Deadshifted (31 page)

You’d better grow up to be a really awesome person, baby.
I got out of the car and stood beside it, and the blindfold was snatched off me.

Lank pieces of my own hair slapped my face. Being turned into a daytimer hadn’t magically fixed my personal hygiene. I stank of sweat, and my clothes were crusted with salt water from my time at sea. I took in the dim room at a glance and saw I was right, we were in a subterranean garage. There were several expensive exotic cars in a row, and Raven was nowhere to be seen.

“He has business to attend to,” Wolf informed me. I didn’t know if I should grunt or nod—but I did know I didn’t want to be alone here with him. I figured Raven wanted me alive to curry favor with Anna, but I didn’t know how much safety, if any, that personally guaranteed me.

“Are you sure?” He angled his head toward the hill we’d driven down, where I supposed the entrance to the garage was. “It’s not too late for you to run.”

And if I did, it wasn’t too late for him to chase me down and hurt me. “You’re not the first vampire to tell me that.”

Years ago, right after I’d started working on Y4, a vampire named Dren had encouraged me to run so he could chase and kill me. I hadn’t run then either. My life would have been much different—and probably a lot shorter—if I had. Wolf snorted when it became clear I wouldn’t play his game, then turned and walked deeper into the garage. I curled my hands into fists at my side and felt my short nails bruise my palms as I followed him in.

*   *   *

Wolf led us through a series of unmarked tunnels, but I felt sure I’d be able to remember my way back to the garage. It was easy now as a daytimer to spot the subtle differences between the walls, things I might not have noticed as a human before—a small chunk of cement missing here, a chip in the unrelenting grey paint there. The last leg of the hall opened wide like an entryway, ending in a half-open oak door with ancient-looking iron fastenings, and I could hear a quiet conversation taking place inside the room ahead of us.

“Is she a spy?” a feminine voice asked.

“She’s no concern of yours, only mine,” I heard Raven say, with a note of warning. The conversation immediately stilled as Wolf led me in.

Raven was in the center of the room, lounging on a backless couch covered in folds of deep purple satin. With his shining black clothing and black hair, the only parts of him that were easy to see were his elegant white hands and his pale face. His lips were pulled into a sneer, but there were dark circles around his closed eyes. Saving me had pained him. Good.

The room itself was huge and carved from stone with no paint. I couldn’t see the ceiling above, the light from the naked bulbs strung up on the walls didn’t travel that far. Given the cathedral-like nature of the room, and the presumable age of its occupants, I wouldn’t have been surprised if there’d been torches illuminating us instead—and I realized that without Raven’s vampire blood in me, I probably wouldn’t have been able to see.

I took in the rest of the room at a glance. With the exception of one daytimer kneeling beside Raven’s couch, the rest of the vampires stood closest to Raven, equidistant to one another as though they didn’t trust anyone within arm’s length, two men and one woman. Wolf I’d already met—he looked like an old school biker, with mutton chops and a beard, his face as grizzled as his leather vest. The other vampire looked like an action hero, buff with a blonde buzz cut, and the female vampire was dressed in night blue, with smooth waves of long copper hair giving her an old Hollywood look. There were two daytimers in a circle outside of that, ready to attend, a man and a woman, him in a vest and her in a dress, and they appeared to match their owners. I wondered if that was on purpose, or just how things worked out. It was easy to tell the vampires and their daytimers apart, as the vampires only looked at me once, taking all of me in and making up their minds about me in milliseconds, content to ignore me—or to pretend to ignore me—after that. But the daytimers weren’t as good at hiding their surprise at having another suddenly join their ranks. Two of them wouldn’t stop looking at me in particular—the one whose vest matched Wolf’s, and the one kneeling at Raven’s side, who looked up at me with complete venom.

Everyone else in the room was wearing dark colors. In the last outfit I’d worn aboard the
Maraschino
before she sank, light t-shirt and jeans, I matched no one and stuck out like a sore thumb. And I realized none of the other people I’d last seen getting into a lifeboat on the
Maraschino
were here either. “Where are the rest of them?”

All of the vampires turned to eye me as one, and I gathered I’d spoken out of turn.

“The rest of the survivors. There were others. I heard you mention them.” When I’d been leaving Asher and Anna, only hours ago.

A smile tickled the corners of Raven’s mouth as though my concern was droll. “Other Houses. Not ours. Anna wasn’t incredibly particular about who saved you, only insistent that you must be saved.”

“Oh,” I said, because it seemed like he was waiting for a response.

“Oh,” he repeated, mocking me. Without taking his eyes off of me, he addressed someone else. “Jackson, teach her manners, will you?”

The daytimer in a leather vest bowed deeply. “Of course, Master.”

“Now then,” Raven went on, addressing the kneeling man at the bottom of his couch. “With everyone come down here to gawk, who’s minding upstairs, Lars?”

The kneeling daytimer’s head dropped even lower. Would Raven expect me to grovel like that for him? I couldn’t imagine myself doing it now, much less six months from now with a pregnant belly. “We closed early, Master,” the kneeling man informed him. Raven’s face fell into a profound look of disappointment, as Lars went on. “I–I wanted to make sure your bed was warm.”

Raven reached down to pat Lars’s head as though he were a particularly obedient dog, and I watched the man’s shoulders tense. “Lars, when I need your help hunting, I’ll ask for it—or I’ll just drain you.”

I could see the panic on Raven’s daytimer’s—his other daytimer, if you counted me—face. Raven’s hand wound through Lars’s hair as though considering options. The female vampire smirked to see such obvious fear, and then looked at Raven, one impish eyebrow quirked. “I’ll eat your dessert if you don’t want it, Sire.” She had a slight French accent, which made her seem even more exotic.

Raven released Lars and stood. “As it turns out, I’m not in the mood to share tonight.” He turned to pierce Lars with one last look of disappointment.

“I apologize, Master,” Lars said, nodding eagerly now that he was free.

“Is there anything else of concern?” Raven asked, looking around. One by one, the rest of his vampires shook their head. “Then we’ll reconvene tomorrow night.” He stood up fluidly, and stalked out of the room via its only other door. The other vampires followed suit, and then it was just me and the other daytimers left inside.

They stared at me, and I stared at them. I swallowed.
Eight months, baby. We can do this.
“Hi. My name is Edie.”

Also by Cassie Alexander

Nightshifted

Moonshifted

Shapeshifted

Praise for the Edie Spence 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.”

—
Romantic Times

“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

“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

“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 with 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

“Edie is a fun character with heart and charisma, making it easy to fall for her and want to see her succeed in all of her adventures, whether they be dealing with paranormal patients, evil vampires, or potential lovers. If you like your urban fantasy to have a dose of romance, then
Nightshifted
is for you. Highly recommended.”

—Debut Review

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.

DEADSHIFTED

Copyright © 2014 by Erin Cashier.

Excerpt from
Bloodshifted
copyright © 2014 by Erin Cashier.

All rights reserved.

For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

www.stmartins.com

eISBN: 9781466832909

St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / January 2014

St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.