Zealot (Hidden: Soulhunter Book 3) Read online

  I gave Brennan a small smile and turned back to Quinn. “I think you should do that. We can handle it for a few days.”

  “Are you sure? Because if you need me, I’ll put it off—”

  “I am sure. In fact, I insist that you take time off. You look like shit.”

  Zara and Amalia laughed, and Margaret shook her head as she took another sip of coffee. She would be settling here in France for a while, along with one of the other New Guardians who had always wanted to live in Paris. This, I had changed as well. Before, the Guardians were expected to be home nowhere and yet everywhere. We were expected to not form attachments with places, and definitely not with people. Our dreams, our wishes, were to be ignored, because unless it involved the collection of souls, it was not supposed to matter to us.

  For whatever reason, Nyx made me differently. She saw that something was missing from my sisters, the twelve Guardians before me. Of those twelve, Amalia and Zara were the only ones who had used that little bit of free will Nyx had given them to do something other than make a grab for power. I had spent most of my existence confused, wondering why life was not as simple for me as it seemed to be for my sisters. And now, my New Guardians were like me, but so much more human. They knew what normal life was, and I did not want them to lose that, no matter how often they walked among immortals. So I had asked them what they wanted, where they wanted to live, what they wanted to do with eternity. And when I was able to, I had positioned them to live the life they wanted. Erin and Claire had moved in together in Australia. A couple of the newer, North American Guardians had chosen to go back to their hometowns. It was easy for us to travel, easy for us to communicate. There was no need to force them to live anywhere other than where they chose to live.

  I wanted them to be happy. It was as simple as that. I wanted eternity to be a gift, and I wanted their duty to be rewarded. I wanted joy and love for them, if they wanted it. And if they wanted solitude and peace, I wanted that for them as well. We could be Death’s hunters, and we could be ourselves as well.

  “I can go with you, maybe,” Zara said quietly, and it took me a moment to realize that she was talking to Quinn. “If you want me to. You might rather be alone, though,” she added. She was looking at her empty coffee cup, fiddling with the white napkin under her saucer.

  “If you want to come along, I’d appreciate the company,” Quinn said after a few moments. Zara merely nodded in response. Amalia and I exchanged a quick glance, and she shook her head a little. She was, apparently, still befuddled by the idea of sexual attraction or relationships. And that, if it was what she wanted, was just fine, too.

  Brennan’s meeting ended and the shifters and vampires dispersed after shaking hands with one another, and with Brennan. My New Guardians and my sisters each hugged me before going their separate ways, and then it was just me and my husband.

  “So, Tink,” he said.

  “So?”

  “Plans for tonight? We can check out that new temple they’re building to Molly in Detroit, if you want.”

  I shrugged. We started walking toward the Eiffel Tower. “Maybe another time.”

  “There’s always more cleanup to do.”

  “We have been assisting for two weeks straight, when we are not meeting with other supernaturals.”

  “Movie?”

  I shook my head, and we strolled for a while in silence, my hand clasped in his.

  “Well, what do you want to do then?” he asked.

  I grinned up at him. “Something we have not done in a very long time.”

  “It hasn’t been that long,” he joked, and I laughed.

  “It does involve me getting you out of your clothes,” I admitted.

  “I like the sound of this.”

  I took his hand and rematerialized us to the flat, open roof of our building in Whitechapel. “Fly with me,” I said. The grin that spread across his face was almost enough to make me feel like I was soaring already. He nodded and started stripping down. I let the enchantment that hid my wings from the humans drop, and I spread and flexed my wings.

  Moments later, we took off into the twilight sky, a hawk and a Guardian. We both let out wild cries, screaming our joy into the sky. For now, this, this joy, this life… it was enough.

  Things were still a mess. Things were still scary and uncertain. But they feel a little less scary when you are not forced to face them alone. And I knew that I would never be alone again.

  Eternity will be an adventure, and I look forward to every moment, hunting souls, serving my queen, protecting those I can… and spending every possible second enjoying the magical, beautiful moments with those I love, because, really, that is the only thing truly worth fighting for.

  THE END

  Epilogue

  The cell had been well hidden, far beneath the ground. Lessons from the past had been heeded. No one would stumble on this hiding place, so desolate was the area surrounding the entrance to the cell. And because of what lay there, because of the things that had been done, the very air around the place had a menacing, foreboding feel to it. None but the most foolish mortals dared to even come within yards of the place, and even those foolish enough to try soon turned tail and ran, shaking. They would have nightmares for the rest of their days about the feel of the place, the things they’d sworn they’d heard on the wind.

