Читать книгу Enchant the Night - Amanda Ashley - Страница 8

Prologue

Chanting softly, twelve bearded men sat around a small fire in the middle of the Dark Wood. All had taken a solemn oath to destroy the last of the Hungarian vampires. These vampires, born rather than made, were capable of breeding with human females and reproducing more of their kind, and they were considered an affront to all that was holy.

The twelve rose when the Elder Knight appeared. On this night, they had gathered under the light of a full moon to initiate the newest member of their Order. Shrouded in long, black hooded cloaks and masks, they formed a circle around the initiate and the Elder Knight.

“This is a solemn occasion,” the Elder Knight intoned, and though he did not shout, his voice rang in the darkness. “Do you understand the gravity of the Oath of Allegiance you are about to make?”

The initiate bowed his head and said, “Yes.”

“From this night forward, you will be known as Ricardo 42. Our laws are simple. You will never reveal the names of those gathered here, nor will you ever reveal the location of our temple in the Dark Wood. From this night forward, your sole purpose in life will be to protect humanity from any and all supernatural creatures, even at the cost of your own life. To betray these laws is punishable by death. Will you now swear on your life to obey these laws?”

“I so swear.”

The Elder Knight reached into his long, black robe and withdrew a jeweled dagger. After piercing his own palm with the dagger, he did the same to each of the Knights, and to Ricardo 42 last of all. Then, one by one, each Knight pressed his bleeding palm to that of the initiate. When it was done, the cuts in their hands vanished.

“You are now one of us, Ricardo 42.”

A Knight bearing a robe came forward and presented it to the initiate, then stood back as Ricardo put it on.

A rush of wind stirred the trees and a woman in a long, gray cloak appeared, the hood pulled down low to hide her face. She placed an intricately-carved, ivory medallion around his neck. “This will alert you to the presence of Hungarian vampires.” Reaching into the pocket of her robe, she withdrew a small package. “This cloak of invisibility will hide you from their sight. Use it wisely.” And with that bit of advice, she vanished.

One by the one, the Knights welcomed Ricardo 42 into their midst.

And then, one by one, they disbanded, each to their own territory to seek out and destroy the last of the Hungarian vampires.