by Rue Volley
From the back cover:
Sixteen-year-old Echo Navarri, daughter of world-famous archaeologists, Alice and Peter Navarri, had spent her life traveling from one expedition to the next as her parent’s unearthed lost civilizations.
On their thirteenth dig, Midnight, Echo’s twin sister, disappears without a trace. This prompts a year-long search that leaves the family nearly broken.
In an attempt to find closure they reluctantly host a mock funeral for Midnight without ever discovering her remains.
Nearing the one year anniversary of Midnight’s assumed death, Echo is sent to live with her eccentric Aunt Luna who is the caretaker of the centuries old Navarri Estate in Port Royal, Maine. In the meantime, Peter and Alice insist on returning to the place of Midnight’s disappearance and the mystery that surrounds an ancient people only referred to as the veil.
Echo attempts to settle into her new life in Port Royal, but soon finds that she’s destined for adventure as the mystery of her family’s history, the sunless town, and it’s oddly intriguing people teeter on the supernatural.
CONTENTS
About the Author
Also by Rue Volley
Songs to Set the Mood
Character Glossary
Copyright Mentions
Prologue
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
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24
25
26
27
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31
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About the Author
Rue Volley was born in Lima, Ohio in 1970 to a father of Irish descent and a mother of Blackfoot Indian heritage. She grew up in various places around Ohio, eventually leaving for New York City, but returned to the Midwest in 1998.
In 2008 she penned her first novel, Blood & Light, and from that, her writing career began.
Over the course of the next eight years, she would become a prolific writer, publishing over forty-six titles in multiple genres.
She is also accredited with two award-winning screenplays for film, Hellhound (original script, 2014) and Awakening (contributing screenwriter, 2015).
IMDb
Rue is represented by Gladys Gonzales Atwell, Publicist, and Sarah Davis Brandon, Publisher.
Connect with Rue:
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Also by Rue Volley
The Devil’s Gate Trilogy
The Devil’s Gate (Book #1)
The Devil’s Fire (Book #2)
The Devil’s Kiss (Book #3)
Hellhound Origins: Tale of the Red Dragon
Hellhound Origins: Tale of Two Brothers
Hellhound (Episode One: Dead is Dead)
A Witch’s Tale
A Vampires Tale:
Blood and Light
Smoke and Mirrors
Oil and Water
Clarity and Reason
Grace and Beauty
Hope and Faith
Will and Wonder
Birth of a Vampire
Surrender
Stardust
Finding Mia
Finding Chloe
Room 13
Vampire Fetish Series
One Bite
Two Bites
Three Bites Four
Razor Saga
Razor
Torn
Malice
Double Gun Dealer Series
AVA
SALEM
LIN
LONDON
SAIGON
IZZY
The Golden Crown Series
The Bitter End
The Twin Dragons
The Golden Crown
Hunter’s Blood Series
Hunter’s Blood
Snakes and Sinners
Catch and Release
Beautiful Breakdown
Darkness to Light
Paper Dolls
Valentine Vixen
Maddie Maze (Books 1-3)
Switch
Wolves & Witches
Budget Crafts
This Book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, duplicated, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
©Text Copyright 2017 Rue Volley
Cover by Rue Volley
Formatting by Dreams2media
All rights reserved
This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious and are products of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual events, or locales or persons, living or dead are entirely coincidental.
Published by Vamptasy Publishing
Songs to Set the Mood
Playlist
Stevie Nicks- Edge of Seventeen
Of Monsters and Men- Wolves without Teeth
K. Flay- Blood in the Cut
Phantogram- Cruel World
Vaults- Cry no more
Muse- Dead Inside
Chet Faker- Gold
Death Cab for Cutie- I will follow you into the dark
Broods – Freak of Nature
Massive Attack – Ritual Spirit
Daughter – Youth
Mumford and Sons – Tomkins Square Park
The Boxer Rebellion – Promises
Haelos – Pale
Aurora – Runaway
Paramore – The Only Exception
Broods – We had Everything
Character Glossary
The Navarri Family: NAH-VAR-EE
Echo Navarri
Midnight Navarri
Peter Navarri
Alice Navarri
Luna Navarri
The Vega Family: VEY-GAH
Eyota Vega (E-OH-TAH)
Hawthorn Vega
Persephone Vega (PURR-SEF-UH-NEE)
The Fitzpatrick Family:
Polly Fitzpatrick
Thomas Fitzpatrick
Mattie Fitzpatrick
Daniel Fitzpatrick
Supporting Roles:
James Jenny
Carrie Jenny
Brianna Corintine
Tailor Ravenswood
Translation:
Frumoasă Lebădă (Romanian for Beautiful Swan)
Copyright Mentions
Gilmore Girls © by Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino for Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions and
Hofflund/Polone in association with Warner Bros. Television.
