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Overview
A thousand miles of wilderness. Innumerable dangers. Uneasy alliances. A bond forged in blood. The odds are great, and survival has never been more uncertain.
Vampires and humans have always been bitter enemies, destined to push each other to extinction. But when a group of scientists develops a genetic enhancement meant to boost the effectiveness of human hunters, tragic results threaten to bring about the destruction of vampires and humans alike.
After the fallout of Year Zero and rise of mutated hybrids known as morphs, the remaining humans retreat into five fortresses.
All seems well until Easthaven is attacked in an assault that leaves only thirty survivors. Enter Marcus Warren, one of the most powerful hunters in existence. Reluctantly, Marcus assumes leadership and decides that the group’s only chance of survival is to cross a thousand miles of wilderness to Ashland.
Forced to trust a hybrid named Clio and a vampire called Aya, Marcus and the others set out. Dangers lurk everywhere, and enemies seem destined to destroy them…if they don’t destroy each other first.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781684332694 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Black Rose Writing |
| Publication date: | 05/09/2019 |
| Series: | The Western Passage , #1 |
| Edition description: | First Printing ed. |
| Pages: | 336 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.84(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Day Zero
We were so single-minded in striving for progress that we did not recognize the dangers of our actions until the damage was already done.
— Excerpt taken from the final lab entries of Dr. Helena Mortimer
* * *
"That's it?" Ian Hayes asked, staring down at his arm. He was waiting for the pain, for his veins to bulge where the needle had been pressed in, for fangs to descend from his canines, for something. But he didn't feel any different.
The nurse smiled as she swabbed away the spot of blood that had bubbled at the injection site and pressed a small bandage over it. "Were you expecting to sprout horns or turn purple?" She teased.
"Maybe." He chuckled. "Everybody's been so worked up about this that I just thought it would be more ... eventful."
"You wouldn't be the first to think so." She held up her right hand. "Follow my finger with those crystal blue eyes of yours; I need to test a few basic responses."
Ian did as he was told, watching her gloved finger move from side to side, sticking out his tongue when she asked him to, breathing deeply as she pressed a stethoscope to various spots on his chest and back.
Finally she stepped back, done with her prodding. "You're all finished, Ian," she said, gracing him with another warm smile. "Consider yourself a successful recipient of the Metamorphosis vaccine."
He hopped down from the hospital bed. "Is that really what they're calling it?"
She nodded, blushing slightly as her gaze flitted over his toned physique. "Well, it's the unofficial name. The technical name is based on the vampire gene they extracted it from — the key ingredient in the formula, so to speak. It's a lot longer and a lot harder to pronounce." She picked up the clipboard she'd placed aside earlier and put a check next to his name. "Besides, it is supposed to alter your DNA, so I think the name works."
Ian shrugged. "If you say so, although I think it's kinda stodgy. Sounds like something a bunch of stuffy pencil pushers came up with."
She raised an eyebrow. "Okay, Mr. Judgmental. If you think the name's so boring, what would you call it instead?"
Ian crossed his arms, pretending to ponder it. "Hm ... something flashy, for sure. Maybe 'V Power', or 'Fang-splosion'. Something with a punch."
The nurse rolled her eyes. "Yes, because those options are clearly superior."
His good humor never wavered. "I think so too," he said, ignoring her obvious sarcasm. He sidled closer. "You know, for the sake of science, we should really see if this vaccine makes everything stronger. What do you say you and I go —?"
She whacked him with her clipboard, even as she suppressed a smirk. "Out," she said, pointing towards the door. "Before I stick you with the biggest needle I can find for that comment."
He held up his hands in defeat. "I'm going, I'm going," he insisted, grinning as he headed for the exit. "Offer still stands," he called over his shoulder, giving the blushing nurse a wink before he pushed open the door.
The waiting room at the Tifist Clinic was a quiet place on any given day, but today, Ian thought, it was quieter than usual — and not for lack of people. The line of Rangers waiting to receive the Metamorphosis vaccine was longer than it had been when Ian had been called into the back, stretching almost to the doublewide exit doors at the other end, but aside from the small clusters of people whispering amongst themselves, the large space was as silent as a tomb.
