The Prince's Angel
a vampire novel by Mychael Black & Shayne Carmichael
Torquere Press
In present day London, vampires live side-by-side with mortals living
under two sets of laws. The Romanorum make the vampire rules, helping
the Princes who rule the cities. Not all vampires are thrilled with the
system. A rash of rogue vampires--vampires who have killed mortals--has
descended upon London, and it is up to London’s vampire prince, Mael
Black, to bring them under control.
When he learns who is truly behind the rogues, however, Mael’s task
becomes more complicated than he would like. His only choice is to turn
to a sorcerer of questionable reputation--Cian Carmichael. But Cian is
more than he seems to be, and despite the dangers inherent in becoming
involved with him, Mael finds he is unable to resist.
Cian
is an angel, sent to bring the rogue vampires under control. Acquiring
a reputation as a vampire hunter, Cian becomes notorious in the city
Mael rules. The last thing he expects is to fall in love with the
prince of the London vampires himself. Can these two deal with their
growing attachment, and save London from the threat it faces?
: :
Excerpt:
London, 2005
The sun fell behind the snow-capped mountains, setting the countryside
ablaze and turning the grass dark gold. A brisk autumn breeze blew
across the moor and whistled through the thin arrowloop windows of the
tower. Inside the circular stone fortress, a figure stood quietly,
watching the remnants of the sunlight fade away. Only when the land
beyond had dropped into darkness did he turn back to the quiet
emptiness of his home. It was a solitude he held onto desperately, as
his services were in high demand.
Herbs hung from rafters, drying in the warmth provided by the fire in
the hearth. He fingered a sprig of rosemary as he walked under it on
the way to his bed. He knew he should be working, but of late, his mind
had been filled with premonitions that were unsettling at best. He
stretched out on his bed and closed his eyes. Golden hair blanketed the
rich blue silk of his pillows, creating a shimmering spider's web.
There had been a time when his days had not been so worrisome, when he
had walked among others and wasn't recognized for what he was. Now he
was feared, which suited him well when he wished to simply observe. A
reputation was something he knew he could not avoid, and indeed, the
one he had was proving to be rather interesting. He opened his eyes and
stared up at the blue canopy over him. In the span of a single breath
an image formed, of himself and another man entwined in each other's
arms. The man's dark hair blanketed them as they kissed. Cian shook his
head and the image disappeared.
He sighed and got out of bed. He had a job to do. It was why he was
here to begin with. No amount of daydreams could change that, no matter
how pleasant they seemed. He pulled his cloak from its hook on the wall
and drew it around his shoulders. Then he circled his hand in the air
before him and stepped through a portal of swirling, gray smoke.
When he stepped back out, he found himself in an alleyway. He looked
around, taking care that no one saw him emerge. Most people in the
ordinary world wouldn't react well to seeing a man appear out of thin
air. When he was sure he was alone, he started for the nearest bar. The
bar was packed full of young people dancing and drinking, in varying
states of undress. Cian paid them little mind as he made his way to the
one empty table in the room. As soon as he sat down, a young woman came
up to him.
"What can I getcha to drink?" she asked as she put a small square napkin down on the table in front of him.
He thought for a moment and smiled. It wasn't often that he indulged
himself, but he had the feeling he would need it tonight. "Absolut," he
told her. She nodded and turned away, moving back through the crowd
toward the bar.
Cian watched her go and then scanned the throng of bodies filling the
dance floor. He didn't know what the man looked like, but when his gaze
settled on a figure watching him from the opposite corner, he knew he
had found him. Their gazes locked for only the briefest moment before
the waitress returned with Cian's drink. Cian handed her the money and
she flashed him a smile before walking away. When he looked back to the
corner, the man was gone. Cian took a drink and closed his eyes as the
vodka burned his throat. He knew his man wasn't far; he could still
feel him. A few moments later, a tall figure appeared at his side. Cian
took another drink and set his glass down, not bothering to look up.
"You're following me," the man said.
Cian nodded.
"Why? What have I done to garner the attention of a... sorcerer?" The
word was spoken with a distinct distaste that made Cian grin.
"Preying on the weak," Cian replied without looking at him.
The man slammed both hands flat on the table and leaned down. "I'm a vampire," he growled. "What do you expect?"
Cian didn't flinch and instead took another drink. "You're an abomination."
"I merely do what I must to survive."
Cian looked up then. The vampire's dark eyes held no remorse and, in
truth, Cian had expected none. He stood slowly and motioned toward the
door.
"Perhaps we should take this conversation to somewhere less populated,"
he said. He started for the door and the vampire fell in behind him. As
soon as they were back in the alleyway, well out of sight, Cian turned
and pinned the vampire against the brick wall.
"Do you really think you can kill us all, Carmichael?" the vampire said
with a laugh. "We're everywhere. One man cannot kill us all."
Cian raised his hand and a blue flame sprang to life in his palm. He
let go and the vampire shrieked as the flames crawled over his body.
Cian watched as the creature crumpled into a pile of smoldering ashes.
"That's your mistake, my friend," he said quietly. "I am no man."