by Rachel Caine
That didn’t sound good. They all exchanged looks.
Claire felt something odd happen inside her, like a flash of heat, followed by one of cold . . . and then the bracelet on her wrist, a constant, heavy presence, clicked, and fell off to roll away on the stone floor.
Claire cried out and rubbed at her wrist. It was dead white where the bracelet had been, and indented with the shape of gold.
“I’ve decided to record you as Neutrals,” Amelie said. “Friends of Morganville. You will be issued special pins, which you must wear at all times. Your names will be recorded in the archives. You are not to be menaced or hunted by any vampire from this point onward. In return, I will require services from you, as I do from other Neutrals, from time to time. You will be listed as employees of the town.”
Even Myrnin seemed surprised, Claire thought. “Generous,” he said.
“Pragmatic,” Amelie said. “Less trouble for me. The four of them are stronger together, and less vulnerable. And I’m well aware that there are those within Morganville who would prefer to split them apart, for their own uses. I can hardly have people with such intimate knowledge of us running around without . . . restrictions.”
Claire licked her lips. “About that—I kind of made a deal with Morley. That you’d let him and his people leave Morganville, or else Eve and Shane get hunted.”
“Why on earth would you do such a thing?” Amelie shook her head. “I can’t protect you from deals made prior to the announcement. If Morley can make a claim, he can register the hunt. It would be legal, according to law. It would be up to you to protect yourselves.”
“But you could let Morley and his people leave, right? That’s all they want. To be set free, to go where they want.”
Amelie was silent for a moment, and then she said, “No.” That was all. No Sorry or Hope you don’t die.
She turned back to the dead computer.
“But—”
Shane shook his head. “Let’s go home. Come on, we have a month. We’ll work it out.”
Claire didn’t think so, but she shut up and let Michael ferry them, one by one, out of the trapdoor and up to the lab. As they headed for his car, Eve’s cell phone rang.
“Hello? Oh, hi, Heather.” Eve sighed. “Don’t tell me, I’m fired, right?”
Heather? Claire remembered, finally, that Heather was the assistant director for the play. It was the last possible thing Claire could think of, importance-wise, but Eve’s face gradually lit up with a smile. “I’m not? Seriously? He didn’t—oh wow. Okay. Yes. I’ll be there. Yes, of course! . . . Oh, sure, hang on.” She handed the phone to Claire. “She says she wants to talk to you.”
Claire carefully put the phone to her ear. “Yes?”
“Claire, look, we need a new Stella. Mein Herr says you’re perfect. He’s already cleared it with your boss.”
“He what?” And how did Myrnin get to make that kind of call, anyway? “I’m not an actress! I don’t know anything—”
“That’s what he likes,” Heather said. “You’re cast. Be at rehearsal tomorrow. Eve will tell you when.”
She hung up.
Claire stared at the dead phone, then handed it back.
“I guess I’m in the play,” she said.
“Good news,” Eve said. “You’ve already got on-camera experience.”
“Yeah, speaking of that, what’s going to happen with Kim? Not that I care,” Shane said quickly when Claire looked at him. “Just curious.”
“I asked,” Eve said. “Chief Moses says they’ll keep her in the nuthouse for a while, see if she gets better. But even if she does, she’ll be in jail a long time.”
“You okay with that?”
Eve took in a deep breath. “Yeah,” she said. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
Claire looked down at the hard drive in her hand, the Sharpie-marked evidence, took it out, and handed it to Shane. “You do the honors,” he said.
One smash against the bricks, and it shattered. He kept on smashing it, just to be sure, and then tossed the remains into a handy trash can at the end of the alley.
“The end,” Shane said.
It wasn’t. Michael and Eve were walking together, but not touching; Claire could see the tension between them. Ada was dead, and that meant the vampires were risking everything, at least for a while. As for Amelie’s “gift,” Claire knew there had to be a catch, and a big one.
It wasn’t the end at all . . . but Claire was content to pretend for now. With Shane warm at her side, and the future stretching out in front of them, she could pretend for today that it was happily ever after.
Of course, tomorrow was another day.
