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Prologue

Then…

ARION

E at a joke they surely won’t share I pull my chain, that bearsin front ofin this tavern and si for a weak, intoxicated soul to attach themselves to

When I take a seat, Vancetto slaps irl near us Enize, as he claps the busty bar wench on her derriere

“What have you found us, reverend? Must be i into this place just to seek us out,” Da his words

“A perfect plot of land,” I say with a growing smile

“Really?” E to me

“It’s outside of Ro, a s river that circles the majority of it There’s plenty of room for all six families We can start our own community, and we can defend ourselves”

“Unless they send an ar their oould draw quick attention,” Vancetto states dis over at the flattered Italian woirlfriend

“We can have a ho, stop finding each other in places like these, and settle down With the way ypsy roots we have—”

“I’ll stop you there,” Vancetto says, sood at hiding e are, which is e stay on the move”

I putit, but Emit shuts it before I can read “Don’t preach to us, reverend Just tell us what you think”

He gives me a pointed look

“I think Victoria and I could marry and have children, a home, and a life if we start our own community I think all of you couldwith bar wenches and Italian women ork for the brothel just above this…filthy, unholy establish warily at a corner where I think two people are involved in relations outside of wedlock…and certainly outside of the privacy of the bedroom

My eyes quickly move away, and I hold my cross like it’ll protect et out of this place A treht breaks out on the other side, and a woman’s dress is ripped, as another et out of the way

E this, before reaching over and petting the wolf pup that has calmly sat at his feet this entire time Even as pups, his animals are better trained than the wealth of common slobs that frequent these poorly establishments

“My wolves could have their own land to roam, and I wouldn’t have to worry so much about hunters This little fella is the next pack alpha He’s Fang’s son,” he tellsintroductions

I’m not sure why he treats wolves like ic

As if cued, I sneeze twice, and E out my handkerchief to sneeze into

“A et, Arion,” Vancetto says on a laughing breath “It makes you look wealthy”

“It was a gift from Victoria,” I tell hi around in search of seedy eyes “I need out of this hellish place Findplace if you want to take this seriously Because I’ypsy town I hope I have the support of my best friends,” I state quickly as I stand and move toward the door

Spew lands in front ofwhen so to a mirror polish

Without waiting for an encore performance, I step over the spew and hurriedly exit As I reach the outside, I see stars just before I feel an explosion of pain on the right side of my face

My head jerks hard to the left and round, dizzied and disoriented The taste of copper invadesfro of the hit keeps me downed

Muffled laughter finds le stream of blood continues to drip from my mouth

“Thank you, preach Now I can buy some ale,” someone with vile, contemptible breath states near my face

The laughter ends abruptly, and suddenly one of thosein a crumbled heap next to me, completely unconscious

I’ soets pushed tohis head

“I’ll have to hunt you down if anyone else touches hi always finds what he hunts eventually,” he adds with a tone that chills even my bones

I practically scramble away A man of cloth is a man with little pride

I still detest it when they pick these horridplaces, but all that will yield if they jointhis utopia I wish to build

We can just live and die in peace, until it’s our tiside our brethren who’ve gone on before us

Death won’t be soer, because it’ll be a welcome peace once we’ve lived full, blessed, peaceful lives

A man without a dream is a man with no soul

Chapter 1

DAMIEN

Violet drops so unexpectedly that I barely have ti heavily, I lift her and glare over my shoulder at Arion’s house

He’s been unconscious for too fucking long, and he’s acting out, just as we kneould Yet now a very unique Portocale is in the mix, and he’s clearly off his rocker as much as ever

“Were you taken or did you come of your own volition?” I ask as I listen to the faintest sounds of Vance shouting at Arion inside the fortified home

So shatters, and a loud crash accompanies a curse

“Taken,” she says a little weakly as I continue listening in, hoping to hear Arion yelp in pain one good time “Clearly,” she adds in an almost curt tone

I hear the clanging of swords and feel confident Vance has it under control

“Then why the hell would you kiss him before departure?” I bite out as I carry her to the van and put her in the passenger seat

She limply bats my hands away as she buckles herself in and answers, “Because it’s the gypsy thing to do You never knowingly disrespect a gypsy in their home”

I want to throttle her right now for reciting old traditions that aren’t exactly rules to live by Instead, I shut the door, listen to the swords still clanging, and debate calling Emit, since Violet certainly doesn’t need to be left alone I sure as hell shouldn’t be left alone with her in my current state

My heart is pounding I’ood ol’ chap who kno to exercise control when his

I really hope she isn’t putting off a lot of pheromones the way she normally does around me

If I call Eet a temporary reprieve from the hell Arion is sure to leave in his furious wake

“I really hope you make hi!” I shout on frustrated breath as I make the decision to leave

As I jerk the van door open and get seated, Violet just stares blankly at the house

“You don’t have to follow any sort of gypsy code when the other gypsy is a psychotic vampire and has no pride and…kidnapped you,” I point out a little angrily, as I quickly drive us out of the long driveway and back onto the road

“I’ypsy,” she answers quietly “Prideless gypsies have no code Side note: You didn’t even blink at the amount of lifeless bodies”

I have a e to put h a wall

“You’re infuriating and a hazard to yourself You attract too much attention”

“At least now I knohy,” she says quietly, eyes still distant and vacant as she stares outside

“I highly doubt that’s true,” I scoff, watching the rearview for any vampire followers

“Now that I know you’re all a bunch of old-blood gypsies, it makes perfect sense The prideless are always drawn to those with their gypsy pride still intact, and try to make them fall as well At least that’s how the tale is told”

I run a frustrated hand through my hair “You certainly sound like a Portocale now,” I state a little bitterly

“Good Maybe I’ll survive all of you long enough for the fanatical lunatics of that cult to get their hands on ood end of the deal, since I don’t have to cut ghosts down to salt in order to survive”

“Your life sucks so hard sometimes,” Anna says from the backseat with her very abrupt entry “Fill me in on what I’ve missed”

Violet sighs as though she’s relieved to hear the annoying ghost, so I put the salt ball back init over my shoulder

“Gypsy vaypsy thron in the House of Arion—the big bad vampire who rose froue and she curses

“By who?” I grind out

“By Shera,” she states and looks out, frowning

“Shera tricked you? How did she even knohere he was buried or—”

“Shera tricked me, and that’s all I seeoes on as she sits up a little straighter, her brow furrowed

“It wasn’t Shera It was Grandma’s handmaiden!” Anna shouts

“That’s not it either I can’t really re lost and confused

The steering wheel tries to crurip “Arion has a ords,” I state vaguely That’s why the son of a bitch leaned down to her ear

I thought he was just sniffing her hair the way I sometimes do Discreetly, of course She already thinks I’ term

But she really does ses, and I never would have placed the forgotten scent if not for E it out

They haven’t s

“What do youShera tricked ue