Canyons of Night Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Teaser chapter

  A RARE BOOK.

  Praise for

  MIDNIGHT CRYSTAL

  “Castle delivers another captivating futuristic romance that has all the sexy chemistry, sharply addictive wit, and fast-paced intrigue her readers expect.”

  —Chicago Tribune

  “In the latest flawlessly written addition to her futuristic romantic-suspense series, Castle cleverly clicks the final pieces of her Dreamlight Trilogy into place, creating a fast-paced, sexy, and witty treat.”

  —Booklist

  “With her classic, sassy flair, Castle brings this engrossing trilogy . . . to a satisfying and thoroughly delightful conclusion, putting the old Winters/Jones feud to rest in a most romantic way.”

  —Library Journal

  “It is always lovely to visit Harmony again. The plot has plenty of excitement, danger, and hot, steamy sex to go around.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “A terrific entry that fans of the author will relish. The story line is fast paced and action packed . . . This is a winning stand-alone, but the brilliance of the author comes across by reading and comparing the trilogy.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “Plenty of sensual tension and some quirky characters as well.”

  —The Romance Readers Connection

  “With her usual talent, the author weaves what should be way too many components together into a story that keeps you glued to the pages . . . a spectacular read . . . I was disappointed when I finally set the book down, and still have burning questions about the dust bunnies. Can I hope for more stories set on Harmony? One can always hope.”

  —Night Owl Romance

  DARK LIGHT

  “[The characters’] lively, fast-paced banter keeps the story moving forward, and the sexual attraction between them sizzles . . . another terrific, ghost-hunting page-turner from the fascinating world of Harmony.”

  —Romance Novel TV

  “It is always great to visit Harmony . . . The latest thriller is exciting and fast-paced . . . Fans of the saga will relish this strong paranormal romantic whodunit.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “This book thrilled and chilled, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. One will not want to put it down until the last page is read. Another keeper!”

  —ParaNormal Romance

  “With her classic sharp sense of wit and unrivaled skill for creating captivating characters (including a dust bunny that threatens to steal the whole show), bestselling Krentz switches to her Castle pseudonym to cook up another delectably entertaining, paranormal-flavored tale of romantic suspense.”

  —Booklist

  “This latest Harmony [novel] is great fun, perfect for fans who like their futuristics with a paranormal touch and a lot of sass.”

  —Library Journal

  “A lot of fun to read with a good mystery to solve.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  SILVER MASTER

  “Expertly blends adventure, fantasy, and romance into an enthralling story that will keep readers riveted until the final satisfying conclusion.”

  —MyShelf

  “A complete thrill ride.”

  —ParaNormal Romance

  “Will fulfill all your longings for a romance with a paranormal setting that will pique all your senses.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  Praise for the novels of New York Times

  bestselling author Jayne Castle . . .

  “Castle is well-known for her playful love stories, and this futuristic tale of romantic suspense runs delightfully true to form . . . An appealing, effervescent romance mildly spiced with paranormal fun, this novel won’t disappoint.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Writing under Jayne Castle, Jayne Ann Krentz takes her trademark combination of witty, upbeat action, lively sensuality, and appealing characters to [a] unique, synergistic world.”

  —Library Journal

  “Jayne Castle, one of the pioneers of the futuristic subgenre, continues to set the standard against which all other such books are judged.”

  —Affaire de Coeur

  “As always, the characterizations and plot blend perfectly for a thrilling, funny, and fully satisfying read.”

  —Romantic Times (4½ stars)

  . . . and Jayne Ann Krentz

  “Good fun.”

  —Cosmopolitan

  “Entertaining.”

  —People

  “Fast-moving . . . entertaining . . . highly successful.”

  —The Seattle Times

  “Fast-paced . . . interesting characters . . . A good time is had by the reader.”

  —Chicago Tribune

  “Along with Nora Roberts, Krentz is one of the most reliably satisfying romance writers publishing.”

