Edie Spence (Book 5): Bloodshifted (28 page)
Natasha hunched forward—I thought, to come for me. If she did, she was so close, there was no point in running; she’d catch me before I fell back down the hole. But her whole body was racked by sobs, and the blisters of skin were rising and popping more frequently, like miniature volcanoes, leaving a smoke trail in the wind.
The exhaustion, the sorrow, the bloodlust, and too much vampire blood—everything swirled, and she set a mighty hand down. Her charm bracelet was cutting into it like a string through dough.
“I’m so sorry, Natasha. He’s gone, and there will never be anyone like him again.”
She threw her arms back and her head up and faced the sun. It eroded her faster as the wind of our speed blew her hair back. And she made a mournful sound. I recognized it for what it was, the sound of true love lost.
The sunlight, now that it had its teeth in her, wouldn’t let go. She was disintegrating before my very eyes. She sobbed and she howled and then she lowered her voice and spoke with her misshapen jaw.
“Tell my dad I love him,” she said.
“I will,” I lied. And the sun finished her off. She exploded into a cloud of dust. Her charm bracelet fell onto the roof of the trailer as the scraps of her clothing did, and I watched it bounce once then fall, glittering to the asphalt below.
I fell to my knees and felt a profound sense of sadness at the waste of her life. Then I crawled back up to the opening of the trailer, and looked down at four separate guns. The daytimers there moved back, let me in, and resealed the hatch.
“What did you say to her?” Lilah asked as my feet touched the ground.
“What any fourteen-year-old girl wants to hear.”
“How did you know?” she pressed.
“Because I was one, once.” I refastened the button over my pocket with the knife. Like Dren had said, silver would be our secret for now. Same for my six test tubes of Raven’s blood.
I’d tell Asher when we were alone, but no one else here needed to know. Raven had said that he’d had spies on Anna, and I knew all I wanted to know about House Grey. No guarantees these other people here were safe.
But for the moment, I was. And Asher was—and our baby. I’d done it.
“Beastkiller indeed,” said the man who’d been manning the sniper rifle.
“Any casualties?” asked Vish on the radio.
“No. We’re fine,” Mr. Galeman answered.
I put a hand across my stomach—and Asher’s met me there. I looked up at him, and he was furious, but he shook his head instead of fighting with me. “I knew what I was getting into when I started dating you.”
He held my necklace up, a question on his face. He had taken it off Celine, which was a little disgusting, but it’d been mine before she’d stolen it—and I wanted it to be mine again. I turned inside his arms and he knotted the chain at the back of my neck.
“Good,” Vish responded. “Keep your wits about you. It isn’t over yet.”
I realized what she meant. Just because Natasha was finished didn’t mean others wouldn’t try. And attacks would be much more likely in daylight, when our trusty team of vampires was asleep—what with us having the added hassle of keeping away from humans who didn’t know what was going on, and the law. Port Cavell was at least two days away, driving straight through—and Anna would be dead for one day after that.
Plenty of time on the road for anyone with a grudge to start a fight. Or a war.
The shorter chain on the necklace made the stone hit at the V of my throat. I had Asher’s strong hands around me still—and now I was strong, too. I knew what I was capable of. I didn’t have to like it, but I was still alive, and so were the people I loved—and hopefully Anna was going to come back to life.
I wasn’t going to let anyone or anything change that.
No matter what.
Also by Cassie Alexander
Nightshifted
Moonshifted
Shapeshifted
Deadshifted
PRAISE FOR THE EDIE SPENCE SERIES
“Dark and clever full moon insanity that will get into your blood, crawl under your skin, and haunt your dreams.”
—Sherrilyn Kenyon, #1
New York Times
bestselling author of the Dark-Hunter series
“I was swept away in the force with which it built and the raging rush to the finish. I’m more attached to Edie than ever. This is urban fantasy of the highest order.”
—Angie-ville
“An innovative read that offers a whole new look at paranormal creatures and the humans who happen to live in their world. Readers are sure to enjoy this book, and will be eager to see what awaits Edie next.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“I enjoyed every bit of this book. The Edie Spence series is for sure one of the best UF books around.”
—Under the Covers
“Immense fun with incredible world building. Alexander adds wonderful new facets to old myths and legends and a completely new spin on everything.”
—Fangs for the Fantasy
“Steamy and entertaining … Edie’s growing personality—and the cliffhanger ending—will keep fans hooked.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“Full of action, fantastic characters, and situations that will make you want to kick some bad guys where it counts.”
—Urban Fantasy Investigations
“The story is richly detailed, the plot is complex, and Edie Spence is absolutely delightful. A winning blend that’s not to be missed.”
—Rabid Reads
“
Moonshifted
is even better than the first. There was more action, more snarkiness, and even more sexiness. I can’t wait to read more from Alexander and more about Edie Spence.”
—Book Sake
“The best debut I’ve read all year.
Nightshifted
is simply amazing!”
—Kat Richardson, bestselling author of the Greywalker series
“Edie Spence has a distinctive, appealing, and no-nonsense style that you won’t quickly forget. Add to that a paranormal population that needs medical care for some very odd reasons, and you have a winner of a debut novel.”
—Kate Elliott, author of the Cold Magic series
“Fresh, exciting, dark, and sexy,
Nightshifted
is excellent urban fantasy that grabs you by the throat and pulls you along for a wild ride. Cassie Alexander is an author to watch!”
—Diana Rowland, author of
Mark of the Demon
“A fast, sexy return to the utterly unique world of Edie Spence.
Moonshifted
takes the world Cassie Alexander presented in
Nightshifted
and adds a whole new level of danger and intrigue. Absolutely recommended.”
—Seanan McGuire, award-winning author of
Ashes of Honor
“Alexander’s first novel launches a new series that should appeal to fans of medical thrillers as well as urban fantasy.”
—
Library Journal
“
Nightshifted
is like a dark and twisted version of
Grey’s Anatomy
with vampires, zombies, and werewolves taking up residence in County Hospital’s Y4 wing … The story moves at a similar pace to a hospital setting where there are small lulls in action and sudden, even frantic, bursts of action. That sort of pacing made
Nightshifted
an exciting read as I was constantly on edge, waiting to see what was going to happen next.”
—All Things Urban Fantasy
“I loved this book. What a breath of fresh air! A very strong start to what promises to be a wonderful new series!”
—My Bookish Ways
“
Nightshifted
brought me back to
ER
with the added fun of paranormal creatures … Because it is a fresh voice and premise among the crowded shelves of Urban Fantasy, I eagerly anticipate what’s in store next for Edie and her colleagues.”
—Clear Eyes, Full Shelves
“Alexander has created a wonderful world of paranormal that we don’t usually get to see. Edie Spence is so wonderfully human in a world of ghost CD players, vampires, zombies, weres, shifters, and crappy paychecks. Read this book and you will be swooning (I promise), yelling, and laughing, all at the same time. A must-read indeed!”
—Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In addition to being a writer,
Cassie Alexander
is an active registered nurse. All of her patients are of the human variety … she thinks. Visit her on the Web at
www.cassiealexander.com
.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
BLOODSHIFTED
Copyright © 2014 by Erin Cashier.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
eBooks may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases, please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department by writing to [email protected].
eISBN: 9781466832916
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / July 2014
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.