Black Lament
PRAISE FOR
BLACK HOWL
“Another great installment of the Madeline Black series.”
—
Urban Fantasy Investigations
“An incredible read from start to finish.”
—
A Book Obsession
“An action-packed, sometimes-emotional roller coaster with a well-developed world and truly engaging characters.”
—
The Qwillery
BLACK NIGHT
“The Madeline Black series employs a blend of two great common urban fantasy tropes… [and] creates a chemistry that adds new zest to familiar concepts, an energy that I thoroughly enjoy.”
—
All Things Urban Fantasy
“Madeline Black is back and super badass in her second installment… If you’re looking for a brilliant urban fantasy with page-turning action, witty dialogue and fun characters—this is your book.”
—
Rex Robot Reviews
“Playful and light, yet also adventurous and dark… The bottom line is that if you enjoy adventure stories, you will enjoy this book, especially if you’re a nonstop-action junky.”
—
SFRevu
BLACK WINGS
“A fun, fast ride through the gritty streets of Chicago,
Black Wings
has it all: a gutsy heroine just coming into her power, badass bad guys, a sexy supernatural love interest and a scrappy gargoyle sidekick. Highly recommended.”
—Nancy Holzner, author of
Darklands
“An entertaining urban fantasy starring an intriguing heroine… The soul-eater-serial-killer mystery adds to an engaging Chicago joyride as courageous Madeline fears this unknown adversary but goes after the lethal beast.”
—
Midwest Book Review
“Fast action, plenty of demons and a hint of mystery surrounding the afterlife make for an entertaining urban fantasy populated by an assortment of interesting characters.”
—
Monsters and Critics
“Henry shows that she is up to the challenge of debuting in a crowded genre. The extensive background of her imaginative world is well integrated with the action-packed plot, and the satisfying conclusion leaves the reader primed for the next installment.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“Readers will enjoy a fast-paced adventure with an interesting cast, especially Beezle, the gargoyle, and be ready and waiting for a future still yet unwritten. Pick up your copy of
Black Wings
today, and stay tuned for
Black Night
.”
—
Romance Reviews Today
“A fast-paced first novel…
Black Wings
is a lot of fun.”
—
Fresh Fiction
“Henry does an excellent job of unveiling the first layers of her unique world and its fascinating inhabitants. There’s plenty of kick-butt action and intriguing twists to ensure that this story grabs you from the very first page. One to watch!”
—
RT Book Reviews
(4 stars)
“The story was a nonstop action blast full of smart-alecky gargoyle guardians, devilishly handsome (and enigmatic) love interests, arrogant demons, wicked witches and more jaw-dropping revelations than a Jerry Springer show. I barely had time to catch my breath between chapters.”
—
All Things Urban Fantasy
“Fast-paced, action-packed and hard-core—breathing new life into the vast genre of urban fantasy…
Black Wings
is intense, dark and full of surprises.”
—
Rex Robot Reviews
“Amazing… Henry’s pacing is incredible and keeps you absorbed, plus the characterization is fantastic… I strongly urge all you [urban fantasy] fans to get this book!”
—
Read All Over Reviews
“I recommend Christina Henry to readers who enjoy the dark humor of Ilona Andrews’s Kate Daniels series and the demon politics of Stacia Kane’s Megan Chase series.”
—Fantasy Literature
Ace Books by Christina Henry
BLACK WINGS
BLACK NIGHT
BLACK HOWL
BLACK LAMENT
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
BLACK LAMENT
An Ace Book / published by arrangement with the author
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Ace mass-market edition / November 2012
Copyright © 2012 by Tina Raffaele.
Cover art by Kris Keller.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ISBN: 978-1-101-62210-0
ACE
Ace Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ACE and the “A” design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
For Chris, because you are always there for me
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As always, much thanks is due to my gracious and ever-patient editor, Danielle Stockley, who makes my books better than they would be without her.
Thanks to my awesome and incredibly hardworking publicity team, Brady McReynolds and Rosanne Romanello.
So many thanks to my emotional support team—Sarah, Faith, Anne and Pam—for always listening when I need it.
Much gratitude to the hardworking Einstein Bros. crew—Cynthia, BJ, Pedro, Jessie, Michael and everyone else—who let me drink their coffee all day and make my bagels just the way I like them.
Special thanks to Krista McNamara for all that you do for me and Maddy, and to Chloe Neill for assorted kindnesses.
Thanks to Nancy Holzner for her always-wise counsel.
Thanks to all the awesome authors who let me sit up onstage with them at panels this year, especially Chloe Neill, Laurell K. Hamilton, Patricia Briggs, Anton Strout, Edward Lazellari, Rachel Caine and Kim Harrison.
Love to Mom and Dad.
As always, all the love in the world to Chris and Henry.
CONTENTS
1
LUCIFER PUT HIS ARM AROUND ME. IT FELT COMFORTING, like the act of a parent, a parent I’d always wanted—a father. The air filled with the scent of cinnamon. It reminded me so strongly of Gabriel that the tears that always hovered beneath the surface spilled over.
Lucifer said nothing, only held me as I wept. After a long while, it felt like there were no more tears to be cried. I lifted my head and saw Lucifer watching me with great compassion in his eyes.
“If there is one human emotion I truly comprehend, it is grief,” Lucifer said. “I lost Evangeline and my children so long ago, and I never stopped grieving for them.”
“So it doesn’t stop hurting, then,” I said dully.
“The pain becomes, perhaps, not quite so sharp. In the future, you may find that days may pass when you do not think of him at all, but when you do there will be a tenderness there, like a bruise that has never healed.”
I didn’t need Lucifer to tell me that. A piece of me had been taken forever when Gabriel died. You can’t replace the missing parts of your heart.
Lucifer released me. I felt lost again, empty, except for the flame that burned bright with anger at the thought of Azazel. He would not be able to run far enough.
“Still, all is not lost. Gabriel lives on inside you,” Lucifer said.
“Yes, I’ve heard all the clichés.” I sighed. Beezle and Samiel had been repeating them ad nauseam.
“No, I mean Gabriel really does live on inside you,” Lucifer said. “Here.”
He put his hand on my abdomen, and I looked up in shock.
Far below, deep inside, I felt it.
The beating of tiny wings.
A child. Gabriel’s child. Wonder smothered the grief, just for a moment.
“My grandchild,” Lucifer said.
There was such possessiveness in his voice, in his face, that I pulled away from his touch, covering my stomach with my hands.
“So that’s why you wanted me to marry Gabriel,” I said angrily. “So I can be a part of your supernatural breeding program?”
“That sounds so… indelicate,” Lucifer said.
“And yet still true,” I said.
Lucifer didn’t bother to acknowledge this. Instead, he said, “You and Gabriel are powerful beings born of my line. Your child, no doubt, will be magnificent.”
“You can’t have him,” I said fiercely. “He’s mine.”
Mine and Gabriel’s.
Lucifer took me by the shoulders and kissed me on the forehead. I stayed perfectly still, my hands fisted at my sides, until he released me.
“Careful, my dear. Every time you try to cross me you just get pulled further into my orbit.”
He climbed down the steps of my front porch and walked away down the snow-covered sidewalk. I watched him until he was out of sight, his words echoing inside my head.
Every time you try to cross me you just get pulled further into my orbit.
It was true that I hadn’t managed to beat Lucifer at his game yet. It was also true that when I tried, something horrible would happen, like my being named the Hound of the Hunt.