Harvest Hunting

by Galenorn, Yasmine

  “I love you, my Master,” I whispered to him.

  Hi’ran smiled. “I love you, too, Delilah.”

  I nodded. And then, with a blink, I was back in my body, home, safe for the moment, with my love standing by my side.

  CAST OF MAJOR CHARACTERS

  The D’Artigo Family

  Sephreh ob Tanu: The D’Artigo sisters’ father. Full-Fae.

  Maria D’Artigo: The D’Artigo sisters’ mother. Human.

  Camille Sepharial te Maria, aka Camille D’Artigo: The oldest sister; a Moon Witch. Half-Fae, half-human.

  Delilah Maria te Maria, aka Delilah D’Artigo: The middle sister; a werecat.

  Arial Lianan te Maria: Delilah’s twin who died at birth. Half-Fae, half-human.

  Menolly Rosabelle te Maria, aka Menolly D’Artigo: The youngest sister; a vampire and extraordinary acrobat. Half-Fae, half-human.

  Shamas ob Olanda: The D’Artigo girls’ cousin. Full-Fae.

  The D’Artigo Sisters’ Lovers and Close Friends

  Bruce O’Shea: Iris’s boyfriend. Leprechaun.

  Carter: Leader of the Demonica Vacana Society, a group that watches and records the interactions of Demonkin and humans through the ages. Carter is half-demon and half-Titan; his father was Hyperion, one of the Greek Titans.

  Chase Garden Johnson: Detective, director of the Faerie-Human Crime Scene Investigation Team (FH-CSI). Human.

  Chrysandra: Waitress at the Wayfarer Bar & Grill. Human.

  Erin Mathews: Former president of the Faerie Watchers Club and owner of the Scarlet Harlot Boutique. Turned into a vampire by Menolly, her sire, moments before her death. Human.

  Greta: Leader of the Death Maidens; Delilah’s tutor.

  Iris Kuusi: Friend and companion of the girls. Priestess of Undutar. Talon-haltija (Finnish house sprite).

  Lindsey Katharine Cartridge: Director of the Green Goddess Women’s Shelter. Pagan and witch. Human.

  Luke: Bartender at the Wayfarer Bar & Grill. Werewolf. Lone wolf—Packless.

  Marion: Coyote shifter; owner of the Supe-Urban Café

  Morio Kuroyama: One of Camille’s lovers and husbands. Essentially the grandson of Grandmother Coyote. Youkai-kitsune (roughly translated: Japanese fox demon).

  Nerissa Shale: Menolly’s lover. Works for Department of Social and Health Services and is running for city council. Werepuma and member of the Rainier Puma Pride.

  Rozurial, aka Roz: Mercenary. Menolly’s secondary lover. Incubus who used to be Fae before Zeus and Hera destroyed his marriage.

  Sassy Branson: Socialite. Philanthropist. Vampire (human).

  Shade: New ally. Delilah’s lover. Part-Stradolan, part-black (shadow) dragon.

  Siobhan Morgan: One of the girls’ friends. Selkie (wereseal), member of the Puget Sound Harbor Seal Pod.

  Smoky: One of Camille’s lovers and husbands. Half-white, half-silver dragon.

  Tavah: Guardian of the portal at the Wayfarer Bar & Grill. Vampire (full-Fae).

  Tim Winthrop, aka Cleo Blanco: Computer student/genius, female impersonator. Human.

  Trillian: Mercenary. Camille’s alpha lover and husband. Svartan (one of the Charming Fae).

  Vanzir: Indentured slave to the sisters by his own choice. Dream chaser demon.

  Venus the Moon Child: The shaman of the Rainier Puma Pride. Werepuma. One of the Keraastar Knights.

  Wade Stevens: President of Vampires Anonymous. Vampire (human).

  Zachary Lyonnesse: Junior member of the Rainier Puma Pride Council of Elders. Werepuma.

  GLOSSARY

  Black Unicorn/Black Beast: Father of the Dahns Unicorns, a magical unicorn who is reborn like the phoenix and lives in Darkynwyrd and Thistlewyd Deep. Raven Mother is his consort, and he is more a force of nature than a unicorn.

  Calouk: The rough, common dialect used by a number of Otherworld inhabitants.

  Court and Crown: The Crown refers to the queen of Y’Elestrial. The Court refers to the nobility and military personnel that surround the Queen. Court and Crown together refer to the entire government of Y’Elestrial.

  Court of the Three Queens: The newly risen Court of the three Earthside Fae Queens: Titania, the Fae Queen of Light and Morning; Morgaine, the half-Fae Queen of Dusk; and Aeval, the Fae Queen of Shadow and Night.

  Crypto: One of the Cryptozoid races. Cryptos include creatures out of legend that are not technically of the Fae races: gargoyles, unicorns, gryphons, chimeras, etc. Most primarily inhabit Otherworld, but some have Earthside cousins.

  Demon Gate: A gate through which demons may be summoned by a powerful sorcerer or necromancer.

  Earthside: Everything that exists on the Earth side of the portals.

