I inhaled deeply, my eyes riveting on a far wall as my nostrils flared, pinpointing the source of the savory perfume and the seductive beating sound. I didn’t recall sitting up, but I realized that I was suddenly leaning forward and that the room was continuing to brighten into paler shades of gray, burning away the last of the remaining shadows—despite the fact that there was no actual light. And it grew clearer as I focused on the seductive sound.
Until I finally spotted a man leaning against the far wall. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump… I licked my lips ravenously, setting my hands on the cool stone table as I prepared to set my feet on the ground.
Food…
The man calmly lifted his hand and a sharp clicking sound suddenly echoed from the walls. The room abruptly flooded with light so bright and unexpected that it felt like my eyes had exploded. Worse, what seemed like a trio of radiant stars was not more than a span from my face—so close that I could feel the direct heat from their flare. I recoiled with a snarl, momentarily forgetting all about food as I shielded my eyes with a hand and prepared to defend myself. I leaned away from the bright lights, wondering why I couldn’t smell smoke from the flickering flames. I squinted, watching the man’s feet for any indication of movement.
Half a minute went by as my vision slowly began to adjust, and the man didn’t even shift his weight—almost as if he was granting me time enough to grow accustomed to the sudden light. Which…didn’t make any sense. Hadn’t it been an attack? I hesitantly lowered my hand from my face, reassessing the situation and my surroundings.
I stared in wonder as I realized that the orbs were not made of flame, but rather what seemed to be pure light affixed to polished metal stands. Looking directly at them hurt, so I studied them sidelong, making sure to also keep the man in my peripheral vision. He had to be a sorcerer of some kind. Who else could wield pure light without fire?
“Easy, Sorin,” the man murmured in a calming baritone. “I can’t see as well as you in the dark, but it looked like you were about to do something unnecessarily stupid. Let me turn them down a little.”
He didn’t wait for my reply, but the room slowly dimmed after another clicking sound.
I tried to get a better look at the stranger—wondering where he had come from, where he had taken me, and who he was. One thing was obvious—he knew magic. “Where did you learn this sorcery?” I rasped, gesturing at the orbs of light.
“Um. Hobby Lobby.”
“I’ve never heard of him,” I hissed, coughing as a result of my parched throat.
“I’m not even remotely surprised by that,” he said dryly. He extended his other hand and I gasped to see an impossibility—a transparent bag as clear as new glass. And it was flexible, swinging back and forth like a bulging coin purse or a clear water-skin. My momentary wonder at the magical material evaporated as I recognized the crimson liquid inside the bag.
Blood.
He lobbed it at me underhanded without a word of warning. I hissed as I desperately—and with exceeding caution—caught it from the air lest it fall and break open. I gasped as the clear bag of blood settled into my palms and, before I consciously realized it, I tore off the corner with my fangs, pressed it to my lips, and squeezed the bag in one explosive, violent gesture. The ruby fluid gushed into my mouth and over my face, dousing my almost forgotten pain as swiftly as a bucket of water thrown on hot coals.
I felt my eyes roll back into my skull and my body shuddered as I lost my balance and fell from the stone table. I landed on my back but I was too overwhelmed to care as I stretched out my arms and legs. I groaned in rapture, licking at my lips like a wild animal. The ruby nectar was a living serpent of molten oil as it slithered down into my stomach, nurturing and healing me almost instantly. It was the most wonderful sensation I could imagine—almost enough to make me weep.
Like a desert rain, my parched tongue and throat absorbed the blood so quickly and completely that I couldn’t even savor the heady flavor. This wasn’t a joyful feast; this was survival, a necessity. My body guzzled it, instantly using the liquid to repair the damage, pain, and the cloud of fog that had enshrouded me.
I realized that I was laughing. The sound echoed into the vast stone space like rolling thunder.
Because I had remembered something else.
The world’s First Vampire was back.
And he was still very hungry.
