The Keep: The Watchers
Read The Keep: The Watchers Online
Authors: Veronica Wolff
THE
KEEP
ALSO BY VERONICA WOLFF
Isle of Night
Vampire’s Kiss
Blood Fever
THE
KEEP
the watchers
VERONICA WOLFF
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
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First published by New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, June 2013
Copyright © Veronica Wolff, 2013
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.
REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-in-PUBLICATION DATA.
Wolff, Veronica.
The Keep: the Watchers/Veronica Wolff.
p. cm
ISBN: 978-1-101-59411-7
1. Vampires—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3623.O575K44 2013
813’.6—dc23 2013002058
Designed by Ginger Legato
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.
This one goes out to Rosanne Romanello,
with my warmest thanks.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’m grateful to my entire team at Penguin, especially my editor, Cindy Hwang. We’ve worked together for over six years, and my respect and admiration for her only continue to grow. I’d also like to give a shout-out to my publicist, Rosanne Romanello, who, quite simply, rocks. I’d also like to thank Robin Rue and Beth Miller at Writers House for such thoughtful support.
Thanks also go to Gudmundur Audunsson, for his continued help with Icelandic—any errors are mine alone. To Monica McCarty and Jami Alden, for cheering this series from the sidelines. To my critique partner, Kate Perry, who makes me do the hard things that end up being good for me. To Tracy Grant, for all those many pep talks. To Martha Flynn, who’s always game to discuss everything from three-act structure, to the tastiest local dim sum, to the latest constellation of CW actors. As always, thanks to Connie O’Donovan and Joey Wolff for being such enthusiastic (and honest) early readers. And finally, to Carlos “Sapão” Ban and the rest of my family at Ocean Beach Barra Brothers—they taught me everything Drew knows about grappling.
Last but not least, I’m most grateful for my miraculous family. They never complain, even though they know the simple act of getting into a car with me brings with it the distinct risk of enforced brainstorming. A lot of that went into this book…and who knew my husband and kids would be so brilliant at devising crazy vampire mythologies? Love you—couldn’t do it without you.
CHAPTER ONE
I
t was a new semester, and this term my combat class was a martial arts intensive. We were practicing some basic Brazilian jujitsu, doing sweeps. Half the girls were on their backs, whisking the feet out from under a partner who stood above. But, apparently, my partner had different ideas. Before I’d regained my footing, she clipped my heel out from under me, sending me toppling.
“What the hell?” I hopped up, giving a shake to my ringing head.
“What?” she asked, playing dumb.
“You’re supposed to let me get into position before you sweep me.” I approached again, taking a tone that was more ridicule than reprimand. “This is practice, Audra.”