"Vampires are indeed the race of arrogance, aren't they?" he said, his tone pleasant, even congenial. "And perhaps not without reason. You did manage to kill my son once. Almost managed to do it twice. Did you really think you'd get away with it? If you had, I'd have pursued you through every level of Hell to wreak my revenge. As it is, though, things are a bit"--his smile broadened, showing his teeth--"easier."
Benicio lifted his hands and said the last three words of the incantation. As his hands flew down, a lightning bolt severed Edward's head from his neck.
No one moved. We all stood in shock, watching Edward's head roll across the alley.
Benicio lifted his hands again. This time, his voice boomed down the alley, as he cursed Edward's soul for eternity.
Full Circle
FOR ME, THE CASE TRULY ENDED ONLY WHEN IT RETURNED to where it had begun: with a teenage witch named Dana MacArthur.
While we'd been tracking Edward, Randy MacArthur had finally arrived in Miami to see his daughter. When the initial flurry of activity over Edward's execution died down, we admitted to Benicio that Dana was gone. Of course, the Cortez Cabal wasn't taking Jaime's say-so, but their necromancers tried to contact Dana and confirmed that she had indeed passed over. So, two days later, Lucas, Savannah, and I stood in a Cabal cemetery and said good-bye to a girl we'd never known.
Since I'd now seen what lay on the other side, Dana's passing pained me less than it might have. Yet I still felt the full weight of the tragedy her death brought for her father and her younger sister, and maybe even her mother. Even for Dana herself, there was tragedy here. She'd gone to a good place, and I was sure she'd be happy, but that didn't mean her life hadn't been cut short, that she hadn't missed out on so much. And for what? To avenge the death of a vampire who had herself killed so many, gone so far beyond the needs of her nature? As I stood in that cemetery, listening to the minister try to eulogize a girl he'd never met, I looked out across the graves and thought of all the other fresh graves in other Cabal cemeteries. I glanced over at Savannah, and thought about Joey Nast, the cousin she never knew. On the other side of the group of mourners, I could see Holden Wyngaard, a plump red-haired boy, now the lone survivor. I thought of the others. Jacob Sorenson. Stephen St. Cloud. Colby Washington. Sarah Dermack. Michael Shane. Matthew Tucker. All gone. And how many tombstones would it take to commemorate the lives of everyone else Edward and Natasha had killed, the scores of humans they'd murdered trying to become immortal? I thought of that, of all those lives, and I couldn't for one second disagree with what Benicio had done. No matter what kind of hell Edward now faced, it was no less than he deserved.
I looked out at the small crowd gathered around Dana's open grave. Her mother wasn't there. I still wondered what had gone wrong in that woman's life to make her abandon her daughter, and I couldn't help but wonder whether having a Coven would have helped. I'm sure it would have, at least for Dana. If she'd had other witches to turn to, she would never have ended up on the streets of Atlanta, and now here.
Yet, as bad as I felt for Dana, I had to accept that the responsibility for starting a second Coven did not lie squarely on my shoulders. I was willing to start one. I would always be willing, and I'd make that willingness known, but I would no longer actively try to convince witches that they needed a Coven. They had to come to see that for themselves. In the meantime, I certainly didn't lack for work. I had an interracial council to reform and a new partnership with Lucas to pursue. Yes, I would have been more comfortable pouring my energy into a dream that started with me, but I think part of growing up is realizing that everything doesn't have to be mine. It could be ours, and that wasn't a show of weakness or dependence. I liked what Lucas did. I believed in it. I wanted to share it. And, if he wanted to share it back, well, that was damned near perfect.
When the service ended, Benicio leaned over and whispered an invitation to lunch, before we left for Portland. We agreed, and he slipped away to offer final condolences to Randy MacArthur.
The others had all gone their separate ways. The werewolves left Miami the morning after the showdown with Edward. Cassandra and Aaron had followed later that day, after they'd met with Benicio and the other CEOs to discuss possible fallout between the Cabals and the vampire community. Jaime had done her Halloween show in Memphis the night before, then zipped back to attend Dana's morning memorial service before returning to Tennessee for her next show.
As the mourners drifted away from the grave site, I glanced back one last time. Lucas took my hand and squeezed it.
"She'll be okay," he said.
I managed a smile. "I know she will."
"Mr. Cortez? Ms. Winterbourne?"
We turned to see Randy MacArthur behind us, looking uncomfortable in a too-tight black suit. His hand rested on the shoulder of an equally uncomfortable-looking young girl with Dana's long blond hair.
"I--we wanted to thank you," he said. "For stopping him. This--it should never--I don't know how it happened. I had no idea how bad things were--"
"It's okay, Dad," the girl murmured, her red-rimmed eyes fixed on the ground. "It was Mom's fault. Her and that guy. He didn't want kids, and she let him chase Dana off."
"This is Gillian," Randy said. "Dana's sister. I'm going to be looking after her now. Mr. Cortez is giving me a job in town here, so I can stay with her."
"That's great," I said. I tried to catch Gillian's eye and smiled. "You must be what, thirteen? Fourteen? Just starting your second-level spells, I bet."