  Elemental Lords: The elemental beings—both male and female—who, along with the Hags of Fate and the Harvestmen, are the only true Immortals. They are avatars of various elements and energies, and they inhabit all realms. They do as they will and seldom concern themselves with humankind or Fae unless summoned. If asked for help, they often exact steep prices in return. The Elemental Lords are not concerned with balance like the Hags of Fate.

  Elqaneve: The Elfin lands in Otherworld.

  FBH: Full-blooded human (usually refers to Earthside humans).

  FH-CSI: The Faerie-Human Crime Scene Investigations team. The brainchild of Detective Chase Johnson, it was first formed as a collaboration between the Otherworld Intelligence Agency and the Seattle Police Department. Other FH-CSI units have been created around the country, based on the Seattle prototype. The FH-CSI takes care of both medical and criminal emergencies involving visitors from Otherworld.

  Great Divide: A time of immense turmoil when the Elemental Lords and some of the High Court of Fae decided to rip apart the worlds. Until then, the Fae existed primarily on Earth, their lives and worlds mingling with those of humans. The Great Divide tore everything asunder, splitting off another dimension, which became Otherworld. At that time, the Twin Courts of Fae were disbanded and their Queens stripped of power. This was the time during which the spirit seal was formed and broken in order to seal off the realms from each other. Some Fae chose to stay Earthside, others moved to the realm of Otherworld, and the demons were—for the most part—sealed in the Subterranean Realms.

  Guard Des’Estar: The military of Y’Elestrial.

  Hags of Fate: The women of destiny who keep the balance righted. Neither good nor evil, they observe the flow of destiny. When events get too far out of balance, they step in and take action, usually using humans, Fae, Supes, and other creatures as pawns to bring the path of destiny back into line.

  Harvestmen: The lords of death; a few cross over and are also Elemental Lords. The Harvestmen, along with their followers (the Valkyries and the Death Maidens, for example) reap the souls of the dead.

  Haseofon: The abode of the Death Maidens, where they stay and where they train.

  Ionyc Lands: The astral, etheric, and spirit realms, along with several other lesser-known non-corporeal dimensions, form the Ionyc Lands. These realms are separated by the Ionyc Sea, a current of energy that prevents the Ionyc Lands from colliding, thereby sparking off an explosion of universal proportions.

  Ionyc Sea: The currents of energy that separate the Ionyc Lands. Certain creatures, especially those connected with the elemental energies of ice, snow, and wind, can travel through the Ionyc Sea without protection.

  Koyanni: The coyote shifters who took an evil path away from the Great Coyote; followers of Nukpana.

  Melosealfôr: A rare Crypto dialect learned by powerful Cryptos and all Moon Witches.

  The Nectar of Life: An elixir that can extend the life span of humans to nearly the length of a Fae’s years. Highly prized and cautiously used. Can drive someone insane if they don’t have the emotional capacity to handle the changes incurred.

  OIA: The Otherworld Intelligence Agency; the “brains” behind the Guard Des’Estar

  Otherworld/OW: The human term for the UN of “Faerie Land.” A dimension apart from ours t
hat contains creatures from legend and lore, pathways to the gods, and various other places like Olympus. Otherworld’s actual name varies among the differing dialects of the many races of Cryptos and Fae.

  Portals: The interdimensional gates that connect the different realms. Some were created during the Great Divide; others open up randomly.

  Seelie Court: The Earthside Fae Court of Light and Summer, disbanded during the Great Divide. Titania was the Seelie Queen.

  Soul Statues: In Otherworld, small figurines are created for the Fae of certain races and magically linked with the baby. These figurines reside in family shrines, and when one of the Fae dies, their soul statue shatters. In Menolly’s case, when she was reborn as a vampire, her soul statue re-formed, although twisted. If a family member disappears, their family can always tell if their loved one is alive or dead if they have access to the soul statue.

  Spirit Seals: A magical crystal artifact, the spirit seal was created during the Great Divide. When the portals were sealed, the spirit seal was broken into nine gems, and each piece was given to an Elemental Lord or Lady. These gems each have varying powers. Even possessing one of the spirit seals can allow the wielder to weaken the portals that divide Otherworld, Earthside, and the Subterranean Realms. If the all of the seals are joined together again, then all of the portals will open.

  Stradolan: A being who can walk between worlds, who can walk through the shadows, using them as a method of transportation.

  Supe: Short for Supernatural. Refers to Earthside supernatural beings who are not of Fae nature. Refers to Weres, especially.

  Triple Threat: Camille’s nickname for the newly risen three Earthside Queens of Fae.

  Unseelie Court: The Earthside Fae Court of Shadow and Winter, disbanded during the Great Divide. Aeval was the Unseelie Queen.

  VA/Vampires Anonymous: The Earthside group started by Wade Stevens, a vampire who was a psychiatrist during life. The group is focused on helping newly born vampires adjust to their new state of existence, and to encourage vampires to avoid harming the innocent as much as possible. The VA is vying for control. Their goal is to rule the vampires of the United States and to set up an internal policing agency.

  Whispering Mirror: A magical communications device that links Otherworld and Earth. Think magical videophone.

