Partnership Reforged

By Ariel Tachna

A Companion to the Partnership in Blood series

For two years, Thierry has wanted the one thing Sebastien's past denies him: an Aveu de Sang. With the help of friends new and old, he has finally assembled a ritual that will give him a close approximation of the ultimate bond between vampire and mortal... if it succeeds.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
• Release date: Oct 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781632166302

Ariel Tachna

Ariel Tachna is a polyglot linguaphile with a passion for travel, yarn, orchids, and romance. She has explored 45 states and 13 countries. The rich history and culture of France, the flavors and scents of India, and the sunrise over Machu Picchu in particular have left indelible impressions and show up regularly in her writing. Her passion for yarn has resulted in an overflowing stash and more projects than she’ll probably finish in a lifetime, but that has yet to stop her from buying more. Her orchid collection has outgrown her office and spilled over into the rest of her house (much to her children’s dismay), but that hasn’t stopped her from adding to her collection or from resuscitating any unhappy ones she finds. When she isn’t writing, knitting, or poking at her orchids, she spends her time marveling at her two teenagers, who never cease to amaze her with their capacity for love and acceptance and sports—they certainly didn’t get that from her!—and their refusal to accept injustice of any kind—she hopes they got that from her.  Visit Ariel: Website: www.arieltachna.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArielTachna Email: [e-mail]

Book preview

Partnership Reforged

THE SPIRES of Notre-Dame rose tall and solid against the night sky as they gathered on the parterre outside. Sebastien swore he could feel the confluence of magical elements that made the cathedral a locus, as if the stones themselves hummed in anticipation of the ritual to come. He pushed aside the fanciful notion, but no amount of determination could stop the feeling of static electricity raising the fine hairs on his forearms and the back of his neck. It might be a fanciful notion, but something was in the air tonight. When they had all assembled, four wizards to represent the four elements, three vampires as their partners, and Vincent to support Eric, who had no vampire lover, Raymond gestured toward the church. In silence, they filed into the nave, pausing long enough for Jean to pay his respects before descending into the crypt. Sebastien didn’t know who Jean and Raymond had bribed, begged, or bullied into letting them use the crypt, but the nave and crypt were both deserted, giving them complete privacy for their ritual.

The wizards took their places: Thierry, Alain, Eric, and Raymond at the respective points of the compass, the vampires and Vincent aligning themselves behind them to complete the circle. The magic snapped into place around them even before Alain began the chant that would provide the foundation for what they were about to do. Sebastien had left the details to Jean and Raymond. They would understand the nuances and implications of the spell more than Sebastien could. He knew all he needed to know. At the end of the night, he would be Thierry’s, and if the ritual worked as planned, Thierry would be his.

Last chance, he said softly to Thierry. We don’t have to do this.

Maybe not, Thierry said, "but I