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Page 1
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
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
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Teaser chapter
Praise for SILVER MASTER
“Expertly blends adventure, fantasy, and romance into an enthralling story that will keep readers riveted until the final satisfying conclusion.”
—MyShelf
“A complete thrill ride.”
—ParaNormal Romance
“Will fulfill all your longings for a romance with a paranormal setting that will pique all your senses.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“Silver Master is my new favorite in the Harmony series, and absolutely a keeper. Fans of the series will enjoy this addition very, very much. It’s earned four and a half of Cupid’s five arrows.”
—BellaOnline
“Fast-paced . . . a fun, lighthearted investigative romantic romp.”
—Midwest Book Review
GHOST HUNTER
“Bewitching . . . Castle’s new futuristic romance brilliantly blends exceptionally entertaining characters, witty prose, and a thrilling paranormal-tinged plot in a sublime novel of romantic suspense.”
—Booklist
“Cooper stole my heart. Elly was properly feisty. Their chemistry sparkles. Highly recommended . . . It’s J.A.K. at the top of her game.”
—The Best Reviews
“Jayne Castle has long been one of my favorite authors. With each story that she writes, her special touch enhances each page. Paranormal fans will rejoice at what she has put together in Ghost Hunter. This book is one that offers a wealth of intrigue, mystery, and all-out sexual chemistry. Those are trademark elements of a great author. Very highly recommended.”
—MyShelf
“We welcome back Jayne Castle (Jayne Ann Krentz) to the genre of paranormal romance in which she is one of the leading writers. If you love paranormal romances, Ghost Hunter is just the ticket for you.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“Sexual fireworks laced with humor equals fizz. Fizz is a trademark of author Jayne Castle aka Jayne Ann Krentz, and Ghost Hunter is volatile. Go for it!”
—Reviewer’s Choice Reviews
“As usual in a Castle/Krentz romance, you get plenty of steam, gripping emotion, and characters who come alive as you’re reading . . . This one’s earned four of Cupid’s five arrows.”
—BellaOnline
Praise for the novels of New York Times bestselling author Jayne Castle . . .
“Castle is well known for her playful love stories, and this futuristic tale of romantic suspense runs delightfully true to form . . . An appealing, effervescent romance mildly spiced with paranormal fun, this novel won’t disappoint.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A fun read, as are all [of] Castle/Krentz’s books.”
—The Southern Pines (NC) Pilot
“Writing under Jayne Castle, Jayne Ann Krentz takes her trademark combination of witty, upbeat action, lively sensuality, and appealing characters to [a] unique, synergistic world.”
—Library Journal
“Jayne Castle, one of the pioneers of the futuristic sub-genre, continues to set the standard against which all other such books are judged.”
—Affaire de Coeur
“As always, the characterizations and plot blend perfectly for a thrilling, funny, and fully satisfying read.”
—Romantic Times (4½ stars)
... and Jayne Ann Krentz
“Good fun.”
—Cosmopolitan
“Entertaining.”
—People
“Fast-moving . . . entertaining . . . highly successful.”
—The Seattle Times
“Fast-paced . . . interesting characters . . . A good time is had by the reader.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Quick and witty and the romance sizzles . . . Reads fast and will make you smile, wince, and sigh. What else could you want?”
—The Columbia (SC) State
“Along with Nora Roberts, Krentz is one of the most reliably satisfying romance writers publishing.”
—Sunday Times (CA)
“An absolutely, positively fun read . . . Krentz’s characters are always people you’d like to meet for yourself and know more about.”
—The Southern Pines (NC) Pilot
“Jayne Ann Krentz is one of the hottest writers around.”
—Albuquerque Journal
“Pure pleasure.”
