Blood Wyne (44 page)
But rest assured: I am
not
done with the Otherworld series. I love writing about the Sisters and have plenty of adventures planned for them. You’ll be able to read a novella about Iris in an anthology titled
Hexed
(Summer 2011). Find out just what dark secrets the Talon-haltija has been hiding all these years.
not
done with the Otherworld series. I love writing about the Sisters and have plenty of adventures planned for them. You’ll be able to read a novella about Iris in an anthology titled
Hexed
(Summer 2011). Find out just what dark secrets the Talon-haltija has been hiding all these years.
Come Fall 2011,
Courting Darkness
will be released (Camille’s fourth book). Watch out—Smoky’s daddy is back and he’s on the rampage, out for revenge. And yes—there are more books planned after that.
Courting Darkness
will be released (Camille’s fourth book). Watch out—Smoky’s daddy is back and he’s on the rampage, out for revenge. And yes—there are more books planned after that.
So between the Indigo Court series and the Otherworld series, I hope to keep you in reading material for the coming year. Again, thank you for supporting the series and taking the Sisters to heart. You can find plenty of Otherworld perks on my website:
www.galenorn.com
.
www.galenorn.com
.
The Painted Panther,
Yasmine Galenorn
And now . . .
a special excerpt from the second book
in the Indigo Court series
a special excerpt from the second book
in the Indigo Court series
NIGHT VEIL
by Yasmine Galenorn
Coming Summer 2011 from Berkley!
Coming Summer 2011 from Berkley!
Myst led her people into the shadows and ice, and there they hid, sheltered in the depths of lore. Considered pariah, the Vampiric Fae were a dirty secret, Shadow Hunters that debased the entire realm of Faerie.
And so in furtive silence, the host fed and drank deep and they did rend the flesh of their victims and feast. But their thirst was unquenchable, and it was then that Myst discovered one of their newfound powers: Members of the Indigo Court could drink from the souls of the magic-born . . . With this discovery, a vision for the future began to evolve, and the foundation of terror began . . .
—FROM
THE RISE OF THE INDIGO COURT
THE RISE OF THE INDIGO COURT
The great horned owl sat in the oak.
I could see the bird from my window, huddling in the sparse branches, trying to protect itself from the snow. I longed to join it, to strip off my clothes and turn into my owl self, to fly free under the haunting winter moon, but the weather was harsh and cold. And Myst was out there, hiding in the forest with her people, waiting.
And somewhere, hidden in her mists and shadows, Grieve is there, captive, caught in Myst’s web. Can he still possibly love me? Can he still be saved from the blood that now flows through his veins? How can I let him go now that we’ve found each other again?
I opened the window and leaned out, glancing down at the yard below. The snow gleamed under the nearly full moon, a crystal blanket of white flooding the lawn. The Golden Wood—or Spider’s Wood, as I called it—was aglow as usual, with a sickly green light that I’d seen every night since returning home to New Forest. A thousand miles and years seemed to separate me from my former existence, although it had only been a couple of weeks since I arrived back in town. But in that short time, my life had turned upside down, in every possible way.
The wind called to me to come and play and I closed my eyes, reveling in the feel of the breezes lashing against my skin. My owls—a pair of blackwork tattooed owls flying over a silver moon impaled on a dagger banded both arms—shifted, urging me to fly.
Slipping on my leather jacket and gloves, I cautiously climbed out on the shingles, making sure that the snow that had built up didn’t send me sliding to the ground, but it had turned to ice. I scooted until my back rested against the window, then brought my knees up, circling them with my arms, and huddled.
As I stared up into the oak, the great horned owl let out a soft hoot, stirring my blood. Over the past month, he’d taught me to shake off the fear of falling, to soar through the unending night turning on a wing, catching mice in the yard, while always,
always,
keeping an eye on the forest.
always,
keeping an eye on the forest.
You are Uwilahsidhe. You are magic-born. You must keep watch for Myst,
he constantly reminded me.
The queen of the Indigo Court seeks to destroy you.
he constantly reminded me.
The queen of the Indigo Court seeks to destroy you.
I raised one hand in salute, the snowflakes softly kissing my skin, and he hooted again, a warning in his tone.
“What is it?” I whispered. “What are you trying to tell me?”
Ulean, my Wind Elemental, swept around me like a cloak, answering for him.