  —Sunday (CA) Times

  “Jayne Ann Krentz is one of the hottest writers around.”

  —Albuquerque Journal

  Titles by Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Jayne Castle

  CANYONS OF NIGHT

  MIDNIGHT CRYSTAL

  OBSIDIAN PREY

  DARK LIGHT

  SILVER MASTER

  GHOST HUNTER

  AFTER GLOW

  HARMONY

  AFTER DARK

  AMARYLLIS

  ZINNIA

  ORCHID

  Titles by Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Amanda Quick

  QUICKSILVER

  BURNING LAMP

  THE PERFECT POISON

  THE THIRD CIRCLE

  THE RIVER KNOWS

  SECOND SIGHT

  LIE BY MOONLIGHT

  THE PAID COMPANION

  WAIT UNTIL MIDNIGHT

  LATE FOR THE WEDDING

  DON’T LOOK BACK

  SLIGHTLY SHADY

  WICKED WIDOW

  I THEE WED

  WITH THIS RING

  AFFAIR

  MISCHIEF

  MYSTIQUE

  MISTRESS

  DECEPTION

  DESIRE

  DANGEROUS

  RECKLESS

  RAVISHED

  RENDEZVOUS

  SCANDAL

  SURRENDER

  SEDUCTION

  Other titles by Jayne Ann Krentz

  IN TOO DEEP

  FIRED UP

  RUNNING HOT

  SIZZLE AND BURN

  WHITE LIES

  ALL NIGHT LONG

  FALLING AWAKE

  TRUTH OR DARE

  LIGHT IN SHADOW

  SUMMER IN ECLIPSE BAY

  TOGETHER IN ECLIPSE BAY

  SMOKE IN MIRRORS

  LOST & FOUND

  DAWN IN ECLIPSE BAY

  SOFT FOCUS

  ECLIPSE BAY

  EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

  FLAS
H

  SHARP EDGES

  DEEP WATERS

  ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY

  TRUST ME

  GRAND PASSION

  HIDDEN TALENTS

  WILDEST HEARTS

  FAMILY MAN

  PERFECT PARTNERS

  SWEET FORTUNE

  SILVER LININGS

  THE GOLDEN CHANCE

  Anthologies

  CHARMED

  (with Julie Beard, Lori Foster, and Eileen Wilks)

  Titles written by Jayne Ann Krentz and Jayne Castle

  NO GOING BACK

  THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

  Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada

  (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

  Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)

  Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia

  (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)

  Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India

  Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand

  (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)

  Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196,

  South Africa

  Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  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. The publisher does not have control over and does not have any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  CANYONS OF NIGHT

  A Jove Book / published by arrangement with the author

  PRINTING HISTORY

  Jove mass-market edition / September 2011

  Copyright © 2011 by Jayne Ann Krentz.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  ISBN : 978-1-101-54360-3

  JOVE®

  Jove Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  JOVE® is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. The “J” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  http://us.penguingroup.com

  This one is for Rex.

  Your sense of style is classic.

  A Note from Jayne

  Welcome to Rainshadow Island. You are about to discover a whole new aspect of the world of Harmony and learn some of the future secrets of the Arcane Society.

  In the Rainshadow novels you will meet the passionate men and women who are drawn to this remote island in the Amber Sea. You will also get to know their friends and neighbors in the community of Shadow Bay. You are invited to be a part of their lives; lives which are deeply entwined with the island’s dark and mysterious history.

  I hope you will enjoy the Rainshadow novels.

  Sincerely,

  Jayne

  Prologue

  Rainshadow Island

  THE SMALL VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING TOO FAST ON THE narrow, twisted road that snaked along the top of the cliffs. Charlotte Enright heard the insectlike whine of the tiny flash-rock engine behind her and hastily stepped off the pavement onto the relative safety of the shoulder. A moment later one of the familiar low-powered Vibes that visitors rented to get around on the island careened out of the turn.

  The driver hit the brakes, bringing the open-sided buggy to a halt beside her.

