Dorina Basarab is a dhampir-half-human, half-vampire. Back home in Brooklyn after the demise of her insane Uncle Dracula, Dory's hoping her life is about to calm down. But soon Dory realizes someone is killing vampire Senate members, and if she can't stop the murderer, her friends may be next...
Death's Mistress
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About the Author
Karen Chance has lived in France, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, but always comes back to America. She currently lives in Central Florida, the home of make-believe, which may explain a lot.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter One
There was no sign on the abandoned church, but someone had scribbled "Let us Prey" above the main doors. As a Catholic, I didn't approve. As someone bent on doing exactly that, it seemed oddly appropriate.
I pushed open the heavy wooden doors and went in. It looked like I'd guessed right in going with office chic when I'd gotten ready for the evening. There were a minority of Goths and some tourist types in the church-turned-nightclub, but most of the crowd seemed to be composed of those recently released from corporate hell.
I fit in well enough, in a blue silk tank top I sweated through within five minutes and a short black skirt. The tank matched the new streaks in my short brown hair; the skirt matched my eyes. I got a beer at the bar and wandered around, looking for trouble.
It didn't take long to find it. The club was populated mostly by humans, but it was owned by a vampire. A group of the fashionable undead showed up every night for the all-you-can-eat buffet, and from the look of things, the owner was dining early.
He had a pretty brunette in a corner, his hand up her skirt and his fangs in her throat. That was frowned upon by the Vampire Senate, the ruling body for North American vampires, who preferred feedings to be kept nice and subtle. But then, this guy had already proven he wasn't too concerned about the Senate's point of view—about a lot of things. That was why I was here. They intended to teach a lesson, and to make it memorable.
The woman was facing out toward the crowd, and by the time I reached them, he'd managed to get her dress open all the way down. She wasn't wearing much underneath, unless you counted the scrap of black lace he had his hand inside. He did something that caused a quick, indrawn breath and a helpless shift of her hips. One of the bystanders laughed.
There were a dozen of them, all vampires, and at least a few were masters. I'd hoped to catch him alone, or at worst with two or three others. I hadn't planned on the show, and it complicated things.
He pulled the dress off her shoulders and it slithered to the floor, over skin already so sensitized that every tiny movement was torture. She began to breathe heavily through her nose, trembling like a fever had gripped her. He hadn't bothered to fog her mind, because it's no fun if they aren't terrified. And because his boys wanted to play.
Vampires have a limited ability to project thoughts, and because of my heritage, I pick them up better than most. She wouldn't meet their eyes, wouldn't raise her head. But she knew what they saw by the images they thoughtfully kept sending.
From a dozen perspectives, she was bombarded with images of her body, slick and shining under the lights, of the rivulets sweat had carved through the goose bumps on her skin, of her last piece of clothing being jerked down her thighs. And the pictures came in stereo, with every sound that was ripped from her throat magnified a dozen times and sent back to her. The watchers' emotions leaked through, too: arousal, anticipation and, most of all, rising bloodlust.
That was especially true of the monster draining her, yet still she writhed back against him. And when his hands roamed over her sweat-slick skin, she moaned desperately. She was trapped in the feedback loop of sensation that went with the feeding process. It was better than a drug as it coursed through her veins, tightening her nipples, shortening her breath and siphoning out her life.
I'd assumed that, with so many available donors, he wouldn't choose to drain her. Body disposal was messy and time-consuming, and prompted investigations that he had every reason to avoid. But he must have liked her taste, because even as her legs gave out and she collapsed, he followed her down.
It's crazy to interrupt a vampire when he's feeding, when he's at his most vulnerable and his most deadly. But then, I haven't been sane in centuries. The toe of my boot caught his wrist, tossing it away from the girl.
"You want to dance with me," I told him clearly, as he rounded on me with a snarl.
Odds were that no human had treated him that cavalierly before, and he clearly didn't like it. He liked even less that some of his vamps had seen me do it. But it intrigued him, too. I was suddenly a tastier dish than the one who lay gasping like a fish out of water, the velvet of her dress crushed beneath her.
"You know, I think you're right," he said, flashing me a winning smile with more than a hint of power behind it.
I ignored it and tangled a fist in his shirt so I wouldn't have to touch him. I dragged him onto the dance floor and he didn't try to get away. He just followed me with a glint in his eye that promised pain to come.
He had no idea.
He grinned, and his eyes dropped to my hips as I followed the beat. "You look hot."
Unfortunately, I couldn't say the same. His eyes were glued to my chest, maybe because it was directly in his line of sight. I'm five foot two inches, and the boots added another three inches, but that still meant he was missing a crucial element of the tall, dark and handsome stereotype. It didn't matter, since he was missing the rest, too.
Not that he appeared to know it.
"Thanks," I said.
He laughed. "I meant, you look like you could use a drink."
"If we can have it in private."
A blond eyebrow rose. "That can be arranged."
He took my hand, towing me across the sticky dance floor, scattering the crowd like peasants before royalty. The analogy amused me, considering that he'd been born the bastard son of a pig farmer. Not that I was in any position to talk. I was the illegitimate daughter of a serving wench and a vampire. It didn't get much trashier than that.
