Night’s Reckoning: An Elemental Legacy Novel

by Elizabeth Hunter

  “I know it.” Jake yawned loudly. “When Butch finds us, you’ll know too.”

  “I’ll keep my eyes open.” He bent over and kissed Jake’s forehead. “Goodnight. I love you.”

  “I love you too!” Sarah sang. She giggled when Baojia stood and swung her from his back into his arms.

  “Love you, Dad.” Jake punched his pillows to get them exactly as he wanted. “Tell Mom I hope she’s feeling better.”

  “I will.” He held Sarah in place as she tried to crawl up his shoulder and onto his head. “Sweet dreams.”

  He walked out of Jake’s room and into Sarah’s. A bathroom connected the two rooms, but while Jake’s bedroom was decorated plainly with dark green trim and dinosaurs scattered everywhere, Sarah’s was an explosion of purple.

  Purple curtains. Purple bed. Purple painted monkeys crawling along the top of each wall. Baojia tossed Sarah onto her bed and smiled when the little girl erupted in giggles.

  “Do it again.” She held out her arms.

  “No.” He sat on the edge of her bed and tried to settle her down. “I’ll read you a book and then you need to sleep.”

  “I want Mama to read it.”

  “Mama is not feeling well,” Baojia said. “So we’re letting her sleep.”

  Sarah pouted. “I want to go say goodnight.”

  “You already did that.”

  “I want a glass of water.”

  Baojia pointed to the water bottle by her bed. “Done.”

  “I want…” She huffed out a breath. “I want… a stuffie.”

  “Sarah.” Baojia stood and gave her the look she had to recognize. “Seriously?”

  Sarah looked at the line of stuffed animals decorating her bed and shrugged helplessly. “Someone is missing.”

  He stood and watched her from the corner of his eye as he walked over to the hammock of stuffed animals in the corner. “Lion?” It was an adorable fluffy thing that had no basis in reality, but she loved it.

  Sarah shook her head.

  “Unicorn?”

  Eyes wide, she shook her head again.

  “Snake?”

  She considered it, but it was a firm head shake. Not the snake, but he was on the right track. His smallest child had a warped sense of humor and a fondness for the macabre.

  Not unlike her mother.

  Baojia lifted another one. “Bat?”

  She cocked her head and considered it. “Mmmm. No.”

  Baojia sighed and picked up the one he should have grabbed first if he hadn’t wanted to go through the mock trial Sarah loved so much.

  “Vampire?”

  Eyes wide, Sarah grinned and held out her arms.

  Baojia sighed and tossed her the ridiculous joke his wife had bought the Christmas before. It was a stuffed cartoon vampire with a purple cape and felt fangs. It looked like it belonged on a cereal box.

  Sarah absolutely loved it. Just as Natalie knew she would.

  You married an evil, evil woman.

  “Okay book, then bed.” Baojia sat next to his little girl as she snuggled under the purple blanket, hugging the ridiculous vampire and sucking her thumb. “And remind me what the silly vampire’s name is?”

  Sarah took her thumb out of her mouth. “Giovanni.”

  Baojia smiled. “That’s right.”

  He pulled his shirt off before he slipped into bed next to his wife.

  “Hmm?” Natalie rolled toward him, her face pale and her long red hair piled on top of her head. “Hey, handsome. Kids in bed?”

  “Yes.” He scooted next to her pulled her into his chest. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m just overtired.” She yawned and snuggled in. “I had those two deadlines last week and I’ve been running on empty.”

  “You need to sleep more.” He stroked a hand over her hair. “Maybe the kids’ schedule—”

  “Shh.” She put a finger over his lips. “The schedule is fine. I’m fine. Just working too much. Thanks for putting the kids to bed.”

  “It was my turn anyway.” He kissed her hand. “Did you want to sleep more?”

  “Maybe.” She drifted a little, still drowsy. Her hand traced the lines of muscle on his chest. “Give me a minute.”

  If she wanted to sleep, Baojia didn’t mind laying with her. His wife was his favorite person. He could sit all night just listening to her heart beat and hearing her breathe.

