Last Blood hoc-5

by Kristen Painter

  The gun felt like a branding iron in my hand. I dropped it, but my hand still throbbed. A moment later, I changed my mind and picked it up again. Pulling out the clip, I removed one of the bullets. Holding one up for inspection, I wondered what David felt when the casing exploded and a dose of the toxic juice robbed him of his immortality.

  I glanced over at the smoldering pile that was once my friend. Had he suffered? Or did death bring instant relief from the burdens of immortality? Or had I just damned his soul to a worse fate? I shook myself. His work here was done. Mine wasn’t.

  My shirt was caked with smears of soot, dirt, and drying blood—David’s blood mixed with mine. I sucked in a lungful of air, hoping to ease the tightness in my chest.

  The fire had died, leaving a charred, smoking mass of ash and bone. Great, I thought, now I have to dig another grave.

  I used the shovel to pull myself up. A blur of white flew through the clearing. The owl called out again before flying over the trees. I stilled, wondering if I was hearing things. It called again and this time I was sure it screeched, “Sabina.”

  Maybe the smoke and fatigue were playing tricks on me. Maybe it had really said my name. I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t have time to worry about that. I had a body to bury.

  As I dug in, my eyes started to sting. I tried to convince myself it was merely a reaction to the smoke, but a voice in my head whispered “guilt.” With ruthless determination, I shoved my conscience down, compressing it into a tiny knot and shoving it into a dark corner of myself. Maybe later I’d pull it out and examine it. Or maybe not.

  Good assassins dispose of problems without remorse. Even if the problem was a friend.

  PRAISE FOR

  HOUSE OF COMARRÉ

  “Prophecy, curses, and devilish machination combine for a spellbinding debut of dark romance and pulse-pounding adventure.”

  —LIBRARY JOURNAL (Starred Review)

  “Gripping, gritty, and imaginative. If you love dangerous males, kick-ass females, and unexpected twists, this is the series for you! Kristen Painter’s engaging voice, smart writing, and bold, explosive plot blew me away. Prepare to lose some sleep!”

  —LARISSA IONE, New York Times bestselling author

  “Kristen Painter brings a sultry new voice to the vampire genre, one that beckons with quiet passion and intrigue.”

  —L.A. BANKS, New York Times bestselling author

  “Painter scores with this one. Passion and murder, vampires and courtesans—original and un-put-downable. Do yourself a favor and read this one.”

  —PATRICIA BRIGGS, New York Times bestselling author

  “Kristen Painter’s Blood Rights is dark and rich with layer after delicious layer. This spellbinding series will have you begging for more!”

  —GENA SHOWALTER, New York Times bestselling author

  “The romance is tense and fresh… I highly recommend this if you enjoy fantasy and want an original take on vampires.”

  —USA Today’s Happy Ever After on Blood Rights

  “Exciting and interesting!”

  —RT Book Reviews on Bad Blood

  Glossary

  Anathema: a noble vampire who has been cast out of noble society for some reason

  Aurelian: the comarré historian

  Castus Sanguis: the fallen angels from which the othernatural races descended

  Comarré/comar: a human hybrid species especially bred to serve the blood needs of the noble vampire race

  Dominus: the ruling head of a noble vampire family

  Elder: the second in command to a Dominus

  Fae: a race of othernatural beings descended from fallen angels and nature

  Fringe vampires: a race of lesser vampires descended from the cursed Judas Iscariot

  Kine: a vampire term for humans, archaic

  Libertas: the ritual in which a comarré can fight for his or her independence. Ends in death of comarré or patron

  Navitas: the ritual in which a vampire can be resired by another, to change family lines or turn fringe noble

  Noble vampires: a powerful race of vampires descended from fallen angels

  Nothos: hellhounds

  Patronus/patron: a noble vampire who purchases a comarré’s blood rights

  Remnant: a hybrid of different species of fae and/or varcolai

  Sacre: the ceremonial sword of the comarré

  Signum: the inlaid gold tattoos or marks put into comarrés’ skin to purify their blood

  Vampling: a newly turned or young vampire

  Varcolai: a race of shifters descended from fallen angels and animals

  FB2 document info

  Document ID: 115a9927-03a4-48c1-aac1-59b7c97dcddb

  Document version: 1

  Document creation date: 31.10.2013

  Created using: calibre 1.7.0, FictionBook Editor Release 2.6.6 software

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