Into the Flame Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-one

  Chapter Forty-two

  Raves for Christina Dodd

  Touch of Darkness

  ‘‘A sweeping saga of good and evil, the series chronicles the adventures of four siblings who try to redeem their family from a pact an ancestor made with the devil a thousand years earlier. This latest promises to be one of her best to date.’’ —Library Journal

  ‘‘Enthralling, intense.’’ —The State (Columbia, SC)

  ‘‘Filled with action and adventure . . . a must read.’’

  —Midwest Book Review

  ‘‘Christina Dodd demonstrates why she is such a popular writer in any genre. The characters are boldly drawn, with action on all sides. Readers will be riveted until the final page.’’ —A Romance Review

  Scent of Darkness

  ‘‘The first in a devilishly clever, scintillatingly sexy new paranormal series by Christina Dodd.’’

  —Chicago Tribune

  ‘‘[A] satisfying series kickoff . . . [a] fast-paced, well-written paranormal with a full, engaging mythology and a handful of memorable characters.’’

  —Publishers Weekly

  ‘‘Dodd kicks off her new Darkness Chosen series with a bang. A multilayered heroine and a sizzling-hot hero give readers plenty of emotional—and physical—action, and the relentless game of hunter and prey adds an adrenaline ride for good measure.’’ —Booklist

  ‘‘Multigenre genius Dodd dives headfirst into the paranormal realm with . . . a scintillating and superb novel!’’ —Romantic Times (41⁄2 stars, Top Pick)

  Tongue in Chic

  ‘‘Christina Dodd is my go-to author when I want outrageously entertaining romantic suspense. I count on her for stories that deliver hot romance, fast action, and that magic ingredient—heart.’’

  —New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz

  ‘‘RITA Award-winning Dodd’s latest sparkling romantic suspense novel is another of her superbly sexy literary confections, expertly spiced with sassy wit and featuring a beguiling cast of wonderfully entertaining characters.’’ —Booklist

  Trouble in High Heels

  ‘‘A book by Christina Dodd is like a glass of champagne . . . sparkling and sinfully delicious. Trouble in High Heels is one exciting ride and an experience not to be missed. With her electric style, vibrant characters, and sly wit, Christina Dodd gives readers everything they want in a romantic suspense novel.’’ —Lisa Kleypas

  ‘‘Dodd will dazzle readers with this fabulously fun tale of danger, desire, and diamonds, which features yet another winning combination of the author’s trademark smart and snappy writing, delightfully original characters, and deliciously sensual romance.’’

  —Booklist (starred review)

  ‘‘Nonstop action, sparkling dialogue, and two characters who burn up the pages. . . . A story that is not only unique, but has pizzazz and leaves readers wondering who the bad and good guys are until the end.’’

  —Romance Reviews Today

  . . . and her other novels

  ‘‘Dodd delivers a high-octane blowout finale. . . . This romantic suspense novel is a delicious concoction that readers will be hard-pressed not to consume in one gulp.’’ —Publishers Weekly

  ‘‘Warm characterizations and caperlike plot make Dodd’s hot contemporary romance a delight, and the cliff-hanger ending will leave readers eager for the sequel.’’ —Booklist

  ‘‘Dodd brings her unique sense of plotting, character, humor, and surprise to this wonderful tale. You’ll relish every word, cherish each poignant moment and ingenious plot twist, sigh deeply, and eagerly await the sequel. Dodd is clever, witty, and sexy.’’

  —Romantic Times

  ‘‘Dodd adds humor, sizzling sensuality, and a cast of truly delightful secondary characters to produce a story that will not disappoint.’’ —Library Journal

  ‘‘Strong and likable characters make this an enjoyable read. Ms. Dodd peppers the story with interesting secondary personalities, which add to the reading pleasure.’’

  —The Best Reviews

  ‘‘Sexy and witty, daring and delightful.’’

  —Teresa Medeiros, New York Times bestselling author of After Midnight

  ‘‘A master romantic storyteller.’’

  —Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of Angel Falls

  ‘‘Christina Dodd keeps getting better and better.’’

