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Authors: P. C. Cast

Goddess of the Rose

BOOK: Goddess of the Rose
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Table of Contents
 
 
 
 
Dear Reader,
 
Okay, I'll admit it—authors have favorite books. I know, I know, books are like children and we don't always want to admit to liking one better than another, but it's true. The Goddess Summoning books are my favorite children.
As with my bestselling young adult series, the House of Night, my Goddess Summoning books celebrate the independence, intelligence, and unique beauty of modern women. My heroes all have one thing in common: they appreciate powerful women and are wise enough to value brains as well as beauty. Isn't respect and appreciation an excellent aphrodisiac?
Delving into mythology and reworking ancient myths is fun! In
Goddess of the Sea
I retell the story of the mermaid Undine—who switches places with a female U.S. Air Force sergeant who needs to do some escaping of her own. In
Goddess of Spring,
I turn my attention to the Persephone/Hades myth, and send a modern woman to Hell! Who knew Hell and its brooding god could be hot in so many wonderful, seductive ways?
From there we take a lovely vacation in Las Vegas with the divine twins, Apollo and Artemis, in
Goddess of Light
. Finally we come to what is my favorite of all fairy tales, “Beauty and the Beast.” In
Goddess of the Rose
I created my own version of this beloved tale, building a magical realm from whence dreams originate—good and bad—and bringing to life a beast who absolutely took my breath away.
I hope you enjoy my worlds, and my wish for you is that you discover a spark of goddess magic of your own!
 
P. C. Cast
“Outstanding . . . Magic, myth, and romance with a decidedly modern twist. Her imagination and storytelling abilities are true gifts to the genre.”
—Romantic Times
 
 
Praise for
Goddess of the Sea
“Suspense, fantasy, time travel, all topped off with a very healthy dollop of romance . . . The good news is that this is just the beginning.”
—Romance Reviews Today
 
 
“Captivating—poignant, funny, erotic! Lovely characters, wonderful romance, constant action, and a truly whimsical fantasy . . . Delightful. A great read.”
—The Best Reviews
 
 
“A fun combination of myth, girl power, and sweet romance [with] a bit of suspense. A must-read . . . A romance that celebrates the magic of being a woman.”
—Affaire de Coeur
 
 
“[An] adult fairy tale . . . the audience will cherish.”
—Midwest Book Review
 
 
“Vivid and colorful . . . Splendid blend of fantasy, history, intrigue, and passion . . . Outstanding. Watch out for this author.”
—Rendezvous
 
 
“Most innovative . . . From beginning to end, the surprises in P. C. Cast's new page-turner never stopped. Its poignancy resonates with both whimsy and fantasy . . . I loved it!”
—New York Times
bestselling author Sharon Sala
 
 
“Sweet and funny.”
—Huntress Reviews
 
 
Goddess of Spring
“One of the top romantic fantasy mythologists today.”
—Midwest Book Review
 
 
“As always, there's a dash of humor and lots of meltingly hot sex.”
—Affaire de Coeur
 
 
“Enchanting . . . Lovely.”
—The Romance Readers Connection
 
 
“A veritable feast for readers who just can't get enough fantasy dished up with their romance. Mythology has never been so fun!”
—Romance Reviews Today
 
 
Goddess of Light
“A charmer . . . Cast continues her unique brand of delightfully mixing a modern-day romance with a mythological legend . . . Creative.”
—Midwest Book Review
 
 
“Pure enjoyment . . . Anything can [happen] when gods and mortals mix.”
—Rendezvous
 
 
“A fanciful mix of mythology and romance with a dash of humor for good measure . . . Engages and entertains . . . Lovely.”
—Romance Reviews Today
 
 
Goddess of Love
“Sexy, charming, and fun,
Goddess of Love
is the fantasy romance of the year! You will fall in love with this book. (I did!)”
—New York Times
bestselling author Susan Grant
 
 
“Touching, clever, and an excellent heiress to the Goddess Summoning series. Cast's ability to subvert misogynistic mythology . . . and reaffirm what makes women wonderful, is always worth celebrating . . . I bestow my snarky blessings on this book.”
—Smart Bitches Trashy Books
 
 
“Scorchingly sensual, utterly delicious! P. C. Cast is a true master of her craft.”
—
New York Times
bestselling author Gena Showalter
Sensation Titles by P. C. Cast
The Goddess Summoning Series
 
GODDESS OF THE SEA
GODDESS OF Spring
GODDESS OF LIGHT
GODDESS OF THE ROSE
GODDESS OF LOVE
WARRIOR RISING
 
 
Anthologies
 
MYSTERIA
(with MaryJanice Davidson, Susan Grant, and Gena Showalter)
MYSTERIA LANE
(with MaryJanice Davidson, Susan Grant, and Gena Showalter)
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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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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South Africa
 
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
 
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 websites or their content.
 
Copyright © 2006 by P. C. Cast.
 
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.
BERKLEY
®
SENSATION and the “B” design are trademarks belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
 
eISBN : 978-1-440-69988-7
 
PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / February 2006
Berkley Sensation trade paperback edition / January 2009
 
The Library of Congress has cataloged a prior edition under LCCN: 2006576706.
 

http://us.penguingroup.com

This book is for everyone
who fell in love with the Beast,
and then was truly disappointed when he
turned into a handsome prince.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank Mark Stelljes, the rosarian I consulted as I researched this book. Mark, your information was invaluable! Any rose mistakes are mine and mine alone.
 
A special thank you to my goddess editor, Christine Zika, for understanding that the beast really did need to be a beast. (And thanks for that lovely horn scene, too!)
 
An adoring thank you to my amazing agent and friend, Meredith Bernstein.
 
A wink and a thanks to the fabulous “Lunatics” who helped brain-storm the personification of Dream Stealers.
 
And thank you to my high school students whose brains I picked for the dream-weaving scenes. See? Teenagers really do have brains!
Prelude
ONCE
upon a time, when men still believed gods and goddesses walked the earth, Hecate, Great Goddess of Night, was granted dominion over the crossroads of man. The dark goddess took her charge seriously, for not only did she stand watch over mortal roads and byways, Hecate guarded the crossroads between dreams and reality . . . between the corporeal and the ethereal. Her dominion was the place from which all dreams, and the magick they create, originated. Thus, the Goddess of Night became Goddess of Magick as well as Goddess of Beasts and the Ebony Moon.
Ever vigilant, Hecate called to her service a monstrous beast of olde. Willingly the beast swore to be the goddess's Guardian of the Crossroads and to do her bidding. This creature was the perfect melding of man and beast; son of the Titan Cronos, he was a being like no other. As reward for his fidelity in answering the goddess's summons, Hecate gifted her Guardian with the heart and soul of a man, so although his appearance was monstrous, Hecate felt secure, entrusting him with the protection of the boundaries of the magickal crossroads, which the goddess christened the Realm of the Rose, as well as the Priestesses of the Blood, who served Hecate there. For centuries, the Guardian stood faithful, following the dictates of his sacred trust, for he was as honorable as he was powerful and as wise as he was mighty . . .
BOOK: Goddess of the Rose
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