Twelfth Grade Kills: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, by Heather Brewer
Extract
Prologue
A Brief Detour
D'ablo's flesh had almost completely healed from his blistering battle with the sun a year and a half before, but his hand . . . his hand was gone for good. He was eternally scarred and the honour of his name forever stained, all because of a teenage boy by the name of Vladimir Tod.
Now D'Ablo dropped to his knees and shook his head, his wide eyes locked on the man before him, his voice trembling slightly. 'But . . . why? I've done nothing wrong!'
The man standing before D'Ablo remained silent. His features were draped with shadows, as if even the lights cast by the office lamps were afraid to touch him.
The air was thick, full of a warning that D'Ablo could not deny. And even though the office window was open and a slight breeze was ruffling the curtains, the air felt heavy, stale, stagnant, old. It was difficult to breathe in.
'I've . . . ' D'Ablo began his thought, but then closed his mouth again, fearing the repercussions his words might bring.
He looked at the man - the familiar face, features he knew all too well - and held his hands up in a pleading gesture. Or more exactly, his only hand . . . and the stump that had been left behind after Vlad had taken that hand with the Lucis.
But his pleading would not be enough to stop what was coming.
Suddenly, the Shadow Man leaped across the room, knocking D'Ablo onto the floor. With his fangs bared, the Shadow Man thrust his hand forward. The tips of his fingers pierced D'Ablo's flesh. D'Ablo howled and thrashed in torment, gnashing his teeth, struggling to get free. The man pushed hard, forcing his hand deeper inside D'Ablo's chest. With a bitter purse of his lips, he whispered into D'Ablo's 'ear, 'I have put this off for far too long. You have served your purpose:
He gripped D'Ablo's still beating heart and pulled, freeing the organ from his chest. Standing, the man squeezed until what he had held was no more than a mushy pulp. The light left D'Ablo's eyes.
He was dead.
The door opened and a second man entered. The man in shadows stood and shook D'Ablo's blood from his hand. 'Remove the head and burn the body. I want to make sure he stays dead.'
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