  —Debbie Macomber, New York Times bestselling author of Christmas Letters

  ‘‘Treat yourself to a fabulous book—anything by Christina Dodd!’’ —Jill Barnett, New York Times bestselling author of Sentimental Journey

  Christina Dodd’s Darkness Chosen series

  Scent of Darkness

  Touch of Darkness

  Into the Shadow

  Into the Flame

  Christina Dodd’s romantic suspense

  Trouble in High Heels

  Tongue in Chic

  Thigh High

  SIGNET

  Published by New American Library, a division of

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,

  New York, New York 10014, USA

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  80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  First published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library,

  a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  First Printing, August 2008

 
Copyright © Christina Dodd, 2008

  All rights reserved

  REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

  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

  eISBN : 978-1-4406-3260-0

  For Shannon and Rex.

  Best wishes for a long life together,

  thank you for the wonderful gift your love

  has created,

  and congratulations!

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Darkness Chosen has been dark, complex, and fascinating to write, and to bring the series to fruition has required the support of so many amazing professionals at NAL: the editorial department, especially the wonderfully creative Kara Cesare; the art department, led by Anthony Ramondo; Craig Burke and my own Michele Langley in publicity; and the whole wonderful Penguin sales department. Thank you all. A huge, special thanks to Rachel Granfield and production. You’re the best!

  DARKNESS CHOSEN FAMILY TREE

  THE VARINSKIS

  1000 AD — In the Ukraine

  Konstantine Varinski

  makes a deal with the devil.

  Prologue

  The Legend Continues . . .

  In the snowy winter on the flat, frozen, empty steppes of the Ukraine, when the blizzard rages and night lingers like an unwelcome guest, my grandmother sits close to the oil stove, heating her old bones, and hugs me close. When I beg her, she tells me the old Russian legends: of the beautiful seamstress Maryushka and how Kaschei the Immortal changed her into a firebird, or of the musician Sadko and how he wed the sea king’s daughter. When it grows very late and the wind rattles the windows with its icy fingers, I beg for a different story—one that frightens and haunts me.

  Most of the time, she turns her head away and refuses. But sometimes, reluctantly, she relates the legend of the Darkness, of Konstantine Varinski and his pact with the devil . . . and her voice trembles.

  It happened over a thousand years ago, and sometimes she tells the story one way, sometimes another, but always the main facts remain the same. . . .

  Konstantine Varinski stood tall, with wide shoulders and legs like long tree trunks, and skillful hands that could use a knife to gut a man even while he brutally crushed his woman’s windpipe. Through hot summers and frigid winters, he wandered alone, preying on the helpless, stealing, raping, and murdering, until at last his fame reached the ears of the devil himself.

  Now my grandmother huddles with a blanket pulled high around the back of her neck. She drinks hot tea from a glass, but nothing can contain her dread as she tells about the devil who, displeased with the competition, rose from the depths of hell itself to seek out the upstart Konstantine Varinski and make him sorry he dared challenge the Evil One.

  But Konstantine was not only as savage as a wolf, he was also sly as a fox. He offered the devil a pact: He and his descendants would become Satan’s dedicated servants, and in return, the devil would grant them the ability to change at will into hunting animals.

  Konstantine’s daring captured Satan’s interest, and so he looked deep into Konstantine’s soul. What he saw there pleased and amazed him: Konstantine was evil through and through, a foul and useful tool.

  But Konstantine was not finished with his demands.

  He and all his descendants would be invincible, never to be killed in battle except by another demon. Each Varinski would be long-lived, and most important—they would breed only sons. They would hail the birth of each new demon, and raise the boy to be a ruthless warrior worthy of the name Varinski. Everywhere they went, they would bring the darkness. They would be the Darkness.

  To seal the pact, Konstantine promised to deliver the family’s holy icon, a single painting divided into four images of the Madonna.

  Yet like my grandmother, Konstantine’s mother was a good woman. She refused to give in to Konstantine’s demands. She protected the icon, the heart of her home, with her life . . . so Konstantine used his knife and his brutal hands to murder her.

  As her red blood spilled onto the white snow, she pulled him close and spoke in his ear.

  Konstantine, you wish to reign at Satan’s right hand, and so you shall—until the day my greatest grandson is born. The babushka lady’s eyes glowed with pain and sorrow. He will be as steeped in evil as you could ever desire, a fitting heir to your legacy . . . yet I foresee his downfall. His downfall is a woman, and on the day he falls in love, the foundation of the devil’s pact will crack.

