Dawn hugged him tightest of all.
“I can’t believe you came back for me!” she cried in his arms.
“Of course I came back for you. I love you!” Archer said, kissing her passionately. When at last they stopped, he smiled at her playfully and said, “Besides, I’m not letting you get out of marrying me that easily. We agreed that as soon as the vampires were defeated, you’ll be my bride, and I’m not going to give up a prize as wonderful as that just because of one lost battle.”
Everyone chuckled softly and Dawn kissed him again.
Then Archer said thoughtfully, “Now we just need to figure out where the Mafia King and Prince Vlorian have gone.” He looked at Dawn gently and asked her “Did you hear anything from inside that wooden coffin?”
“Yes” Dawn said, nodding her head enthusiastically. “Their voices sounded quite muffled through the coffin, but I kept hearing one word repeatedly. Only, I don’t know what it means.”
“What was the word?” Archer asked, holding her hand in support.
Dawn crinkled her brow in concentration as she drew on her memory and said “'Etherial. They kept saying Etherial.”
Dawn worried that the clue wouldn’t mean anything to the group of super heroes either, but one look at the grim faces of Archer and Lynxar let her know that it did.
Lynxar was one who spoke up to explain. He said, “Etherial is known by all the members of the Alliance of Planets. You and Bryan are both from Earth, so you don’t know, but she is a witch of immense power. She was a devoted follower of Lord Vladimus and was always looking to align herself with those who would rescue him. It is rumored that she knew a way to increase his powers by mating with him. We can only hope she has not come to Colossal City!”
Chapter Three
Prince Vlorian knocked on the iron door of the stone fortress and it opened slowly on its creaky hinges. A beautiful woman stood on the other side, smiling at him wickedly as she looked him up and down. She was very tall, with pale white skin, almost as colorless his own. She had long fiery red hair that flowed past her shoulders like licking flames. Her face was beautiful, with red pouty lips and cruel eyes that were such a dark blue, they were almost black. Her body was her most striking feature of all. She was curvy and voluptuous, and the black gossamer dress she wore left nothing to the imagination. A spindly wand made of gnarled wood was clutched in her left hand.
Prince Vlorian gave her a polite short bow, then took her right hand in his and kissed it with his cold lips. He said to her, “Thank you, Lady Etherial, for inviting me to your home. It is almost as impressive as your beauty.”
“Where is Lord Vladimus?” Etherial asked sharply, clearly unimpressed with his obvious attempt at flattery.
“In there,” Vlorian said in a wounded tone. He stepped aside and a small band of vampires carried the heavy crystal coffin that imprisoned Lord Vladimus inside the fortress. The obese Mafia King waddled behind them, wheezing with exhaustion from the long journey from Colossal City. He was beginning to wonder if he had made a mistake aligning himself with the vampires. He had thought they would bring him closer to ruling Colossal City, but now he was further away from it than ever.
Lady Etherial directed Vlorian’s men to set the crystal coffin in the middle of her grand hall, and ran her fingers across the top of it seductively.
“I can feel him within!” she said, her eyes glistening with excitement. Whipping her head around to look at Vlorian, she commanded, “Open it! Release him at once!”
“We must be cautious.” Vlorian warned her. As anxious as he was to free his father, he felt protective of him, too. He explained to her with a condescending tone, “He will be greatly weakened from three centuries of imprisonment. A band of superheroes stalks us and he will be vulnerable to them.”
“I have the cure for that.” Etherial said with such confidence that Vlorian did not doubt her words. Her eyes flashed with passion and impatience. She raised her wand threateningly, and said, “Open the coffin now and free Lord Vladimus. I will restore his strength so he can take his rightful place as ruler of all he sees. If you are truly loyal to him, you will stop this sniveling procrastination. If you don’t have the guts to do it, then I will!”
Prince Vlorian prickled at being accused of disloyalty and cowardice. He said, “No one has been more loyal to my father than me! For the past three centuries I have scoured the galaxy searching for him! The moment of glory is finally upon us and I will be the one to turn the key and set him free!”
With great flare, Vlorian removed the crystal key from his pocket, inserted it into the lock on the crystal coffin, and turned it. A blinding light filled the grand hall of the fortress and in a flash, it was gone. When his vision cleared, Prince Vlorian saw that the coffin was now open and his father stood beside it.
