Touch, considered the most sensual of the senses, is often
times the most gentle. However, for Ann Van Helsing, touch
is a deathly overpowering siren and one she must ignore.
Yet, who cannot long to be touched even when insanity is
the certain outcome? Cursed with the psychic ability to
instantly know everything about anyone she meets through
touch, she lives in terror of her out-of-control sense.
Even items are her enemies, for the psyches imbued from
those who've created, or in any way touched them, leave
heavy footprints in her mind and soul.
Only the forests and caves outside seem to give her any
kind of peace, so she searches for somewhere, anywhere she
can find solace away from humanity. In 1822, such an
ability is feared even more so, for who wants a witch
wandering loose who can reveal the nasty hidden secrets of
one's soul? With only her ailing uncle Thaddeus to watch
over her at The Maitlands in Wiltshire, it's a matter of
time before insanity or death rears its ugly head.
Especially with greedy cousin Erich seeking her familial
legacy. When Ann meets up with the injured quasi-paladin
Stephen Sincai, will she fall into the arms of insanity, or
will her soul find a new way?
Stephen Sincai has come to Wiltshire at the behest of
Rubius and the Elders at the Mirso Monastery. His mission
is to destroy the evil Scottish vampire Kilkenny and his
brood, who threaten the very lives of humanity. Kilkenny is
making the same mistake Stephen once made, which almost
caused the destruction of all humanity. Kilkenny believes
that vampires made are as capable as those who are born to
it. A vampiric knight forged in the sexually torturing heat
of the steely embraces of three all-powerful sisters,
Stephen has allowed himself to be hammered into a powerful
instrument of justice. His Companion has been made stronger
and more powerful by his tutelage in "The Hidden Ways."
Encountering Ann when going after Kilkenny, Stephen finds
the pale, beautiful girl a distracting if enchanting
enigma. When she touches him to try and heal his wounds and
falls into a coma, Stephen finds he's bitten off more than
he can chew. Can a tortured soul, who made terrible
mistakes in the past, open himself up to love and learn to
defeat the evil in which he's caught?
Squires has captured the essence of that which makes a
vampire story sing like the dark, erotic thriller such
tales are meant to be. Stephen is a vampire character you
can sink your teeth into, as brooding as Whedon's Angel,
with a touch of intelligent nobility like Yarbro's Saint-
Germain, yet as mesmerizing and darkly sensual as Dracula
himself. Ann, though handicapped by both her curse and her
femininity in a world of men, is by no means the boring
wilting flower she could be. Together these two characters
ignite and become synergistically more satisfying, with
characterizations uniquely their own. This is a deeply
satisfying, sensual read to be savored like a fine wine (or
should I say blood) with all the subtle nuances and richly
ripened details even the most refined mental palate will
revel in. A truly touching tale destined to become a
classic of vampire lovers everywhere.
It is 1821, and all who know the beautiful, mysterious Ann
Van Helsing believe she is insane. Yet Ann's curse is the
deep psychic ability that allows her to know everything
about another human being—their history, thoughts, and
desires—simply by touching them. Overwhelmed by a power
she can barely control, Ann roams the woods and caves near
her estate, searching for an elusive peace. Here she
encounters the man who will change everything…
To atone for an unforgivable transgression against his own
kind, vampire Stephen Sincai has become a vigilante who
must hunt and kill those whom other vampires have made.
When Ann discovers Stephen bleeding in the woods, she
reaches to touch him before she can stop herself. In an
instant, Ann knows every fiber of Stephen's being—and the
knowledge is at once frightening and irresistible…
Ann and Stephen are drawn together by a powerful force. As
Stephen and Ann fight against the evil surrounding them,
an enemy bent on destroying them will make them choose
between what they love and fear the most…
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