Final Prophecy 05 - Blood Spells

Table of Contents

 

 

 

“This series goes right to your heart! Jessica Andersen is a must read for me!”

—#1
New York Times
bestselling author J. R. Ward

 

“An exciting, romantic, and imaginative tale,
Skykeepers
is guaranteed to keep readers entertained and turning the pages.”

—Romance Reviews Today

 

“Will knock you off your feet, keep you on the edge of your seat and totally captivated from beginning to end.”

—Romance Junkies

 

“A gripping story that pulled this reader right into her Final Prophecy series.”

—Romance Reader at Heart (top pick)

 

“The Final Prophecy is a well-written series that is as intricate as it is entertaining.”

—The Romance Readers Connection

 

“The world of the Nightkeepers is wonderful, and I love visiting it. It is intricate, magical, and absolutely fascinating. . . . Step inside the Nightkeeper world and prepare to be swept away!”

—Joyfully Reviewed

 

“If you’re looking for a book to read, one that has an intricate, inventive, and well-researched world with characters that are fully realized, might I suggest
Skykeepers
?”

—Romance Novel TV

 

 

“Prophecy, passion, and powerful emotions—
Dawnkeepers
will keep you on the edge of your seat begging for more!”

—Wild on Books

 

“This strong new series will appeal to fantasy and paranormal fans with its refreshing blend of Mayan and Egyptian mythologies plus a suitably complex story line and plenty of antagonists.”

—Monsters and Critics

 

“This exhilarating urban romantic fantasy saga is constructed around modernizing Mayan mythology. . . . The story line is fast-paced and filled with action as the overarching Andersen mythology is wonderfully embellished with this engaging entry.”

—Genre Go Round Reviews

 

“Using the Mayan doomsday prophecy, Andersen continues to add complexity to her characters and her increasingly dense mythos. This intense brand of storytelling is a most welcome addition to the genre.”

—
Romantic Times

 

“Action-packed with skillfully written and astounding fight scenes . . . will keep you on the edge of your seat begging for more.”

—Romance Junkies

 

 

“Raw passion, dark romance, and seat-of-your-pants suspense—I swear ancient Mayan gods and demons walk the modern earth!”

—#1
New York Times
bestselling author J. R. Ward

 

“Andersen’s got game when it comes to style and voice . . . a mix of humor, suspense, mythology, and fantasy . . . a series that’s sure to be an instant reader favorite, and will put Andersen’s books on keeper shelves around the world.”

—Suzanne Brockmann on Writers Are Readers

 

“I deeply enjoyed the story. It really hooked me!”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Angela Knight

 

“Part romance, mystery, and fairy tale . . . a captivating book with wide appeal.”

—
Booklist

 

“[A] nonstop, action-intensive plot. . . . Ms. Andersen delivers a story that is both solid romance and adventure novel. If you enjoy movies like
Lara Croft
. . . or just want something truly new, you will definitely want this.”

—Huntress Book Reviews

 

“Intense action, sensuality, and danger abound.”

—
Romantic Times

 

“If
Nightkeepers
is any indication of her talent, then [Jessica Andersen] will become one of my favorites. . . . [The book] brought tears to my eyes and an ache in my heart. I read each word with bated breath.”

—Romance Junkies

 

“[A] terrific romantic fantasy . . . an excellent thriller. Jessica Andersen provides a strong story that . . . fans will cherish.”

—
Midwest Book Review

The Novels of the Nightkeepers

 

 

SIGNET ECLIPSE
Published by New American Library, a division of
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, November 2010

eISBN : 978-1-101-44484-9

Copyright © Jessica Andersen, 2010 All rights reserved

 

SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

 

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

 

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

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 Web sites or their content.

 

 

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

My heartfelt thanks go to Deidre Knight, Kerry Donovan, Claire Zion, and Kara Welsh for helping me take these books from a dream to a reality; to J. R. Ward for her unswerving support; to my many other e-friends for always being there for a laugh or cyberhug; and to Sally for keeping me sane.

The card readings used in this story were adapted from
The Mayan Oracle: Return Path to the Stars
, written by Ariel Spilsbury and Michael Bryner. The stuff I got right is thanks to them. . . . The rest is on me!

 

Mayan lore and modern science warn that 12/21/2012 could bring a global cataclysm . . . a threat that is far more real than we imagine. Dark forces stand poised to overrun the earth and crush humanity beneath a vicious rule of terror and blood sacrifice. Our only hope rests with a group of saviors living in secret among us: modern magic-wielding warriors called the Nightkeepers. Now, in the last years before the 2012 doomsday, these magi must find and win their destined mates in order to defend the barrier of psi energy that protects humanity against an ancient and powerful enemy. . . .

Five days until the solstice-eclipse

 

As the robed Nightkeepers formed a circle around the ancient stone sarcophagus, deep underground, Patience wanted to yell,
Cancel the ceremony. The omens suck!

She didn’t, though, because the others didn’t give a crap about the omens or the Mayan astronomy she’d gotten into lately. Besides, when the prophecies said, “On this day, you will jump,” the magi freaking jumped. And when they said the Nightkeepers had to enact the Triad spell at the First Father’s tomb on the Day of Ancestors—aka today—well, it wasn’t like they could put it off, sucky omens or not.

This was now-or-never, do-or-die time . . . or potentially “do
and
die” given that the spell had a two-thirds attrition rate: The Triad had been formed only once before in the history of the Nightkeepers, and of the three magi chosen back then, only one had survived unscathed. Of the other two, one had gone nuts and the other had died instantly.

Patience suppressed a shiver. The air in the tomb was cool and faintly damp, and the flickering torchlight made the carvings on the walls seem to move in the shadows, morphing from Egyptian to Mayan and back again as though echoing the Nightkeepers’ evolution.

Sweat prickled down her back beneath the lightweight black-on-black combat gear that, along with the black, tattoolike glyph on her inner wrist, identified her as a warrior-mage. She was heavily armed—the Nightkeepers all were—even though it was questionable whether jade-tipped bullets and ceremonial knives would be any use today. The magi weren’t going up against a physical enemy; they were asking the sun god, Kinich Ahau, to choose three of them to receive the Triad powers.