The Van Helsing Conjecture – Excerpt No. 288

“Halt!” A man ordered.

At the hunter’s side there was Adam and surprisingly Silky.

Being this far out of sync with time meant that single word played out longer than any opera singer could ever hope to hold. To avoid giving away her hand, Clara had to avoid showing signs of irritation. It’ll make me look like a vampire.

While they no longer suspected that she was one of them, they were sure to react if she blurred like one. So, Clara played her part and took a long pause before responding in her own operatic voice.

“Or what?” Clara asked while moving forward.

A dramatic, high-contrast, cinematic photograph depicts a lone, statuesque brunette with porcelain skin, full lips, and piercing gaze, standing confidently with her back straight, wearing a flowing, torn, and tattered, dark-brown or black, long-sleeved gown, while her enormous, magnificent, black wings with soft, fluffy feathers and sharp quill-like ends, stretch out majestically from her shoulders, as if ready to take flight. Before her, three ominous, hooded figures, shrouded in shadows, stand in a triangular formation, facing her with an air of malevolence. The scene unfolds in a grand, ornate, and gilded, marble-lined chamber, illuminated by soft, golden, warm, and moody lighting, while in the background, a menacing, armed, and uniformed, assembly of foes, shrouded in darkness, closes in, awaiting their cue. The atmosphere is heavy with tension and foreboding.

Disclaimer: This novel is an work in progress and readers may encounter grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Please view this a draft and not a published work.