Darkness Raging Excerpt

All this month I, Jenn, will be bringing you excerpts from Darkness Raging which will be released on February 2, 2016. For a personalized, signed copy preorder by Feb 2, 2016, from Seattle Mystery Bookshop! http://www.seattlemystery.com

Now on to your first excerpt.

Security was found in the basement— it made for the best protection— and so I headed for the stairs, passing several other vamps hurrying around. A familiar voice stopped me.

“Menolly? Hey, it’s been a while.” Wade was standing there, a sheaf of papers in his hands. He had a Bluetooth headset in one ear, and he was dressed in tight- fitting leather jeans and a simple button- down shirt. His tousled curly hair was its usual jumble, and he had long lost the glasses that he had relied on as a crutch even after he was turned.

Wade and I had dated briefly, before I met his mother—Belinda Stevens— who was also a vampire. Whoever had turned Wade had a nasty sense of humor. It took a real sadist to turn your overprotective, annoying, intrusive mother into a vampire after they turned you into one. As long as Belinda walked this earth, she would be breathing down his neck, chasing off his girlfriends, and embarrassing him at social gatherings. It was a wonder that he hadn’t staked her himself.

“Long time no see.” I paused, feeling a fleeting sadness drift by. We had been good friends, then dated, then had been enemies, and now . . . it felt like we were back to acquaintances with a lot of water under the bridge. “How are you doing?”

“Not bad. I do have exciting news. I don’t know if Roman told you, but my idea for Vampires Anonymous? Apparently the Queen loved the concept and she has put me in charge of a nationwide program. I’m setting up new groups all up and down the coast.”

He beamed, a sparkle of excitement in his eyes. Wade had been a psychologist when he was alive, and after he had been turned, force of habit led him to attempt to ease the way for vampires new to the undead life. He had set up a support group to keep newly minted vamps from running off and turning everybody in sight. Once Roman instituted the Seattle Vampire Nexus, Vampires Anonymous was sucked in under the umbrella organization.

I smiled for real, for the first time that night. “Good news is welcome right now. I’m so happy for you. I think it’s a wonderful idea. How are you otherwise?”

He shrugged. “Dating a woman I met a few months ago. Life is good, overall. And you?” Wade didn’t know everything about what was going on, but he knew enough. “We’re in a rough spot, in terms of fighting the bad guys. But my sisters and I are well, and so are our loved ones. I guess that’s all that counts.”

Wade’s face clouded. “I heard about your father. I’m sorry.”

“Yes, well . . . war doesn’t play favorites and life isn’t fair. That’s why we’re fighting. I have to go, but we need to catch up soon. I’ll give you a call.” And with that, I waved and moved on. The fact that he was dating made me happy, but I wondered if his girlfriend had met his mother yet.