—San Jose Mercury News
Titles by Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Jayne Castle
DARK LIGHT
SILVER MASTER
GHOST HUNTER
AFTER GLOW
HARMONY
AFTER DARK
AMARYLLIS
ZINNIA
ORCHID
Titles by Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Amanda Quick
THE THIRD CIRCLE
THE RIVER KNOWS
SECOND SIGHT
LIE BY MOONLIGHT
THE PAID COMPANION
WAIT UNTIL MIDNIGHT
LATE FOR THE WEDDING
DON’T LOOK BACK
SLIGHTLY SHADY
WICKED WIDOW
I THEE WED
WITH THIS RING
AFFAIR
MISCHIEF
MYSTIQUE
MISTRESS
DECEPTION
DESIRE
DANGEROUS
RECKLESS
RAVISHED
RENDEZVOUS
SCANDAL
SURRENDER
SEDUCTION
Other titles by Jayne Ann Krentz
SIZZLE AND BURN
WHITE LIES
ALL NIGHT LONG
FALLING AWAKE
TRUTH OR DARE
LIGHT IN SHADOW
SUMMER IN ECLIPSE BAY
TOGETHER IN ECLIPSE BAY
SMOKE IN MIRRORS
LOST & FOUND
DAWN IN ECLIPSE BAY
SOFT FOCUS
ECLIPSE BAY
EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
FLASH
SHARP EDGES
DEEP WATERS
ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY
TRUST ME
GRAND PASSION
HIDDEN TALENTS
WILDEST HEARTS
FAMILY MAN
PERFECT PARTNERS
SWEET FORTUNE
SILVER LININGS
THE GOLDEN CHANCE
Anthologies
CHARMED
(with Julie Beard, Lori Foster, and Eileen Wilks)
Titles written by Jayne Ann Krentz and Jayne Castle
NO GOING BACK
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
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. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
DARK LIGHT
A Jove Book / published by arrangement with the author
PRINTING HISTORY
Jove mass-market edition / September 2008
Copyright © 2008 by Jayne Ann Krentz.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
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375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
eISBN : 978-1-101-20574-7
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This one is for Elvis.
Good to know he made it through the Curtain.
A Note from Jayne
Welcome back to my other world, Harmony.
Two hundred years ago a vast energy Curtain opened in the vicinity of Earth, making interstellar travel practical for the first time. In typical human fashion, thousands of eager colonists packed up their stuff and lost no time heading out to create new homes and new societies on the unexplored worlds. Harmony was one of those worlds.
The colonists brought with them all the comforts of home—sophisticated technology, centuries of art and literature, and the latest fashions. Trade through the Curtain flourished and made it possible to stay in touch with families back on Earth. It also allowed the colonists to keep their computers and high-tech gadgets working. Things went swell for a while.
And then one day, without warning, the Curtain closed, disappearing as mysteriously as it had opened. Cut off from Earth, no longer able to obtain the equipment and supplies needed to keep their high-tech lifestyle going, the colonists were abruptly thrown back to a far more primitive existence. Forget the latest Earth fashions; just staying alive suddenly became a major problem.
But on Harmony folks did one of the things humans do best: they survived. It wasn’t easy, but two hundred years after the closing of the Curtain, the descendants of the First Generation colonists have managed to fight their way back from the brink to a level of civilization roughly equivalent to the early twenty-first century on Earth.
Here on Harmony, however, things are a little different, especially after dark. You’ve got those dangerously sexy ghost hunters, the creepy ruins of a long-vanished alien civilization, and a most unusual kind of pet. In addition, an increasingly wide variety of psychic powers are showing up in the population.
Nevertheless, when it comes to love, some things never change. . . .
If, like me, you sometimes relish your romantic suspense with a paranormal twist, Harmony is the place for you.
Love,
Jayne
Chapter 1
ELVIS HAD NEVER LOOKED BETTER. HE WORE HIS NEW cape, the white one with the high, flared collar and the glittering rhinestone trim. The sunglasses gave him a dashing air of mystery.
