Praise for Lina Gardiner’s
Jess Vandermire,
Vampire Hunter series . . .
“Reading a Lina Gardiner book is like riding an out-of-this-world roller coaster with your favorite people in the world.”
—Joyce Lamb, USA Today Bestselling Author
“Lina drops crumbs of information like Gretel dropping crumbs to find her way home; instead of home, though, we are led to the startling denouement so smoothly, we are left gasping.”
—BittenbyBooks.com
“Gardiner just crushed all the genre competition. . . . The best book I’ve read all year!”
—Dark Angel Reviews on Grave Illusions.
“Beyond the Grave, the second book in Lina Gardiner’s Jess Vandermire, Vampire Hunter series, features all the elements that made Grave Illusions such a wonderful read—including great character development. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
—Keri Arthur, NYT bestselling author
“I would highly recommend this latest edition of the Jess Vandermire, Vampire Hunter series to anyone who enjoys a good, detailed paranormal series and almost non-stop action.”
—Keeper Bookshelf on Grave Expectations
Books by Lina Gardiner
Jess Vandermire, Vampire Hunter
Grave Illusions
Beyond the Grave
Grave New Day
Grave Expectations
Graves of Wrath
Silenced by the Grave
Sons of Horus
Black Moon Awakening
Silenced by the Grave
Vampire Hunter, Book 6
City of Bones trilogy, Book 2
by
Lina Gardiner
ImaJinn Books
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events or locations is entirely coincidental.
ImaJinn Books
PO BOX 300921
Memphis, TN 38130
Print ISBN: 978-1-61194-948-3
ImaJinn Books is an Imprint of BelleBooks, Inc.
Copyright © 2019 by Lina Gardiner
Published in the United States of America.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.
ImaJinn Books was founded by Linda Kichline.
We at ImaJinn Books enjoy hearing from readers. Visit our websites
ImaJinnBooks.com
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Cover design: Debra Dixon
Interior design: Hank Smith
Photo/Art credits:
Courtyard © Nelieta | Dreamstime.com
Woman © Sergeyzapotylok | Dreamstime.com
:Lgsw:01:
Dedication
To Nola Richardson, my long-time best friend and full-time book assistant. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. XOXO
Chapter One
JESS VANDERMIRE dove off the roof of a three-story building and landed on the secluded Parisian sidewalk without making a sound. Strange how on this sultry evening, the city felt as if it were holding its breath.
She snapped her head to the right. Enhanced hearing gave her an advantage. She crouched and listened—her prey’s footfalls stopped short, as if he knew her location.
She rolled her eyes and held back a curse. Yeah, he knew she was here.
He was so close now, she could hear his breathing quicken. She slipped around the corner and hid in a doorway. If she’d had a heartbeat, it’d be revved up, too.
He silently strode past her hiding place without so much as a glance in her direction, but that didn’t mean she had time for a victory dance. Instead, she let out a low, disappointed sigh. She was bored out of her mind.
What was she thinking? Vampires didn’t take vacations. The only reason she’d come to France was for her brother, Father Regent Vandermire. All things considered, it had been a smart move because he had been in more danger here than he’d ever been in New York City. And if she and Britt hadn’t been in the city, Regent would have been killed by the shadow demons who’d nearly taken over Paris last month.
So far, her second month had been a typical, wonderful holiday in Paris, the City of Lights and Love. She’d enjoyed having the time to explore the city with John Brittain, the human she loved more than life itself—a bad pun, but it was true. Her shoulders drooped. She might not be a cop in Paris, but she definitely needed some vampire hunting action to quell her boredom. What did that make her?
Just as she peered around the entrance where she hid to see how far away her follower was, he tapped her shoulder from behind. Damn it, he’d doubled back on her, and she hadn’t heard him.
“Tag. You’re it,” John Brittain said in his smooth, deep voice, very close to her ear, his hot breath causing gooseflesh to rise on her normally cold, dead flesh.
Forcing herself to ignore the erotic moment his whisper had promised, she said, “We’re not playing tag, Britt! We’re keeping ourselves in fighting form. We need to keep in shape if we want to keep our jobs on the vampire hunting team when we get home, Lieutenant Brittain.”
“I love it when you call me lieutenant, Captain Vandermire,” he said playfully. “Best thing I ever did was to join your team.”
She forced a disgruntled noise.
“Besides, I hardly think we’re in the proper mindset for training, considering we’re dressed in evening wear.” He laughed. “And you can call this little foray what you want, doll. I thought it was simply a diversion on our way to a dull party. By the way, do I get a consolation prize for sneaking up on you?” His fingers wrapped ever so slowly around her wrist, then he pulled her to his chest and nuzzled her neck.
Since they’d beaten the shadow demons in Paris, everything had gotten so abysmally normal in Paris that she’d decided to incorporate impromptu training drills into their vacation, so they’d both stay in fighting form.