Supernatural © Eric Kripke and THE WB.
Ancient Aliens © History Channel.
MUKLUKS © Manitobah.
Alien © 20th Century Fox. Creators: Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shusett.
Bela Lugosi © Steven S. Weisman, Executor of the Estate.
Dracula © Bram Stoker.
Audrey Hepburn © George Muller, Executor of the Estate.
Rolling Stones © Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Charlie Watts.
Van Helsing © Bram Stoker
Spider-Man © Marvel Comics/Stan Lee.
Cadillac Coupe DeVille © Cadillac Motor Car Division.
Aston Martin © Lagonda Ltd
Indiana Jones © Paramount Pictures
This book is dedicated to the dreamers. I’m not the only one.
The author would like to thank her family, friends, and fans for joining her on this crazy journey.
Lastly, she would like to thank her husband, and greatest inspiration, Von Erik.
You are my vampire. Xoxo ~Rue.
You’ll never miss the sunlight until it’s gone.
~Echo Midnight Navarri
Prologue
I closed the magazine and admired the cover. There they were, standing side by side, my parents, Peter and Alice Navarri, world-famous archaeologists. The headline was about as accurate as it could be.
“Digging up the past to predict the future.”
I lowered the glossy image and spotted the two of them standing next to each other on top of the small white steps jetting out from the side of the plane.
My dad’s thick curly black hair framed his pale face and bright blue eyes while my mom’s long dirty blonde hair lay in a thick braid that cascaded over her shoulder and rested just above her narrow waistline. Her eyes were emerald green with specks of amber tossed in here and there, almond shaped and devoid of emotion. She’s impossible to read, so I don’t even try. My dad, on the other hand, is an open book. I guess I fall somewhere in between.
Ten plus hours of skirting along the lower stratosphere had not upset them in the least.
Me? I was a hot mess.
My hair was disheveled, and my clothing wrinkled. I suffer from terrible jet lag, and this had been the longest flight we had been on in months.
I had exited the plane in search of solid ground and taken a tumble down the steps only to catch myself with one white-knuckled hand and a yelp. Luckily our transport had not yet arrived, so the only witness to my graceful exit was the vast jungle that stretched out before us.
“Alice, look! Beautiful Brazil.” My dad spoke with his usual excitement while my mom eagerly leaned into his side. I lifted my hand and shielded my eyes from the blistering sun, noticing the small scrape on the side of it that I must have collected from my most recent fall. I shook it off. The collection of scrapes and bruises were nothing new for me; I excel at it. At least I excel at something.
I’m tired and cranky. Time to spread the misery.
I cocked my head and called out to my parents, yelling above the plane’s engine as it was winding down. “Hey, I hope the hotel has Netflix, I’m in the middle of binge-watching Gilmore Girls, and this whole thing with Dean and Rory has me all upset. Not that I don’t think about how ironic it is that he’s now known as Sam, and has a brother named Dean on Supernatural. Don’t you find that odd?” I asked, trying to conceal a grin. Truth be told I was catching up on Ancient Aliens but that would please them and I wasn’t about to do that. This was far more enjoyable.
My dad laughed, and my mom rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Echo. Television is trite.” She spoke with her trademark dismissive tone and pursed lips. Annoying her may be the only pleasure I’ll get here, so I’m cashing in.
My dad winked at me. “I thought you were more of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer girl.”
My mom nudged him from the side. “Stop encouraging her, Peter.” He winked at me, and I hid my amusement. I nodded at the two of them while I lowered my hand. My eyes narrowed to thin slits. “It’s very cerebral, the show, I mean.”
“It’s fictional.” My mom spoke without much emotion while she passed me by. I let out a defeated sigh. She hated anything she couldn’t prove, so there was no talking to her about things that I liked. Whether it was shows or the many paranormal books that I had devoured over the past few years as we migrated from dig site to dig site unearthing any treasures we could as commissioned by private contractors.
I don’t disagree with her analogy. I just enjoy reading about things that couldn’t possibly be true. That’s why they call it entertainment. I like being entertained. She enjoys explaining everything until it no longer holds any mystery.
That’s why we don’t talk. I’m more like my dad.
Their fame had allowed them to become more selective in the jobs they accepted and I assumed that eventually they would settle down and take up residency on some prestigious college campus. I looked forward to that day, or at least I thought I did.
