Read Online Free Serpentine by Laurell K Hamilton
Also by Laurell K. Hamilton
Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novels
GUILTY PLEASURES
THE LAUGHING CORPSE
CIRCUS OF THE DAMNED
THE LUNATIC Cafe
BLOODY Bones
THE KILLING Trip the light fantastic
BURNT OFFERINGS
Blueish MOON
OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY
NARCISSUS IN CHAINS
CERULEAN SINS
INCUBUS DREAMS
MICAH
DANSE MACABRE
THE HARLEQUIN
BLOOD NOIR
Peel Merchandise
FLIRT
BULLET
HIT LIST
Buss THE Expressionless
Affliction
JASON
Expressionless ICE
Carmine DEATH
Merry Gentry Novels
A KISS OF SHADOWS
A Cuddle OF TWILIGHT
SEDUCED BY MOONLIGHT
A STROKE OF MIDNIGHT
MISTRAL'S Osculation
A LICK OF FROST
SWALLOWING DARKNESS
DIVINE MISDEMEANORS
A SHIVER OF Light
Specials
BEAUTY
DANCING
STRANGE CANDY
(short story collection)
BERKLEY
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375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014
Copyright (c) 2018 by Laurell Chiliad. Hamilton
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Hamilton, Laurell Thou., author.
Championship: Serpentine / Laurell 1000. Hamilton.
Description: Beginning edition. | New York: Berkley, 2018. | Series: Anita Blake, vampire hunter; 26
Identifiers: LCCN 2018012385 | ISBN 9780425255681 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780698146655 (ebook) Subjects: | BISAC: FICTION/Fantasy/Paranormal. | FICTION/Fantasy/Urban Life. | FICTION/Horror. | GSAFD: Occult fiction. | Take chances fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3558.A443357 S47 2018 | DDC 813/.54--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018012385
First Edition: August 2018
Jacket art: woman's face (c) Elisabeth Ansley/Trevillion Images; horseshoe snake by Jesus David Carballo Prieto/Alamy Stock Photo; snakeskin background (c) Svetlanais/iStock past Getty Images Jacket pattern by Judith Lagerman
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the production of the author'due south imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Version_1
To Jonathon, my husband, who let me take time out of our romantic getaway to finish this book and stayed at my side while I did it. Existent love is well-nigh consistency over time, battles won, battles lost, the pain, the pleasure, the sharing.
To Genevieve, my first girlfriend and the just woman in my life. Yes, honey.
To Spike, poly partner, helpmate, romantic battle buddy. Strength shared is strength multiplied.
Acknowledgments
Shawn, what a long, strange journeying it has been, my friend--here's to happiness and new adventures. Will, who made me feel safe and reminded me that I am my own surety. Jess, who has performed miracles of arrangement in helping Sherry and Theresa battle on against the tide of creative clutter. To all my fans and readers, who accept fallen in love with my globe and characters. To Zannah, Keiko, and Mordor, the office pack. To Eomer and Grizzy, office cats, at last.
Contents
Also past Laurell Yard. Hamilton
Title Folio
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter i
Affiliate 2
Chapter 3
Affiliate 4
Chapter 5
Chapter half dozen
Chapter 7
Chapter eight
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Affiliate 13
Chapter xiv
Chapter xv
Affiliate 16
Chapter 17
Affiliate 18
Chapter 19
Chapter xx
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Affiliate 24
Chapter 25
Affiliate 26
Affiliate 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Affiliate 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Affiliate 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter twoscore
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Affiliate 44
Affiliate 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Affiliate 49
Chapter 50
Affiliate 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Affiliate 54
Chapter 55
Affiliate 56
Chapter 57
Affiliate 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Epilogue
About the Author
1
I WAS Continuing in the air-conditioned hush of Forever Bridal in Albuquerque, New United mexican states, but since all I could encounter was a rack of plastic-wrapped wedding dresses taller than my head, I could accept been in any conjugal shop in any part of the country. The dresses were ones that had needed tailoring to fit their brides. I stared at the unlike shades of white, from dazzling white similar fresh snow in sunlight to a cream and then dark it was about a pale brown, or maybe taupe. I was always dislocated past taupe. Who wouldn't be dislocated by a color that couldn't determine if it was grey or tan? The dress they'd finally let me endeavor on was black, considering the stake teal that matched the maid of award'south dress had looked so bad on me that fifty-fifty Donna Parnell, the bride-to-be, had conceded that nosotros could endeavor the dress in black for me. Since I was the best man, or best person, on the groom'south side of the aisle and the men were in black tuxes with teal ties and cummerbunds, putting me in black would make the wedding party look more balanced, or that's what the store manager had finally said.
I stood clutching the overly long black skirt in one hand, so I didn't trip, every bit I talked to Micah Callahan on my new smartphone, which was actually so smart I felt uncomfortable using it, every bit if the technology were silently judging my lack of tech savvy.
"So, your clients have finally given you permission to share more than info with your police girlfriend?" I said.
