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Chapter One

THE WINTER SENTINEL

Early February

Chicago, Illinois

I stared at the sleek steel blade, its honed edge only inches from my cheek, and tried not to flinch I was taut with nerves and anticipation, ers slippery around the handle ofbetween the weapon that threatened me and the man ielded it

"Nervous, Sentinel?" asked the blond vampire before me, who held not one but two ancient samurai weapons

I wetnot to let my prurient interest in my adversary - the sweat-slicked, half-naked physique; the stunning green eyes; the golden hair that just brushed his shoulders - distract me from my mission

Bringing Him Down

"Not in the least, Sullivan" I winked at him, and in the second his eyes widened in interest, I took my chance I dropped to my knees and used the handle ofhim to loose his sword

Well, one of his swords

My opponent was Ethan Sullivan, a four-hundred-year-old vaan House, one of three vaed ht

Noas also the vampire who made me whole

I was the twenty-eight-year-old forraduate student he'd shaped into an i the opportunity to show him exactly what he'd created

Tonight, that ently curved katanas Vauns - primarily because vamps were an ancient and snobby people convinced to believe in katanas' superiority to other weapons by a samurai who'd once roamed Europe

History aside, wielding two katanas was a tricky venture The katana was an elegant weapon, and brandishing it was supposed to be an elegant exercise - as th That wasn't easily acco how to rebalance my bodyand not trip over my oeapons

Fortunately, even Ethan was having trouble Scowling, he picked up the sword he'd dropped onto the tata room

The vaer eyes cheered as their hero, the Master of their House, prepared to fight again

And they weren't the only ones watching

My former teacher of swordcraft, Catcher Bell, a ht's festivities, busy with other work We'd found a replacement, albeit one as less than impressed with our initial efforts

"That was daainly," said the auburn-haired vampire in front of us

Grey and Navarre were the city's two other vauards Jonah was tall, handsoanization created to ensure the Houses and Greenwich Presidiu body for the North American and Western European vampire Houses, didn't overstep their bounds We weren't technically a part of the GP anyroup became too oppressive, but there was little doubt they still had the power to uardians was never a bad idea, in my opinion

Ethan had acceptedmy partnership with Jonah He preferred my loyalties remain solely with one vampire of the male persuasion - hi out their aggression in a sparring match at the House, even if they weren't exactly the best of friends Ethan still scowled at Jonah's comment

"It wasn't ungainly," Ethan said "It ard"

"No," I teased, "it was the result of strategic tactics by yours truly" I put extra emphasis on the hard "c" sounds to underscore the point