He found Deana close to the front, fidgeting badly and looking just as nervous as the people around her. While a few of his fellow hunters seemed to share Ian's confidence, it didn't appear that Deana was one of them.
She saw him and waved him over. "You're done already?" She whispered as he reached her. She chewed on her bottom lip. "How was it? How do you feel?"
"Fine. The initial sensation when they inject you is sort of strange, but it was quick and painless — honestly. You'll be in and out before you know it."
"Great," she muttered, not looking the least bit relieved. Her eyebrows scrunched together, and her eyes dropped to the ground. "In and out before I know it," she echoed softly.
Ian tipped her chin up. "Hey. Dee, look at me." She did, trepidation heavy in her eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked.
She nodded vigorously, and Ian knew she was overcompensating to hide how scared she was. He sighed. "You don't have to go through with this if you don't want to, Dee. You signed up, but it's still not too late to have the docs take your name off the list. We can go tell them you changed your mind and then we can walk out of here together, right now."
"No." Her cheeks puffed slightly as she exhaled. "I'm not backing out. I volunteered, same as you, and I'm gonna get the damn shot, same as you. I just..." She pouted. "I wish Marcus was here."
Ian squeezed her shoulder. "I know," he said softly. "Me too." But Marcus had been adamant about refusing to participate, even after Ian's repeated attempts to change his mind.
If you want to be a lab rat for those crackpot doctors, that's your choice, but I'm not letting them shoot me up with some genetic cocktail. I don't trust them, and I don't trust their experiments.
Marcus's blatant distaste for the vaccine had turned a lot of hunters against it and made a lot more question it — Deana included. Anytime one of the Reapers voiced an opinion on something, everyone else listened. And because Marcus was indisputably the most lethal of the Elite Five (Elite Four, Ian corrected himself sadly), the other Rangers held him in high esteem, none more so than Deana. To her, Marcus's words were pretty much gospel. She'd been as excited to participate in the first round of vaccination trials as Ian was, until Marcus had told her she was being a fool. She'd second-guessed her decision then, just as she was doing now.
Ian's thoughts were interrupted as the door he'd emerged from minutes ago opened. The same pretty nurse that had administered his vaccine stepped out, clipboard in hand. "Lee, David!" She read, her eyes scanning the room for the man she'd called.
The hunter in question walked forward, looking almost as pale as the white shirt he wore. The nurse gave him an encouraging smile as he passed by her, and she winked at Ian before she let the door swing shut behind her.
Huh. Maybe his offer hadn't been such a turn-off after all. He'd have to remember to swing by the clinic for a check-up when he got back from the next hunt.
When he turned his attention back to Deana, she was staring at the two people who were waiting in front of her, still biting her lip. "Do you think Marcus is right?" She finally asked. "Do you think we're making a mistake?"
Ian frowned. "No," he answered, "I don't. If we never take any risks, nothing will change. If this vaccine lives up to its expectations, it could help us eradicate the vampires once and for all." He lowered his voice. "Imagine it, Dee: a world free of fear, free of killing. Our lives could be so different. We could move somewhere else, get real jobs ... maybe even help Marcus open that restaurant he swears he doesn't really want."
That managed to coax a small smile out of her. She nodded. "You're right. Guess it's worth getting a stupid shot for, huh?"
"I think so." He tugged gently on one of her dyed-blue, stubby pigtails. "I'll wait for you outside, okay? Just come find me when you're done."
Deana grabbed his arm. "Could you wait with me until I get called back?" Her cheeks reddened slightly. "I'm not afraid or anything, I just don't want to be alone. Nobody's talking, and it's boring."
Ian's lips curled up fondly in a smile he reserved solely for her. "Sure, Dee. No problem."
