Excerpt: Doppelganger: A Vampire Linares Spinoff

Holding Charlie pinned to the floor by the throat with one hand and her knee in his midsection, Linda pressed the tip of her blade against his cheek. From his back Charlie threw punches at her, powerful thumping blows against her shoulders and body that would have incapacitated a normal human. She adjusted her grip on the hilt of her blade and punched him in his forehead, hard enough to fracture the plate of bone beneath the thin layer of flesh. Though driven by the power of the shadow within him, Charlie swooned.

Linda said, “Look at me, vile creature. Do you recognize me? Do you know who I am?”

From his back on the floor Charlie moaned, “Linda, please…don’t hurt me…” It was a deception intended to confuse her and give the demon an advantage.

“Look at me!”

Charlie obeyed. From within the depths of his hateful gaze she saw the blood red glimmer, confirmation of what she already knew. There were hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of shadows infesting the world. In her two thousand years of existence she had killed many of them, yet more continued to pass through the rift torn between the realm of the Garden and the world of mankind. It was her duty in accordance with prophecy to destroy them whenever she encountered them, whether they were in their shadowed form or in possession of a human. Her consort husband would be unfortunate collateral damage.

The demon redoubled its efforts, throwing blows and thrashing its legs in its attempt to escape, but to no avail. She was stronger. Only one in the world was more powerful than she—the one who made her and set her on the path to the fulfillment of prophecy.

“Linda, please…what’s happening? Why are you doing this to me? I don’t understand. Why are you hurting me? Linda darling, please don’t hurt me anymore. I love you so much. Please, Linda…”

Holding Charlie and the shadow within him pinned to the floor at the bottom of the stairs of their suburban home, Linda ignored its intended deceptive pleading and said, “Of all the places in the world, of all the people you could have taken, you chose this place, and this man. That’s unfortunate for you, demon. For your error you are about to cease to exist. Do you know me, demon?”

“Please Linda, you’re hurting me,” Charlie sobbed miserably, his gray eyes streaming tears. Then his expression changed, and he stopped struggling and glared hatred at her. His eyes gleamed red in their sockets. “Release me, you fucking cunt.”

“My name is Linares, vile creature.”

Charlie’s expression transformed from false fright to true fear and absolute hatred. He snarled and snapped at her like a rabid dog, then hissed, “Vampire bitch.”

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Doppelganger: A Vampire Linares Spinoff