The Human-Undead War Trilogy (Book 1): Dark Intentions by Jonathan Edwardk Ondrashek

romance.” 
     “Perhaps I have underestimated your intelligence then, Koltz. I figured you of all people knew the truths of me and my kind.” 
    Looks like I’ve found another strength: They’re immune to sarcasm.  Brian cleared his throat. “All right, you’re quite different from imagined vampires. For one, you actually do have reflections in mirrors and can be filmed. And you are repelled by garlic, but with such overtly sensitive olfactory membranes, even humans would be repulsed by the pungent smell. You just want to get away from it. A system overhaul. It has nothing to do with folktales, where it causes weakness. Anything with a strong odor—onions, for example, or even pepper—will cause you to desire flight from a situation.” 
    “Astute observation, Koltz.”              
    “The remainder of your senses are also enhanced. You can see on microscopic levels if you focus hard enough. Same with your hearing, though I assume it takes much more strength of will to filter all the sounds that plague you. Your speed and strength are unmatched, and from what I saw the other day, some of you have honed your speed so well humans can’t even register movement. You move so fast at times it gives the appearance of flying, but that isn’t actually something you can do at all. 
    “As for weaknesses, massive injuries from wood or direct piercing of the heart destroy you. Beheading with any sharp object eradicates you rather efficiently. Painfully? I have no idea. I haven’t been able to decipher how your nerves connect the concept of pain to your brain.” He smirked. “With all due respect, the Undead are technically brain-dead.” 
    Barnaby looked flattered. “Continue.” 
    “Aside from all the enhanced senses and whatnot, you’re also pretty damn resilient. Nuclear weapons, poisons, and gasses do nothing to you. Silver does no more harm than any other metal. And as far as holy water and fire go, I haven’t personally attempted any experiments with them, but I’m certain they cause harm.” 
    Barnaby snatched a torch from its bracket and brandished it before him. “Take it. Burn me.” 
    “What?” Brian hesitated. He couldn’t cause harm to anything, regardless of how immoral that creature was. Not without being provoked. Not of free will: URC experimentations were mandatory. He shook his head and stepped back. 
    Barnaby held the torch to his own face. The skin neither smoldered nor melted. He smiled and licked the flames with his tongue. “Not everything is true. As for holy water, that is an old wives’ tale. It does nothing but make us wet and moody.” 
    Brian’s mouth was dry. Barnaby had just proven one of his long-thought beliefs about the Undead wrong.  I’ll just take his word on the holy water . 
    Barnaby returned the torch to its fixture and moved away. They began to ascend a flight of stairs when Brian noticed Barnaby had grown taller. He did a double-take. The vampire leader hadn’t grown. He was floating above the stones! 
    The Undead glanced over his shoulder. “It is levitation, not flying.”  
    He settled back into step beside Brian, his clothes rustling in the eerie silence. They came to a landing and Barnaby pushed open a huge wooden door. Sunlight spilled down into a circular room, and the vampire walked right into the rays. Brian cringed, waiting for the eruption of smoke and ash. 
    Barnaby glanced at the swirling ring on his finger, basked in sunlight. “There are many things that are myth, Koltz. Humans have failed to comprehend that we are each as unique as your individual selves. We have different capabilities and strengths and weaknesses.”  
    He walked to a small metallic door on the opposite side, leaving Brian gawking. “For example, I am the only Undead in history who can withstand direct sunlight.” He whirled around in a grandiose pose, followed by a slight