Gillian looked up at me and for a moment, her eyes were blank, then she realized what I meant. "Spells, no, we don't do that. My mom, I mean. She never...well, not much."
"That was, uh, one reason I wanted to speak to you before you left," Randy said. "I know Miss Nast here is about Gillian's age..."
It took a moment for me to realize he meant Savannah.
Randy continued. "I know that you're teaching her, and that you used to be with the Coven and you did some teaching there, so I thought maybe you could help Gillian. Long-distance, of course. By phone or e-mail or whatever, maybe visit when you're in town, or we could visit up there. I'll pay you, of course. I hate to impose, but I don't know any other witches. My ex-wife didn't keep in contact with her sister, and I wouldn't even know where to find her, but I really want Gillian to know more, to be able to cast spells, so she can protect herself"--a quick glance at his daughter's grave--"against everything."
"And so she should," I said. "I would love to help her, in any way I can."
"Are you sure?" Randy asked.
I met Gillian's shy gaze with a wide smile. "I'm positive."
About the Author
Kelley Armstrong lives in Ontario with her family.
Visit her Web site at www.kelleyarmstrong.com.
Also by Kelley Armstrong
BITTEN
Living in Toronto for a year, Elena is leading the normal life she has always dreamed of--a stable job as a journalist and a nice apartment shared with her boyfriend. As the lone female werewolf in existence, only her secret midnight prowls and her occasional inhuman cravings set her apart. Just one year before, life was very different. Adopted by the Pack when bitten, Elena had spent years struggling with her resentment at having her life stolen away. Torn between two worlds, and overwhelmed by the new passions coursing through her body, her only option for control was to deny her awakening needs and escape.
But now the Pack has called Elena home to help them fight an alliance of renegade werewolves who are bent on exposing and annihilating the Pack. And although Elena is obliged to rejoin her "family," she vows not to be swept up in Pack life again. She has made her choice. Trouble is, she's increasingly uncertain if it's the right one.
Seal Books/ISBN: 0-7704-2909-2
Also by Kelley Armstrong
STOLEN
Even though she's the world's only female werewolf, Elena Michaels is just a regular girl at heart, so naturally, she doesn't believe in witches. But when two small, ridi
culously feminine women manage to hurl her against a wall, and then save her from the hunters on her tail, Elena realizes that maybe there are more things in heaven and earth than she's dreamt of.
Vampires, demons, shamans, witches--in Stolen they all exist, and they're all under attack. An obsessed tycoon with a sick curiosity is well on his way to amassing a private collection of supernaturals, and plans to harness their powers for himself--even if it means killing them. For Elena, kidnapped and imprisoned deep underground, separated from her Pack, unable to tell her friends from her enemies, choosing the right allies is a matter of life and death.
Seal Books/ISBN: 0-7704-2902-5
Also by Kelley Armstrong
DIME STORE MAGIC
Paige Winterbourne was always either too young or too rebellious to succeed her mother as leader of one of the world's most powerful elite organizations--the American Coven of Witches. Now that she is twenty-three and her mother is dead, the Elders can no longer deny her. But even Paige's wildest antics can't hold a candle to those of her new charge--an orphan who is all too willing to use her budding powers for evil...and evil is all too willing to claim her.
For this girl is being pursued by a dark faction of the supernatural underworld. They are a vicious group who will do anything to woo the young, malleable, and extremely powerful neophyte, including commit murder--and frame Paige for the crime. It's an initiation into adulthood, womanhood, and the brutal side of magic, and Paige will have to do everything within her power to make sure they both survive.
Seal Books/ISBN: 0-7704-2955-6
Also by Kelley Armstrong
STOLEN
BITTEN
DIME STORE MAGIC
Praise for Kelley Armstrong's
DIME STORE MAGIC
"[A] sexy supernatural romance [whose] story's special strength lies in its seamless incorporation of the supernatural into the real world. A convincing small-town setting, clever contemporary dialogue, compelling characterizations and a touch of cool humor make the tale's occasional vivid violence palatable and its fantasy elements both gripping and believable."
--Publishers Weekly
And for BITTEN
"This debut novel from a Canadian writer proves that solid storytelling and confident craftsmanship can rejuvenate one of the hoariest of all horror cliches.... Armstrong's true achievement is her depiction of werewolf nature in believably human context...the sensuality of Elena's transformations and the viciousness of her kills mesh perfectly with her tough personality.... Filled with romance and supernatural intrigue, this book will surely remind readers of Anne Rice's sophisticated refurbishings of the vampire story."
--Publishers Weekly
"It's terrific. The heroine is the most appealing I have come across in ages. It's clever, quirky, hip, and funny, skating between genres with style and grace. More, please!"
--Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat "With a howl, Kelley Armstrong's Bitten plunges headlong into a murderous plot rife with violence, lust and intrigue.... Armstrong has created a breathless, sexy story...gorgeous and grotesque in the best sense of the word. Rumors of a sequel have never been better news."
--Boulder Weekly
"Kelley Armstrong's debut novel, Bitten, combines hints of the strong decadent sexuality and cool-outsider mystique of Interview with the Vampire with the creepy hominess of Stephen King.... Realistic details...complement a convincing portrait of werewolf society and its intricate codes of behavior.... Bitten will satisfy genre fans and those who like their thrills served up with literary savvy."