  He loved watching Natalie, seeing the changes in her face and her body as the years passed. They’d been together over eight years and Baojia felt the privilege of witnessing her mortal years, because she had chosen him to be a permanent part of her life.

  Natalie had transformed during pregnancy, a fascinating and frightening time for a vampire unaccustomed to change. Her belly swelled and marks appeared on her skin. Her lips and breasts were fuller. Her feet grew bigger. Her dark red hair had thickened and even her heart sounded different. Her blood tasted richer and he had to be very careful when he took her vein. She’d protested when he tried to abstain.

  During the first pregnancy, he’d been more than a little alarmed. Then it happened again, and he wasn’t alarmed, but their three-year-old son had been.

  Family life, Baojia had decided, was the greatest and most unexpected adventure.

  “Is Sarah sleeping?” Natalie murmured.

  “Hopefully.”

  “With her vampire?”

  He grunted. “Yes.”

  She let out an evil laugh. “I’m going to get Sadia one for her next birthday.”

  Baojia smiled. “What an excellent idea.” He loosened her hair and began playing with it.

  “Ugh.” She batted his hand. “It’s dirty. I need to wash it.”

  “I don’t care if your hair is dirty.” He spread it out and feathered it over his skin. “It’s still sexy.”

  She lifted her head from his chest and wiggled her eyebrows. “My dirty hair is sexy?”

  He ran his hand down her shoulder, under her arm, and along the side of her breast. “Everything about you is sexy.”

  “Mmmm.” Her eyes turned from sleepy to playful. “I see someone doesn’t want to leave the bed.”

  He smiled and scooted down so he could kiss her. “Why would I want to leave the bed when you’re in it?”

  She met his lips in a long, languid kiss, sighing into his mouth. “Don’t know. Thought you might have…” she stroked her tongue out and flicked the tip over his already-extended fangs. “…work or something.”

  “Something.” He sank into her kiss, ran his hand down her thigh, and hiked her leg over his hip. “I do have something… to do.”

  “Oh yeah?” She ran her hand along his nape, playing with the short ends of his hair that needed to be trimmed. “What’s that?”

  “I need to debrief you about…” He played with the lace trim on her panties. “…something very important. This underwear has to go.”

  “Just the underwear?” She bit his chin. “I mean, I can leave the pajamas on, but you might have to get creative.”

  “Ha ha.” He began tugging. “I could rip these off.”

  “You better not. This is my last clean pair of pjs.”

  She quickly shoved her sleep shorts and underwear down her legs, kicking them down to the foot of the bed. Baojia lifted her shirt up and teased her breasts, making her arch her back and sigh happily.

  He was just pulling her shirt over her head when the door creaked open. “Mom?”

  Nooooo.

  “You forgot to lock the door?” she hissed.

  “Stay.” Baojia poked his head up from the covers. “Sarah, go to bed.”

  “I’m thirsty.”

  “Uh uh.” His voice was sharp. “Bed. Now.”

  She pretended to sniff. “But I miss Mom.”

  Natalie shoved the tangled hair out of her face and lifted her head. “Sarah, honey, what did Dad say?”

  “But—”

  “I said goodnight to you earlier.”

  “But—”
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  “I’m gonna use amnis on her,” Baojia muttered. “Don’t think I won’t.”

  “Shhh.” Natalie was trying to bite back a laugh. “You are not.” She raised her voice. “Sarah, I already said goodnight. You’re not getting in bed with us. What did Dad say?”

  Sarah sighed.

  “What was that?”

  “Stimefrbed,” she mumbled. She let out one last pitiful sigh before she closed the door.

  Baojia waited to hear her little feet walk back to her bedroom, shuffling the whole way. Her door creaked open. Shut. He could hear her muttering under her breath as she got back into bed.

  He looked down at Natalie, whose lips and cheeks were still flushed. “We are the worst.”

  “The meanest parents ever.”

  He smiled and settled back down in bed. “Horrible and rotten.”

