Tenth Authors Journal 2 Mikhail

結婚式のリハーサル中、婚約者の同僚が突然乱入し、会場の装飾をめちゃくちゃに壊した。 「小島涼は私と結婚するって言ったのよ！お前なんか何様なの！」 彼女は私の2億円相当のウェディングドレスを奪い取ったが、太りすぎて頭すら通らない様子だった。 私は冷笑して言った。「もしかして、あの大きめサイズのドレスすら入らないの？」 遠藤あおいは顔を真っ赤にして怒り、無理やりドレスに体をねじ込んだ。その瞬間、彼女の腰と背中の部分に無残なほど大きな裂け目がいくつもできた。 それでも彼女は得意げに笑って言った。「ドレスを破っちゃって何よ？涼は私を愛してるんだから、新しいドレスを買ってくれるわ！」 そして結婚式が始まると、遠藤は驚愕して立ち尽くした。 目の前に現れた新郎は小島涼ではなく、彼女と小島涼の会社の社長だったのだ。 だって、これが私の結婚式だなんて、一度も言ったことはなかったのだから。

夫と結婚して2年も経ったが、ペアローンを申し込もうとした時までは、彼の法律上の妻が別人だったことは知らなかった。 そうだったか。私との「結婚式」というのは単なる私的な儀式に過ぎず、正式に提出された婚姻届には別の女性の名前が書かれたのだ。 法律上では、私は彼の妻ではなく、ただの愛人だった。 傷心して家に帰ると、ドアの外で夫と彼の親友との会話が聞こえた。 「いつも神経が張り詰めているお前を見ていると、こっちまで疲れるよ。まったく！鈴子（すずこ）ちゃんをあれほど愛しているのなら、なぜあの山下美幸（やました みゆき）と婚姻届を出したんだ？お前、一体何を考えているのだ」 宮崎誠（みやさき まこと）は不思議そうに尋ねた。 橋本隆祐（はしもと たかすけ）は複雑な表情を浮かべ、心が混乱しているように口を開いた。 「最初は、美幸のことを鈴子の身代わりだとしか思わなかったが、でも、美幸が去った後、僕は寂しくなり……ほぼ毎日、彼女が恋しくてたまらなかった。結局、彼女をアシスタントとして呼び戻さずにはいられなかった」 数秒後、彼はため息混じりに話し続けた。 「僕には鈴子も美幸も必要だ。だから、鈴子には正々堂々と一緒に暮らしてあげてる。その代わり、美幸には法律上の妻という身分を与えたのだ。公平だろ？」 ドアの外で、私は体が震え、心が引き裂かれるような痛みを感じ、世界が崩れ落ちたような感覚だった。 「鈴子も美幸も必要だ」という彼の言葉を聞いてはじめて、彼が二人の女性を同時に愛してしまったと分かった。 彼は幼なじみの私と一緒にいながらも、愛人も手放したくないようだ。 彼にとって、自分が特別な存在で、彼に至れたり尽くせたりで守られる大切な人だと思い込んでいた。 しかしながら、彼は私をバカにして、私の気持ちを踏みいじった。 真相がわかった時、私は泣きもせず、騒ぎもせず、ただ静かにその場から立ち去った。 そして、計画2件を立て始めた……

敵国との平和条約で、人質（名目は大使）に選ばれた実の娘の身代わりとなった エリンシア姫...... ◇◇◇ 彼女は琴の名手.....恋人を殺した男、国の支配者の宗主の側室（愛人）になっていたエリンシア..... ◇◇◇ 今度は敵国の王と不倫関係になってしまう..... ........嫉妬深い面もあるが美貌の王妃にも 琴の演奏に穏やかな気質で 廻りからも気に入られ愛される事にはなるが ◇◇◇ ……事情を全て知る大貴族からの求婚に戸惑うエリンシア ◇◇◇ .......しかし、第三の敵の国、北の国からの来襲で、都は陥落！.......騒乱の中で流転する悲劇！エリンシア姫の運命は？

Tidak pernah ada yang tahu, jika dahulu kala, Gemini Kamaniya dan Aries Gautama, pernah berbagi rasa, dan berbagi malam yang panas. Sebuah rahasia kecil yang berawal dan berakhir dalam senyap. Membuat luka dan kecewa yang tidak berkesudahan. -- "Sudah hampir delapan tahun kita putus, tapi, kamu masih single, sampai sekarang?” Aries tersenyum miring, terkesan meledek dan meremehkan. “Belum bisa bisa move on?” Gemini mendesah panjang, kemudian membalas Aries dengan senyum yang sama. “Sudah hampir delapan tahun kamu nikah, belum juga punya anak, Kamu mandul?”

