Night Vision (43 page)
Authors: Yasmine Galenorn
Was I ready? Could I handle this?
Within the space of a month, I’d uprooted my transient lifestyle, staked my aunt as she begged for release, learned to murder and kill, found my father and lost him again, and now…now I was the Queen of Snow and Ice, married to my love who had been with me through lifetimes. The future stretched in front of me, unending and relentless, but I welcomed it—welcomed the challenge.
Ulean swept around me, gusting gently.
You are ready for this, Cicely. You are ready.
Her simple encouragement cheered me to no end, and I gazed up at the stars. But then, as the clouds began to come in, I heard a distant laughter on the slipstream—Myst’s voice.
You may be ready to lead your people
, she whispered,
but are you ready to fight me? I am returning, and I will take you down and destroy you and everything you love. Fear me, for I am fear and cruelty incarnate, my turncoat daughter.
I shuddered as the clouds blotted out the moon and the stars. The snow began again, furious, thick flakes. As I turned back to the Barrow, I knew the Queen of the Indigo Court was on her way. And this time, one of us had to die.
CICELY AND THE COURT OF SNOW AND ICE
Check: Cicely’s personal guard.
Cicely Waters: A witch who can control the wind. One of the magic-born and half-Uwilahsidhe (the Owl people of the Cambyra Fae). Born on the Summer Solstice at midnight, a daughter of the Moon/Waning Year. The new Queen of Snow and Ice.
Druise: Cicely’s lady’s maid.
Fearless: Cicely’s personal guard.
Grieve: (See also Indigo Court) Prince of the Court of Rivers and Rushes, one of the Cambyra Fae (shapeshifting Fae) now turned Vampiric Fae. Cicely’s fiancé and the King-Elect of the Court of Snow and Ice.
Silverweb: The Treasurer of the Court of Snow and Ice.
Strict: Cicely’s Chief Advisor.
Tabera: The late Queen of Snow and Ice.
RHIANNON AND THE COURT OF RIVERS AND RUSHES
Chatter: One of the Summer Court. Grieve’s best friend and Rhiannon’s fiancé. King-Elect of the Court of Rivers and Rushes.
Edge: Rhiannon’s Court Advisor.
Lainule: The former Fae Queen of Rivers and Rushes, Grieve’s aunt and Rhiannon’s aunt. The former Queen of Summer. Destined to fade back to the Golden Isle.
Rhiannon Roland: Cicely’s cousin, born on the same day as Cicely, only at daybreak, a daughter of the Sun/Waxing Year. Rhiannon is also half Cambyra Fae and half magic-born, and she controls the power of fire. The new Queen of Rivers and Rushes.
Wrath: Cicely’s father—one of the Uwilahsidhe (the Owl people of the Cambyra Fae). Lainule’s Consort.
PEYTON AND THE COURT OF THE MAGIC-BORN
Anadey: Traitor; was a friend of Heather’s and mentor to Rhiannon. One of the magic-born, Anadey can work with all elements. She owns Anadey’s Diner and is Peyton’s mother.
Kaylin Chen: Martial arts sensei, a dreamwalker, has a Night Veil demon merged into his soul.
Luna Saunders: Yummanii bard.
Peyton Moon Runner: Half werepuma, half magic-born, she’s Rex and Anadey’s daughter.
Rex Moon Runner: Werepuma. Peyton’s father.
Ysandra Petros: Member of the Consortium. Yummanii and powerful witch who can control sound, energy, and force.
THE INDIGO COURT
Myst: Queen of the Indigo Court, mother of the Vampiric Fae, the Mistress of Mayhem. Queen of Winter.
Heather Roland: Rhiannon’s mother and Cicely’s aunt. One of the magic-born, an herbalist, first turned into a vampire by the Indigo Court, now truly dead.
THE VEIN LORDS/TRUE VAMPIRES
Crawl: The Blood Oracle; one of the oldest Vein Lords, made by the Crimson Queen herself. Sire to Regina and Lannan.
Geoffrey: Former Northwest Regent of the Vampire Nation and one of the Elder Vein Lords. Two thousand years old; from Xiongnu.
Lannan Altos: Professor at the New Forest Conservatory, Elder vampire, brother and lover to Regina Altos, hedonistic Golden Boy. New Northwest Regent of the Vampire Nation.
Leo Bryne: Was Rhiannon’s fiancé; a healer and one of the magic-born. Leo was a day-runner for Geoffrey and now is a vampire.
Regina Altos: Emissary for the Crimson Court/Queen. Originally from Sumer with her brother and lover, Lannan. Was a priestess of Inanna. Turned by Crawl.
Night Vision
I write to music a good portion of the time and have been sharing my playlists on my website. I finally decided to add them to the backs of the books for my readers who aren’t online.
