Rhode squeezed my hand. ‘I love you,’ he said one more time. There was no word for what we had. Anam Cara. Soulmate. Love. It didn’t matter, the label.
Because I was Lenah Beaudonte.
Girl. Lover. Sister. Daughter. Queen, to some . . .
And I was free.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to Margaret Riley and the whole WME family, who have supported Lenah’s story from the beginning.
To the VCFA community, especially A.M. Jenkins, Franny Billingsley, Hannah Moderow and Kristin Derwich.
To the CCW’s, the classiest and most wonderful collection of women I have ever had the pleasure to know. Thank you for the time we have spent on Lenah’s story and for helping me to craft this story. I am so grateful for you and for all we have accomplished together.
To my editors over the years in the UK: Claire Creek, Polly Nolan, Emma Young, Ruth Alltimes and Rebecca McNally. Your belief in this story and Lenah’s character has been crucial in my growth not only as a writer, but as an artist. I’m a better writer having worked with you.
Rebecca Maizel hails from Rhode Island, where she lives and works. She teaches at her alma mater, the prestigious Wheeler School, where they have willingly accepted her back. She tries not to force her students to read her published novels for young adults. Rebecca has recently achieved an MFA in Writing for Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Books by Rebecca Maizel
Infinite Days
Stolen Night
Eternal Dawn
Praise for Infinite Days:
‘Infinite Days is a grab-you-by-the-throat, ignore-the-world-around-you, fall-completely-in-love-with kind of book, the kind I haven’t really read since Twilight. Yep. I just used the T-word’ AllThingsUrbanFantasy
‘Infinite Days builds to an exciting conclusion, and leaves the door wide open for a kick-ass sequel’ WondrousReads
‘There is no other vampire book like it and if you have a love for immortals but are fed up with reading more or less the same story over and over again, then Infinite Days is the ideal book to pick up . . . Maizel’s writing is beautiful . . . Her voice is very unique and has an eloquence to it that I wish we could see more of in young adult fiction’ YABookReads
‘I found myself thinking about this novel long after I’d put it down . . . It plays around but still retains the haunting and tortured tone of all the best vampire stories’ Amazon
Praise for Stolen Night:
‘I can’t wait to see where the author takes Lenah next. With thoughtful notions, intriguing mystery and compelling characters, Stolen Night makes the Vampire Queen Series a must-read’ TheYoungFolks
‘Be prepared to be blown away by Stolen Night because it’s not one you want to miss!’ BookPassionForLife
First published 2014 by Macmillan Children’s Books
This electronic edition published 2014 by Macmillan Children’s Books
a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Basingstoke and Oxford
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-1-4472-1779-4
Copyright © Rebecca Maizel 2014
Vampire language created by Megan Reilly
The right of Rebecca Maizel to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Typeset by Ellipses Digital Limited, Glasgow
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