Aurora Sky Vampire Hunter - By Nikki Jefford Page 0,14

a brightly lit room.

I peered through the glass, expecting to see whatever creature or thing the agents wanted to show me, but the room was empty except for a metal table in the center.

Maybe they meant to stick me in there and interrogate me.

Crist stood against the door, propping it open. I followed Melcher back into the hall where he stopped in front of room number two and swiped his keycard. A metallic click unlocked the door. Melcher held it open.

He sounded way too serious when he next spoke. "You are about to meet your first vampire, Aurora. I'll warn you, he's no Edward Cullen. I wish there was a way to make this easier on you, but the first experience is always traumatic. To see how your blood infects the creature you will need to let him feed on you. Let me stress that it will come as a shock, but there's nothing to fear. Your blood will protect you."

I didn't realize my feet were making a run for it until Crist grabbed me by the arm. "This way, Aurora."

She released my arm long enough to shove me forward.

I spun around in time to see the door close, trapping me inside. It was the same brightly lit room I'd seen through the window. When I looked at the glass, the other room was gone, replaced by a featureless reflection.
Chapter 6 Initiation

There was an electronic crackle, and a voice filled the room. "Welcome to initiation, Aurora. This test will last as long as you want"

I wanted out of this insane asylum. I rushed to the door and tried yanking down the silver handle, but it didn't budge.

I turned and my eyes raced over every square inch of the enclosed room. There was a metal table in the very center. I walked up to it and looked down at the weapons laid on top: a handgun, crossbow, hunting knife, ax, and wooden stake.

The intercom crackled back to life.

"Once the subject has fed on your blood you will need to choose a weapon and finish him off."

"What? No! I'm not killing anyone. Melcher? Let me out of here."

"Now!" I screamed.

"Good luck, Aurora."

I expected something horrible to occur after he signed off, but nothing happened.

I circled the table and kept glancing at the door. Trapped inside a windowless room with weapons that made my skin crawl. Fantastic. There wasn't even a clock to track the minutes dragging by. If they planned on keeping me locked up for so long they could've at least put a chair inside.

I folded my arms over my chest and looked at the two-way mirror.

"What's the matter with Dracula? Can't find his cape?" I chuckled, but it sounded nervous.

I walked over to the far corner of the room and leaned my back against the wall.

There was a hollow knock at the door across the room. It pounded three times in succession, producing an eerie, drawn-out echo.

I wanted to crack a joke, but something didn't feel right. My heart pounded its way up to my throat and I'd barely swallowed when the door flew open. A middle-aged man in flannel was thrown in. The door slammed shut behind him. He nearly fell on the floor, but caught himself. Long greasy hair covered his face as he bent forward. When he righted himself, I saw that his cheeks were sunken, lips bared over yellow teeth. He snarled and spit leaked out the corners of his mouth.

I stood up straight.

The motion caught his eye. He wheezed when he saw me. His eyes were bloodshot. His clothes looked like they hadn't been washed in months.

This was no vampire. This was a lunatic.

He crossed the room, passing the weapons laid out on the table. At least he showed no interest in those.

I sprang to life, skirting the wall as I hustled to the exit on the opposite side.

"Let me out of here!" I pounded on the door. "Let me out!" I screamed so hard my new lungs felt ready to rupture.

The lunatic came snarling toward me. That's what he was, not a vampire, but a deranged madman who'd been locked in the room with me by psychopaths. I was part of some kind of experiment. Maybe this was a test to see how I handled stress. Maybe they wanted me as an altogether different type of operative. They wanted to desensitize me by subjecting me to unimaginable horrors.

Well, I didn't care if I passed. I just wanted out - and not just out of