She had no delusions about their stay in France. It might be quiet right now, but she’d been feeling the strength of weird symbols ever since Regent had found a mysterious book in the Papal Palace in Avignon, an ancient tome that was full of symbols they hadn’t been able to decipher. Regent was desperate to figure it out before he left France.
There was something very odd about that book. The fact that he’d been led to it through suspicious means, and that the volume’s symbols and ancient writing seemed to hold them all in its sway, made her cautious. She felt compelled to decipher the tantalizing symbols, too.
Either way, there was no better time than tonight to do a little research. And she’d start by digging up some information on the illustrious and enigmatic Vlad while his party went full tilt on the main level of his massive chateau.
Vlad had connections with the Paris police, and in particular, Jess’s friend Captain Veronique LaFontaine of the Paris Vampire Hunting Unit. Something about their relationship seemed off, and Jess was determined to get to the bottom of it.
“I guess we have to go,” she said to Britt. “We’ll be late for the party.”
He kissed her one more smoldering time, during which he nearly made her heart beat—a neat trick for a human to affect a vampire in such a way. It was no wonder she adored him.
Ten minutes later they reached Vlad’s chateau, and Jess immediately hiked up her form-fitting, but totally forgiving, evening gown to display biker shorts underneath. “You go inside. Ma
ke some sort of excuse and keep Vlad busy while I check out his office,” she said.
“How do you know where his office is?” Britt asked. Strikingly handsome in his tux and tie, he smirked just a little while eyeing her rump in the skintight shorts.
She pushed his chin just enough that his eyes met hers. “He had a photo op in Richesse Paris, a magazine for up-and-coming billionaires.” She made a suspicious face. “They even said the office was on the third floor. Very accommodating of them.”
Britt shook his head. “And you’re going to break in dressed like that?”
She grinned. “Why not?”
He stole another glance at her posterior. “Well, you’re definitely the most beautiful cat burglar I’ve ever seen. Be careful, doll. I’ll see you inside. Please don’t get caught.” He winked at her then went inside, just before she climbed up the trellis outside Vlad’s brick mansion.
Now, three stories up and standing on a tiny ledge outside his office window, she used a glass cutter to carve a hole large enough to get her hand inside to open the window’s locking mechanism.
After sliding the window open, she climbed inside. Even though she’d checked for a security system and had found none, she still breathed a sigh of relief when her feet touched the French white oak floor without sirens blaring.
She crossed to his ornate mahogany desk in order to carefully rifle through the drawers. She found nothing but mundane paperwork. Next came his computer, which she’d barely touched before the mouse on the pad lit his computer monitor. And of course, it was password-protected. She tried a few names. Since the vampire who owned this place called himself Vlad, she tried his name. Incorrect password. She tried another password. The Impaler. Nope. Dracula. Nope.
On the fourth attempt the computer locked down.
Damn it.
Now Vlad would know someone had attempted to break into his computer. On the other hand, the hand-sized hole in his window would probably tip him off, anyway. She grinned and wiped the keys down with her sleeve before checking her watch, then moving around the room.
Ten minutes later, her senses still screamed that there was something she needed to find—something that compelled her to keep searching, even though Britt waited downstairs. He’d have a conniption if he realized she was still up here. The plan had been to get in, then out quickly if she didn’t find anything right away.
Still, Vlad would never expect her to be up here scoping out the place in a slinky evening gown—a gown that was currently pulled up and cinched around her waist like a swimming tube. That way she woudn’t snag the material on the vines growing over the side of the building when she broke in.
A glass cabinet in the corner caught her eye. She scanned the insides but turned away because the only item worthy of a second glance was a coin with a stylized bird made of silver.
Veronique had had a copy of Vlad’s guest list in her office last week, and Jess had stolen a look at it. As far as she could tell, every important political figure in the city had been invited. The illustrious Vlad, the vampire with a single name, had connections that included Captain Veronique LaFontaine. While Veronique seemed to trust him, Jess wasn’t so sure she should. That was the reason she was in his office tonight.
Voices outside the office door stalled her next step. The doorknob turned. She rushed to the only other door in the room. Please be open. If she had to break the lock, they’d hear her for sure.
Luckily, the door opened with ease. With only moments to spare, she’d slipped inside and peered through a crack in the door as two men entered the office—so far, unaware of her intrusion.
Crap! Hopefully they wouldn’t notice the circular hole in the window right away.
She silently pulled the door shut then glanced around for a place to hide in case one of them decided to come in here. What she saw made cold pinpricks of alarm crawl up her spine.
An ornate coffin sat in the center of the windowless room. That meant there was no escape and only one place to hide if anyone came in.
Inside that big freaking coffin!
Her skin crawled at the thought that most likely, Vlad slept in that coffin. Why else would it be here?
She froze when she heard, “What did you find?” For a second, she thought she’d been caught, but the door was still closed.