With a star’s unerring instinct for the spotlight, he had managed to find the most dramatically lit position in the room, the center of the Guild boss’s vast desk. The light from the nearby lamp struck small sparks off the rhinestones.
“Don’t think I’ve ever seen a dust bunny wearing a cape and sunglasses,” Fontana said.
His full name was John Fontana, but as far as Sierra McIntyre had been able to determine, no one called the new chief of the Crystal City Ghost Hunter’s Guild anything except Fontana.
She looked up from her notes, distracted, and smiled in spite of her tension. If you didn’t notice the six tiny paws that were just barely visible in the fluffy gray fur and the innocent bright-blue daylight eyes, it would have been easy to mistake Elvis for a large ball of dryer lint; in this case, a ball of lint in a cape and sunglasses.
“Elvis has a sense of style,” she said proudly. “He knows what looks good on him.”
Fontana leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. “I can see that. How did you end up with a dust bunny for a pet?”
The black and amber ring on his powerful hand glinted ominously. The amber gem was engraved with the seal of his office. He had ascended to the highest post in the Crystal Guild only a few days earlier, but he appeared to be very much at home here in the executive suite. Then again, he had no doubt been preparing for the position for years. Becoming a Guild boss required the ability to commit to a long-term strategy. Skill at outmaneuvering your opponents and a ruthless streak were minimum job requirements.
Unlike Elvis’s baby blues, Fontana’s eyes were anything but innocent. They were the color of the gem in his ring, dark amber. Sierra was as familiar with Guild politics as it was possible for any outsider to be. She was well aware that no man—and to date all of the Guilds were headed by men—got as far as Fontana had with his innocence intact.
Under the force of his disturbingly thoughtful expression, she found herself shifting in her chair. She uncrossed her legs and then crossed them again. The odd, fizzy excitement that she had been experiencing since she walked into the room had not diminished one bit. The hair on the back of her neck was still stirring. Energy hummed through her, both the physical and the paranormal kind. All of her senses were fully rezzed. What was wrong with this picture?
You expected a Guild boss to be intimidating, but somehow you didn’t expect one to look thoughtful, at least not the way Fontana did thoughtful. The heads of the organizations were traditionally men of power, both physical and psychical, men who had clawed their way to the top using whatever means were required to achieve their objectives. You expected streetwise cunning in a Guild boss, but not the sort of cool-headed intelligence and the aura of centeredness and control that Fontana exhibited. For some reason the knowledge that he was the kind of man who considered carefully before he acted only made him seem more dangerous.
More dangerous and, for some inexplicable reason, more interesting. She was here to do the most important interview of her very short career as a journalist, and sh
e could not concentrate. She just wanted to sit there and stare at Fontana—maybe forever.
Maybe she was coming down with the flu or something. Now that she thought about it, she definitely felt a little feverish.
The day had not started out well in spite of the promise of the exclusive with Fontana. For starters, she’d endured a sleepless night, unable to escape the creepy feeling that someone, somewhere, was watching. She knew it was a totally irrational sensation, but that didn’t make any difference. Her intuition did not respond to logical argument.
Elvis had seemed restless as well, although that was probably because he had picked up on her unease. He was very sensitive to her moods. Countless times she had risen from the rumpled bed and gone to the window. Elvis had followed every time, hopping up onto the sill.
Together they had surveyed the narrow street two floors below, but there had been very little to see. That was hardly surprising, of course. It was early fall, and the fog was thick in the Quarter. The locals referred to the season as the Big Gray for a very good reason. The seemingly endless mist that blanketed the city at this time of year was legendary. On the rare occasions when the fog lightened temporarily, rain moved in to take its place.
The lack of sleep had definitely affected her edge this morning, but the real disaster had occurred en route from her office to Guild headquarters. She had taken a taxi because parking spaces were notoriously hard to find in the Quarter in the vicinity of the Guild offices. The driver had let her out on the side of the street opposite the entrance of the Colonial-era building.