Our own house, my own room, stability, a set schedule? What a strange concept.
It would be a cultural shock to both my sister and me.
We had been on the move since birth, my sister and I, along with my parents. We were born in Port Royal, Maine. Our parents grew up there, but they didn’t stick around after we were born. They packed us up, and the rest is history. We grew up shuffling from one dig site to the next as our parents pursued their passion and secured their legacy…not in me, in my twin sister, Midnight.
She’s the adventurous one. She’s exactly as they are. She has that fire inside of her.
Me? I’m not sure what I want to do with my life which makes me abnormal in my parent’s eyes. Well, that, and about a million other things that scream ‘YOU ARE ADOPTED,’ which I would believe if Midnight and I didn’t look exactly the same.
Two pale arms wrapped around me from behind and my sister leaned into my ear. “You should come this time and help me explore.”
I shook my head as she squeezed me. “No thank you,” I muttered. She let go and stepped around in front of me. The only difference between the two of us was the fact that she had her hair pulled back in a thick ponytail while mine sat on the top of my head in a balled up mess. Well, that and our clothing. I was wearing a black and white striped t-shirt with dark skinny jeans, and she was decked out in Indiana Jones attire complete with khaki pants, boots, and a white shirt that clung to her small frame and accentuated her toned physique.
“Well, there it is.” My dad said as we all turned and peered into the jungle. It seemed to go on for miles and miles. My stomach growled, and I placed my hand over it.
“Can you see the hotel? I’m starving.” I asked, scanning the countryside.
Midnight giggled while placing her arm around me. She moved us forward.
“Pizza.” She crooned in a whispered reply.
I perked up. “Pizza?” She let go and rushed out in front of me, spinning on her industrial boots and walking backward. Her playful nature was shining through. “With toasted grasshopper and centipede.” She winked and bit on the edge of her bottom lip.
My nose wrinkled in disgust. “Yuck.”
“Do they have that here?” my dad asked in passing.
I leaned toward her and spoke in a hushed whisper. “I will freak out if they try to get some funky glazed insects for dinner. I’m serious.” Midnight smiled tightly.
A large white jeep pulled up in a hurry. The bulky tires screeched to a halt causing the vehicle to rock from side to side. Our guide hopped out and landed firmly on the ground. I looked him over. He was tall, dark, and handsome. His white shirt lay open at the top with a couple of extra buttons undone for good measure. The wind caught the material and showed off his thick roped necklace and tanned skin. Totally Midnight’s typ
e. His shaggy black hair swung into his bright green eyes, and he had to reach up and move it out of the way. His muscular arms captured glints of sunlight. Midnight noticed, and that was it. I was history.
“Oh, hello.” She spoke in a flirtatious tone.
He grinned at her and ignored me. The story of our lives.
Our hunky guide helped Midnight up and into her seat as I struggled with the grace of a drunken monkey. My dad caught my arm right as my foot slipped off the edge of the long bar that ran the length of the oversized jeep.
“Thanks, Dad,” I whispered, and he gave me a nod. I fell back into the seat when the man slammed his foot on the accelerator and took off like we were on a movie set and being pursued by the police. I glanced up to see Midnight hanging onto the overhead bar. She reached up and undid her ponytail, allowing her long black hair to whip around in the breeze. It was supermodel photo shoot worthy.
How? How could someone who looked exactly like me be so different in every way?
Ridiculous.
We made our way to the hotel, checked in and got settled the best we could. I unpacked, my sister didn’t. She stood at the doorway of our room giggling while the boy flirted with her. Finally, I had had enough.
“We have to get up really early, and I’m starving.” This was partially true. Midnight had to get up early with my parents. I would be up, but my destination wasn’t the same as theirs. I would stay behind, as usual.
He paused as she glanced back at me with those eyes. I don’t know how she managed to make hers look more attractive than mine. It had to be her attitude.
“There’s more to life than food, Echo.” She spoke in a sultry voice, staying in character for him.
I grumbled. “Not for me.”
She gazed up at him while toying with her ponytail. The thick strand of hair twisted between her fingers. “You wouldn’t happen to know where we could get a killer pizza, would you?”
I perked up. He gave me a quick once-over and then returned his attention to her. “Sure, yeah. What do you want on it?”
“Every bug you can muster up.” She replied while trying to control her laughter.
I walked to the door and crossed my arms over my chest. “No—no bugs. Not a single one.”
She held up her hand in surrender. “Okay, fine. Pepperoni, cheese and extra sauce.” She thumbed at me. “My sister doesn’t like an adventure.”