  “Come here.” She hooked her arm around his neck. “Let me show you what I do to horrible, rotten, mean vampires as sexy as you.”

  “Hold that thought.” He slipped out of bed. “And let me lock the door.”

  Baojia woke the next night in the small room they’d built into the farmhouse where they lived on the Northern California coast. He took a moment to orient himself, listening for the voices he expected beyond the thick, cement walls of his day chamber. It had been built to withstand storms, earthquakes, explosive concussions and gunfire. In it, there was a small bathroom and enough provisions for four humans to survive for thirty days.

  His day chamber also doubled as their panic room, which was necessary when you were a senior security chief for the immortal in charge of the Pacific Northwest, much of Canada, Alaska, and a not-insignificant part of Russia.

  Baojia listened for the expected sounds of life beyond the walls of his day chamber.

  But the sounds were unexpected.

  “Mom?” His son sounded scared.

  “Are they awake yet?” It was the nanny, and her voice was panicked. “Natalie, would Baojia be awake yet? The sun is down. How about Lucien and Mak?”

  He didn’t wait another moment. Pulling on a pair of sweatpants, he unlocked the deadbolt that secured his room and rushed toward the voices, which were coming from the kitchen and dining area. “Natalie?”

  He forced himself to remain calm when he saw her lying on the kitchen floor. Sarah was crying. Jake was sitting next to his mother on the floor, and Ariel, their children’s nanny, was on the phone.

  She spotted him. “I’m on the phone with Lucien.”

  “Tell him to come.” He bent down and looked in her face. Her eyes were open. She wasn’t unconscious. “What happened?”

  “Just…” She tried shaking her head, but her pupils were abnormally dilated. She blinked. “Dizzy. I just got dizzy. I laid down on the floor so I didn’t fall. That’s all.”

  “Did you eat today?”

  “Had breakfast with the kids. Snack an hour ago. Something like that.”

  That should have been enough. He performed a basic physical exam. She didn’t have a fever. Her skin was cool and clammy. “Jake, take Sarah into the family room.”

  “I wanna stay with Mama!” Sarah wailed.

  “Sarah.” Baojia gave her a steady look. “Mama is going to be fine. She’s just a little sick. Remember when you got the flu and threw up last winter?”

  Sarah stuck her thumb in her mouth and nodded.

  “Mama is sick like you were.” Mama was not sick like Sarah had been. Natalie had no fever. Her pulse was normal. Something else was going on. “I know it’s scary when Mom gets sick,” he continued, “but Uncle Lucien is going to come over and give her a check-up, so you and Jakey need to go play so there’s room in the kitchen.”

  Ariel held out her hand. “Come on, guys. Let’s go do a puzzle, okay?”

  Jake was giving him suspicious eyes.

  “Jake,” Baojia said. “I need you to take care of Sarah.”

  “Okay.” His voice was small. He stood and held his hand out for his sister. “Come on, Monkey. Dad’ll take care of Mom.”

  “Can I get up now?” Natalie’s lips were pale. “I’m not dizzy anymore.”

  “Stay put.” He put a hand on her cheek and spoke quietly. “Just… give me a break, okay Red? Stay here until Lucien can examine you.”

  Red like firecrackers. Like chili peppers. Like her hair. Natalie didn’t look like her nickname just then. She looked tired and wan and unwell.

  Baojia clamped down on the creeping terror that lived in his heart. Every night, he had to control his fear and pretend like the world was a safe place. That he could keep the monsters at bay. That his children would be protected. He had to, or he would go insane. But kneeling next to Natalie in the middle of the kitchen, the fear crept out and would not be contained.

  Something was wrong with his wife.

  Valley of the Shadow

  will be available December 10, 2019

  and is available to preorder at all major retailers.

  Want to read more about

  Ben and Tenzin’s adventures?

  Obsidian’s Edge

  is now available at all major retailers!

  For the first time ever, all three origin novellas in the Elemental Legacy series are available in one volume, along with a bonus novella, The Bronze Blade.