  For she will love my greatest grandson, and their love will be strong, strong with the power of the Madonna herself, and on the day their fourth son is born, your master will face defeat.

  Cocky with triumph, Konstantine laughed.

  His mother held the icon against her chest and looked deeply into the next world, seeing what he could not. When the sons are grown, your own descendants will unite against the devil. Against all odds, they will fight, and when they win the ultimate battle of good against evil, Satan will banish you from his good graces.

  Konstantine answered, Then I will have to make sure they do not win. He plunged the knife deeper into her chest.

  With her dying breath, she said, I curse you, my son. You will burn in hell’s hottest fire.

  He paid no heed to her prophecy or her curse. She was, after all, only a woman. He didn’t believe her dying words had the power to change the future— and more important, he would do nothing to jeopardize his pact with the Evil One.

  But although Konstantine did not confess the prophecy his mother had made, Satan knew that Konstantine was a liar and a trickster. He suspected Konstantine of deception, and he comprehended the power of blood and kin and a mother’s dying words. So to ensure that he forever retained the Varinskis and their services, he secretly cut a small piece from the center of the icon, and gave it to a poor tribe of wanderers, promising it would bring them luck.

  Then, while Konstantine drank to celebrate the deal, in a flash of fire the devil divided the Madonnas and hurled them to the four corners of the earth.

  It happened a thousand years ago . . . but my grandmother remembers.

  She wishes she could forget.

  Yet that’s impossible, for in the middle of the steppes, on the exact spot where Konstantine Varinski murdered his mother, is a sprawling house filled with men with wide shoulders and legs like tree trunks, and skillful hands that could use a knife to gut a man even while they brutally crushed his woman’s windpipe.

  They are Konstantine’s descendants . . . and sometimes I wonder if my grandmother was raped by one of those evil men, and bore a son, and gave him up to them, as so many innocent women have done throughout the years.

  The pact with the devil cost Konstantine Varinski almost nothing, only his soul, and the souls of his children, and his children’s children, forever and ever.

  My grandmother thinks that’s the way it is and will always be.

  But forever isn’t
in the devil’s power to promise, and a single moment can change the balance between good and evil. . . .

  That moment came thirty-seven years ago, on the steppes of modern Russia, where a new Konstantine Varinski roamed and fought.

  He was a worthy successor to the first Konstantine, a warrior, a leader . . . a wolf. Under his direction, the Darkness worked for dictators, industrialists, anyone with the gold to pay them. Because of their battle prowess, their endurance and decisiveness, they became rich, respected, and feared in Asia, in Europe, and beyond. They hunted down the innocent, fought in cruel wars, went where they were paid to go, and, with flawless ferocity, crushed uprisings and demanded obedience. They grew in wealth and power, until one day the new Konstantine met a Gypsy girl . . . and fell in love.

  Such a small thing, love, and so easy for so many. But this was a love for all eternity, fierce, passionate, lasting. For Konstantine and Zorana, love consumed them. Nothing could keep them apart. Against all wishes and traditions, they wed.

  The Varinskis shook their ham-sized fists and swore to kill the girl and rescue their leader from his insanity and her witchcraft.

  The Gypsies chased the lovers, furious that a Varinski had stolen the girl who was their seer and good-luck charm.

  In secret, Konstantine and Zorana fled to the United States. They changed their name to Wilder, and settled in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. There they raised grapes, fruits, vegetables, and three sons, Jasha, Rurik, and Adrik, all handsome, all incorrigible, and all bound by the devil’s pact.

  Like his father, Jasha had the ability to transform himself into a wolf.

  Rurik changed into a hawk and flew on night’s wings.

  Adrik grew up to be a man tortured by the clashing demands of duty and desire, and his dark soul showed itself in the form of a black panther.

  Then, for the first time in a thousand years, a child was born to them. Not a son, as the babushka’s ancient prophecy had foretold, but a daughter.

  Konstantine believed the birth was a miracle, and a sign the pact was failing.

  And perhaps it was . . . but when the devil gambles with a man’s soul, he plays to win.