--Quill & Quire
"It's as smooth as cream all the way, sure to gain fans."
--Kirkus Reviews
"There's nothing overtly gothic about this fast-paced, sexy thriller and its model contemporary heroine--it's just that she's a werewolf who is trying to make a go of things among humans. When her pack is threatened by a new group of violent psychotic werewolves, she is drawn back into the old ways."
--Bookseller
"Brings a new brand of ferocity to horror literature.... Bitten is a lightning-paced, violent and completely readable entertainment that entertains loudly and abundantly."
--Hamilton Spectator
"Wicked writing gets noticed, and first-time novelist Kelley Armstrong has written a deliciously wicked book.... This is no ordinary werewolf tale, but a werewolf mystery with a huge dollop of romance thrown in."
--Toronto Star
"The plot of Bitten has echoes of the best crime thrillers...the story is fast and entertaining. But what makes the novel so gripping is Armstrong's talent for vivid description and her interest in both the sensuality and psychology of werewolf-hood, a fascination that greatly enhances the world she creates while never slowing down the breakneck plot. At every turn, her depiction of physical sensation is precise and compelling.... Surely one of the sexiest, most energetic novels published in a long time...[A] Canadian mother of three who hails from rural southwestern Ontario has created a smart, original thriller, destined to keep people reading on into the night."
--Gazette
"Armstrong has a definite talent for sensual descriptions. The wolf creatures are vividly created in gestures and behaviour, and most of the sexual encounters would knock one's socks off (not to mention other things)."
--National Post
"Bitten is hip and postmodern.... Those who enjoy the vampire books of Anne Rice, or Canadian vampire writer Nancy Kilpatrick, will love it."
--Globe and Mail
"A very contemporary, funky supernatural thriller with a particularly provocative heroine."
--Hello
"A hair-raising story for the she-wolf in us all."
--Shannon Olson, author of Welcome to My Planet "Entertaining new take on an old thriller story form. Makes Buffy look fluffy."
--Daily Express
"A tasty confection of werewolves, sex and vendettas...After the first nibble it's quite hard to stop.... Elena and her acid repartee successfully steal the show throughout; she has bags of charm. Gory, sexy fun."
--SFX
"Good slick fun; expect the television series soon."
--Guardian
STOLEN
"Elena Michaels, the only known female werewolf, cavorts on a more fully cultivated supernatural playing field in this sure-footed sequel to Bitten....[Stolen is] a prison-break story spiffed up with magic.... Armstrong leavens then arrative with brisk action and intriguing dollops of werewolf culture that suggest a complex and richly imagined anthropologic backstory. The sassy, pumped-up Elena makes a perfect hard-boiled horror heroine.... This novel will please not only horror fans but also mainstream readers who like strong female characters."
--Publishers Weekly
"In Stolen, Kelley Armstrong delivers a taut, sensual thriller that grips from the first page. Elena Michaels is at once sublime and sympathetic, a modern heroine who shows that real women bite back."
--Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of Blindsighted and Kisscut "Like Bitten, Stolen paints a perfectly convincing portrait of a woman who quite literally runs with the wolves.... Armstrong has created a persuasive, finely detailed otherworldly cosmology--featuring sorcery, astral projection, spells, telepathy and teleportation--that meshes perfectly with the more humdrum world of interstate highways and cable news bulletins.... More than just a thriller with extra teeth, Stolen is for anyone who has ever longed to leap over an SUV in a single bound, or to rip an evil security force to shreds, or even just to growl convincingly."
--Quill & Quire
"The narrative veers between clever, scholarly distinctions among different sorts of magical powers and a lot of action movie-style sex and violence.... What's interesting are the twists and turns along the way, boosted by bits of philosophy and arcane knowledge Armstrong adds to her strange brew.... We meet enough truly entertaining creatures along the way to make us wish that this will not be the last romp for Elena and her pack."
--Toronto Star
"Armstrong is a clever writer...[and Stolen] grabs you at the outset."
--Winnipeg Free Press
"Stolen is a delicious cocktail of testosterone and wicked humour.... Too earnest to attempt parody, [Armstrong's]take on the well-travelled world of supernatural beings is witty and original. She's at her best when examining the all-too-human dilemmas of being superhuman.... [Stolen]bubbles with the kind of dramatic invention that bodes well for a long and engrossing series.... This can only be good news for the growing Michaels fan club."
--Globe and Mail
"Mesmerizing...the 'otherworldly' atmosphere conjured up by Armstrong begins to seem strangely real. Armstrong is a talented and original writer whose inventiveness and sense of the bizarre are arresting."
--London Free Press
Copyright (c) 2004 by KLA Fricke, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
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INDUSTRIAL MAGIC
Seal Books/published by arrangement with Random House Canada
Seal Books edition published November 2004
eISBN: 978-0-30737159-1
Seal Books are published by Random House of Canada Limited.
"Seal Books" and the portrayal of a seal are the property of Random House of Canada Limited.
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