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BOOKS IN THE TEMPLE VERSE
CHRONOLOGY: All stories in the Temple Verse are shown in chronological order on the following page
PHANTOM QUEEN DIARIES
(Also set in the Temple Universe)
COLLINS (Prequel novella #0 in the ‘LAST CALL’ anthology)
WHISKEY GINGER
COSMOPOLITAN
OLD FASHIONED
MOTHERLUCKER (Novella #3.5 in the ‘LAST CALL’ anthology)
DARK AND STORMY
MOSCOW MULE
WITCHES BREW
SALTY DOG
SEA BREEZE
NATE TEMPLE SERIES
(Origin of the Temple Verse)
FAIRY TALE - FREE prequel novella #0 for my subscribers
OBSIDIAN SON
BLOOD DEBTS
GRIMM
SILVER TONGUE
BEAST MASTER
BEERLYMPIAN (Novella #5.5 in the ‘LAST CALL’ anthology)
TINY GODS
DADDY DUTY (Novella #6.5)
WILD SIDE
WAR HAMMER
NINE SOULS
HORSEMAN
LEGEND
KNIGHTMARE
ASCENSION
FEATHERS AND FIRE SERIES
(Also set in the Temple Universe)
UNCHAINED
RAGE
WHISPERS
ANGEL’S ROAR
MOTHERLUCKER (Novella #4.5 in the ‘LAST CALL’ anthology)
SINNER
BLACK SHEEP
GODLESS
CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER: TEMPLE VERSE
FAIRY TALE (TEMPLE PREQUEL)
OBSIDIAN SON (TEMPLE 1)
BLOOD DEBTS (TEMPLE 2)
GRIMM (TEMPLE 3)
SILVER TONGUE (TEMPLE 4)
BEAST MASTER (TEMPLE 5)
BEERLYMPIAN (TEMPLE 5.5)
TINY GODS (TEMPLE 6)
DADDY DUTY (TEMPLE NOVELLA 6.5)
UNCHAINED (FEATHERS… 1)
RAGE (FEATHERS… 2)
WILD SIDE (TEMPLE 7)
WAR HAMMER (TEMPLE 8)
WHISPERS (FEATHERS… 3)
COLLINS (PHANTOM 0)
WHISKEY GINGER (PHANTOM… 1)
NINE SOULS (TEMPLE 9)
COSMOPOLITAN (PHANTOM… 2)
ANGEL’S ROAR (FEATHERS… 4)
MOTHERLUCKER (FEATHERS 4.5, PHANTOM 3.5)
OLD FASHIONED (PHANTOM…3)
HORSEMAN (TEMPLE 10)
DARK AND STORMY (PHANTOM… 4)
MOSCOW MULE (PHANTOM…5)
SINNER (FEATHERS…5)
WITCHES BREW (PHANTOM…6)
LEGEND (TEMPLE…11)
SALTY DOG (PHANTOM…7)
BLACK SHEEP (FEATHERS…6)
GODLESS (FEATHERS…7)
KNIGHTMARE (TEMPLE 12)
<
br /> ASCENSION (TEMPLE 13)
SEA BREEZE (PHANTOM…8)
SHADE OF DEVIL SERIES
(Not part of the TempleVerse)
DEVIL’S DREAM
DEVIL’S CRY
DEVIL’S BLOOD
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
From Cameron:
I’d like to thank Shayne, for paving the way in style. Kori, for an introduction that would change my life. My three wonderful sisters, for showing me what a strong, independent woman looks and sounds like. And, above all, my parents, for—literally—everything.
From Shayne (the self-proclaimed prettiest one):
Team Temple and the Den of Freaks on Facebook have become family to me. I couldn’t do it without die-hard readers like them.
I would also like to thank you, the reader. I hope you enjoyed reading SEA BREEZE as much as we enjoyed writing it.
PLENTY more TempleVerse novels coming in 2020 0r sooner…
ABOUT SHAYNE SILVERS
Shayne is a man of mystery and power, whose power is exceeded only by his mystery…
He currently writes the Amazon Bestselling Feathers and Fire Series about a rookie spell-slinger named Callie Penrose who works for the Vatican in Kansas City. Her problem? Hell seems to know more about her past than she does.
He also writes the Amazon Bestselling Nate Temple Series, which features a foul-mouthed wizard from St. Louis. He rides a bloodthirsty unicorn, drinks with Achilles, and is pals with the Four Horsemen.
Shayne recently published the first book in the Shade of Devil series, which broke into the top 50 books on all of Amazon. Sorin Ambrogio, the world’s first vampire, is awoken from a 500 year slumber by a shaman in present day New York City—only to learn that his old servant, Dracula, took credit for being the first vampire, erasing Sorin’s name from the pages of history. If you enjoyed the BLADE or UNDERWORLD films, you’ll love it.
Shayne holds two high-ranking black belts, and can be found writing in a coffee shop, cackling madly into his computer screen while pounding shots of espresso. Follow him online for all sorts of groovy goodies, giveaways, and new release updates:
Get Down with Shayne Online
www.shaynesilvers.com
[email protected]
ABOUT CAMERON O’CONNELL
Cameron O’Connell is a Jack-of-All-Trades and Master of Some.
He writes The Phantom Queen Diaries, a series in The Temple Verse, about Quinn MacKenna, a mouthy black magic arms dealer trading favors in Boston. All she wants? A round-trip ticket to the Fae realm…and maybe a drink on the house.
A former member of the United States military, a professional model, and English teacher, Cameron finds time to write in the mornings after his first cup of coffee…and in the evenings after his thirty-seventh. Follow him, and the Temple Verse founder, Shayne Silvers, online for all sorts of insider tips, giveaways, and new release updates!
Get Down with Cameron Online
Sea Breeze: Phantom Queen Book 8 - A Temple Verse Series (The Phantom Queen Diaries) Page 23
