ENSLAVED BY THE OTHERS is the latest instalment of the H&W Investigation series, and it starts off with a bang. P.I. Shiarra Waynest, a human, is being held captive by Max Carlyle, a master vampire, who is bent on breaking her once and for all. She is a serious thorn in his side, but she can be useful to him in achieving his goals. There are territorial wars going on, and Shiarra is a pawn in his power game. Max funds his empire with slave trading, of both humans and Others, who are all sorts of paranormal creatures and are used for their abilities and as blood donors. Max is determined to have Shiarra on his side one way or another, and because of a blood exchange, she is somewhat bound to him.
The blood exchange with Max has also triggered surprisingly unexpected reactions related to events in Shiarra's past, and things are becoming more and more unsettling. While being kept prisoner, she has befriended an Other of a species unknown to her, as well getting acquainted with other slaves. She promises that if she escapes, she will free them all. She has been obsessed with escaping, and when she manages to find a way, makes a run for it. Her best friend Sara is also missing, and Shiarra must find her. Along the way, betrayals are revealed, alliances are forged and broken, but I will not say any more because anything else could be considered spoilers.
ENSLAVED BY THE OTHERS is phenomenal! It's action-packed from beginning to end. Jess Haines has thought of every minute detail as Shiarra runs for her life. The worldbuilding is superlative. The characters multi-faceted and colourful, without being over the top. Ms. Haines is an extraordinarily gifted writer as well as a master storyteller. ENSLAVED BY THE OTHERS is an absolute must-read for any fan of paranormal or urban fantasy.
Vampires, werewolves, magi and worse--the Others have joined
the mortal world, and there's no turning back now . . .
As a New York P.I. and Other specialist, Shiarra Waynest has
been in plenty of trouble before. But waking up in a
windowless room the prisoner of a vampire slave trader is a
shock for anyone. Shia has her wits, her bravado, and a
couple of used staples, so maybe she can take on a mansion
full of serious evil.
But although she's desperate to escape, Shia needs some
answers too. Her friends are in danger. There are betrayers
and spies among them. And even if she can figure out what's
going on and somehow get a message out, she's still a
captive of the worst kind. . .
EXCERPT
If I hadnโt already been so stunned by the contents of the
room, I quite
possibly wouldโve been shocked immobile by the palpable
interest of over a
dozenโoldโno, ancientโvampires locked on me. This included
Max, whose steely
grey eyes had widened as he sat up in the oxblood leather
chair he had been
lounging upon, clearly taken aback by my spectacular
entrance. The weight of
age in this tiny room was crushing; a football stadium would
be too small to
contain the power they were unconsciously radiating. It only
took a few
seconds for me to figure out that, whatever the hell they
were doing here,
obviously they now considered me part of the menu. I hastily
backed up, using
my arms to cover as much of myself as I could, while Max
schooled his own
features into a passably blank expression.
โOf course,โ Max said, his smooth voice carrying only the
tiniest hint of
irritation as he eased back in his seat and nodded in my
direction, โI had not
intended to showcase her so soon, though I donโt suppose
thereโs any harm in
it. She is newly arrived, and has not been groomed properly
for servitude yet.
I doubt you would be interested in one so fresh, Kyle.โ
I skittered back, but a guard who had been standing to one
side of the door
barred my escape and I backed right into him. He laughed at
how I jumped at
the unexpected contact before giving me a little shove in
Maxโs direction. I
pivoted and darted to the side so I could press against the
wall instead.
No weapons, no way out, and surrounded by vampires. I was on
the verge of
hyperventilating, and Max didnโt seem keen on stopping the
guy heโd addressed
as Kyle from approaching me.
This new vampire was well dressed in a tailored โI make a
thousand dollar suit
look like cheap trashโ way. He set aside a cane with a
freaky demon-looking
thing crouching on top with what I would swear were real
diamonds for eyes
before approaching me. The power of his mien paled to the
invasive
metaphysical touch that brushed over my skin, tasting some
intangible part of
me and making me want a piece of sandpaper, a pumice stone,
and the worldโs
hottest shower to scrub the feel of it off of me. His
manicured nails were
blunt, shining as brightly as that whiter-than-white smile
when he ran a
smooth fingertip over my cheek, the other hand lifting to
toy with one of my
bra straps. I flinched and batted his hands away before
twisting aside and
putting some much-needed distance between us.
โMm, perhaps youโre right. Aside from being fresh, sheโs got
facial scars. I
do hope you werenโt intending on offering damaged goods.โ
Though I wasnโt often hung up about my looks, his comment
sent my hand flying
to my lower lip in reflex. I often did my best to forget
about the scar left
behind when Peter bit me, nearly tearing my lip in half in
the process of
assaulting me.
Another vampire spoke up, his tone dripping disdain. โLook
how scrawny she is.
No meat on her where there should be. And that skin of hers
is a wreckโthe
mark on her face is not the only one I see.โ
And another. โThis one is disappointing, Euphron. Very
disappointing.โ
Scowling, I dropped my hand away and balled my fingers into
tight fists of
rage at my side, finding the condescending laughter of the
others in the room
too much to bear. Max started speaking but I cut him off,
shouting loudly
enough for most everyone to flinch.
โIโm not a f**king pet, Iโm not your f**king plaything, and
who gives a flying
f**k if Iโm scarred? Ask Max how it happened. I got it while
I was busy
killing one of your own, you f**king leeches.โ
Stunned silence followed my pronouncement, and I took
advantage of the moment
to dive for the door again, shoving the surprised guard out
of my way.
โStop.โ
The word was quiet but forceful. Every muscle in my body
went rigid and I
found I couldnโt move.
โCome here.โ
The other vampires watched with interest as I turned around,
breaking out in a
cold sweat as I fought the command. I managed to hold out
until I made the
mistake of meeting Maxโs eyes. Though I didnโt want to do
it, one foot lifted,
then the other, bringing me closer to him. After three
steps, I was back in
the roomโand found at that point that I could stop, though I
couldnโt
withstand the power of his spell enough to run again.
โExtraordinary,โ commented another vampire that had been
quiet up until now,
his fangs glinting as he favored me with a wolfish grin. โI
do believe this
one doesnโt care for you, Euphron.โ
A few of the others seemed to find this funny, smirking or
making wry comments
of their own. Catty bastards.
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