Soul Screamers Collection. Rachel Vincent

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СКАЧАТЬ to crimson or blood red on variegated edges. Vines also sport needle-thin thorns between the Leaves.

       Dangers – Though anchored by strong, deep roots, which have hallucinogenic properties when consumed, creeper vines slither autonomously and will actually wind around prey, injecting pre-digestive venom through its thorns. The vine will then coil around its meal and wait while the creature is slowly dissolved into liquid fertiliser from the inside out.

       Best Precaution – Complete avoidance.

       Second Best Precaution – Crimson creeper blooms can be made into a tea which acts as one of two known antidotes to the creeper venom; however, the vine blooms only once every three years. Blooms can be dried and preserved for up to two decades.

      COMMON DANGEROUS CREATURES

      Note: Whether it intends to consume your mind, body or soul, fauna in the Netherworld is ninety-nine per cent carnivorous, in one form or another. So keep in mind that if you see a creature, it probably wants to eat you.

      Hellions

       Location – Everywhere. Anywhere. Never close your eyes.

       Description – Hellions can Look Like anything they want. They can be any size, shape or colour. Their only physical Limitation is that they cannot exactly duplicate any other creature, Living or dead.

       Dangers – Hellions feed from chaos in general, and individual emotions in particular. But what they really want is your soul—a never-ending buffet. Since souls cannot be stolen from the Living, a hellion will try to bargain for or con you out of it. If you refuse—and even sometimes if you don’t—the hellion will either kill you for your soul or torture you, then kill you for your soul.

       Best Precaution – Complete avoidance.

       Second Best Precaution – Pray.

      Harpies

       Location – Found in Large numbers near thin spots in the barrier between worlds, but individual harpies can Live anywhere they choose, in either the human world or the Netherworld.

       Description – In the human world, harpies can pass for human at a glance, as Long as they brush hair over their pointed ears and hide their compact, bat-Like wings beneath clothing. In the Netherworld, harpies appear Less human, with mouths full of sharp, thin teeth, claws instead of hands and bird-Like, clawed talons instead of feet.

       Dangers – Harpies are snatchers. Collectors. They will dive out of the air with no warning to grab whatever catches their eye, which can be anything from broken pots and pans to shiny rings—often still attached to human fingers. Also, they’re carnivores and they don’t distinguish between human and animal flesh.

       Best Precaution – Complete avoidance.

       Second Best Precaution – Stay inside or keep one eye trained on the sky and get ready to run.

      ESCAPE AND EVASION

      Note: The best way to escape a Netherworld threat is to Leave the Netherworld, though that won’t keep certain species, such as harpies, from crossing into the human world after you. If you are incapable of Leaving under your own power, eventually something will eat you. But to help put that moment off as Long as possible, here is a List of the most effective evasion tactics:

       Find shelter in rural areas. Netherworld creatures are attracted to heavily populated areas, where the overflow of human energy they feed from is most concentrated.

       Fibres from the dissimulatus plant can be woven together and worn to disguise your energy signature and keep predators from identifying you as human and thus edible.

       My Soul to Save

      Rachel Vincent

       Praise for the novels of New York Times bestselling author

      RACHEL VINCENT

      “Twilight fans will love it.” Kirkus Reviews on My Soul to Take

      “A high octane plot with characters you can really care about. Vincent is a welcome addition to this genre!”

       Kelley Armstrong on Stray

      “I liked the character and loved the action. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.”

       Charlaine Harris on Stray

       ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

       Thanks, as always, to my husband, and to my critique partner, Rinda Elliott, for being my first sounding boards. Thanks to Alex Elliott, the first reader from my target audience. Thanks to my editor, Mary-Theresa Hussey, and to the entire editorial and production teams, for believing in this book. And a huge thank you to my agent, Miriam Kriss, for holding my hand and keeping me sane.

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      ADDISON PAGE had the world at her feet. She had the face, the body, the voice, the moves, and the money. Let’s not forget the money. But advantages like that come with a price. I should have known it was all too good to be true….

      “What?” I yelled, my throat already raw from shouting over the roar of the crowd and the music blasting from dozens of huge speakers. Around us, thousands of bodies bobbed in time to the beat, hands in the air, lips forming the words, shouting the lyrics along with the beautiful, glittery girl strutting across the stage, seen close-up on a pair of giant digital screens.

      Nash and I had great seats, thanks to his brother, Tod, but no one was sitting. Excitement bounced off every solid surface, fed by the crowd and growing with each passing second until the auditorium seemed to swell with the communal high. Energy buzzed through me, setting my nerve endings on fire with enough kick to keep me pinging off the walls through high school and well into college.

      I didn’t want to know how Tod had scored seats a mere fifteen rows from the stage, but even my darkest suspicion hadn’t kept me at home. I couldn’t pass up a chance to see Eden live in concert, even though it meant giving up a Saturday night alone with Nash, during my dad’s extra shift at work.

      And this was only Eden’s opening act….

      Nash pulled me closer, one hand on my hip, and shouted into my ear. “I said, Tod used to date her!”

      I rode the wave of adrenaline through my veins as I inhaled his scent. Six weeks together, and I still smiled every time he looked at me, and flushed every time he really looked at me. My lips brushed his ear as I spoke. “Tod used to date who?” There СКАЧАТЬ