Vampire in Crisis.

Family Blood Ties.

Dale Mayer.

Tessa's world exploded.

She survived Deanna's inheritance.

She sees more, hears more ... understands more.

But more is not always better.

Cody doesn't like what's happening around him. Tessa has walked through h.e.l.l and she has a lot more to go before she's clear. He plans on standing by her side her guardian whether she wants him to be there for her or not.

Jared can't believe all trails lead him into trouble. He'd escaped once. Tried to stay out of the mess since. But a friend is missing, and when he tries to get help, the person he confides in goes missing too.

The vampire world was never ready for Tessa before. The new Tessa?

No one is ready for her.

Praise for Dale Mayer.

I love to read Dale Mayer's books... keeps me guessing.... I am getting good though trying to figure out who did it.... I am on my fourth book....

...Review left on Vampire in Deceit, book 4 of Family Blood Ties.

Dale Mayer's work is always outstanding and Haunted by Death is no exception.

...Review from Haunted by Death, book 2 of the By Death Series.

This is a GREAT series that you don't want to miss out on!.

...Review from Broken Protocols Series.

This is my favorite author I enjoy all her books and I can't wait for more... her books are easy to get into and I love the storyline ...Review from Dangerous Designs, book 1 of the Design Series.

Dale Mayer is a gifted writer who now has me hooked as a new fan. She characters are complex and she shares her knowledge of energy work clearly and simply. Makes for fascinating reading...

...Review from Rare Find, book 6 of Psychic Visions Series Don't underestimated Dale Mayer. Combination of JD Robb and Heather Graham. Paranormal suspense.........

...Review left on Maddy's Floor, book 3 of the Psychic Visions Series.

Wow! I read a lot, and I can honestly say that there a few books that I have read that I will remember for years. This is one of those books. Thank you Dale for giving me the gift of this magnificent story. It was both heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time.

...Review left on Skin, book 1 of Broken and yet...Healing Series.

Touched by Death is an outstanding novel by Dale Mayer. Unlike her usual novels that contain paranormal activity, this novel is sheer malevolent actions from ordinary humans.

...Review left on Touched by Death, book 1 of By Death Series.

Dale's books are spellbinding in more ways than one. She has a unique way with words. Her characters are fun and funny and loving. I love the way the story flows. Her characters all have personality. She takes you from suspense to love, then fear love and eternal love.

...Review left on Second Chances, book 1 of Second Chances... at Love Series.

Prologue.

This is the last chapter of book 7, Vampire in Chaos. We left Tessa after this point...

Tessa woke as if from a long deep sleep. She felt like she'd had eight solid hours of rest. She stretched and would have rolled over but realized there was a large warm body stopping her. Cody.

She pushed herself up on one arm and said, "Hey."

He twisted, studied her face carefully and, as if liking what he saw, responded, "Hey back."

She smiled and leaned back down on the bed. It wasn't much in the way of comfort, but she'd been so needing a chance to rest it had felt like a bed for a queen.

"How are you feeling?"

"Terrific," she murmured. "I really needed that."

There were no aches and pains, nothing but a sense of relief. She swung her legs over the side and sat up. "Now, food would be helpful."

Cody smiled. "You and your food."

"It's not like you go days without needing sustenance." She grinned. "Do you want yours from here?"

"My dad brought back a bag of supplies from the Council Hall for us." He motioned to the bag on the ground beside her. With a long look at him, she reached over and rummaged through the bag.

"Blood, blood, and more blood. Great." At least it didn't revolt her as much as it would have a few days ago. She understood the need to eat for her strength.

"Check the outside pockets," Cody said.

She opened one of the flaps and laughed. Tucked inside were a half dozen granola bars.

She s.n.a.t.c.hed up the closest one, ripped it open, and took a big bite. "Your dad is a good man."

"Yeah, only he's gone down with a team to overtake the eighth floor."

She stopped, looked at him, and then at the granola bar. "So this is to keep my strength up in case I'm needed again?"

"Something like that."

He laughed as she shrugged and demolished the rest of the bar while reaching for a second one. "Then so be it. I might as well make sure I don't get hungry anytime soon."

She polished the second bar off too. Then she hopped to her feet. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Ready for what?"

She turned to look back at him. "To go help. Surely we're not going to stay here safe and sound while our fathers are out there fighting are we?"

