Rift in the Soul by Faith Hunter
About the Book:
Nell Ingram draws her powers from deep in the earth, and uses them to help Psy-LED, the Psychometric Law Enforcement Division, which solves paranormal crimes. When a local vampire calls to report a dead body on her compound, Nell knows she and her team have to be ready for anything.
But the dead body is just the beginning of a mystery that involves supernaturals of all kinds, including some of the most powerful vampires in the country. As Nell gets closer to the truth, she begins to understand that the perpetrator is tracking her too—and that there is something personal about this crime. Something with roots that go almost as deep as those in Soulwood.
Exclusive Excerpt:
I wasn’t on Soulwood. I wasn’t even standing on the ground or on wood that came from local trees. But Soulwood wasn’t that far away. I began to gather the power of Soulwood to me. The land, as always, hungered. It wanted sacrifice. If I had to fight the master of the city–
Ming shifted. Raised the hand that wasn’t holding the bottle and pointed her index finger at me. She touched my forehead with her fingertip. It was icy, cold as a dead body. I didn’t pull away, but it was a close thing.
The vampire pressed her finger harder into my flesh, feeling my life force, my own magic. It rose fast against her. But I held it tightly. Her single touch was different from what vampires usually felt like. It wasn’t nearly so maggoty, not the sensation of a rotting opossum corpse (from which I got the name Maggot) or the feel of icy death. It was different. Ming wasn’t just emotionally different. Something about the vampire was magically and physically different. Just like the impressions of her land.
The swinging doors behind her opened slowly. Rick stood there, a gun aimed at the back of Ming’s head in a two-hand grip. I reined in my relief, holding it just as tight as I did my fear and my power.
“I feel the life of the earth in you,” Ming said. “I wonder if there is a similar life in your sisters, in the children born on your land, land you call Soulwood.” Ming drew back her finger and stared at its tip. Licked it. “Dogs and leaves. You taste of nothing but dogs and leaves. All of your kind should be exterminated.”
Whether she meant those words for a threat against my family or not, I took it that way. Instantly my own hunger rose. I wanted to feed my land with her. To drain the undead life out of her. Far off, my land woke from its winter slumber, alerted by my fear-defense-attack mode. The power of my land stretched toward me, searching. I reached toward it and the tendril of power wrapped into me. Calm flooded through me from that single coil.
Within my land, the Green Knight of the vampire tree came to attention. But I had left its rooted sapling in the car. The tree would have a difficult time reaching me. Reaching Ming.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/ Copyright Faith Hunter
Love!
Love Nell and the crew so much! I’m always hoping for more of her, Occam, Rick, and the rest of the team. Her family is crazy but loves her and I love how much she loves her sister. I hope we get to see more!