16 year old Scarlet Paine struggles to understand what’s happening to her, as she wakes and realizes she’s becoming a vampire. Alienated from her parents and her friends, the only person she has left to turn to is Sage, the mysterious boy who has quickly become the love of her life. Yet Sage, whose house she finds boarded up, is nowhere to be found.

Scarlet, alone in the world, with nowhere left to turn, seeks out her friends and tries to reconcile with them. All seems to be patched up when they invite her to join them on a trip to an abandoned island in the Hudson—but as things get out of hand and Scarlet’s true powers are revealed, who her friends and enemies are becomes more confusing than ever.

Blake, still interested in her, tries to make amends. He seems sincere, and Scarlet is confused as she has to grapple with whether to be with Blake or to wait for Sage, who is nowhere to be found.

When Scarlet finally finds Sage, they have the most romantic time of her life; yet it is tinged with tragedy, as Sage is dying, with but a few days left to live.

Kyle, meanwhile, turned into the only other vampire left in the world, is on a murderous rampage, seeking Scarlet; Caitlin and Caleb consult with Aiden, and they each embark on different missions—Caleb to stop and kill Kyle, and Caitlin, to the famed Yale University library, to research the ancient relic rumored to both cure and kill vampires for all time.

It is a race against time, and it may be too late. Scarlet is changing rapidly, barely able to control what she’s becoming, and Sage is dying with each passing moment. As the book culminates in an action-packed, shocking twist, Scarlet will be left with a monumental choice—one that will change the world forever. Will Scarlet make the ultimate sacrifice to save Sage’s life? Will she risk everything she has for love?

An ambitious human journalist, investigating a series of gruesome murders linked to a powerful but secretive family, finds herself drawn into the orbit of their ruthless and dominant alpha. He offers her protection and exclusive access, but his help comes at a price: she must submit to his control, all while trying to uncover the truth about his pack's dark secrets and the brutal murder of her own sister.

Caitlin and Caleb awake in ancient Israel, in the year 33 A.D., and are amazed to find themselves in the time of Christ.

Ancient Israel is a place of holy sites, of ancient synagogues, of lost relics. It is the most spiritually charged place in the universe—and in 33 A.D., the year of Christ’s crucifixion, it is the most spiritually charged time. In the heart of its capitol, Jerusalem, lies the Holy Temple of Solomon, inside of which sits the Holy of Holies and the Ark of God. And in these streets, Christ will take his final steps to be crucified.

Jerusalem teems with people of all religious backgrounds and faiths, under the watchful eye of Roman soldiers, and their Prefect, Pontius Pilate. The city also has a dark side, with its labyrinthian streets and maze of alleyways leading to hidden secrets and Pagan temples.

Caitlin now, finally, has all four keys, but still, she must find her father. Her search takes her to Nazareth, to Capernaum, to Jerusalem, following a mystical trail of secrets and clues in the footsteps of Christ. It also takes her to the ancient Mount of Olives, to Aiden and his coven, and to more powerful secrets and relics than she’s ever known. At every turn, her father is just a step away.

But time is of the essence: Sam, turned to the dark side, has landed back in this time, too, and as he unites with Rexius, leader of the evil coven, they race to beat Caitlin to the Shield. Rexius will stop at nothing to destroy Caitlin and Caleb, and with Sam on his side, and a new army behind him, the odds are in his favor.

Making matters worse, Scarlet arrives back in time alone, separated from her parents. She roams the streets of Jerusalem on her own, with Ruth, and as she begins to discover her own powers, she also finds herself in graver danger than she’s ever been. Especially when she discovers that she is holding a great secret, too.

"A book to rival TWILIGHT and VAMPIRE DIARIES, and one that will have you wanting to keep reading until the very last page! If you are into adventure, love and vampires this book is the one for you!"
--Vampirebooksite.com (Turned)

CRAVED is Book #10 in the #1 Bestselling series THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, which begins with Book #1, TURNED!

In CRAVED, 16 year old Scarlet Paine struggles to find out exactly what she’s becoming. Her erratic behavior has alienated her new boyfriend, Blake, and she struggles to make amends, and to make him understand. But the problem is, she can barely understand herself what’s happening to her.