  Y’Eírialiastar: The Sidhe/Fae name for Otherworld.

  Y’Elestrial: The city-state in Otherworld where the D’Artigo girls were born and raised. A Fae city, recently embroiled in a civil war between the drug-crazed tyrannical Queen Lethesanar and her more level-headed sister Tanaquar, who managed to claim the throne for herself. The civil war has ended, and Tanaquar is restoring order to the land.

  Youkai: Loosely (very loosely) translated: Japanese demon/ nature spirit. For the purposes of this series, the youkai have three shapes: the animal, the human form, and then the true demon form. Unlike the demons of the Subterranean Realms, youkai are not necessarily evil by nature.

  PLAYLIST FOR HARVEST HUNTING

  I listen to a lot of music when I write, and when I talk about it online, my readers always want to know what I’m listening to for each book. So, in addition to adding the playlists to my website, I thought I’d add them in the back of each book so you can create your own if you want to hear my “soundtrack” for the books.—Yasmine Galenorn

  Air:

  “Napalm Love”

  “Playground Love”

  Beck:

  “Farewell Ride”

  “Nausea”

  The Bravery:

  “Believe”

  Cat Power:

  “I Don’t Blame You”

  “Werewolf”

  Cher:

  “The Beat Goes On”

  Chester Bennington:

  “System”

  Cobra Verde:

  “Don’t Play With Fire”

  David Bowie:

  “Golden Years”

  Deftones:

  “Change (In the House of Flies)”

  Evans Blue:

  “Cold”

  Everlast:

  “What It’s Like”

  “Mercy on My Soul”

  Fleetwood Mac:

  “The Chain”

  Gabrielle Roth:

  “Black Mesa”

  “Zone Unknown”

  Gary Numan:

  “Innocence Bleeding”

  “Dominion Day”

  “Down in the Park”

  “Dream Killer”

  “Hybrid”

  “My Shadow in Vain”

  “Prophecy”

  “She’s Got Claws”

  “Stormtrooper in Drag”

  “The Angel Wars”

  “Tread Careful”

  Gorillaz:

  “Rock It”

  “Spitting Out the Demons”

  “Hongkongaton”

  “Kids with Guns”

  “Last Living Souls”

  Heather Alexander:

  “Fallen Angel”

  “March of Cambreadth”

  “Wolfen One”

  Jace Everett:

  “Bad Things”

  Jay Gordon:

  “Slept So Long”

  Jethro Tull:

  “Mountain Men”

  “No Lullaby”

  “Rocks on the Road”

  King Black Acid:

  “One and Only”

  “Soul Systems Burn”

  Ladytron:

  “Ghosts”

  “Burning Up”

  Lee Dorsey:

  “Give It Up”

  Little Big Town:

  “Bones”

  Low:

  “Half Light”

  Nirvana:

  “Lake of Fire”

  “Plateau”

  Oingo Boingo:

  “Nothing to Fear”

  “Home Again”

  “Elevator Man”

  “Dead Man’s Party”

  Ringo Starr:

  “It Don’t Come Easy”

  Sarah McLachlan:

  “Possession”

  Simple Minds:

  “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”

  Tangerine Dream:

  “Beaver Town”

  “Dr. Destructo”

  “Grind”

  “Hyde Park”

  Tina Turner:

  “I Can’t Stand the Rain”

  Tori Amos:

  “Blood Roses”

  “Muhammad My Friend”

  Warchild:

  “Ash”

  Zero 7:

  “In the Waiting Line”

  And now, a special excerpt from the next book in the Otherworld series by Yasmine Galenorn

  BLOOD WYNE

  Coming soon from Berkley!

  “I can’t believe I need another new bartender.” I leaned back in my chair and propped my feet on the desk. Luke had left the bar for a good reason, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. And his replacement—Shawn, a vampire—couldn’t rise to the challenge. I’d fired him after two weeks of inept bartending and questionable customer service. When I caught him trying to put the fang on a couple of my regulars, I lost it and kicked him out. Nobody messes with my regulars, especially in my bar.

  But that left a void. The Wayfarer was busy like every other place during the holiday season, and we needed every hand on board. I’d put up a fake tree in the corner, handed out bonuses already, but the main focus of Winter Solstice—and Christmas for my clients who celebrated it—was still ahead of us, and the parties were getting more frantic and raucous every night as people crowded in, exhausted from shopping and coping with holiday chaos.

  Nerissa shrugged. “What can I say, doll? I’m sorry, but that’s the way things go.” Standing behind me, she leaned down and slowly trailed a line of kisses down my cheek to my neck. “I’d work for you if I didn’t have the day job.”

  “You’d be such an awesome bartender, and you wouldn’t accuse me of sexual harassment
if I yanked you back here in my office.” I sighed. “I know, I know—this is part of owning a bar, but it fucking sucks.”

  I tipped my head back and caught her full on the mouth, savoring my golden goddess’s lips as she set off a ricochet of desire that shockwaved through my body. All I could think about was how much I wanted her. Here. Now. As I reached for her breast, my fingers sliding over the rounded curves of her body, a knock on the door interrupted us.