He fears for you. There are ghosts riding the wind tonight, and the Shadow Hunters are out and about. There will be death before the morning.
He fears for you. There are ghosts riding the wind tonight, and the Shadow Hunters are out and about. There will be death before the morning.
More death. More blood. My stomach churned as I thought about the four deaths reported over the past two days. One of those had been a child. All had been mortal, torn to bits, eaten to the bone.
I gazed at the forest. What were Myst and her people up to tonight? Who were they hunting? The bitch-queen was ravenous and without mercy.
There has been so much death over the past few days. They are terrorizing the town and now everyone fears them, even though they don’t know who it is they run from.
I leaned against the gentle current that signaled Ulean was leaning against me. She had been my guardian since I was six years old, bonded to me through ritual, a gift from Lainule, the Queen of Rushes and Rivers.
I leaned against the gentle current that signaled Ulean was leaning against me. She had been my guardian since I was six years old, bonded to me through ritual, a gift from Lainule, the Queen of Rushes and Rivers.
And they should fear. Myst will not just go away. She is here to make her mark and conquer. She is here to destroy.
Ulean caught up a skiff of snow and sent it into the air, spiraling around me.
Ulean caught up a skiff of snow and sent it into the air, spiraling around me.
I glanced back inside at the clock. Seven P.M. Another two hours before we were to meet with Geoffrey. Finally, after five days of silence, the Northwest Regent for the Vampire Nation had summoned us. Five days after we had rescued our friend Peyton from Myst. Five days after I’d lost Grieve to her. Five days in which the Indigo Court had rained hell on the town and killed eight people.
The owl hooted again and as I glanced in his direction, a shadow of movement caught my eye from below, over near the herb gardens.
Crap
—something was rooting around down there. Not an animal, so what was it? Another glance over at the Spider’s Wood showed nothing, but we couldn’t take any chances.
—something was rooting around down there. Not an animal, so what was it? Another glance over at the Spider’s Wood showed nothing, but we couldn’t take any chances.
Ulean, do you know what that thing is?
A moment passed and then she drifted gently around me again.
Not one of the Shadow Hunters, but I have no doubt it belongs to the Indigo Court. Myst is attracting the sinister Fae.
Not one of the Shadow Hunters, but I have no doubt it belongs to the Indigo Court. Myst is attracting the sinister Fae.
I leaned forward, trying to keep it within my sight.
I need to know what it is. We can’t take a chance on letting it prowl around our land.
I scrambled back through the window just long enough to slip on my wrist sheath and make sure my switchblade was firmly affixed. Grabbing my fan from the dresser, I slipped back out on the roof and slid to the edge.
I need to know what it is. We can’t take a chance on letting it prowl around our land.
I scrambled back through the window just long enough to slip on my wrist sheath and make sure my switchblade was firmly affixed. Grabbing my fan from the dresser, I slipped back out on the roof and slid to the edge.
The two-story drop was problematic, but a couple of days ago I’d installed a roll-up ladder to provide easy access. I’d been out flying and landed back on the roof, only to discover that somebody in the house had thought I was off shopping and had shut my window and locked it. I’d been stuck out in the snow, naked, too tired to change back into owl form to fly down to the ground and come through the front door. Now, I had the option of climbing down, which was a whole lot easier than shapeshifting when I was exhausted.
I rolled the ladder over the edge, and was about to swing onto the rungs when Kaylin stuck his head through the window.
“What are you doing?”
“Goblin dog or something of the sort in the backyard. I was going to check it out.”
“Give me ten secs and I’ll come with you.” He ducked back through the window as I headed down the ladder. A moment later, Kaylin was shimmying down the ladder to land next to me. The dreamwalker was far older than his looks suggested, and he was far more skilled in fighting than I was. Having him at my back made me feel much more secure.
“Where are the others?” I hadn’t seen my cousin Rhiannon all day.
“Rhiannon is out running errands, and Leo is doing a last-minute run for Geoffrey.”
Leo was a day-runner for the vampires. More specifically, he worked for the Regent, doing his errands that Geoffrey and his wife could not do during the daylight hours.
“What about Chatter?”
“He’s in the basement, working on charms against the Indigo Court.”
“I thought the house seemed quiet.” I moved forward, cautiously.
The backyard of the Veil House was more like the back-forty. Filled with herb gardens, stone circles, and fruit trees, it lay blanketed in a thick layer of snow, and the rising moon set off a bluish tinge to everything around. We stopped, listening to the owl as he hooted again, his warnings echoing through the yard.
