Wicked War of Mine (Overworld Chronicles Book 9) by John Corwin Page A

repressed a sigh. In a sense, Felicia was my rescue. The way she saw it, I'd saved her from Maximus and also saved her from dying to the vampling curse even though I hadn't been the only one participating in the operation. She viewed me as her knight in shining armor.
    "Of course you're attractive," I said. "I think you can convince more people to participate because you're a cute vampire."
    "Oh," she said in a slightly disappointed tone. "Want me to use compulsion?"
    "Absolutely not," I said.
    "Good." Her voice lightened. "You're such a great man, Justin."
    I decided it was safest to ignore her praise. "I'll send you the list. Let me know how it goes."
    "You got it."
    I sent her the database after I ended the call, and updated Cinder and the others on the progress.
    "This is excellent news, Justin." Cinder approximated a smile.
    Joss and Otaleon didn't seem overjoyed. They exchanged uneasy glances.
    Admittedly, the thought of dozens of nauseated Darklings barfing all over El Dorado made me a little queasy. "Do you have any idea why it's so hard for Darklings to feed?" I asked them.
    Joss shrugged. "We tried it during the first war, but it was too hard."
    "We were fighting so much it was hard to find time to feed," Otaleon added. "It might take a Brightling a few short minutes to consume a human, but since we are constantly fighting nausea, it takes us nearly an hour to reach the limit with a human."
    "How do you know when you've hit the danger zone?" I asked.
    "You can feel it," Joss said. "It is like feeling a bottle of water lighten as you consume it."
    "How long does it take a human to recover?" I asked.
    "It depends on the human," he said. "Happy people recover very quickly. Those who are prone to sadness are much slower."
    "Is there any way to sweeten the essence?" I asked.
    The two Darklings looked at each other. Otaleon spoke. "I am sorry, Justin. I don't think there is any way to make it pleasant. Even if you procure more humans, it is unlikely we and our brethren will ever be able to feed enough to match the Brightlings in power."
     

Chapter 8
     
    I hated hearing the hard truth, but I'd learned that complaining about it didn't solve the problem. I decided it was time to put myself in Joss and Otaleon's shoes so I could understand where they were coming from.
    "Do you have a human I can feed from?" I asked Cinder.
    He tilted his head. "You wish to feed?"
    "I need to test something." I had a suspicion, but needed to know for sure.
    "I believe so," Joss said. He entered the gap in the dragon coils and returned a moment later with an old man.
    "Howdy there," the man said in a lively tone. "What can I do ya fer?"
    "I'm Justin," I said, offering my hand.
    He grinned and gave my hand a strong shake. "I'm Abe. You must be the guy everyone keeps talking about."
    I smiled. "That depends on if what they're saying is good or bad."
    He winked. "I really appreciate this opportunity. I was wasting away in a retirement home when my granddaughter told me I could serve our great country." Abe chuckled. "Sorry, I meant the world. I served in Vietnam, so I know about war, son. It took a tremendous toll on me, but your people here have cured most of my ills and given me a purpose in life."
    I felt my eyes moisten, and cleared my throat to ward off the surge of emotion. "I appreciate your help more than you could imagine."
    He saluted. "Makes me proud, son."
    "We don't salute around here," I said with a smile.
    "Hah. My granddaughter said you weren't all that formal."
    "Who is your granddaughter?" I asked.
    His chest puffed out. "Katherine. She's training to be a Templar, and I sure am proud of that little girl."
    I looked at Cinder. "Do I know a Katherine?"
    "I believe you know her by her nickname," Cinder replied. "Katie."
    "I never knew her name was Katherine." I also wondered if she'd asked permission from anyone before exposing her nom grandfather to the supernatural. Then again, did it even matter at this point? The whole world