  It was a place of death, they would say. They had no idea just how right they were.

  Deep below the surface, a slab of dark stone dominated a tiny cell dug into the earth. Once upon a time, it had been a hiding place for bootleggers to store their product and, later, a place in which unthinkable things had been done to too many innocents.

  A young woman who had grown up to become the world’s most powerful god had once been imprisoned there. It was, by all accounts, there that she first became The Angel.

  All of this was known when this particular site had been chosen. All that was necessary was to clear away some of the burned debris and have the stone slab brought in.

  There was no other equipment needed.

  One year. Three hundred and sixty-six turns around the sun. All good things take time, after all.

  A cold, perfect body lay on the stone slab, strong arms crossed over a broad chest. Pale flesh, dark hair, an expression that was haughty even in apparent death.

  A failed experiment that had nearly resulted in the destruction of an entire realm.

  Failure is such a harsh term.

  There was a rough, strangled sound, a heave of the great pale chest. If anyone had been there to hear it, they may have heard the first beats of a newly-living heart.

  Hades opened his eyes and studied the darkness.

  He knew two things. One thing he knew was that he was the One True God of Death.

  The second was that an usurper sat on his throne.

  That simply would not do.

  Hades rose stiffly, carefully, as if learning how to make muscles and joints work together in the intricate dance for which they had been created. Slow. Controlled. His lungs continued to inflate and deflate. His heart continued to pump blood through his veins.

  He did not know how he had come to be here, or why he had had to be created anew.

  But he knew he had work to do.

  Death is, after all, nothing but another beginning. He would begin, then, by destroying the fool who sat upon his throne.

  It’s not like it would be hard. He, after all, ruled death. There was nothing for him to fear.

  Find out what happens next in the Hidden: Death’s Daughter series, coming in 2017!

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  Note from Colleen

  Thank you so much for reading Zealot! E has always been one of my favorite characters in the Hidden world, a
nd I loved finally getting to tell a story arc from her point of view. The Soulhunter trilogy was not the easiest thing I’ve ever written, but it was one of the most rewarding. Being able to delve into what has sort of been shown as “Molly’s world” from a character who is so different from Molly was a lot of fun, and I love E even more now than I did when I started. I hope you feel the same way.

  Zealot was challenging for me to write on a more personal level as well. We lost my sweet, hilarious mother-in-law, Margaret (Peggy) Vanderlinden when I was about halfway through what ended up being the final draft of the book. Writing a book that is so death-focused (because of who the main characters are and what was going on in the story) was a challenge during this time of my life, and that is putting it mildly. At the same time, working on the book also ended up being a little bit therapeutic. The fact that one of E’s newest Guardians is named Margaret, for instance, is definitely not a coincidence. Peggy was very supportive of my writing, even if she wasn’t a fan of all the sex in the books, and there are no words to describe how much she will be missed.

  I am very lucky to have such a supportive and amazing family. A million thanks and all the love in the world to my husband Roger, my partner-in-crime, my rock, my everything. I love you.

  Thank you to my kids, who amaze me every day with their kindness, intelligence, and humor. I love you guys.

  Thank you to writer friends who support and commiserate and are always there to share a laugh.

  And, of course, a huge thanks to all of my readers who walk these often-crazy journeys with me. Your support and love for these characters means the world to me. The fact that out of all of the millions of books out there, you chose mine… that never ceases to amaze me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  XO,

  Colleen

  P.S. If you have a moment, would you consider posting a review on Amazon? I would really appreciate it!

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  For backstory material, news, and upcoming events be sure to check out http://www.colleenvanderlinden.com

  About the Author

  Colleen Vanderlinden is the author of the Hidden and Hidden: Soulhunter urban fantasy series, the Copper Falls paranormal romance series, the StrikeForce superhero series, and the Exile science fiction/fantasy series. She lives in northern Michigan with her husband, kids, four insane cats and a demonic basset hound. You can find more about Colleen's books on her website, www.colleenvanderlinden.com, or on Facebook or Twitter (@C_Vanderlinden).

  Books by

  Colleen Vanderlinden

  The Hidden Series

  Book One: Lost Girl

  Book Two: Broken

  Book Three: Home

  Book Four: Strife

  Book Five: Nether

  Hidden Series Novellas

  Forever Night

  Earth Bound

  Hidden: Soulhunter Series

  Guardian

  Betrayer

  Zealot

  The StrikeForce Series

  A New Day

  One More Day

  Darkest Day

  Day’s End

  The Copper Falls Series

  Shadow Witch Rising

  Shadow Sworn

  The Exile Series

  Exile

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