We were as quiet as possible, but at one point I stepped on a fallen branch that had been buried in the snow and it snapped in two. The creature, which had apparently been working its way toward the house, heard us and froze.
“This way,” Kaylin mouthed, circling around it.
I followed his lead, edging closer to whatever it was. We managed to slip behind a nearby bush before it could back away. There didn’t appear to be more than one, and we were able to get a good look at it.
The creature was about four feet tall, with long, bony arms that dragged along the ground and a bloated stomach. Its head was distorted, elongated and elliptical, with longish ears. The eyes were wide set and cunning. Drawing back its lips into a grimace, it dripped drool from between its needle-sharp teeth.
“Have any idea what it is?” I whispered to Kaylin, wishing he could talk on the slipstream. It was much easier to avoid being overheard when sending messages along with the currents of air.
Kaylin cocked his head, his ponytail shifting slightly. “Yes, it’s a goblin. One of Myst’s toadies, no doubt. If we let it live, I guarantee it will bring others. Somehow they can get through our wards where Myst’s Shadow Hunters can’t, so she’s probably testing how far she can push into our land.”
“Kill, or wound as a message?”
“Go in for the kill. If we just wound it, we’ll have yet another nasty enemy on our hands.”
I gave him a short nod, saving my breath as we burst out of the bushes and poured on the speed. As we caught up to the thing—the goblin was terribly quick—I pulled out my fan and whispered,
“Strong Gust,”
and snapped the fan open, waving it twice.
“Strong Gust,”
and snapped the fan open, waving it twice.
A quick blast of air slammed against us—and the goblin. Startled, the creature skidded to a halt at the edge of the forest, looking confused. Kaylin dove forward, rolling to come up in fighting stance. He kicked it in the chin. As the goblin lurched back, I slipped through on the left side and brought my switchblade down on its arm, stabbing it deeply.
Kaylin fumbled for his shurikens as an icy gust of wind came whistling from the direction of the forest, and a shadow figure loomed at the border dividing the woods from the magical barrier we’d constructed. A glimpse of pale skin with a cerulean cast to it told us all we needed to know. One of the Vampiric Fae.
A Shadow Hunter.
A Shadow Hunter.
“Shit,” I muttered, steeling myself as the goblin launched itself at me.
The Shadow Hunter raised a bow. He might not be able to set foot on our land, but his weaponry could. I shouted at Kaylin and managed to wave my fan in the direction of the Vampiric Fae, whispering,
“Strong Gust
.
”
The arrow came zinging toward Kaylin, but missed him by inches.
“Strong Gust
.
”
The arrow came zinging toward Kaylin, but missed him by inches.
The goblin landed on me and we both went down, rolling into the snow. I couldn’t use my fan in such close quarters so I struggled to catch the creature by the throat. I was bigger than the goblin, but not as tough. After struggling against leathery skin, I finally managed to get one hand on its neck.
Gnashing its teeth, the goblin lashed out at my hand and I pulled away just in time. Even if I didn’t lose any fingers, chances were good it had some nasty bacteria in that mouth and I wanted no part of any infection it might be carrying. We wrestled, me trying to force back its hands as it scrabbled to reach my face. One swipe of those claw-like nails could take out an eye. The stench of the creature was putrid, like a combination of gas and vomit, and its eyes were round and lidless.
I sucked in a deep breath and heaved, pushing with both hands and feet, and managed to roll on top, trapping it between my knees. I squeezed my thighs together, trying to keep the goblin from slipping away from me. At that moment, Kaylin let out a shout and I jerked around. A muscle pulled in my neck.
“
Fuck!
” The Shadow Hunter’s second arrow had grazed his arm.
Fuck!
” The Shadow Hunter’s second arrow had grazed his arm.
The bolt had penetrated the heavy leather he was wearing, but looked like it hadn’t gone too deep. Kaylin yanked the arrow out, tossing it to the ground, and dashed over the boundary line. The Shadow Hunter hadn’t been prepared for his assault and went down, Kaylin atop him in the snow, a flurry of fists flying.
I turned my attention back to the goblin. If I let this thing get away, it would be back, with reinforcements. I flipped the blade on my switchblade and paused. Killing creatures—even our enemies—was still new, and did not come easy to me. I sucked in a deep breath.
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