—Yasmine Galenorn
The 69 Eyes:
“August Moon”
“Some Kind of Magick”
“Angels”
A. J. Roach:
“Devil May Dance”
Aerosmith:
“Walk This Way”
Air:
“Astronomic Club”
“Seven Stars”
“Moon Fever”
“Napalm Love”
“Playground Love”
The Alan Parsons Project:
“You Lie Down with Dogs”
“Children of the Moon”
“Breakdown”
Android Lust:
“Dragonfly”
“Stained”
“Saint Over”
“A New Heaven”
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour:
“Lady Jesus”
Black Mountain:
“Wucan”
“Queens Will Play”
“The Hair Song”
“Druganaut”
“Wild Wind”
Bon Jovi:
“Wanted Dead or Alive”
Brent Lewis:
“Beyond Midnight”
“Wild Wood”
Buffalo Springfield:
“For What It’s Worth”
Cobra Verde:
“Play with Fire”
Dave & Steve Gordon:
“Shaman’s Drum Dance”
“Four Direction Ritual”
“Empowered Fire Groove”
David Draiman:
“Forsaken”
Eels:
“Souljacker Part I”
Faun:
“Sieben”
“Deva”
“Punagra”
Foster the People:
“Pumped Up Kicks”
Gabrielle Roth and The Mirrors:
“The Calling”
“Raven”
“Mother Night”
“Rest Your Tears Here”
Gary Numan:
“When the Sky Bleeds He Will Come”
“The Fall”
“Hybrid”
“Dominion Day”
Godhead:
“Penetrate”
Gorillaz:
“Stylo”
Gotye:
“Hearts a Mess”
“Somebody That I Used to Know”
In Strict Confidence:
“Silver Bullets”
“Something to Remember”
“Snow White”
Julian Cope:
“Charlotte Anne”
King Black Acid:
“Rolling Under”
“Haunted”
Lady Gaga:
“Teeth”
“I Like It Rough”
“Paparazzi”
“Paper Gangsta”
“The Fame”
Ladytron:
“I’m Not Scared”
“Ghosts”
“White Elephant”
“Ritual”
LindstrØm & Christabelle:
“Lovesick”
Lord of the Lost:
“Sex on Legs”
Low with Tom and Andy:
“Half Light”
Madonna:
“4 Minutes”
Marilyn Manson:
“Godeatgod”
“Tainted Love”
“Personal Jesus”
“Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These)”
“Redeemer”
Mark Lanegan:
“The Gravedigger’s Song”
“Phantasmagoria Blues”
“Riot in My House”
“Wedding Dress”
“Methamphetamine Blues”
“Riding the Nightingale”
“Judas Touch”
Nine Inch Nails:
“Closer”
“Down in It”
“Sin”
“Deep”
Nirvana:
“Heart-Shaped Box”
“You Know You’re Right”
Notwist:
“Hands on Us”
Orgy:
“Social Enemies”
“Blue Monday”
“Fiend”
“Dizzy”
“Pantomime”
A Pale Horse Named Death:
“Pill Head”
“Meet the Wolf”
“Heroin Train”
People in Planes:
“Vampire”
Puddle of Mudd:
“Famous”
Red Hot Chili Peppers:
“Blood Sugar Sex Magik”
“Sir Psycho Sexy”
Saliva:
“Ladies and Gentlemen”
Sarah McLachlan:
“Possession”
Screaming Trees:
“All I Know”
“Look at You”
“Dying Days”
“Witness”
“Dime Western”
“Gospel Plow”
Seether:
“Remedy”
Soundgarden:
“Let Me Drown”
“Black Hole Sun”
“Fell on Black Days”
“Fresh Tendrils”
Susan Enan:
“Bring on the Wonder”
Verve:
“Bitter Sweet Symphony”
Warchild:
“Ash”
Woodland:
“Will o’ the Wisp”
“Lady and the Unicorn”
“First Melt”
“Winds of Ostara”
“I Remember”
“Gates of Twilight”
Zero 7:
“In the Waiting Line”
Dear Reader:
I hope you enjoyed
Night Vision
, the fourth book in the Indigo Court Series. I truly love losing myself in this mystical, icy world I’ve created, and the last book in this series will be
Night’s End
—coming in July 2014.
But before then, we revisit Otherworld, with
Autumn Whispers
, book fourteen, coming in October 2013, and
Crimson Veil
, book fifteen, in early 2014, plus a few smaller projects along the way (see my website for further information).
I’m enclosing the first chapter of
Autumn Whispers
here, to give you a taste of what’s coming up for Delilah and her sisters in Otherworld, as they take on increasing odds in the demonic war.
For those of you new to my books, I hope you’ve enjoyed your first foray into my worlds. For those of you who have followed me for a while, I want to thank you for once again revisiting the world of Cicely and the snowy world of New Forest, Washington.
Bright Blessings,
The Painted Panther
Yasmine Galenorn
Following is a special excerpt from
AUTUMN WHISPERS
the next book in the Otherworld series by Yasmine Galenorn