[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
//-->“Vampires have met their match withVictoria Gardella Grantworth, and the paranormalgenre has met its next star—Colleen Gleason.”—Kathryn Smith, author ofNight of the HuntressPraise for The Gardella Vampire ChroniclesRises the Night“A Buffy-esque vampire hunter living in an Austen-style Regency world…. A tense plot line andrefreshingly diverse supporting characters complete the package, giving series fans plenty to sink theirteeth into—and plenty more to look forward to.”—Publishers Weekly“Excuse me for one moment while I give Colleen Gleason a standing ovation. The second book in theGardella Vampire Chronicles,Rises the Night , is a superb sequel in a series that is unique, sexy, anddefinitely very intense.”—Romance Reader at HeartThe Rest Falls Away“Sophisticated, sexy, surprising! With its vampire lore and Regency graces, this book grabs you andholds you tight to the very last page!”—J. R. Ward,New York Times Bestselling Author ofLover Unbound“So, what would Buffy as a debutante death-dealer, Buffy in a bonnet, have been like?…You can seethe result inThe Rest Falls Away , Gleason’s publishing debut that turns vampire stories—andromances—on their ear with a decidedly dark, decidedly unsentimental Regency heroine who stakes theundead with the best of them.”—Detroit Free Press“A promising, enthusiastic beginning to a new paranormal historical series…. Gleason quickly establishesan alluring world all her own. Her Buffy-esque lead is similarly afflicted, but the change of setting makesan intriguing, witty, and addictive twist.”—Publishers Weekly“A truly excellent piece of fiction…very ‘Buffy meets Jane Austen.’…Victoria is a good character andhas the makings of being truly great. This is the first book in the series, and I’m looking forward towatching her progress and grow.”—Book Fetish“Buffy the Vampire Slayermeets Jane Austen.”Page 1—The Book Standard“This novel has enough dark, angsty touches to it that I was utterly wrung out by the end. It is also sogood that I couldn’t wait to get online to see when the next in the series will come out…. Quite thepage-turner…not for the faint of heart, but the writing is wonderful and the characters really stand outvividly.”—All About Romance“One heck of a book…an engrossing read with compelling characters and a detailed and intriguingmythology that holds great promise.”—Vampire Romance Books“Above all, the writing is what recommends this book most. Gleason’s writing is sharp and taut, whichmakes for excellent action sequences, and a plot that travels quickly from the start. The writing strengthalone gives me ample reassurance that this potentially plot-heavy series is in the right hands. I’m definitelylooking forward to the next installment.”—Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy BooksTHE BLEEDING DUSKThe Gardella Vampire ChroniclesColleen GleasonA SIGNET ECLIPSE BOOKSIGNET ECLIPSEPublished by New American Library, a division ofPenguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,New York, New York 10014, USAPenguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (adivision of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, EnglandPenguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) PenguinGroup (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of PearsonAustralia Group Pty. Ltd.) Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park,New Delhi-110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632, NewZealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 SturdeeAvenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South AfricaPenguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, EnglandFirst published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library,a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.Copyright © Colleen Gleason, 2008Page 2All rights reservedSIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.ISBN: 1-4295-9564-7Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may bereproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means(electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission ofboth the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.PUBLISHER’S NOTEThis is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’simagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businessestablishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author orthird-party Web sites or their content.The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without thepermission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electroniceditions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your supportof the author’s rights is appreciated.For MarcyThanks for hanging in there with me and making it happen.ContentsAcknowledgmentsPrologue:In Which Max Faces the Vampiress in Her DenOne:In Which Our Heroine Is RearmedTwo:Wherein Our Heroine Is Privy to a Repulsive DiscoveryThree:In Which Victoria’s Idyll Is InvadedFour:In Which