Hunting Memories

“Well written . . . a fascinating tale with wonderful characters and delicious villains who solicit the readers into loathing them. The story line is character-driven, although there is plenty of action throughout. . . . The vampire subgenre will enjoy this work as an exhilarating tale of death visiting the undead.”—SFRevu

“A blend of fantasy and horror mixed with the story of one young woman’s path to independence and true knowledge of self,
Blood Memories
is a unique story guaranteed to intrigue. . . . Readers won’t be able to resist Eleisha’s charm. . . . If you enjoyed
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
but were far more interested in where the older vamps came from than in the human heroine herself, this story should certainly catch your fancy. Cunning, stealth, guile, sheer evil, and a surprising amount of goodness make all of these characters alive and unique. A story line that travels from modern-day Portland, Oregon, to England in the 1800s adds interest as well. If you like vampires, then you’re certain to enjoy Eleisha’s story. Don’t miss
Blood Memories
, the first in what promises to be a fantastic new series.”—Romance Reviews Today
continued . . .

“A terrific vampire stand-alone thriller that fans will enjoy.…The story is filled with action, but also contains a strong cast, who ensure vampirism in the Northwest seems real.…The heroine especially is an intriguing person. . . . This [is] a fine tale that the vampire crowd will appreciate.”—
Midwest Book Review

“Intriguing.... Ms. Hendee’s fans will be gratified to know she writes just as well on her own as she does in tandem.”

—Huntress Book Reviews

“I personally liked
Blood Memories
quite a bit. I am pleased to say that it is in no way a Buffy clone nor is it anything like the goofy paranormal romances that turn vampires into some kind of harmless nonmonster with strange eating habits. I like how Hendee explores the personalities of her characters.”

—Fantasy & Sci-Fi Lovin’ Book Reviews

“An engrossing tale of vampire death and evolution.”

—Patricia’s Vampire Notes

By Barb Hendee
The Vampire Memories Series
Blood Memories

By Barb and J. C. Hendee
The Noble Dead Saga—Series One

Dhampir
Thief of Lives
Sister of the Dead
Traitor to the Blood
Rebel Fay
Child of a Dead God

The Noble Dead Saga—Series Two
In Shade and Shadow

ROC
Published by New American Library, a division of
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First published by Roc, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, October

REGISTERED TRADEMARK-MARCA REGISTRADA

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA:

Hendee, Barb.
Hunting memories/Barb Hendee.
p. cm.

eISBN : 978-1-101-13644-7

1. Vampires—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3608.E525H86 2009
813’.6—dc22 2009018463

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

http://us.penguingroup.com

For my editor, Susan, and my daughter, Jaclyn, who both put an amazing
amount of thought, time, and work into helping me with this novel.

prologue

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA:
Spring 2008

Rose de Spenser sat at an antique desk with her pen poised above a sheet of pristine stationery. Night lights from Chinatown glinted through her bedroom window as she stared outside. town glinted through her bedroom window as she stared

She knew what she had to do, but fear and uncertainty kept her pen in midair.

“Don’t do it.” A voice came from behind her. “You’ll give us away.”

“I have to,” she whispered. “We cannot go on like this.” Then she turned partway in her chair, facing inside the room.

Her nephew stood in the doorway. His form was transparent as always, so she could see out into the living room behind him. Though long dead, he looked eternally seventeen years old, his brown hair hanging to his shoulders. He wore the same blue-and-yellow Scottish plaid draped across his shoulder and held by a belt over the black breeches he had died in. The knife sheath at his hip was empty. After all these years with her in America, he’d never lost his accent.

“The world has shifted, Seamus,” she said, “and if we do not act now, we’ll lose our chance.”

He looked at the wall and did not respond. But he must have known she was right.

What choice did they have? To continue rotting away in this apartment for another hundred years? To leave all the others, the lost ones in hiding, to rot away for another hundred years?

No.

Her attempt to convince him somehow strengthened her own resolution, and she turned back to the desk, this time lowering her pen to the sheet of paper. She wrote:

You are not alone. There are others like you. Respond to the Elizabeth Bathory Underground. P.O. Box 27750, San Francisco, CA 94973.

She folded the sheet and placed it inside an ivory envelope, addressing it carefully:

ELEISHA CLEVON
1412 QUEEN ANNE DRIVE
SEATTLE, WA 98102

She stood up and walked to the door. Seamus didn’t move, but she had never once walked through him.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Downstairs. To mail it.”

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