Contents
Cover
Titles by Jayne Ann Krentz
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
A Note from Jayne
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
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Another Note from Jayne
About the Author
For Harriet. Here’s to popcorn and fireworks, the keys to a happy life.
A NOTE FROM JAYNE
Welcome to my Jayne Castle world—Harmony. You’re invited to join me on another adventure in Illusion Town. This is Las Vegas on Harmony but way more weird. The sign on the highway says it all: The thrills are real.
For those of you who are new to Harmony, here’s a quick summary of the history of this new world:
Late in the twenty-first century, a vast energy Curtain opened in the vicinity of Earth, making interstellar travel practical for the first time. In typical human fashion, thousands of eager colonists packed up their stuff and lost no time heading out to create new homes and new societies on the unexplored planets that were suddenly within reach. Harmony was one of those worlds.
The colonists who settled Harmony brought with them all the comforts of home: sophisticated technology, centuries of art and literature, and the latest fashions. Trade through the Curtain flourished and made it possible to stay in touch with families back on Earth. It also allowed the colonists to keep their computers and high-tech gadgets working. Things went swell for a while.
And then one day, without warning, the Curtain closed, disappearing as mysteriously as it had opened. Cut off from Earth, no longer able to obtain the equipment and supplies needed to keep their high-tech lifestyle going, the colonists were abruptly thrown back to a far more rustic existence. Forget the latest Earth fashions; just staying alive suddenly became a major problem.
But on Harmony, folks did one of the things humans do well—they adapted and survived. It wasn’t easy, but two hundred years after the closing of the Curtain, the descendants of the First Generation colonists have managed to fight their way back from the brink to a level of civilization roughly equivalent to that of the first half of the twenty-first century on Earth.
The four original colonies have evolved into four large city-states loosely united under the umbrella of a federal government. With no enemy nations to worry about, there is no standing army. But every civilization requires some form of policing. On Harmony those tasks are handled by three different agencies. Aboveground, the various police departments and the Federal Bureau of Psi Investigation (FBPI) take the lead. But in the ancient ruins belowground, law enforcement and general security are handled by the powerful Ghost Hunters Guilds.
Vast stretches of Harmony have yet to be explored, both aboveground and down in the mysterious and dangerous maze of green quartz tunnels in the Underworld.
Interestingly, an increasingly wide variety of psychic powers are showing up in the descendants of the colonists. It seems that something in the environment is bringing out the latent paranormal abilities in humans.
Of course, there are some people who don’t need any help from the environment to unleash their psychic talents. Turns out a whole bunch of the members of the Arcane Society were among the First Generation settlers. So were a few of the Society’s old enemies. (I know. Who could have seen that coming, right?)
Harmony holds mysteries and secrets and dangers, but, as usual, the real trouble is caused by humans.
Chapter One
“The witch will burn.”
Ravenna Chastain could hear the chanting in the adjacent chamber. It was growing louder and more intense. The members of the witch hunter cult were working themselves up into a frenzy.
“The witch will burn. The witch will burn. The witch will burn.”
Until a few minutes ago she had kept panic at bay by telling herself that help was on the way. All she had to do was stall for time. She had done her best, but the trial that had condemned her had lasted less than twenty minutes and had consisted primarily of a lengthy reading of the charges against her. “You have been accused of practicing witchcraft. You have presented no evidence to the contrary. You must be cleansed.” At the end the Master had pronounced the verdict, which had never been in doubt: guilty.
She and the dust bunny were on their own.
The cult’s head enforcer appeared in the arched doorway. He gripped a flamer in one hand. Such weapons were among the few that functioned in the heavy paranormal energy that circulated in the ancient ruins of the Underworld.
“Time to meet the cold fire, Witch.” He selected a key from the metal chatelaine at his waist. “The Master and the Acolyte are waiting. The Guardians have gathered to witness the destruction of your powers.”
Ravenna watched him through the bars of the cage. He wore a black, hooded robe and a black mask. His eyes glittered with a sick excitement. He called himself the First Guardian, but she knew his real name was Charles Granger.
“Tell me, Chucky, are you having fun with this crazy witch-hunting cult?” she asked.