Praise for the Alex Verus novels
“Harry Dresden would like Alex Verus tremendously—and be a little nervous around him . . . A gorgeously realized world with a uniquely powerful, vulnerable protagonist. Books this good remind me why I got into the storytelling business in the first place.”
—Jim Butcher, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Dresden Files
“Benedict Jacka writes a deft thrill ride of an urban fantasy—a stay-up-all-night read.”
—Patricia Briggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Silence Fallen
“Jacka puts other urban fantasists to shame . . . [A] stellar blend of thoughtful philosophy and explosive action populated by a stereotype-defying diverse cast.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“[A] fast-paced, high-stakes adventure . . . The real power of Jacka’s series comes from the very human journeys and revelations to be found for each character in the course of this story.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Tons of fun and lots of excitement . . . [Benedict Jacka] writes well, often with the ability to bring places to life as much as his characters, especially the city of London.”
—SF Site
“[An] action-packed story with witty dialogue . . . [A] wonderfully witty and smart hero who’s actually pretty awesome in a fight.”
—All Things Urban Fantasy
“Benedict Jacka is a master storyteller . . . [A] brilliant urban fantasy that is so professionally polished and paced that you barely remember to come up for air.”
—Fantasy-Faction
“Everything I love about an urban fantasy: action, magic, an interesting new world, and a character that I really liked.”
—Under the Covers Book Blog
Ace Books by Benedict Jacka
FATED
CURSED
TAKEN
CHOSEN
HIDDEN
VEILED
BURNED
BOUND
ACE
Published by Berkley
An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014
Copyright © 2017 by Benedict Jacka
Penguin Random House supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin Random House to continue to publish books for every reader.
ACE is a registered trademark and the A colophon is a trademark of Penguin Random House LLC.
Ebook ISBN: 9781101988534
First Edition: April 2017
Cover photograph: London skyline © Howard Kingsnorth/Getty Images; Abstract spiral tunnel © Kostsov/Shutterstock; Clouds © Nejron Photo/Shutterstock
Cover design by Judith Lagerman
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.
chapter 1
JANUARY
Walking through Richard’s mansion felt like broken glass under my skin.
The inside was well lit, though the dark walls and floor made it feel shadowed. Candle-shaped bulbs in chandeliers shone down onto russet tiles, and thick rafters crossed the ceiling overhead. The walls were panelled, engraved in neat geometric patterns. Our footsteps echoed faintly off the wood, and from time to time a whisper of sound would hint at movement deeper within. Shades of brown and yellow blended into a dark gold.
For me, this was a place of horror and madness. It had been a little more than fourteen years since I’d first passed these doors, and on that day, Richard had introduced me to my fellow apprentices, Rachel and Tobruk and Shireen. He’d explained our duties, then left us to do as we pleased. After a while, there’d been a job. And then another job. And within two years Shireen and Tobruk were dead, Rachel was insane, and I was half insane too, fleeing and hiding and trying to rebuild my shattered life. It had taken years, and once I was whole again, I’d sworn I’d never return. Now I was doing exactly that.
The creature leading us was walking two paces in front. To a casual glance it would have looked like a young woman, golden-haired and beautiful, dressed in white. Only the eyes gave it away: when it had greeted us at the door I’d met its gaze, and the eyes looking back at me had been blank and empty. I’d heard of these kinds of constructs—they were called dama. They were physically weak and nearly mindless, with only enough intelligence to obey simple commands, but they did have one particular trait that certain mages valued highly. Dama had no long-term memory: any command given to them, once executed, faded from their minds. Back when I’d lived in this mansion Richard had used house slaves for these kinds of tasks. The fact that the slaves had apparently been replaced was an improvement from one point of view, but it had ominous implications.
I stole a glance at Anne, walking beside me. Her hair had grown out a little while we’d been on the run, and it brushed her shoulders now as she glanced from side to side, reddish-brown eyes searching the walls. I knew she was sensing the living creatures in the mansion, seeing them through the walls and doors, but I didn’t dare ask her about it, not here. Her weight was towards the balls of her feet, and she looked ready to fight or flee. I was glad she was there, and ashamed of that gladness. There are few people I’d rather have at my side in a tight spot than Anne, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was here because of me.
The construct led us into a sitting room, also panelled in wood, with red cushions and no windows. It turned to us with an empty smile. “Please wait here. You will be summoned soon.”
“How soon is ‘soon’?” Anne asked in her soft voice.
The construct’s smile didn’t change. “Please wait here. You will be summoned soon.”
Anne opened her mouth again. I caught her eye and gave a tiny shake of my head, and she stopped. The construct, still smiling, turned and left the room, shutting the door.
“Feels like talking to the people at the Department of Work and Pensions,” Anne said under her breath, then looked up sharply.
“There you are!” a voice said from my right. “I was wondering how long I’d have to wait.”
I was glad my precognition had given me some advance warning. The woman who’d just walked into the room wasn’t the person I least wanted to come face to face with, but she was definitely in the top five. “Vihaela,” I said, turning.
“Verus,” the woman said with a slight smile. “You’re looking well, considering.”
Vihaela is one of the tallest women I know, taller even than Anne and able to stand eye to eye with me. She’s dark-haired and dark-skinned, with the build of an athlete and the grace of a raptor, and she dresses in brown and black and red. Vihaela draws attention from people who don’t know her, and draws even more attention from the ones who do. Like Anne, she’s a life magic user, but Vihaela’s magic is a blend of life and death and she puts it to much darker uses than Anne does. Right now, she looked happy. Vihaela often looks happy, though I get the impression that the things that make her happy aren’t so pleasant for the people around her.