A Desolate Hour. Mae Clair

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      Cover Copy

      Sins of the past could destroy all of their futures . . .

      For generations, Quentin Marsh’s family has seen its share of tragedy, though he remains skeptical that their misfortunes are tied to a centuries-old curse. But to placate his pregnant sister, Quentin makes the pilgrimage to Point Pleasant, West Virginia, hoping to learn more about the brutal murder of a Shawnee chief in the 1700s. Did one of the Marsh ancestors have a hand in killing the chief—the man who cursed the town with his dying breath?

      While historian Sarah Sherman doesn’t believe in curses either, she’s compelled to use her knowledge of Point Pleasant to uncover the long-buried truth. The river town has had its own share of catastrophes, many tied to the legendary Mothman, the winged creature said to haunt the woods. But Quentin’s arrival soon reveals that she may have more of a stake than she realized. It seems that she and Quentin possess eerily similar family heirlooms. And the deeper the two of them dig into the past, the more their search enrages the ancient mystical forces surrounding Point Pleasant. As chaos and destruction start to befall residents, can they beat the clock to break the curse before the Mothman takes his ultimate revenge? . . .

      Visit us at www.kensingtonbooks.com

      Books by Mae Clair

      Weathering Rock

      Twelfth Sun

      Myth and Magic

      Point Pleasant Series

      A Thousand Yesteryears

      A Cold Tomorrow

      A Desolate Hour

      Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation

      A Desolate Hour

      A Point Pleasant Novel

      Mae Clair

      LYRICAL PRESS

      Kensington Publishing Corp.

      www.kensingtonbooks.com

      Copyright

      Lyrical Press books are published by

      Kensington Publishing Corp. 119 West 40th Street New York, NY 10018

      Copyright © 2017 by Mae Clair

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

      All Kensington titles, imprints, and distributed lines are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotion, premiums, fund- raising, and educational or institutional use.

      To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

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      Kensington Publishing Corp.

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      New York, NY 10018

      Attn. Special Sales Department. Phone: 1-800-221-2647.

      Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

      LYRICAL PRESS Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

      Lyrical Press and the L logo are trademarks of Kensington Publishing Corp.

      First Electronic Edition: July 2017

      eISBN-13: 978-1-60183-779-0

      eISBN-10: 1-60183-779-8

      First Print Edition: July 2017

      ISBN-13: 978-1-60183-782-0

      ISBN-10: 1-60183-782-8

      Printed in the United States of America

      Dedication

      For Cindy Garberich

      Who cheers my accomplishments every bit as enthusiastically as Mom did,

      and who couldn’t wait to meet the Mothman

      Thanks, Sis

      Acknowledgements

      To my editor, Paige Christian, thank you for your hard work in making my version of Point Pleasant shine.

      To Lyrical Underground and Kensington Publishing, I’m delighted to be part of such a professional organization.

      Finally, to my husband, who has been by my side through every step of my writing journey, and who listened patiently to my endless chatter about the Mothman, Cornstalk and UFOs. Thank you for undertaking two trips with me to Point Pleasant and the TNT. There is nothing like firsthand research when penning a novel!

      Prologue

      October 10, 1777

      Point Pleasant area

      Dusk.

      It came early with autumn, the high grass browning sluggishly, the woods ripe with the odor of decay. Pockets of mist coiled awake prelude to the coming night. In the distance, the last ruddy rays of the sun were swallowed by the horizon.

      Leaves and twigs crunched beneath Obadiah Preech’s boots as he threaded his way through the trees oblivious to the bats flitting overhead. Fort Randolph fell away a good mile behind him. He’d waved a greeting to the sentries when he’d passed through the gates, ignoring their warnings about how quickly night fell. After carrying a musket in Lord Dunmore’s War, he had no fear of the physical realm. Only of what lurked within the woods.

      His heartbeat quickened and his palms grew damp with sweat.

      He would kill the demon, but not tonight. Tonight was for weaving incantations to empower the dagger, a blade destined to spill the blood of the Indian chief, Cornstalk. The redskins had summoned the creature through the use of foul magic, thus by black witchery would the abomination die. Willa’s death would be avenged.

      Locating a clear patch of ground, Obadiah used a branch to sketch a crude pentagram on the forest floor. The soil was soft, moist from recent rains, and turned easily beneath the crooked stick. Two earthworms wriggled through СКАЧАТЬ