Afterimage

by Jaye Roycraft

Russian Alek Dragovich, enforcer for the Undead, is feeling the weight of his years and has yet to find the elusive affaire d'amour that would lighten his burden. Nothing, but nothing, is going well.His position in the Directorate is in jeopardy, and even his mentor Nikolena is threatening to remove her support if Drago doesn't stop employing his unorthodox methods of resolving his cases. Nikolena gives Drago one last chance to redeem himself-to locate and eliminate a high-ranking member of the Brotherhood who is using forbidden methods to ascend the hierarchy. Still, Drago has little interest in Nikolena's schemes until this one becomes personal. When someone tries to kill him...that's personal.That "someone" is raven-haired Gypsy Marya Jaks, daughter of a dhampir, offspring of a vampire and his mortal wife. Dhampirs are famous among the Roma for their ability to detect vampires, thereby making them perfect vampire killers. When Marya learns that Drago has deemed her a threat to the vampire community and has ordered her termination, she strikes back. Drago, the hunter, has become the hunted, but is it Marya who truly wants him dead or Nikolena's mysterious power-hungry vampire? Drago resolves to keep Marya alive until he can learn the truth, and he must summon the strength of will to elevate himself from pawn to player in the deadliest of games.The afterimage of Drago's neon blue eyes has haunted Marya from the first moment she encountered him in her bedroom, but will the image signify her destruction, or a bond so powerful it can overcome a legacy of hatred.

Softbound Imajinn Books (2002)