Lord Vladimus was extremely tall, with long black hair, red eyes, and skin as white as death. His face was handsome and distinguished, but his body had lost much of the muscle he had before, causing him to look gaunt and weak. Still, he had charisma and a foreboding presence that commanded respect. Everyone in the room knelt before him, even the Mafia King.
“Welcome, my Lord!” Etherial said, quivering with excitement.
“Where am I?” Vladimus asked, feeling puzzled and disoriented.
Vlorian stepped forward to explain. The Vampire king recognized his son at once and listened to his tale. His version of history was somewhat altered, but the results were the same. Vladimus understood that he was on a new planet full of victims ready for the taking, if only he had the strength to get rid of few pesky heroes first.
Vladimus took a step forward to command his small group of loyal followers, and instantly felt weak from the effort. Etherial stepped forward graciously and took his arm in hers to cover his embarrassment. She said, “If it pleases you, follow me and I will see that you are refreshed from your long sleep. Your subjects can wait a few moments, I’m sure.”
“Yes.” Lord Vladimus agreed. He followed Etherial up the stairs to her own private bed chamber. It was a large room with a round bed at its center, surrounded by dozens of glowing candles. Exhausted, Vladimus sat on the edge of the bed. Etherial locked the door and lit all the candles with a few simple flicks of her wand.
Vladimus said in a regal tone, “Okay, witch. Refresh me.”
With a wicked smile, Etherial knelt at his feet and said, “Let me pleasure you and you will gain strength and power a hundred times greater than you’ve ever had before.”
Vladimus nodded his consent and Etherial lowered his zipper with her hands and pulled out his organ. She caressed him there with her fingertips and then began to stroke him sensuously with her palm. He responded quickly, growing rigid in her grasp. He could already feel tingles of his strength returning to him.
With a naughty smile, Etherial took his organ into her mouth and began to suck. Vladimus sighed with pleasure at the feel of her tongue dancing around the tip of him and her lips sliding over the full length of his throbbing member. His entire body was tingling now, not just with sexual excitement, but with the power of her restorative magic.
“Let me strip for you.” Etherial purred, rising to her feet and slowly unbuttoning her dress.
“No, I prefer to
undress you myself!” Vladimus said. With a sudden move, he grabbed her and pulled her onto the bed. It felt good to have his strength returned, and seeing the surprised look in Etherial’s eyes as he threw her to bed excited him even more. He ripped the gossamer fabric from her body with almost violent force until she was completely naked.
Etherial’s nipples grew hard and he could smell the sweet scent of her arousal. He made love to her with his hands, feeling her hot wetness on his cold fingers and knew that she was ready for him. More than that, he knew that he was ready for her. His muscles felt invigorated and his manhood was pulsating with lust.
“Get on your hand and knees!” he commanded gruffly. Etherial eagerly complied, kneeling in the center of the bed. She’d been dreaming of this moment for countless years and finally it was here!
Kneeling behind her, Vladimus entered her wet folds with a forceful thrust of his manhood. Ripples of power shot through his body and he felt himself growing stronger still.
Vladimus began to thrust slowly and Etherial rocked her hips back to meet him, drawing him deeply into her. They moved in perfect rhythm with each other, gyrating faster and faster. Vladimus felt as if three hundred years of lust had built up within him and was about to explode from within him. That’s exactly what happened at the moment of his climax, and Etherial cried out passionately as she felt him spilling his seed within her. Her gasps of pleasure mingled with his as she orgasmed with him, both their bodies shaking with pleasure. Vladimus felt a huge surge of power flow through his body and flashes of lightening streaked across the ceiling, even though they were indoors. He knew that Etherial had used some kind of dark magic to not only restore his power, but increase it.
He withdrew from Etherial and flexed the new rippling muscles that now filled out his entire body. He lifted the bed with Etherial still on it above his head with one hand and laughed evilly. He could feel the power and strength surging inside him and knew no one could stop him now. Colossal City would be his!
Lynxar Series - The Vampire King: Books 7-13 (7-Book Bundle) Page 9