“We’re on the cusp of gaining access,” Vlad said. “I have some data on the computer. We’ll find out who’s involved, sooner or later.”
Damn it, they were going to see that she tried to gain access before the computer locked down. Jess’s fingers squeezed together. She had no clue what they were talking about. If only they’d been a little more specific.
“Before we look at the data, I’ll get your keycard to the meeting hall. It’s in the other room,” Vlad said.
Great. He was coming in here. With nowhere else to hide but that damned box, she had little choice. She opened the coffin, thankful that it didn’t squeak, and slid quietly inside. Ick! Vampire or not, she’d never slept in a coffin.
The second she pressed her head against the pillow, she heard a click. Then the whole freaking bottom released. With arms flying, she wildly tried to get a handhold but failed. She dropped like a stone, falling through midair before slamming onto an air cushion of some sort at the bottom. Rubbing her back, she got to her feet, stretched her spine, and cracked it back into place. Only a vampire would survive that kind of fall.
She entered a circular stone room that felt as ancient as it looked. In the center sat a huge round table and several oversized, antique wooden chairs with velvet cushions.
When she stepped up to the table, a crystal skull illuminated, growing brighter until the room was fairly well lit, probably set off by motion.
Huge tapestries covered most of the walls, each one hosting a coat of arms. Knights of the round table? Not likely, but maybe vampire heads of state?
The coffin’s trap door had told her one thing—they met here in secret. It wouldn’t be realistic for all of the owners of the coats of arms to drop into this room through Vlad’s coffin, so there must be another way in and out. Maybe that explained the key-code Vlad was going to give the other man.
She sighed. How long had she been here? Britt must be nearly panicking in the ballroom. If she didn’t return soon, he might come looking for her. That was the last thing she wanted him to do.
There were no obvious doors in the medium-sized circular room, and the only visible way in was the drop point she’d just fallen through. She lifted the wall hangings to search for an escape. But to no avail. Behind each tapestry, there was nothing more than bricks and mortar. How could there be no exit?
Finally, she found a door superbly disguised as part of the wall. Not that it would do her any good because, upon closer examination, it required a biometric key. Even though she could most likely break the door down, she didn’t want Vlad to know she’d been in this secret room, too. Bad enough he’d know someone had been in his office.
She only had one choice to escape—going back the way she came in. With that in mind, she returned to the drop point, readjusted her ball gown, and vaulted up into the opening.
Without much to grab onto, she managed to get inside the chute consisting of nothing but smooth ductwork all the way back up to that coffin. She’d bet Vlad never used this way to get back to his office. It was hard to climb, especially with high heels on, but she slowly edged her way up on pure vampire strength.
When she reached the bottom of the coffin her mouth went dry. The trapdoor had to be on some sort of spring system because it had sealed itself again. There was no way to open it from underneath, at least not easily. Her only recourse was to wedge herself sideways with her back against the duct on one side and her feet on the other side in order to try to pry it open.
She got one of her fingernails into the crack to release the hinges. Luckily, her nails were as strong as any screwdriver, but she’d probably ruin her first-time-ever nail polish. That would have never happe
ned in New York, because she didn’t wear nail polish, or evening gowns. Who was she kidding by dressing in designer clothes and wearing makeup like her newfound twin?
She worked at the hinge with her fingernail until the heavy door suddenly swung open, skimming the top of her head before it crashed against the section behind her. She had no other recourse but to crawl back inside that disgusting coffin. This time, she kept hold of the sides, just in case the trapdoor released again.
Her instinct was to immediately jump out of the damned coffin, but she made herself listen for a moment first. When she realized the room was quiet, she pushed the lid up just a crack to verify that the men were gone.
She had to get out of there before Britt came charging in like the cavalry to save her. He’d only wait so long for her to show up downstairs.
She climbed out of the coffin, tamping down a shiver of disgust before she listened at the door. Not a sound—the men were gone. She made her way out of the window and down the trellis before jumping from balcony to balcony, finally dropping to the ground hidden behind perfectly placed shrubbery.
After quickly finger-combing her hair, she unrolled her silky designer creation and pressed it back into place. Luckily, the fabric of her gown was some new bio-engineered product that looked like silk, but never wrinkled. It looked flawless.
She managed to assess her image in the glass door on the way inside. Not too bad. She didn’t look like she’d just been diving through vents and climbing up and down buildings. In fact, she looked rather chic.
Inside the ballroom, people were chatting and drinking very expensive champagne and eating hors d’oeuvres. It was easy to tell the humans from the vampires at this party.
Britt was talking to Vlad, but his gaze was sweeping the room, his expression brightening when he saw her.
“Did you find your earring, darling?” he asked pointedly. She guessed Vlad must’ve been asking where she’d been.
It took about a second and a half to realize he’d given her a reason to have just entered through the front door.
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