I could feel/hear the grinning in his voice as he said, "They're not clients, Anita. I don't accept money for helping people who are desperate." Micah was the head of the Coalition for Better Understanding Between Homo and Lycanthrope Communities, colloquially known as the Hirsuite Coalition. They traveled the country, some internationally, to help proceed the lycanthropes and the humans safe from each other. Sometimes it was only to give lectures to the local police to help them bargain better with this v
ery special minority in their cities; sometimes information technology was to settle disputes between different wereanimal groups before they became violent. The Coalition never went into some other city without an invitation from someone among either the local lycanthropes, the police, or even medical professionals. One of the most frequent things the Coalition did was assist victims of wereanimal attacks recover and come up to terms with turning into their attackers come the side by side full moon. Micah had been a survivor of an attack, simply like the people he tried to help. He'd been hunting with his uncle and cousin the twelvemonth betwixt higher and loftier school when they were attacked by a wereleopard. He had been the merely survivor, so he had serious street cred when he spoke to victims.
"You have donations," I said.
"If they tin beget information technology, yes, and if it's a urban center government, nosotros'll take a fee, merely for individuals in need we waive fees, so they are not clients."
"Deplorable, I didn't mean to footstep on an outcome here."
"It's okay, Anita. I'm sorry--this . . . example is getting to me. When you meet the pictures, you'll understand."
"Okay, if they aren't clients, what discussion do y'all want me to use in conversation?"
"Shapeshifters," he said.
I glanced around the shop to come across if there was anyone within earshot, but all I could see were wedding dresses on 1 side and another rack of dresses on the other, this fourth dimension in a myriad of colors for other hapless bridesmaids. Turning simply that much fabricated my breasts slide out of the halter elevation of the dress, which had been designed for someone with a very different figure. I transferred my hand to clutch the top instead of the hem of the dress. As long equally I didn't try to walk, the yards of extra fabric wouldn't trip me. My dignity was in more danger from the dress than my body was. Solution: I would stand up all the same and exercise my best not to flash anyone. "I came out of the changing room because I could hear everything in the next stall. I've got as much privacy equally I can find hither, but there are sure words that make civilians perk up their ears and listen harder." I lowered my voice even more and said, "Shapeshifter would be one of those words."
"That's fair," he said, and sighed, not similar he was happy. "Yous tin can use the word client for at present, but I run into myself more as their abet. But that's beside the point. Utilize whatever vocabulary you recall will keep this between united states, Anita. They're finally letting me send you pictures, and those absolutely must be for your optics merely."
"I'm a U.S. Marshal, Micah. I know how to keep details to myself." I realized that it sounded a little crankier than I'd meant it to.
"Are you okay?" he asked, taking my crankiness for my feeling bad, and not taking it personally. At that place were so many reasons we were engaged to each other.
"Yeah. I mean, I tin't believe that Donna decided at, like, the eleventh hour that I couldn't wearable a tux like the residual of the men, only I'll live, in one case they figure out a fashion for the halter top non to make the wedding an accidental PG-thirteen."
He laughed, then said, "Ask Nathaniel to accept pictures of the clothes before they fix it."
"You can see my breasts without a clothes next time we're in the aforementioned country," I said, but I was smiling, which is probably why he'd said it the way he had. Micah knew when I needed cheering up, or coaxing out of a cranky mood.
"We haven't been in the same state much lately," he said, and sounded lamentable once again.
"You and I both travel for our jobs."
"I know, but I miss you."
I stood there in the sick-fitting clothes with our shared boyfriend but yards away from me and was suddenly so alone for the touch of Micah's artillery around me that it was well-nigh a concrete pain. I could retrieve the last time we'd slept in the same bed, only I couldn't remember the final time we'd made dear. It had been weeks. Had nosotros gone a month, it was a outset in the v years we'd been together. "I miss you, likewise. I desire to practise more than just sleep in the same bed in between business trips for our jobs."
"Nathaniel is staying in town with you, so I know you're getting sex."
I'd never heard Micah sound even a little flake jealous of Nathaniel before. "He'southward our shared young man, shared fiance, and you're planning to ally him legally, like I'm marrying Jean-Claude," I said.
"I know, and if we could ally more than one person at a time, the iv of usa would ally each other, though I admit the idea of me marrying whatever man but Nathaniel, even Jean-Claude, would be weird."
"And do you lot accept some other woman in mind that you'd similar to add to the group?" I asked, making sure my tone of voice was teasing.
He laughed. "No. The other women in our poly group are lovely, but it's not about the sex; information technology's about the emotion and being a couple together. I'm a couple with you and Nathaniel, but non actually with anyone else, not the manner the two of y'all are with some of the others." His phonation had already lost that edge of laughter and was dorsum to sounding tired.
"What's incorrect, Micah? Likewise this instance, I mean."
"I told you what's wrong, Anita. I'grand feeling crowded. It's non marrying Nathaniel; I love him. I sympathise that if you marry anyone legally, it's got to exist Jean-Claude. He's the male monarch of all the vampires, and he'due south close to existence the king of all the supernatural citizens in this country. He has to exist the one that marries the princess."
"I'm not the princess in this story," I said.