Of course, we'd both come a long way from our inauspicious beginnings. These days, he went by the name of Hugo Vleck and operated a successful club when he wasn't selling illegal fey narcotics. And as for me…Well, I solve problems of the vampire kind, and Vleck was making my employer very unhappy. My job was to cheer him up. The fact that I was going to enjoy it was just a bonus.
The crowd was five thick around the bar, but we didn't have any trouble getting served. That wasn't too surprising since my date owned the club, but he shot me a look over his shoulder, checking to see if I was suitably impressed. I smiled and he put a hand on my ass.
"Cristal for the lady," he told the young vamp bartender, giving me a little squeeze.
"Will you be drinking, too, sir?"
Vleck grinned, showing off his fangs. "Later."
He and the bartender exchanged a look, while I tried to appear like someone who didn't know that a lot of vamps prefer their alcohol straight from a victim's veins. They say it increases the high they get from feeding, and is the only way to feel the burn with their metabolism. Vleck was clearly calculating how much more it would take to get me all the way to drunk. I could have told him there wasn't that much booze in the world, but why spoil his evening?
He had so little of it left.
The bartender sat a champagne flute on the bar but Vleck shook his head. "I'll take the bottle. Wrap it up."
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"My place. It isn't far."
Wow. He must have really planned to get nasty. I draped an arm around his waist, and rested my chin on his shoulder. "I don't feel like waiting. Isn't there somewhere we could go here?"
"Naw. The office is too small—you can barely turn around in that thing."
"So? You're the boss. Make some space," I said, smiling seductively and pulling him away from the bar. Like with most crappy clubs, the bathrooms were down a dark hallway. I dragged him into the men's room and tugged his shirt off.
He chuckled and disengaged long enough to haul a couple of guys out of a stall and throw them out the door, one with his trousers still around his knees. I leaned against a sink while he instructed one of the vamps acting as bouncers to tell everyone that the facilities were out of order. Then he turned and grabbed me by the waistband.
"Let's see what you got."
"Thought you'd never ask." I smiled and shut the door with my foot.
Five minutes later, I emerged, a little out of breath but not too bad, all things considered.
The bouncer caught my eye on the way out. He seemed surprised, maybe because I was still alive. But then he grinned. "Have fun?"
"Loved him to pieces."
I stopped by vamp central, aka the East Coast Office of the North American Vampire Senate, to get my check. The vamps usually took care of fungus like Vleck themselves, holding each master responsible for his own servants' behavior. But the system wasn't as perfect as they liked people to believe.
Vampires could be emancipated from their masters' control when they reached a certain power level, freeing them from forced obedience. Others were under the control of senior-level masters on other Senates, who didn't always care about the rules laid down by their North American counterpart. And then there were the revenants, who had had something go wrong in the Change, and ended up answering to nobody but their own twisted minds.
When any of these types started causing trouble, the Senate stepped in. And luckily for me, the current war in the supernatural community had stretched their resources. It had gotten so bad lately that they were even willing to employ a dhampir—that hated cross between a vampire and a human—on the cleanup crew. But I always got the impression that they disinfected the office after I left.
The elevator opened onto a scene of old-world elegance. Shiny cherrywood pillars surrounded a polished table set with exotic flowers, dappled by the light of an exquisite crystal chandelier. Underfoot, an inlaid marble floor in a sunburst pattern in warm shades of gold and amber anchored the scene. It would have been an attractive room, if not for the strokes of too-white mea...
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More About the Author
Karen Chance is a New York Times bestselling novelist, writer of the popular Cassandra Palmer and Dorina Basarab urban fantasy series. For more information, the latest news, free stories, contests and more, visit her website at KarenChance.com or stop by her Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/cassandrapalmerseries.