Victoria Develops an Acute Dislike of SugarplumsFive:In Which a Message Is DeliveredSix:Wherein Victoria Encounters a Stubborn ChinSeven:In Which a Small Red Jar Becomes the Topic of ConversationEight:In Which Our Heroine Is Forced into a Gown and Its AccoutrementsPage 3Nine:In Which Three Ladies Are Set Loose upon the VillaTen:In Which Our Heroine Finds Herself in a Compromising PositionEleven:In Which Michalas’s Wish Is GrantedTwelve:Lord Jellington Acquires a RivalThirteen:In Which Our Heroine Divests a Gentleman of an Article of ClothingFourteen:Wherein Wayren Reveals a Disturbing ProphecyFifteen:In Which Our Heroine Becomes Quite ProvokingSixteen:In Which Lady Melly’s Courtship Takes on a New TwistSeventeen:Wherein the Merits of Italian Desserts Are Discussed After an Eventful EveningEighteen:Wherein the Ruby Box Is OpenedNineteen:Wherein Michalas’s Other Wish Is GrantedTwenty:Wherein Our Heroine Finds Herself in Yet Another Dark TunnelTwenty-one:In Which Max Befuddles a Contrary DemonTwenty-two:Wherein the Worst Possible Happening OccursTwenty-three:In Which There Occurs a Bedside VigilTwenty-four:In Which There Is a Chilling DraftEpilogue:Wherein We Are Reminded That Hell Hath No FuryAcknowledgmentsI realize more and more with each book how much it’s not a solitary process. There are many people tothank each time, and my heartfelt gratitude goes out to each of them.First, always, thanks to Marcy Posner for holding my hand, keeping me from going off the deep end,and for celebrating the good stuff.And to Claire Zion, whose brilliance makes the Gardellas that much better…every time.Thanks to everyone at NAL who has helped bring Victoria and her story to the market—SandraDevendorf, Hilary Dowling, Kara Welsh, and the incredible, amazing art department, which just blowsmy mind with their cover and promotional designs. They just keep getting better and better! Thanks, too,to the sales reps, who have done a fabulous job getting the books out in unexpected places everywhere.Big thanks to my blogger friends who have helped along the way, especially Carl V. (who is constantlygoing out of his way to support me), Cheya, Nancytoes, Zeus and Marina, Bam, Susan Helene, Chris,Page 4Mary F., Kailana, the Smart Bitches, Heather Harper, Megan F., and everyone who hangs out at myblog. Also to Jeff for the great pictures!Thanks to my writer friends, especially Jackie Kessler, Diane Gaston, Janet Mullany, Anne Mallory, andall of the Wet Noodle Posse.I couldn’t do it without Holli and Tammy holding my hand through the whole creative process, and alsoJana DeLeon, whose shoulder to cry on and ear to celebrate in has made it all so much easier.Thanks to Christel for the Italian and French assistance, and to Beth, Debi, Danita, and Jen for all theirsupport. And also to the Brighton Borders, for hosting me and my Mambo addiction nearly every dayduring deadline time, and to Paperback Outlet, for two of the best signings ever!And, lastly, to Steve and my three lovelies for understanding the whole concept of the writing process,and letting me do it…even when we’d all rather be hanging out together. I love you all, and thank you foryour love, enthusiasm, and plot help!THE BLEEDING DUSKPrologueIn Which Max Faces the Vampiress in Her DenThe lair of the Queen of the Vampires was tucked away in the snowy mountain range of Muntii Fagaras.The only reason Maximilian Pesaro had been able to find the hideaway was because of the two bitemarks on his neck. Permanent ones left by Lilith herself.They burned and tingled as he approached the entrance to the interior chamber. The throbbing neverfully went away, but there were times when it ebbed enough that he could forget about the fact that hewas permanently linked to the vampire queen.The back of his neck felt as though a brick of ice rested on it; but it was not because of the winter thatblustered outside of the stone-cut chambers in the mountain. The howling winds and blinding snow thatcame much too early and stayed too long in these Romanian mountains had nothing to do with the chillthat burned his neck, and everything to do with the fact that there were vampires nearby. As he was aVenator, it was his way of sensing the presence of the undead.Coming here was foolish and brazen. Max was never foolish, although he had his brazen moments. Butafter what he’d been through in the last months, he was willing to accept the consequences of this visit.Even if it resulted in his death, he chanced it—because it could also result in his freedom.The only reason he’d made it so far into the bowels of Lilith’s refuge was the fact that he bore hermarkings. Her branding of him was an obscene protection from the undead that guarded her compound.Max passed yet another of Lilith’s Guardian vampires, ones that had eyes that burned pale ruby andfangs that released a strong poison at will. She opened the heavy wooden door to Lilith’s privatechamber and stepped back to allow him in.Page 5 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]