At the same time, the new boy in school, the mysterious Sage, comes into her life. Their paths keep intertwining, and although she tries to avoid it, he directly pursues her, despite the objections of her best friend, Maria, who has her own eyes set on Sage. Scarlet finds herself swept away by Sage, who takes her into his world, past the gates of his family’s historic river mansion. As their relationship deepens, she begins to learn more about his mysterious past, his family, and the secrets he must hold. They spend the most romantic time she can imagine, on a secluded island in the Hudson, and she is convinced she has found the true love of her life.

But then she is devastated to learn Sage’s biggest secret of all: he is not human, either, and he has only a few weeks left to live. Tragically, just at the moment when destiny has brought her greatest love, it also seems fated to tear them apart.

As Scarlet returns to the high school parties leading up to the big dance, she ends up in a huge falling-out with her friends, who excommunicate her from their group. At the same time, Vivian rounds up the popular girls to make her life hell, leading to an unavoidable confrontation. Scarlet’s forced to sneak out, making matters worse with her parents, and soon finds pressure building from all sides. The only light in her life is Sage. But he is still holding back some of his secrets, and Blake resurfaces, determined to pursue her.

Caitlin, meanwhile, is determined to find a way to reverse Scarlet’s vampirism. What she finds leads her on a journey to find the antidote, deep into the darkest corners of rare libraries and bookstores—and to an ancient discovery she can hardly imagine.

But it may be too late. Scarlet is changing rapidly, barely able to control what she’s becoming. She wants to be with Sage—but fate seems set on tearing them apart. As the book culminates in an action-packed and shocking twist, Scarlet will be left with a monumental choice—one that will change the world forever. How much is she willing to risk for love?

In VOWED (Book #7 of the Vampire Journals), Caitlin and Caleb find themselves in medieval Scotland, in 1350,of the quest for the Holy Grail said to contain the key to true vampire immortality. Landing on the shores of the ancient Isle of Skye, a remote island off the Western coast of Scotland where only the most elite warriors live and train, they are ecstatic to reunite with Sam and Polly, Scarlet and Ruth, a human king and his warriors, and with all of Aiden’s coven.

Before they can continue their mission for the fourth and final key, the time has come for Caleb and Caitlin to wed.

Simultaneously, Sam and Polly, to their own surprise, are each falling deeply in love with one another. As their relationship accelerates, Sam surprises Polly with a vow of his own. And Polly surprises him with her own shocking news.

But all is not well beneath the surface. Blake has appeared again, and his deep love for Caitlin might just threaten her union, on the day before her wedding. Sera has appeared again, too, and vows to break apart what she cannot have.

Scarlet, too, finds herself in danger, as the source of her deep powers are revealed—along with the revelation of who are her true parents.

Caitlin Paine awakes from a deep coma to discover she has been turned. Now a true, full-bred vampire, she marvels at her new powers, including her ability to fly, and her superhuman strength. She finds that her true love, Caleb, is still by her side, waiting patiently for her to recover. She has everything she could dream of.

Until it all, suddenly, goes terribly wrong.

Caitlin is horrified to discover Caleb with his ex-wife, Sera, and before Caleb has a chance to explain, Caitlin tells him to leave. Heartbroken, confused, Caitlin wants to curl up and die, her only consolation being in her wolf-pup Rose.

Caitlin also finds consolation in her new surroundings. She finds she has been placed on a hidden island in the Hudson River—Pollepel—amidst an elite coven of teenage vampires, boys and girls alike, 24 in all, including her. She learns that this is a place for outcasts, just like her, and as she meets her new best friend, Polly, and begins her training in elite vampire combat, she realizes that she might finally have a place to call home.

But a major vampire war is looming, and her brother Sam is still out there, kidnapped by Samantha. The evil Kyle, too, now wielding the mythical Sword, is still on the warpath, and he will stop at nothing to wipe out New York. Caitlin, despite her new home, and despite her finding a new love interest in the elusive vampire Blake, knows that she can only stay on this island for so long before her destiny calls. After all, she is still the One, and all eyes still look to her to find her father and the other weapon that might save them all.

Torn between her new friends and her lingering feelings for Caleb, she must come to decide where her true loyalties lie, and whether she is willing to risk it all to try to find Caleb and have him in her life once again….