  “Hey, look what we have here,” the man behind the wheel said to his two passengers. “It’s that weird girl with the glasses who works for that crazy old lady in the antiques store. What are you doing out here all by yourself, Weird Girl?”

  There was enough light left in the late summer sky to illuminate the three young men in the car. Charlotte recognized them immediately. They had wandered into Looking Glass Antiques earlier in the day, drawn into the shop not because of an interest in antiques but by the rumors that swirled around her aunt.

  “Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s dangerous to hang out on empty roads like this late at night?” the man in the passenger seat asked.

  His voice echoed along the lonely stretch of road that led to the Preserve. The laughter of his two companions sent icy chills through Charlotte. She started walking. She did not look back. Maybe if she ignored the three they would leave her alone. She quickened her pace, walking faster into the rapidly deepening twilight.

  That weird girl with the glasses who works for that crazy old lady in the antiques store. The words might just as well have been emblazoned on her T-shirt, she thought. She was pretty sure that just about everyone on the island, with the exception of her friend Rachel, thought of her in exactly those words.

  The driver took his foot off the brake and let the Vibe coast slowly alongside Charlotte.

  “Don’t run off, Weird Girl,” the one in the passenger seat called out. “We’ve heard that it gets a little strange out here after dark. Guy back at the bar guaranteed us that if we could get into the Preserve on a moonlit night like this we would see ghosts. You’re from around here. Why don’t you show us the sights?”

  “Yeah, come on now, be friendly, Weird Girl,” the driver wheedled. “You’re supposed to be nice to tourists.”

  Charlotte clutched the flashlight very tightly and kept her gaze fixed on the dark woods at the end of Merton Road.

  “We’ll give you a ride,” the driver said, mockingly lecherous. “Come on, get in the car.”

  “All we want you to do is show us this place they call the Preserve,” the one in the backseat urged. “From what we’ve seen today, there sure as hell isn’t anything else of interest on this rock.”

  Charlotte wondered how the three in the car had found their way all the way out to Merton Road. Only the locals and the summer regulars were aware that the old strip of pavement dead-ended at the border of the private nature conservancy known as the Rainshadow Preserve.

  The trio in the Vibe was a familiar species on Rainshadow during the summer months. The type typically arrived on the private yachts and sailboats that crowded the marina on the weekends. They partied heavily all night long in the dockside taverns and restaurants, and when the bars closed down they moved the parties to their boats.

  “Come back here, damn it,” the driver ordered. He wore a pastel polo shirt that probably had a designer label stitched inside. His light brown hair had obviously been cut in an expensive salon. “We won’t hurt you. We just want you to give us a tour of the spooky places the guy in the bar told us about.”

  “Forget the ugly little bitch, Derek,” the man in the backseat said. “No boobs on her, anyway. Trying to get into this Preserve is a waste of time. Let’s go back to town. I need a drink and some weed.”

  “We came all the way out here to see the Preserve,” Derek insisted, his tone turning surly. “I’m not going back until this bitch shows us where it is.” He raised his voice. “You hear me, weird bitch?”

  “Yeah,” the man in the passenger seat said. “I want to see the place, too. Let’s make the bitch show us.”

  Charlott
e’s pulse pounded. She was walking as swiftly as she could. Any faster and she would be running. She was very frightened but her feminine intuition warned her that if she ran the three men would be out of the Vibe in an instant, pursuing her like a pack of wild animals.

  “Is she ignoring us?” the man in the passenger seat asked. “Yeah, I think she’s ignoring us. That’s just flat-out rude. Someone needs to teach her some manners.”

  “Damn right, Garrett,” Derek said. “Let’s get her.”

  “This is stupid,” the man in the backseat said. But the other two paid no attention to him.

  Derek brought the Vibe to a stop and jumped out. Garrett followed, and so did the man in the rear seat, albeit with obvious reluctance. Charlotte knew that she had no choice now but to run. She fled toward the woods at the end of Merton Road.