by R. L. Weeks
He wrapped his arm around my waist. “Close your eyes!”
I did, and I felt as if I was thrown into a hurricane. I couldn’t breathe. The only thing grounding me was the feel of his hand on me.
When I opened my eyes again we were surrounded by dark castles, a night sky that seemed animated, and hundreds of screaming souls.
“Where are we?”
His eyes flashed green. “The underworld.”
Chapter Nine
Thunder cracked in the sky and lighting soared down as we descended into the underworld. No matter what I did, I just kept going deeper and deeper into the abyss. I held onto Scorpio, the man who had lied to me.
Music filled the air as we landed on the rocky ground. I leant over, hands on knees to stop myself from throwing up. Scorpio nodded to someone behind me. I didn’t turn. I was barely able to focus on breathing.
“Casey.” He looked down at me with concern. “Are you okay?”
I clenched my teeth. “Am I okay?” I asked breathlessly. “Are you serious? You’ve just dragged me to hell.”
He rolled his eyes. “It’s not hell…”
“Underworld. Hell. Done.”
He sighed. “Whatever. Look, we are safe down here.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Why? Because you’re one of Lilith’s workers?”
His icy gaze widened. He opened his mouth to talk, but several guards marched over to us. I looked around for an escape, but we were in a huge stone pit. Like an upside-down cave. The guards wore suits of gold armor. They all bowed to Scorpio, which was weird, and moved over to me.
I turned to run, but it was too late. I felt their strong grips around my wrists and one around my waist. I was lifted into the air, my breath knocked out of me, and looked at Scorpio. “Please, don’t let them take me.”
He didn’t come after me. ‘Where are we going?” I asked a guard, but he didn’t answer. I was carried through the stone pit and toward a castle. The entire place was filled with caves leading to rooms, and castles that towered over everything else.
The castle they were carrying me too was the biggest one… That’s when I clicked on. I was being taken to Lilith.
We entered the castle and I was dropped onto the floor. I immediately jumped up and wrestled them to get to the door, but they stopped me with little effort.
It was no use fighting them. I turned and walked through the grand room. The walls were made to look like they were made of running lava. The chandeliers were black and gold, and metal roses swirled up the large staircase in the center of the room.
We walked up the marble steps and stopped outside two arched doors that had the appearance of black charcoal.
The doors opened and my gaze immediately fell on her.
Lilith sat on her throne of red and black, with a serpent coiled around her leg and flowing honey-blonde hair covering her breasts. She was seated next to another woman, Lamia – a child-eating demon and sister to Lilith. I had read about her in one of the books in the hotel.
"Do you know what I am?"
Her voice was authoritative yet feminine. She looked deep into my eyes until I felt wholly vulnerable. Being in her presence opened my pleasure center. It was like she knew how to entice anyone; she was the artist of passion and lust.
"A demon," I replied, feeling stupid. “I mean – Queen.”
"Lilith means Night Creatures, creatures of the dark. I am their Queen. I led them to freedom." She drank from her goblet, and the snake coiled further up her leg. "You humans – it's all limitations, boundaries, self-sacrifice, all in the name of what is good when none of you know what is good and what is bad. There is no line between them; we all have light and dark, and both are necessary to survive. The more we repress, the darker we become. It's all about being your own savior."
I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. That was becoming a frequent habit of mine. Instead, my gaze traced over the room around her, over the bodies of men that lay on the satin beds.
She laughed, as if she knew what I was thinking. "Love is beautiful," she said to my surprise. "As is every piece of this world – every single fragment. You are a fragment, Casey. Do what your mind and body wants, and then you'll be free."
She was getting inside my head. I tried to push her out, but like the snake coiled around her, she was comfortably settled in my thoughts.
“I will become one of you,” I lied.
She smirked. “I can read your thoughts, Casey.”
Fuck.
“Can I leave?”
She shook her head. “Scorpio has a castle near to here. Make your choice and come to me in three days. A war is waging, Casey, and it would be in your best interests to be on the winning team.”
Her snake-like eyes flashed red.
“Oh and Casey,” she said with a penetrating stare. “I hope you make the right choice. If not, the ones you love may pay for it.”
Night Wanderers
Out December 3rd, 2017
Casey is thrown into a supernatural war. Her dreams are haunted yet again, and she needs to find a way out of the Underworld – but Lilith knows her every move and Scorpio makes some surprising revelations about who he really is.
Trusting no one, Casey finds a way out – but it will cost her dearly.
When she barely escapes with her life, something stalking her from the shadows comes into the light, and her world – yet again – is turned upside down.
Casey finds out more about her heritage and goes deeper down the rabbit hole as she tries to find a way to rid the world of Lilith and the Night Wanderers for good. Her links entwine with those of Lilith’s more than she ever anticipated, and all she can hope is that Lilith is ignorant to their connection.
The Night Wanderers are out for blood: More bloodthirsty than the Vampires, faster than hunters, eviler than the Night Stalkers, and more intelligent than all three. Can Casey outsmart and outrun the Elites, or will all be lost?
Authors Note
I thought up Night Stalker one evening when talking to my fiancé, and Scorpio and Casey materialized in my mind. After I started writing, I actually added George in after drafting the book.
I’ve researched a lot into the occult, paranormal, and supernatural legends throughout history, dating back to the Iron Age. For years, I have loved anything paranormal and try to find some truth in the legends, or reasons to why these stories came about.
While researching, I found myself delving deeper into the Vampire legends, where it started, and all the different types of Vampires and demons that people have written about.
I put attributes of several different types I have read about into one: The Night Stalkers. To me, they represent something lost – a humanoid creature that once was just like us, then through pain, hurt, anger, and loss, they became these vicious, soulless creatures. However, Night Stalkers can be redeemed.
I believe that souls are an energy that’s part of a whole, and we are all a part of that. There cannot be darkness without light, and there cannot be bliss when we have not experienced pain.
This series is close to my heart for a number of reasons. Thank you so much for reading Night Stalker, book one in the series.
The second book in the series, Night Wanderer, will be out at the end of 2017. I’m planning for a four-book series and to have the final book out by the end of 2018.