He distracted her by talking about Theo, a hunter in one of the other squads she'd been crushing on for months. Ian thought he was kind of a dick, but Dee always seemed to have stars in her eyes when he was around, and who was he to spoil her fun? Besides, Theo would never dream of hurting her, not with Marcus around. Ian was intimidating enough, but as soon as anyone found out that Deana kept company with the strongest Reaper since Damon's time, they were more than model citizens around her. The transformation of Dee's suitors from thugs and rough-and-tumble sorts to upstanding gentlemen under Marcus's watchful eye never ceased to amaze Ian.
"Nueva, Deana!"
Deana gulped. "Wish me luck," she muttered.
"Good luck. You won't need it, though. Promise." He nudged her forward when she failed to move. "Go on. I'll be just outside."
He waited until she had disappeared into the back, and then he made a beeline for the exit. Outside, the day was clear and bright, the spring air fresh and welcoming. He inhaled deeply, thankful for the mood change.
If anything happens to Deana, I'm holding you accountable. You're the one who put this bullshit idea in her head.
Marcus's words returned to him unbidden, dampening his happiness, but Ian chased them away. Nothing was going to happen to Dee - or him - for that matter. The scientists that had developed the vaccine had studied the genetic samples for years and conducted numerous successful trials before deeming it safe for human subjects. There was no reason to be afraid.
His fingers ghosted over the small bandage on his arm. A few drops of blood had stained the middle of the fabric, less significant than a paper cut. It didn't hurt to the touch, and Ian still felt no different than he had before he'd received the vaccine.
Everyone is worrying too much about one measly little shot. They'll all be joking in a week when the results are way more underwhelming than all of the hype.
If anything, Ian wouldn't be surprised if the vaccine hardly produced any changes at all.
* * *
The forest was quiet, peaceful, and Aya's only companion for miles around was the slender doe that had wandered into the clearing below. Aya watched from her perch in the trees as the animal bent its neck to drink at the small creek that ran through the glen, admiring the way the dappled rays of sunlight peeking through the treetop canopy warmed her tawny skin.
The doe quenched her thirst and continued on her way, never realizing that the most dangerous predator in the woods was watching her every move. Not that Aya would ever harm her; she didn't kill innocent creatures.
She saved her fangs and her blood thirst for the humans.
Aya dropped down from the trees, landing silently on the ground. It was a fall that could have broken a human's legs, but Aya barely registered the impact. A vampire's bones and joints were made to withstand much more than a twenty-meter drop. And yet vampires, like humans, still succumbed to the slice of steel and the kiss of arrows.
Aya stepped towards the creek as the doe had, letting the soft sunlight land on her skin. Her pale arms looked almost translucent in the muted rays, much different than the warm-blooded animal's skin had looked. For a moment, Aya wondered what it would feel like to be warmed by the sunlight as the doe had been.
But she would never know.
Humans of old had called her people the cold ones for a reason; it was an apt, albeit unforgiving, description.
Walking on silent feet, Aya began to make her way towards home. She picked up her pace as she headed deeper into the forest, more to feel the rush of air on her face than because she was in any kind of hurry. The wind caressed her skin and made her clothing ripple back against her body, and as Aya raced quickly through the forest, swift and sure, it felt almost like she was flying.
If only I were a bird, she thought wistfully. Then I would truly be able to soar.
She wasn't, of course, but she could indulge her imagination. She began to concentrate and slow her breathing, and then, when she was sure she was ready, Aya closed her eyes, relying on her other senses to guide her through the trees. Her feet and ears became her eyes, picking up on the vibrations and sounds all around her, and Aya made her way without ever faltering.
Seeing without eyes, her grandmother had once called it. It was a gift that hardly any vampires possessed, but the women in her family had all been able to do it. Aya had first walked blindfolded through the forest around her village when she was only seven, the youngest vampire to ever do so. Her people had called her a prodigy.
It was one of the reasons she had been granted so many liberties over the years, Aya knew. Because of her profound skills and potential, the elders made exceptions for her that were denied to others. She was one of the only vampires permitted beyond the limits of their village, aside from the men tasked with blood recovery and the warriors trained to fight the humans, and while she was not yet a warrior herself, she'd been granted permission to accompany the warriors on a few of their raids — where her true talents had become apparent. Aya was still young among the people of her clan, and yet she had already dispatched two hunters.