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK! Karen Chance's vivid imagination and compelling characters drive this story.,
By Bookaholics Reviewer (Bay Area, California) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Death's Mistress (Dorina Basarab, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)
Death's Mistress (Dorina Basarab, Book 2) by Karen Chance
Urban Fantasy- Jan 5, 2010 5 stars DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK! Karen Chance's vivid imagination and compelling characters drive this story. This is the 2nd in Karen Chace's Dorina Basarab Dark Urban Fantasy series. I have been looking forward to reading it all year and it exceeded my expectations. (which were already pretty high) Karen Chance's steamy world is filled with magical mayhem, vampires and tense action pack scenes that do not stop. Do not begin this book if you don't have the time to finish it. The complexity and sheer adrenaline rush of the book kept me on my toes as I was mesmerized by the mystery Dory is hired to solve as well as tantalizing glimpses of Dory's heritage. Dorina is one of the few dhampir, half human and half vampire. She has survived against all odds. Most dhampir are unstable because their genetic make-up makes them prone to seizures, instability and violence. As a result, most have been murdered as soon as they are born. But Dory is special, she is the daughter of a highly placed vampire senator. And while her relationship with father may not be ideal, he has in his way `protected' her as she harnesses her violent tendencies towards being a mercenary and assassin for hire. Now her father has hired her to bring in a vampire. But the problem is that everyone wants him including the vampire Louise-Cesare. The one vampire she thought she could form a semi partnership with. Even though she is attracted to Louise-Cesare she knows she doesn't have the room or ability for emotions or complications. If only he would leave her alone! To add to her problems, Dory has started taking a dangerous drink with magical properties that are said to cause the drinker to become addicted and eventually become insane. But she thinks she has found a cure. She no longer has the seizures and black outs, unfortunately she starts to notice other magical side affects. Dory begins having visions of people when she touches them and finds out more about them then she wants, especially her father. This story was surprisingly emotional. This fast paced story is mostly a dark action fantasy with a little romance. Characters from Karen Chance's previous books make an appearance and make the story infinitely richer. (I would recommend having read her previous book first and if you can her Cassandra Palmer series since characters overlap) Dory is refreshing and very human for all she tries to hide it. Her way of taking care of things is non-nonsense but never unemotional. Dory carries the story, she is a heroine that readers will easily connect with and sympathize with. I loved this book and can't wait to get my hands on the next installment. Death's Mistress is a great Urban Fantasy that is explosive and complex and one sure to please any fantasy reader. Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic new series - a must read for urban fantasy and paranormal romance fans,
By S. Cook "Reviewer" (USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Death's Mistress (Dorina Basarab, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)
The third story in the Dorina Basarab series, Death's Mistress is Karen Chance's best work to date. A cannot put down book, it's an engrossing mix of mystery, suspense, action, adventure and a touch of romance.
Dorina, a dhampir (half human/half vamp), gets an unexpected visit from her friend Claire, the wife of a Fey prince, and her son, the Fey heir. Her son's life has been threatened and she is on the run to protect him. Dory agrees to help her find a missing magicial Fey amulet, which will protect Claire's son. Meanwhile, Dory's still taking rogue vampire hunting jobs for Mircea, her father--a powerful master vampire and senator. A war is on and the vampire senate agreed to outsource some of those jobs, resulting in a good business for Dory. While on a job, Dory runs into Louis-Cesare, a master vampire who worked a case with her previously (in Midnight's Daughter, the first book in the series). Louis-Cesare is still hunting his former mistress Christine, and her life has been threatened. They are surprised to hear that the same vampire Elyas who is holding Christine may also hold the amulet. So they agree to work together to accomplish both goals. But then with many twists and turns, everything goes haywire! One Fey who last had the amulet was murdered and another who is suspected to know where it is is missing. Several vampires and a mage are also hunting for the powerful amulet, but Dory must find it first. Elyas the vampire is murdered and Louis-Cesare has been framed as the main suspect. His innocence must be proved, or else the senate will have him put to death. There is a lot of vampire politics in play, between the US and European senates, and everyone is hunting for Louis-Cesare while he tries to find the real killer. Meanwhile the powerful Fey Aeusbrand (who we saw in Midnight's Daughter) is back, fighting Dory and also after the amulet. The ending was a COMPLETE SURPRISE for me. Wow! I won't give a hint and ruin it, but let me just say that what a good mystery this was. I never, never suspected the real killer. The world building was excellent, and I continue to enjoy Chance's characters--Mircea, Dory, Louis-Cesare, Claire, Caedmon, Marlowe, and even Stinky. I would have liked to see more of Caedmon and more interaction with Louis-Cesare. I'm hoping to see more of them in the next book. The Dorina series is a spin off from Chance's Cassie Palmer series, within the same world and sharing a few of the same characters. As a leading character, I like Dorina better than Cassie. She's stronger and more interesting. When reading the series, I think it's better to start with the Cassie series but you don't have to. If you read the Dorina series, don't miss the anthology in On the Prowl, which should be read between Midnight's Daughter (Dorina Basarab, Dhampir, Book 1)and Death's Mistress. Another great read, it's focused on Claire's relationship with the Fey prince while they are on the run in Fey lands. You get to learn a lot about the Fey and what is happening with Claire while Dory searches for her in Midnight's Daughter. If you are on the hunt for more books like this, check out my list of paranormal romance and urban fantasy favorites... http://www.amazon.com/Paranormal-action-romance-must-reads/lm/R214ESW3HL12HM/ref=tag_lag_rb_munk_lmfull (copy and paste into your browser window)
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I love Louis-Cesare,
By Oliva (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Death's Mistress (Dorina Basarab, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)
I have always loved Louis-Cesare in both the Cassie Palmer and the Dorina Basarab story lines. The sparks between them were burning up the pages. He makes my heart pitter-patter. I was happy to see their story advance as well as see a resolution to Christine's situation. Dorina and her relationship with her father advanced for the better as well. I also have a sweet spot for Mircea.
That being said, the story moved fast with lots of action and I got lost a few times. Too many things going on at once and I had to re-read sections because I wasn't able to visualize everything that was going on. Example, the fey attacks on the house. My poor brain just couldn't seem to keep up with the people and action. It's been a long time since I read the earlier stories so it took me a lttle while to get back up to speed with who Claire was, the house and portals etc. I loved Ray. He cracked me up and I had to admit, he grew on me. Radu always makes me smile as well. |
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