TRACK LIST
In case you want to listen along to the songs I used to help me write this book, here they are! Buy the tracks, please. Don’t be a vampire preying on the artists.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rachel Caine is the author of the New York Times best-selling Morganville Vampires series as well as the best-selling Weather Warden series, which includes Ill Wind, Heat Stroke, Chill Factor, Windfall, Firestorm, Thin Air, Gale Force, and Cape Storm. Her ninth Weather Warden novel will be released in August 2010. She also recently started another series, Outcast Season, with the release of the first novel, Undone. Rachel and her husband, fantasy artist R. Cat Conrad, live in Texas with their igua nas, Popeye and Darwin.
Web site: www.rachelcaine.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/rachelcaine
Livejournal: rachelcaine.livejournal.com
Twitter: @rachelcaine
Look for Rachel Caine on Facebook.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
EPILOGUE
TRACK LIST
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
"Nonstop vampire action ... will captivate readers and leave them craving more.”—Darque Reviews
Praise for the Morganville Vampires Series
Carpe Corpus
“Ms. Caine offers readers an intriguing world where vampires rule, only the strongest survive, and romance offers hope in the darkest of hours. Each character is brought to life in superb detail, with unique personality quirks and a full spectrum of emotions. Carpe Corpus is well described, packed with action, and impossible to set down.”
—Darque Reviews
“Rachel Caine has carved out a unique niche in the urban fantasy subgenre with her super young-adult Morganville Vampires. The latest thriller contains plenty of action, but as always in this saga, Carpe Corpus is character driven by the good, the bad, and the evil.”
—Midwest Book Review
“The pace is brisk and a number of loose ends are tied up as one chapter on the town of Morganville closes and a new one begins.”
—Monsters and Critics
Lord of Misrule
“Ms. Caine uses her dazzling storytelling skills to share the darkest chapter yet ... an engrossing read.”
—Darque Reviews
“Filled with delicious twists that the audience will appreciatively sink their teeth into.”
—Genre Go Round Reviews
Feast of Fools
“Fast-paced and filled with action.... Fans of the series will appreciate Feast of Fools.”
—Genre Go Round Reviews
“Thrilling ... a fast-moving series where there’s always a surprise just around every dark corner.”
—Darque Reviews
“Very entertaining ... I could not put Feast of Fools down....There is a level of tension in the Morganville books that keeps you on the edge
of your seat; even in the background scenes you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it always does.”
—Flames Rising
“Fantastic.... The excitement and suspense in Feast of Fools is thrilling, and I was fascinated reading about the town of Morganville. I greatly look forward to reading the next book.”
—Fresh Fiction
Midnight Alley
“A fast-paced, page-turning read packed with wonderful characters and surprising plot twists. Rachel Caine is an engaging writer; readers will be completely absorbed in this chilling story, unable to put it down until the last page.”
—Flamingnet
“Weaves a web of dangerous temptation, dark deceit, and loving friendships. The nonstop vampire action and delightfully sweet relationships will captivate readers and leave them craving more.”
—Darque Reviews
The Dead Girls’ Dance
“If you love to read about characters with whom you can get deeply involved, Rachel Caine is so far a one hundred percent sure bet to satisfy that need.”
—The Eternal Night
“Throw in a mix of vamps and ghosts and it can’t get any better than Dead Girls’ Dance.”
—Dark Angel Reviews
Glass Houses
“Rachel Caine brings her brilliant ability to blend witty dialogue, engaging characters, and an intriguing plot.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“A rousing horror thriller that adds a new dimension to the vampire mythos ... Glass Houses is an electrifying, enthralling coming-of-age supernatural tale.”
—Midwest Book Review
“A solid paranormal mystery and action plotline that will entertain adults as well as teenagers. The story line has several twists and turns that will keep readers of any age turning the pages.”
—LoveVampires
Praise for Rachel Caine’s Weather Warden Series
“You’ll never watch the Weather Channel the same way again.”
—Jim Butcher
“Rachel Caine takes the Weather Wardens to places the Weather Channel never imagined!”—Mary Jo Putney
“The Weather Warden series is fun reading ... more engaging than most TV.”
—Booklist
“A fast-paced thrill ride [that] brings new meaning to stormy weather.”
—Locus
“An appealing heroine with a wry sense of humor that enlivens even the darkest encounters.”