It was a feat that had not gone unnoticed. When you are old enough and have gained the experience you need, her father had told her once, you will take my place as Guardian. It is not an easy task, but I know you will rise to it all the same. It's in your blood, Aya.
She'd never felt more pride than in that moment.
As quickly as she'd fallen into her memories, Aya was jarred out of them when her foot landed in a soft patch of earth, and she felt something strange — a vibration to her left that shouldn't have been there. Her eyes snapped open, and she stilled, instantly on alert.
There was a scent on the breeze, a familiar one.
Grandmother?
Aya changed direction, trying to ignore the voice in the back of her mind telling her that something was wrong, that her grandmother shouldn't be out so far from the village.
She ran faster, her muscles working as the forest sloped sharply upwards.
When she crested the hill, she froze, her fear breaking into panic. "Grandmother!" She cried, rushing over to where the grey-haired woman was sprawled on the forest floor.
She was lying face down, and Aya gently rolled her over, cradling her head in her lap as she did so.
Her grandmother looked terrible. Blood was streaming from her eyes, filling the wizened cracks of her face as they rolled towards her chin, and her whole body was shaking — and from the awful grimace creasing her brow, Aya knew it was from pain.
She's dying.
The reality of her grandmother's condition hit Aya like a spear to the chest, and she swallowed down a sob as tears welled in her eyes.
"Grandmother," she breathed. "What happened?"
The old woman's bloodstained eyes found hers. "Aya," she murmured thickly. "We ... were attacked. Hunters came."
"Hunters ... in the village?" It didn't make sense; the humans had never ventured so far into the woods before. These hunters must be bolder than the others, Aya thought, her fear turning to rage. "I'll kill them," she vowed. "I can go to the village now and —"
"No." Her grandmother coughed. "Aya, you can't fight them.
These hunters ... they're not like any I've seen before." Her shaking worsened. "They were stronger, faster, and they ... they knew about our hearts. They clawed half of them from the ground before we realized it."
Aya's breath caught. For centuries, the humans had been ignorant of the vampires' greatest secret. But now, if they knew the truth ... Terror shook her bones. "I have to go to the village, Grandmother," she said desperately. "I will protect our hearts and help Father —"
"Aya, it's too late. Your parents ... my son" — her voice cracked — "they're already gone."
"No." Aya shook her head. She refused to believe that. She couldn't believe that.
But the heartbroken expression on her grandmother's face told her it was true. "I'm sorry, Aya. I'm so sorry." Watery tears rolled down her face alongside the bloody ones. "It's too late for them, for me, but you ... you still have a chance." She reached forward and pressed something soft into Aya's hands. "There was so much chaos and fighting that I managed to retrieve it. I knew I didn't have time to save more than one, so I saved yours. It's what your father would have wanted."
Aya looked down at the small leather pouch her grandmother had risked her life to get, her own hands shaking nearly as badly as the dying woman's.
So small, and yet so important. My life in my hands.
The pouch was old, worn, and still tied with the same strings her mother had bound it with the day Aya had been born.
Aya didn't have to open it to know what rested inside.
"My heart," she whispered, the tears finally falling from her eyes. She gripped it tightly, and took a deep breath, steeling herself against her emotions. Now was not the time to grieve for what was gone. "Grandmother," she tried again. "Let me go to the village. I will find your heart and save you as you've saved me."
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Western Passage"
by .
Copyright © 2019 G. DiCarlo.
Excerpted by permission of Black Rose Writing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Title Page,
Copyright,
Recommended Reading,
Dedication,
Day Zero,
The Fall of Easthaven,
Natural Born Enemies,
Exodus Begins,
Hunger,
Sticks and Stones and Scars,
Hidden in the Dark,
Shifting Tides,
Downpour,
Safety Is Never Certain,
Not Alone,
Broken Pact,
Acknowledgements,
About the Author,
BRW Info,