Tempted (House of Night Series #6)

by P. C. Cast, Kristin Cast Narrated by Cassandra Morris

Overview

So...you'd think after banishing an immortal being and a fallen High Priestess, saving Stark's life, biting Heath, getting a headache from Erik, and almost dying, Zoey Redbird would catch a break. Sadly, a break is not in the House of Night school forecast for the High Priestess in training and her gang. Juggling three guys is anything but a stress reliever, especially when one of them is a sexy Warrior who is so into protecting Zoey that he can sense her emotions.

Speaking of stress, the dark force lurking in the tunnels under the Tulsa Depot is spreading, and Zoey is beginning to believe Stevie Rae could be responsible for a lot more than a group of misfit red fledglings.

Aphrodite's visions warn Zoey to stay away from Kalona and his dark allure, but they also show that it is Zoey who has the power to stop the evil immortal. Soon it becomes obvious that Zoey has no choice: if she doesn't go to Kalona he will exact a fiery vengeance on those closest to her.

Will Zoey have the courage to chance losing her life, her heart, and her soul? Find out in this spectacular installment in the House of Night series, Tempted.

A Macmillan Audio production.

Editorial Reviews

After the high-stress dangers of Hunted, Zoey Redbird deserves a vacation, but there is no rest for the neck-biting weary in this exciting installment of the Cast mother-daughter House of Night series. Tempted tosses our favorite high priestess-in-training into a maelstrom of fast-breaking danger and lurking romantic possibilities. Weird school situations, boy problems: Could a vampire novel be any more relevant to teen readers?

From the Publisher

Cast and Cast pull out all the stops and take this story to shattering new heights with devastating consequences!” —Romantic Times (4 ½ stars)

“P. C. And Kristin Cast have made an absolutely amazing [YA] series. The visuals offered by this fantastic duo are entertaining and imaginative, with nonstop action.... This is easily a [YA] series that can entertain adults with action, hot Vampyres, true friendship, budding romance, a Loving Goddess, and a twist of the unexpected.” —HowlingGoodBooks.com (5 stars)

“I loved every one of the books in the [House of Night] series. Tempted is my definite favorite…. This book had me ripping through the pages.” —Teen review on Flamingnet.com

“Move over, Stephenie Meyer.” —People on Hunted

“Zoey Redbird's first-person adventures take on added danger and importance in the latest House of Night release. Forced by circumstance to grow up quickly, Zoey's emotional and spiritual evolution is fascinating. The Cast duo breathes life and vibrancy into the characters and makes each one an integral part of the saga. Awesome and unforgettable as always!” —Romantic Times (4.5 stars) on Hunted

“The Cast duo has done it again! These ladies appear to be an unstoppable force within the world of YA literature… Teenage readers will be drawn to Zoey's everyday, angst-riddled life. Not only does she need to save the world, Zoey needs to solve some major vampyre/human boy drama. These stories are surreal, yet shockingly accurate when it comes to teenagers and their lives.” —TeensReadToo.com (5 stars) on Hunted

“This highly addicting series offers a unique twist on the standard vampyre story....These books will have the reader laughing hysterically and sobbing unreservedly -sometimes all at once.” —VOYA on both Marked and Betrayed

“Teenage issues can seem like life or death, but in this haunting series, House of Night, that's really the case. Through Zoey's eyes readers are led into a world that's getting more complicated by the minute, where friends and enemies can switch positions in a heartbeat. The remarkable Cast duo continues to build a world that you won't soon forget!” —Romantic Times (4.5 stars) on Chosen

“Marked is one of the best coming of age stories to come out of Oklahoma since S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders. It teaches about the beauty of being a social outcast, friendship, and finding your own inner spirituality.” —The Beltane Papers

“Readers will identify with many of the characters, especially the protagonist.” —Library Journal on Marked

APRIL 2010 - AudioFile

In this series, Zoey Redbird is training to be a High Priestess at the House of Night school. Now Zoey finds herself becoming involved with yet another guy—the fiery, emotion-sensing, dream-invading warrior Kalona. With another character taking over the narrative for a time and a good deal of the story’s focus on the relationships between the characters, this title delivers less of what the series' fans have come to expect. Fortunately, Cassandra Morris's youthful and energetic narration more than makes up for the book’s deficiencies. In particular, Morris makes awkward dialogue sound natural and believable. This is a great example of a book that is, hands-down, better in audio than in print. M.L.K. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172067709
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	10/27/2009
Series:	House of Night Series
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	583,491
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

Read an Excerpt

TEMPTED (Chapter 1)

Zoey

The night sky over Tulsa was alight with a magical crescent moon. Its brilliance made the ice that coated the city, and the Benedictine Abbey where we'd just had our showdown with a fallen immortal and a rogue High Priestess, shimmer so that everything around me seemed touched by our Goddess. I looked at the moonlight-bathed circle that stood in front of Mary's Grotto, the place of power where not long ago Spirit, Blood, Earth, Humanity, and Night had been personified and then had joined to triumph over hatred and darkness. The carved image of Mary, surrounded by stone roses and nestled within a ledge high in the grotto, appeared to be a beacon for the silver light. I stared at the statue. Mary's expression was serene; her ice-covered cheeks glistened as if she wept in quiet joy.

My gaze lifted to the sky. Thank you. I sent a silent prayer up to the beautiful crescent that symbolized my Goddess, Nyx. We're alive. Kalona and Neferet are gone.

"Thank you," I whispered to the moon.

Listen within . . .

The words swept through me, subtle and sweet like leaves touched by a summer breeze, brushing my consciousness so lightly that my waking mind barely registered them, yet Nyx's whispered command imprinted itself into my soul.

