Vampire Acadamy Series

Or

sen

muttered as she fiddled with the n

nervous glance over her shoulder. She'd thought she heard foots

trangely it hadn't bothered her before. She couldn't explain it, but

ll that ha

by herself. Usually her boyfriend escorted her to class, but Tim was at a symposium presentin

empty. No doubt there were widespread parties tonight celebrati

e bushes behind her trembling. In a growing

bottles in the pocket beside it for a dose of relief. Instead, she increased h

ough they never landed on a crack, even in her rush. App

e, but she was late enough that her Remedial Mat

left. Almost

he doors, she exhaled in relief. Inside, the h

rty-three very large and very loyal Tulane football players. Anyone thinki

have to teach Digits for Idjits, as some of the instructors

why not instruct the ones who h

the players always got there early to scribble sprawling messages for her on the blackboard. A fellow instructor had related to

kirts with hemlines past her knee

Got it bad, sooo bad, I'm hot for teacher," "I've been a naughty boy, Ms. Ashwin,

illimeter of writing on the board, or to arrange the chalk in the tray in

clasp of her strand of pearls was directly in the center of the back of her neck, she tugged each sleeve of her twin

ery chair

wled across the board. The

them? She swallow

face, reeking of fumes,

er body went limp, she heard the un

ons have

to yet another demon lair, he grappled to cont

taken

ad recognized the human as his own fated female. Unable to claim a

demons had traced her, teleporting her to gods knew where. But

picked the wrong virgin-Cade would hang them by their own entrails

bly drunk driver. When drunks drove slowly,

ceive the details of his latest job. It'd be the most impo

his brother Rydstrom said. "I

, tempted to give it a tap, Cade

s Groot the M

lf brother of Omort the Deathless. "He intends to help us against Omo

ed a sword tha

hat could. Omort the Deathless didn't come b

ssel and deliver her to him

o sexual maturity. Her child would be a warrior of either ultimate

n front of Cad

doing?" Ryds

ade had told him that he would stop watching Holly. Though they b

mons. Because they never su

from afar, studying her, growing more and more fascinated wi

brutal mercenary, head of a crew of soldiers of fortune.

a that she was the highlight of a millenn

Rydstrom found out Cade wasn't "on," the two of them would be heading for another of their inf

sed to find the V

s a Valkyrie th

e of an evil sorcerer-you're not wo

your book and say that what t

othsayer, had helped Rydstrom and Cade in the past. In fact, she'd put togeth

a week ago about Holly. Nïx had

now. Besides, it can't be helped," Rydstrom said. "Nothing is more important than

a location on

earching for her. As expecte

g and pulling all the factions together

er," Rydstrom added. "Oracles, witches,

magine. "You

s, a place called the Hall of the Son of Gib. I know i

. The Hall of the Son of Gib. Or Gibson Hall-

redicted location and mistaken her for one. She had the right delicate

resources to determine the Vessel's location b

Rydstrom said. "I'll be back at th

other for help with the Demonaeus, there wouldn't

ut across three lanes of traffic, careening over

s located, had been forced to convene w

ar. Was the sweet, impossibly innoc

wheel bent un

wo

't know if she wanted to see anyway. A quick men

d with her long hair hanging down over the end, snagging on the rough edges. T

r face, ensuring that everything

all around her, in a bizarr

ad ever seen her completely naked before. Now

truggled against their grip. "Let me go!" This is a drea

with her brain. Surely

chanting, she pleaded, "Don't do this," but

l around and moonlight shone through a skylight of some kind. She squinted a

e repeated: Demonaeus. This must be som

dentities. She was certain that meant one thing-t

had no siblings. "I'm not the one you want for this...this sacrifice."

em gave harsh

ered to herself, trying to stem h

almost directly over an unusual etching in the center of the

er the altar, over her, when the moon hit it. It wa

adow's advent, glancing up eve

anting grew louder. She struggled harder,

oted that the more she strained to get free, th

emoved his robe, comprehension hit her. She couldn't see below

black? He clamped her thighs, dragging he

d. All hell

ntered into ominous forks through the etched demon's face-then the who

h the opening to spear her squarely

with her fists clenched. The bolt was

elted off her fingers, her earrings from her ears. Her neckl

her skin was somehow hott

with power, with...comfort. When it ended, Holly

d to whisper in her mind.

suddenly tipped with razor-sharp claws. Her eyesight was keener t

ghtning, the demons looked dazed, blinded.

hing on the altar, waiting as they stalked

nscious so they could co

e snatched him by the horns. They were...attached t

e happening. She laughed as she twisted the demo

tive drive to kill with her new s

attacked, Holl

ousands of years. She knew to wrench their heads from their necks, to slash out

ish

, lightning scored the sky ab

ne's jugular and severed it. "I see." Yes, thei

as he crept closer to where H

d it come from her, or the twelv

he shadows. Which meant Valkyrie. So

on Hall. Holly was

sts while baring her little claws at him to ward him off. She was trembl

killi

red. "I don't wa

s to those on one of the head

said. "But not at all like

Though the carnage looked to have been done some time ago, Holly

granted the accelerated healing and immortality of one. Which me

die so

jure more th

ly shook

et you to a hospital?" he asked, e

't already scried the lightning he'd seen from a distance. Power still si

, "They d-did

nt to help

use of her name,

lightning continued to strike in constant streams. Lightning

, she gave a cry, and bloody claws swiped out at

he had become something he never could have predicted. A Valkyrie. Or half one. He hadn't known sh

en brutalized, her womb offered to the d

red her small fangs and hissed, t

uched beside her, fighting the urge to clasp her to

etween silver and the intense violet he

?" When she shakily nodded, he said, "Well, they're

me possible for Cade to

et-the Vessel. The means to pa

ndred years to reclaim-the unyielding pursuit

it been so

d betray the woman he'd wai