Obsidian Butterfly - Laurell K. Hamilton [0]
OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY
A Jove Book / published by arrangement with the author
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2001 by Laurell K. Hamilton
This book may not be reproduced in whole or part, by mimeograph or any other means, without permission. Making or distributing electronic copies of this book constitutes copyright infringement and could subject the infringer to criminal and civil liability.
For information address:
The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
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ISBN: 1-101-14639-7
A JOVE BOOK®
Jove Books first published by The Jove Publishing Group, a member of Penguin Putnam Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
JOVE and the “J” design are trademarks belonging to Penguin Putnam Inc.
Electronic edition: November, 2002
Titles by Laurell K. Hamilton
GUILTY PLEASURES
THE LAUGHING CORPSE
CIRCUS OF THE DAMNED
THE LUNATIC CAFE
BLOODY BONES
THE KILLING DANCE
BURNT OFFERINGS
BLUE MOON
OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY
NARCISSUS IN CHAINS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Michael Miller who told me more about guns, and weapons in general, than I’d ever hoped to know. To Masaad Ayoob, who caught last-minute gun mistakes. He did not have the opportunity to read the entire book before final edit, so any missed gun mistakes are mine and mine alone. Steve (S. M.) and Jan Stirling, who read the book over to make sure I’d captured the flavor of the Santa Fe area. To all the people who made me feel so welcome in Santa Fe and Albuquerque while I wandered around asking questions and absorbing the atmosphere. And for my husband, Gary, who took care of our daughter Trinity while I was in New Mexico. And for Trinity, who shared my office chair while I finished the last third of this book. Chuck Holmes of the Bernallio County Sheriff’s Department, who answered my last-minute questions. To Deborah Millitello, who deserves special thanks for braving the wilds of New Mexico with me, sprained ankle and all. As always to my writing group, the Alternate Historians, who have been with me from the beginning: Deborah Millitello, Mark Sumner, Sharon Shinn, Marella Sands, Tom Drennan, N. L. Drew, and W. Augustus Elliot. Due to time constraints not everyone got to read this book, so it will be new to you guys, as well. What a switch.
This one is for all the Edward fans, who by their letters, questions, and sheer interest let me know that they were as interested in knowing more about him as I was.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
For those of you who have never read an Anita Blake novel before, let me tell you a bit about her world.
It’s just like the world we all live in—except that the creatures of the night—vampires, werewolves, zombies and such—are not the stuff of fiction. They are here-and-now. We co-exist with them—not always happily, not always peacefully.
And sometimes we get to know them all too well . . .
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
AUTHOR’S NOTE
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EPILOGUE
1
I WAS COVERED in blood, but it wasn’t mine, so it was okay. Not only was it not my blood, but it was all animal blood. If the worst casualties of the night were six chickens and a goat, I could live with it, and so could everyone else. I’d raised seven corpses in one night. It was a record even for me.
I pulled into my driveway at a quarter ’til dawn with the sky still dark and star-filled. I left the Jeep in the driveway, too tired to mess with the garage. It was May, but it felt like April. Spring