  In Shadows and Gold, driving a truck full of rotting vegetables and twenty million in gold across mainland China wasn’t what Ben Vecchio had in mind for summer vacation. If he can keep Tenzin’s treasure safe, the reward will be worth the effort. But when has travel with a five-thousand-year-old wind vampire ever been simple?

  In Imitation and Alchemy, all Ben wanted was a quiet summer before his last semester of university. All Tenzin wanted was a cache of priceless medieval coins that had been missing for several hundred years. And some company.

  In Omens and Artifacts, Ben needs a job. A legendary job. Finding the lost sword of Brennus the Celt would make his reputation in the vampire world, but it could also draw dangerous attention. The Raven King’s gold isn’t famous for being easy to find. Luckily, Ben has his own legend at his side.

  OBSIDIAN’S EDGE is an anthology of novellas in the Elemental Legacy series by Elizabeth Hunter, USA Today Bestselling Author of Midnight Labyrinth, Blood Apprentice, and other works of fiction.

  He’s a human in a vampire’s world,

  but she’s the reason he’s not sleeping at night.

  * * *

  Midnight Labyrinth

  Benjamin Vecchio escaped a chaotic childhood and grew to adulthood under the protection and training of one of the Elemental world’s most feared vampire assassins. He’s traveled the world and battled immortal enemies.

  But everyone has to go home sometime.

  New York means new opportunities and allies for Ben and his vampire partner, Tenzin. It also means new politics and new threats. Their antiquities business is taking off, and their client list is growing. When Ben is challenged to find a painting lost since the Second World War, he jumps at the chance. This job will keep him closer to home, but it might just land him in hot water with the insular clan of earth vampires who run Manhattan.

  Tenzin knew the painting would be trouble before she laid eyes on it, but she can’t deny the challenge intrigues her. Human laws mean little to a vampire with a few millennia behind her, and Tenzin misses the rush of taking what isn’t hers.

  But nothing is more dangerous than a human with half the story, and Ben and Tenzin might end up risking their reputations and their lives before they escape the Midnight Labyrinth.

  MIDNIGHT LABYRINTH is the first full length novel in an all-new contemporary fantasy series by Elizabeth Hunter, author of the Elemental Mysteries and the Irin Chronicles.

  If you’re a human in a vampire’s world,

  nothing goes according to plan.

  * * *

  Blood Apprentice

  When a map to the mysterious fortune of notorious privateer Miguel Enríquez falls in the lap of Ben and Tenzin, only on
e of them is jumping at the opportunity. Tenzin can’t wait to search for a secret cache of gold. Ben, on the other hand, couldn’t be less excited.

  All Ben knows about Puerto Rico is what he hears on the news and a few lingering memories of his human grandmother. Going back to his roots holds zero appeal for the carefully constructed man he’s become.

  But in the end, the lure of hidden gold can’t be denied.

  Ben and Tenzin head to Puerto Rico where the immortal world is ruled by Los Tres, a trio of powerful vampires commanding the wind, the waves, and the mountains that make up their small island in the Caribbean.

  To find Enríquez’s treasure, they’ll have to walk a fine line between flattery and secrecy. To leave the island might mean a bigger fight than either one of them foresaw.

  Blood Apprentice is the second novel in the Elemental Legacy, a paranormal mystery series by Elizabeth Hunter, author of the Irin Chronicles.

  Sometimes falling is the safest step to take.

  * * *

  The Devil and the Dancer

  Chloe Reardon has a problem, and his name is Gavin Wallace.

  Okay, Gavin isn’t exactly a problem, unless you consider a highly attractive wind vampire with dubious intentions a problem. Especially if that vampire is your boss. With an affinity for kilts and excellent taste in music.

  But none of that matters because Chloe Reardon has had enough of dangerous men. Danger is overrated. Danger is the opposite of sexy. So Gavin is the last man—or vampire—on earth she needs to let into her heart.

  Except what if the most dangerous man you knew was also the one who made you feel the strongest?

  The Devil and the Dancer is a paranormal romance novella in the Elemental Legacy series.

  Darkness comes for everyone,