The Van Helsing Conjecture – Excerpt No. 294

“I thrive in the light,” Clara said. “I hunt things that go bump in the night.”

No matter how much she slowed her progress, these delays meant this gap would soon close. Instead of fighting it any longer, Clara stopped ten paces away from the men. Took a stiff bow and looked up at them with a smirk on her face.

“I am Clara Grey,” she began. “Hunter, flapper, and the one who sacrificed her life to end Drusilla’s reign of terror.”

Clara opted for a dramatic pause, which gave her time to confirm she had their undivided attention. The lead hunter’s heart rate dipped a bit, as did several of the others. The Reverend Mother would have our hides for such a poor demonstration of control.

a cinematic, high-contrast, black-and-white photograph of a striking brunette woman with piercing steel grey eyes, adorned in an intricately beaded, champagne-colored flapper gown that drapes elegantly across her slender figure, paired with a matching cloche hat, tilted at a charismatic angle, set against the opulent backdrop of a grand, high-ceilinged marble hall with ornate columns and a sweeping staircase, wherein she is encircled by a gathering of mysterious, hooded figures shrouded in darkness, their faces obscured by the shadows, creating an air of intrigue and mystique, with dramatic spotlights casting long, ominous shadows across the floor, and the atmosphere thick with anticipation.

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.