I was vaguely aware that there were a lot of people (well, nuns, fledglings, and a few vampyres) around me. I could hear the mixture of shouting, talking, crying, and even laughing that filled the night, but it all felt distant. At that moment the only things that were real to me were the moon above and the scar that sliced from one shoulder all the way across my chest to the other shoulder. It tingled in response to my silent prayer, but it wasn't a tingle of pain. Not really. It was a familiar warm, prickling sensation that assured me Nyx had, once again, Marked me as hers. I knew if I peeked under the neck of my shirt I would find a new tattoo decorating that long, angry-looking scar with an exotic filigree of sapphire—a sign that proved I was following my Goddess's path.

"Erik and Heath, find Stevie Rae, Johnny B, and Dallas—then check the perimeter of the abbey to be certain all the Raven Mockers fled with Kalona and Neferet!" Darius shouted the command, snapping me out of my warm, fuzzy prayer mode, and once I'd been shocked out, it was like an iPod had been cranked too high as sound and confusion flooded my senses.

"But Heath's a human. A Raven Mocker could kill him in a second." The words burst from my mouth before I could clamp it shut, proving beyond all doubt that being moonstruck wasn't my only moronic skill.

Predictably, Heath puffed up like a cat-smacked toad.

"Zo, I'm not a damn pussy!"

Erik, looking very tall and full-grown, kick-your-butt vampyre-like, snorted sarcastically and then said, "No, you're a damn human. Wait, that does make you a pussy!"

"So, we defeat the big baddies and inside five minutes Erik and Heath are banging their chests at each other. How totally predictable," Aphrodite said with her patented sarcastic sneer as she joined Darius, but her expression completely changed when she turned her attention to the Son of Erebus Warrior. "Hey there, Hotness. You doing okay?"

"You need not worry about me," Darius said. His eyes met hers, and they practically telegraphed the chemistry between them, but instead of going to her like he usually would and doing some very gross kissing, he remained focused on Stark.

Aphrodite's gaze went from Darius to Stark. "Okay, eew. Your chest is totally crispy crittered."

James Stark was standing between Darius and Erik. Okay, well, standing wasn't exactly what he was doing. Stark was swaying and looking extremely unsteady.

Ignoring Aphrodite, Erik spoke up. "Darius, you should probably get Stark inside. I'll coordinate the reconnoitering with Stevie Rae and make sure everything runs smoothly out here." His words seemed okay, but his tone was all I'm-the-big-guy-in-charge, and when he followed up with a condescending "I'll even let Heath help out," he really sounded like a pompous butt.

"You'll let me help out?" Heath snapped. "Your mom will let me help out."

"Hey, which one of them is supposed to be your boyfriend?" Stark asked me. Even in the terrible shape he was in, he caught my glance with his. His voice was scratchy, and he sounded scarily weak, but his eyes sparkled with humor.

"I am!" Heath and Erik said together.

"Oh, for crap's sake, Zoey, they're both idiots!" Aphrodite said.

Stark started to chuckle, which turned to a cough, which changed again to a painful gasp. His eyes rolled back and, like a slinky, he collapsed.

Moving with the quickness that came naturally to a Son of Erebus Warrior, Darius caught Stark before he hit the ground. "I need to get him inside," Darius said.

I felt like my head was going to explode. Sagging in Darius's arms, Stark looked well on his way to being dead. "I-I don't even know where the infirmary is," I stuttered.

"Not a problem. I'll get a penguin to show us," Aphrodite said. "Hey, you, nun!" she yelled at one of the nearby black-and-white-clad sisters who had scurried out of the abbey after the night had gone from battle chaos to aftermath chaos.

Darius hurried after the nun, with Aphrodite following him. The warrior glanced over his shoulder at me. "Aren't you coming with us, Zoey?"

"As soon as I can." Before I could deal with Erik and Heath, from behind me a familiar twang saved the day.

"Go on with Darius and Aphrodite, Z. I'll take care of Dumb and Dumber and be sure there's no booger monsters left out here."

"Stevie Rae, you are the Best Friend of All Best Friends." I turned and hugged her quickly, loving how reassuringly solid and normal she felt. Actually, she seemed so normal that I got a weird twinge when she stepped back and grinned at me and I saw, as if for the first time, the scarlet tattoos that spread out from the filled-in crescent in the middle of her forehead and down either side of her face. A sliver of unease threaded through me.

Misunderstanding my hesitation, she said, "Don't worry about these two dorks. I'm gettin' used to jerking them apart." When I just stood there staring at her, the bright smile she'd been wearing dimmed. "Hey, you know your grandma's okay, right? Kramisha got her back inside right after Kalona was banished and Sister Mary Angela just told me she was goin' inside to check on her."

"Yeah, I remember Kramisha helping her into the wheelchair. I'm just . . ." My voice trailed off. I was just what? How could I put into words that I was haunted by a feeling that everything wasn't right with my best friend and the group of kids she'd allied herself with, and how do I say that to my best friend?

"You're just tired and worried 'bout a bunch of stuff," Stevie Rae said softly.

Was that understanding I saw flicker through her eyes? Or was it something else, something darker?

"I get it, Z, and I'll take care of things out here. You just be sure Stark's okay." She hugged me again, and then gave me a little push in the direction of the abbey.

"'Kay. Thanks," I said lamely, starting toward the abbey and totally ignoring the two dorks who were standing there staring at me.

Stevie Rae called after me, "Hey, remind Darius or someone to keep an eye on the time. It's only about an hour until sunrise, and you know me and all the red fledglings gotta be inside out of the sun by then."

"Yeah, no problem. I'll remember," I said.

The problem was it was getting harder and harder for me to forget Stevie Rae wasn't what she used to be.

TEMPTED. Copyright 2009 by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast.

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