"You're not the dryad in distress, simply equally far equally everyone in the media is concerned, you are the princess to be married off to the prince, or king."
"Nathaniel is enjoying the thought of all the weddings more than than I am."
"He's enjoying information technology more than I am, too, but I call back what'southward throwing me is the two-groom wedding. I always pictured a white-dressed helpmate coming downwards the aisle toward me."
"Nathaniel would probably wear a white dress if you really wanted him to," I said.
Micah laughed. "I know he would, but I call up I'd prefer him in a white tux with tails."
"He'southward so happy y'all accepted his proposal."
"I'thou sorry I hesitated fifty-fifty for a trivial bit. I only had to work through my issues."
"Nathaniel is your first-ever beau. I know y'all never idea y'all'd be marrying another man."
"I hope he doesn't think I've been ignoring him since I said yes. There have simply been and so many out-of-town problems that needed attending."
"You lot spend fourth dimension with united states when you lot can, just like I do. Nathaniel got to travel out of town with yous to Florida the fourth dimension earlier last."
"And you couldn't go because you had bad guys to catch," he said.
"When we all go down for Ted and Donna's wedding we'll have some time to savor ourselves, because I won't be crime-busting and you won't exist saving other shapeshifters."
"Did Nathaniel tell y'all that the shapeshifters downwardly here wouldn't let me bring him to the meetings, and then he had to get sight-seeing by himself with just a babysitter for visitor?"
"He mentioned it, simply we'll take time to sight-see earlier and afterward the wedding ceremony. Besides, if Nathaniel hadn't got to sight-meet, he would never have found the hotel where Donna and Ted are getting married. She'southward getting her beach destination wedding ceremony and he's getting to be somewhere we can all stay armed and our badges are withal legal."
"I know it worked out," Micah said, "but I feel similar I'grand not getting any time with either of y'all lately."
"It does seem like either you're out of town or I am the last few months."
"It does, and information technology'south moments like this when I call back that I need to get-go cutting back on all of information technology."
"Why don't you? I mean, that would be not bad if yous could, but y'all know I would never inquire you to compromise your job."
"Because you lot would never compromise yours," he said, merely not like he was exactly happy nigh information technology. It wasn't like Micah to be this unhappy almost things, about united states and our complicated personal lives, or our complicated professional person lives. My breast felt tight, my stomach started to knot, and those negative voices in my head tried to be louder, maxim, Run into, run into? This is the moment that Micah stops being perfect and drops the other shoe correct on our heads.
"I don't know what to say to that. I'grand a marshal. It'southward who I am, non merely what I am."
"I know tha
t. I knew the kind of person y'all were when we met. I don't desire y'all to change, Anita."
"Good. You had me scared for a minute in that location."
"I'm sending you the start picture; let me know when information technology comes through."
The modify of topic dorsum to the business he'd called about was then abrupt information technology defenseless me off guard, but I didn't protest. I was happy for a modify of topic. My phone dinged to permit me know the motion picture had arrived, but I had to take the telephone away from my ear to wait.
"Do you desire me to put you on speaker while I look at the motion picture?"
"No, but wait at information technology. I'll expect."
I did what he asked, going to his texts and seeing the image of a man I'd never met. He was bare to the waist, lean upper body, just not similar he worked out--more similar he was but young and naturally thin. He looked ordinary, except there was something wrong with his right arm. I thought at offset it was a tattoo, then a tentacle, which would accept been weird plenty. I used my fingertips to aggrandize the flick and found that the "tentacle" had a head where the hand should accept been. It looked similar the human being's arm turned into a snake, complete with a triangular venomous caput. I widened the image further. It was blurry now, simply I could come across the yellow optics on the snake head, with slits for pupils, like it was some kind of viper.
I got dorsum on the phone and said, "It'southward a photographic camera trick, Micah. No one changes shape like this. You have weresnakes, y'all have beings like lamias and nagas that are office serpent and part human, but the head wouldn't be at the cease of an arm."
"Information technology's not a trick."
"You saw information technology, in person?" I asked.
"Yes."
"I've never seen anything similar that, ever."
"I'm trying to get their permission for y'all to show it to Edward. If anyone else might have seen something like this before, it would be him."
"Agreed. I could testify him--"
"No, it would exist a betrayal of their trust, Anita. Don't act similar a cop on this ane, okay?"
"I am a cop, but okay. At that place'southward no law-breaking involved, right?"
"Right. I've sent you a 2nd picture."
The telephone dinged, and he said he'd concord over again while I looked at it. It wasn't the same homo; this i looked older, heavier, not in bad shape, only not with the slenderness of the outset. It was his left arm this time, and information technology wasn't only one snake caput. It looked like his arm had sprouted a boutonniere of snakes, all the way upwards into his shoulder. It was very Medusa, merely in movies in that location was something vaguely erotic likewise every bit horrific about the Gorgon; here in that location was only the horror.
I took a deep breath or ii before I got back on the telephone with him. "Did you run across this 1 in person, too?"
Read Online Free Serpentine by Laurell K Hamilton
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