Spellfire
Praise for the Nightkeepers Series
“This series goes right to your heart! Jessica Andersen is a must read for me!”
—#1
New York Times
bestselling author J. R. Ward
“I love the whole Nightkeepers world.”
—Night Owl Romance
Magic Unchained
“[Andersen’s] storytelling talent has been honed to a fine art.”
—
Romantic Times
Storm Kissed
“A superb thriller . . . fast-paced and character-driven. . . . Fans will relish this exhilarating tale.”
—Genre Go Round Reviews
“Thrilling. . . . With this tale of prophecy and curses, Andersen really shakes up her series. Love, loss, passion, and drama are all here. You won’t be able to put this one down.”
—
Romantic Times
“Andersen’s tight writing style and ability to build tension on both the romantic and action sides of the story lines is never better.”
—Fresh Fiction
“
Storm Kissed
is a fantastic part of the Nightkeepers journey. I can honestly say that it rendered me absolutely speechless.”
—Romance Novel News
Blood Spells
“For readers with a hankering for a fascinating and intricate foray into the Mayan world, the Nightkeepers series is just perfect.”
—The Romance Readers Connection
“Andersen has created a compelling cast of characters whose personal travails add richness to these highly entertaining novels. Another excellent job.”
—
Romantic Times
Demonkeepers
“Andersen ramps up the danger . . . mix[ing] action and elements of Mayan myth—from a voyage to the underworld to a fantastic high-stakes ball game—with soul-searching, lust, and romance. Jade’s inner journey is particularly engaging, and while the background makes more sense to returning fans, even new readers will find plenty to latch onto.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“Intense . . . thrilling . . . a world that fans of any genre will enjoy.”
—
The Romance Readers Connection
“Fabulous . . . will have the audience appreciating the skills of master magician Jessica Andersen.”
—
Midwest Book Review
Skykeepers
“An exciting, romantic, and imaginative tale,
Skykeepers
is guaranteed to keep readers entertained and turning the pages.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“Will knock you off your feet, keep you on the edge of your seat, and totally captivate from beginning to end.”
—Romance Junkies
“A gripping story that pulled this reader right into [Andersen’s] Final Prophecy series.”
—Romance Reader at Heart
(top pick)
“The Final Prophecy is a well-written series that is as intricate as it is entertaining.”
—The Romance Readers Connection
“The world of the Nightkeepers is wonderful, and I love visiting it. It is intricate, magical, and absolutely fascinating. . . . Step inside the Nightkeepers’ world and prepare to be swept away!”
—Joyfully Reviewed
“If you’re looking for a book to read, one that has an intricate, inventive, and well-researched world with characters that are fully realized, might I suggest
Skykeepers
?”
—Romance Novel TV
Dawnkeepers
“Prophecy, passion, and powerful emotions—
Dawnkeepers
will keep you on the edge of your seat begging for more!”
—Wild on Books
“This strong new series will appeal to fantasy and paranormal fans with its refreshing blend of Mayan and Egyptian mythologies plus a suitably complex story line and plenty of antagonists.”
—Monsters and Critics
“This exhilarating urban romantic fantasy saga is constructed around modernizing Mayan mythology. . . . The story line is fast-paced and filled with action as the overarching Andersen mythology is wonderfully embellished with this engaging entry.”
—Genre Go Round Reviews
“Using the Mayan doomsday prophecy, Andersen continues to add complexity to her characters and her increasingly dense mythos. This intense brand of storytelling is a most welcome addition to the genre.”
—
Romantic Times
“Action-packed.”
—Romance Junkies
Nightkeepers
“Raw passion, dark romance, and seat-of-your-pants suspense all set in an astounding paranormal world—I swear ancient Mayan gods and demons walk the modern earth!”
—
New York Times
bestselling author J. R. Ward
“Andersen’s got game when it comes to style and voice. I loved the kick-ass series . . . a fun mix of humor, suspense, mythology, and fantasy . . . a series that’s sure to be an instant reader favorite, and will put Andersen’s books on keeper shelves around the world.”
—
New York Times
bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann
“Part romance, mystery, and fairy tale . . . a captivating book with wide appeal.”
—
Booklist
“[A] nonstop, action-intensive plot. . . . Ms. Andersen delivers a story that is both solid romance and adventure novel. If you enjoy movies like
Lara Croft
. . . or just want something truly new, you will definitely want this.”
—Huntress Book Reviews
“Intense action, sensuality, and danger abound.”
—
Romantic Times
“If
Nightkeepers
is any indication of her talent, then [Jessica Andersen] will become one of my favorites. . . . [The book] brought tears to my eyes and an ache in my heart. I read each word with bated breath.”
—Romance Junkies
“[A] terrific romantic fantasy . . . an excellent thriller. Jessica Andersen provides a strong story that . . . fans will cherish.”
—
Midwest Book Review
Also Available in the Nightkeepers Series
Nightkeepers
Dawnkeepers
Skykeepers
Demonkeepers
Blood Spells
Storm Kissed
Magic Unchained
SPELLFIRE
A NOVEL OF THE NIGHTKEEPERS
JESSICA ANDERSEN
SIGNET ECLIPSE
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)
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Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi - 110 017, India
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, November 2012
Copyright © Jessica Andersen, 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
To Greg:
It wasn’t until I read back over this last Nightkeepers story that I realized I had written you into it. David is you—he’s positive, dedicated, open-minded and generous, and he has a huge heart that’s just waiting to find his match. And when he does, watch out, because (like any good fisherman) he’s not letting her get away!
So this one’s yours alone. Thank you for being mine, and for making me hope that the world continues on for a long, long time.
Love,
Jessica
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My heartfelt thanks go to Deidre Knight, Claire Zion, Kara Welsh, Kerry Donovan and others too numerous to name for helping me bring these books to life; to J. R. Ward for being my sounding board; and to my family, friends, and many e-friends for always being there for a laugh or (cyber)hug. And most of all to my husband, Greg, for showing me that soul mates, spontaneous combustion and true love do exist, and that they’re so very worth waiting for.
Finally, as we reach the finale of the series, thank you, dear reader, for being part of the Nightkeepers’ world!
CONTENTS
In three weeks, the barrier that separates the earth and underworld will fall and the vicious
Banol Kax
, lords of the underworld, will emerge from millennia of torture and damnation with one goal burning in their blackened blood: to destroy mankind. Our only hope rests with the Nightkeepers, a group of magic-wielding warriors who live among us in secret and who have—maybe, hopefully—enough skill, power and conviction to defeat the
Banol Kax
and restore the barrier between the earth and the underworld.
With their numbers decimated, the last dozen surviving Nightkeepers and their allies have managed to defend the barrier so far. Now, though, they are at a crossroads . . . and the strongest and most unpredictable among them has done the unthinkable: in a world of magi who draw their greatest powers from bonding with the other halves of themselves, he has cruelly betrayed his lover. In the end he sacrificed himself to save her, but that has put him in the demons’ clutches and destroyed his magic.
As the days count down and he suffers the tortures of the damned, the Nightkeepers widen their search, hoping for a miracle . . .