Fury's Kiss
“Karen Chance doesn’t disappoint.”—SFRevu
Praise for the Novels
of Karen Chance
Death’s Mistress
“Chance’s patented brand of political intrigue, wrapped around deadly danger and spiced with complex characterization, is a proven winner.”
—
Romantic Times
“From the beginning until the ending this story is nonstop chaos of the sort only the undead or fey can deliver…high drama indeed.”
—Huntress Book Reviews
“In addition to action-packed plotlines, Karen Chance is also well-known for her imaginative use of fantasy mythology in building the diverse collection of humorous characters that populate her novels. Snappy dialogue is always a given and
Death’s Mistress
has no shortage on this front.…I can hardly wait to see where the author takes these characters next.”
—LoveVampires
“The unfurling of Dorina and Louis-Cesare’s relationship is actually quite fun; even after five hundred years, Dory is just as confused about men as any other woman.…Readers will enjoy the madcap romp and its occasional bouts of comedy…an excellent stepping-stone to other stories involving these ever-evolving characters.”
—The Romance Reader
“With a perfect blend of action, mystery, and romance, this was without a doubt one of my favorite books of the year.”
—Fiction Kingdom
“As entertaining a novel as I have read in many years.…For pure entertainment,
Death’s Mistress
is a novel you will not want to miss.”
—Fantasy Literature
Midnight’s Daughter
“Karen Chance doesn’t disappoint. Once again we have an action-packed adventure with a strong female character that, while tough as nails and a dhampir, is also very human.”
—SFRevu
“In dhampir Dorina Basarab, Chance has created a sassy, tough heroine who never says die. Following these first-person adventures is going to be an adrenaline high.”
—
Romantic Times
“Karen Chance has done it again…a brilliant start to a new series [that] contains all the elements needed for a great urban fantasy.”
—Vampire Romance Books
“Karen Chance knows how to write. Not just the action scenes, or having the butt-kicking heroine throw out pithy one-liners, but the setup is clever [and] the involvement of the various factions in the simmering war is well thought-out, as are the repercussions to various actions characters take in the book.”
—Monsters and Critics
The Cassie Palmer Novels
“You definitely need to check out this series.”
—Literary Escapism
Hunt the Moon
“This isn’t just urban fantasy—it’s storytelling at its best.”
—SFRevu
“I am as surprised as anyone to have book five of a series stand me on my head and dazzle me, and even more so as I realize I could pick up
Hunt the Moon
and these characters would do it again and again and again.”
—All Things Urban Fantasy
Curse the Dawn
“A truly riotous ride.…Chance adds plenty of twists and obstacles to her first-person series that blends time travel, magic, vampires, and more.”
—
Romantic Times
“Gunfights, explosions, magical catastrophes, rescue attempts, ambushes, and much more turn this book into the urban fantasy equivalent of a summer blockbuster.”
—SF Site
“Outstanding.…The dialogue is funny, the story is fast-paced, full of intrigue with really hot sex scenes.”
—The Romance Readers Connection
Embrace the Night
“Cassie is a well-rounded character, and the intensity and complexity of the plot puts her through her paces physically, emotionally, and psychically.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“If you thought
Touch the Dark
and
Claimed by Shadow
were action-packed, well, buckle your seat belt.…Lara Croft would have a hard time keeping up.”
—SFRevu
“Quick pacing and imaginative use of some old mythologies blend into a captivating read that will leave readers clamoring for more.”
—Monsters and Critics
Claimed by Shadow
“A nonstop thrill ride from beginning to end, a wildly entertaining romp with a strong, likable heroine.”
—Rambles
“Ms. Chance is a master…a series well worth getting hooked on.”
—Fresh Fiction
“A great writer of supernatural fantasy that is on a par with the works of Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, and Kelley Armstrong.”
—
Midwest Book Review
Touch the Dark
“A grab-you-by-the-throat-and-suck-you-in sort of book with a tough, smart heroine and sexy-scary vampires. I loved it—and I’m waiting anxiously for a sequel.”
—#1
New York Times
bestselling author Patricia Briggs
“A really exciting book with great pace and a huge cast of vivid characters. This is one of my favorite reads of the year.”
—#1
New York Times
bestselling author Charlaine Harris
“Exciting and inventive.”
—
Booklist
B
OOKS BY
K
AREN
C
HANCE
T
HE
C
ASSIE
P
ALMER
S
ERIES
Touch the Dark
Claimed by Shadow
Embrace the Night
Curse the Dawn
Hunt the Moon
T
HE
M
IDNIGHT’S
D
AUGHTER
S
ERIES
Midnight’s Daughter
Death’s Mistress
Fury’s Kiss
KAREN CHANCE
Fury’s
Kiss
A MIDNIGHT’S DAUGHTER NOVEL
A SIGNET SELECT BOOK
SIGNET SELECT
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.)
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by Signet Select, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, October 2012
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Copyright © Karen Chance, 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.
ISBN: 978-1-101-59019-5
SIGNET SELECT and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Printed in the United States of America
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.
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
ALWAYS LEARNING
PEARSON
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to Anne Sowards and the entire Penguin production team for eternal patience in the production of this book.
Chapter One
It wasn’t being shot that was the problem. Or the fact that someone had apparently decided to beat the crap out of me beforehand. Or afterward. Or, considering the way I felt, possibly both.
I wasn’t sure, as I couldn’t seem to remember the fight that had left me bloody and bruised, with a bullet hole in my right thigh and another in my left shoulder. I couldn’t seem to remember much of anything else, either, including who the hell I was. But that still wasn’t the problem.
No, the problem was that I’d woken up next to a vampire.
One who was maddeningly hard to kill.
“If you would but listen to me for a moment,” he said, as I slammed his pretty red head against the concrete floor for
the sixth freaking time
.
“Okay,” I panted, wondering what the hell his skull was made of. Granite? “Let’s chat.”
Of course, that would be difficult since I’d just changed tactics, grabbing his throat and squeezing for all I was worth.
I wasn’t trying to choke him to death. That doesn’t work with creatures who don’t breathe, and the bastard’s neck was too muscular for me to close my hands around anyway. But most vamps have instincts left over from their human days, and they don’t like being grabbed there. It distracts them, messes up their concentration, makes them panic.
At least, I really hoped it did, since otherwise I was screwed.