—SF Site
THE MORGANVILLE VAMPIRES
Glass Houses
The Dead Girls’ Dance
Midnight Alley
Feast of Fools
Lord of Misrule
Carpe Corpus
Fade Out
Kiss of Death
SIGNET
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, May
Copyright © Roxanne Longstreet Conrad, 2010
All rights reserved
REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA
eISBN : 978-1-101-19773-8
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, 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 of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
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.
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http://us.penguingroup.com
To the wonderful people in Des Moines, Carroll, Fort Dodge, Rockwell City, and Clive for making me welcome in the great state of Iowa! To my wonderful friends at Legacy Books (Dallas), the Mystery Bookstore (LA), Murder by the Book (Houston), and Borders Express (Exton, PA) for all your support and enthusiasm. See you soon, I hope!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Far too many awesome people have made it possible for this book to be in your hands today, but I must send extraspecial thanks to my Sunday Night pals (Pat, Jackie, Bill, Heidi, J.T., and Joanne), who make even the worst weeks bearable. Also, Joe Bonamassa, Lucienne Diver, Anne Sowards, Jim Suhler, Felicia Day, Jim Conrad, and M. Conrad—all of whom make my days a little brighter. Bless.
INTRODUCTION
WELCOME TO MORGANVILLE. YOU’LL NEVER WANT TO LEAVE.
So, you’re new to Morganville. Welcome, new resident! There are only a few important rules you need to know to feel comfortable in our quiet little town:
• Obey the speed limits.
• Don’t litter.
• Whatever you do, don’t get on the bad side of the vampires.
Yeah, we said vampires. Deal with it.
As a human newcomer, you’ll need to find yourself a vampire Protector—someone willing to sign a contract to keep you and yours safe from harm (especially from the other vampires). In return, you’ll pay taxes ... just like in any other town. Of course, in most other towns those taxes don’t get collected by the Bloodmobile.
Oh, and if you decide not to get a Protector, you can do that, too ... but you’d better learn how to run fast, stay out of the shadows, and build a network of friends who can help you. Try contacting the residents of the Glass House—Michael, Eve, Shane, and Claire. They know their way around, even if they always end up in the middle of the trouble somehow.
Welcome to Morganville. You’ll never want to leave.
And even if you do ... well, you can’t.
Sorry about that.
1
The way the Glass House worked, on a practical level, was that there was a schedule for the stuff that had to be done—cooking, cleaning, fixing things, laundry. Technically, they were all on every housemate’s list. In practice, though, what happened was this: the boys (Michael and Shane) bribed the girls (Eve and Claire) to do the laundry, and the girls bribed the boys to fix things.
Claire glared at her new iPod—which was actually really nice—and put it on shuffle as she looked at the mess she’d made of her latest laundry effort. And there was the problem: she loved the hot pink iPod, which had been a heck of a good bribe, and she really didn’t deserve it, because the laundry was ... also pink—which would
have been almost fine if it had been a load full of girls’ underwear or something.
But not so much with guy clothes; she could not even imagine what kind of screaming that was going to bring.
“Yeah.” She sighed, staring at the very definitely pink piles of shirts, socks, and underwear. “Not going to be a good afternoon.” It was amazing what one—one—stupid red sock could do. She’d already tried running it all through the washer again, hoping the problem would just go away. No such luck.
The basement of the Glass House was big, dark, and creepy, which wasn’t really such a surprise. Most basements were, and this was Morganville. Morganville went in for dark and creepy the way Las Vegas went in for neon. Apart from the area Claire was in, with a battered washer and dryer, a table that had once been painted some kind of industrial green, and some shelves filled with unidentifiable junk, the rest of the basement was dim and quiet. Hence the iPod, which pumped cheery music through the headphones and made the creepy retreat a little less creepy.
Creepy, she could fight.
Pink underwear ... apparently not.
She had the music cranked up so high that she failed to hear steps coming down the stairs. In fact, she had no clue she wasn’t completely alone until she felt a hand touch her shoulder and hot breath against her neck.
She reacted as any sensible person living in a town full of vampires would. She screamed. The shriek echoed off the brick and concrete, and Claire whirled, clapped her hands over her mouth, and backed away from Eve, who was collapsing in laughter. The Goth look usually didn’t go well with hysterical giggles, unless they were evil giggles, but somehow Eve managed to pull it off.
Claire ripped the headphones out of her ears and gasped. “You—you—”