He shook his head.

"Well, I didn't think so." She gave him a cheeky grin. "Good. Then let's go."

By the time they reached the eighth floor, the action was all over. The men were in the process of going from room to room and checking on the vampires inside. Tessa stood in the first doorway and surveyed the energy of the occupants. They were all going to be fine.

She moved through the floor checking, helping, healing, and releasing the occupants of a dozen more rooms.

She met up with her father at the other end of the hallway. "Hey, this system worked well."

He nodded. "They've already gone down to take over the seventh floor."

"Good, let's go."

She was following her father down the stairwell when he stopped. He turned to look at Tessa. Then he frowned and averted his gaze but held his hand out to stop her from entering the floor.

"What is it?" Her heart sank.

"Goran says Deanna is here."

"What? Oh no. That means she was caught again." Tessa pulled the door open and ran inside. "Where is she?"

"Tessa, wait!"

But she'd already entered the first room, her father and Cody hard on her heels. Sure enough, there was Deanna, Hortran beside her. She rushed to the old woman's side. The tubes had been removed and were hanging drunkenly off the side of a big wallmounted dispenser. Tessa eyed it balefully. The d.a.m.n drugs again. These a.s.sholes had a lot to answer for.

She sat down at Deanna's bedside. "How is she?"

"She's gone," Hortran whispered, his voice hollow. Fading.

"Why didn't she call out to me?" Tessa asked, afraid that she'd missed hearing Deanna call her because she'd been sleeping, then remembered Deanna's call could wake anyone from h.e.l.l.

"There was no time. They knocked her out and got the drugs into her." Tessa started to frantically move the energy away from Deanna's heart.

"You're too late," Hortran said.

Tessa moved quickly to clean the blackness. She couldn't see any spark underneath. Panic set in. There was too much darkness. Not enough light. She poured energy into Deanna's system.

"You can't help her," Hortran said. "It's over."

While her hands still desperately worked to remove the heavy darkness, Tessa studied Hortran's face. A weird fire burned in his gaze, and he reached out a hand and placed it to the side of Deanna's head in a gentle gesture. Then he reached out with his other hand and cupped Tessa's head over her ear.

Instantly she could hear Deanna's faint voice.

It's over, Tessa. My time has come. Even now my body is gone. This is the last of my energy. I said you were being tested. What I didn't say was that you pa.s.sed all the tests with flying colors. And as much as I hate to dump this on you, someone needs to know. Someone needs to take my place. So far in all my travels, there have been none who cared as much as you. So I leave you all my worldly possessions and all my knowledge. Be good, my child. Be wise. And her voice dissipated into a weird, faint echo until even that faint ringing stopped. And there was only silence. Empty vast silence. And confusion.

"Wait," Tessa cried. "Deanna, what are you talking about?"

"She means this," Hortran said. "You are the One."

A bolt of lightning surged into Tessa's head. Her body contorted and danced, caught helpless in the grip of something she never knew could exist. Names, numbers, videos, and information that she'd never known before downloaded into her brain.

Hortran's voice chanted some mantra in the background. The noise overwhelmed her ability to sort through the information overload.

She couldn't hold on. She cried out, "It's too much."

There is no one else, Hortran said, only you. You must take it all. You have no choice. You are the One.

Tessa's mind went into overload as she finally understood what was happening. She could hear Cody screaming at her in the background. Her father's voice. Maybe even Goran's. There were many others she didn't recognize. Hortran's voice never wavered. Instead, it gained in strength.

"I can't do this," she screamed. "I'm not strong enough."

"You are," Cody snapped. "I'm here. Hold on." And he grabbed her hand and squeezed. That helped her to stabilize, but she knew it wasn't going to be enough. She was going under. There was no escape this time.

"You're wrong," Cody roared. "Use my energy. My father is here too. Use his energy."

She felt the surge of something old and powerful connect. Then another as her father reached out and grabbed her other hand. Suddenly there were dozens of other energies swimming around her, pouring into her, giving her the strength. Fainter energy joined in, distant but connected.

"Hortran, what is happening?" she sobbed, her head exploding.

You have received the finest gift that was possible to give, he whispered in her head. She has given you everything she had to give. Now use it wisely.

He collapsed in front of her, his hand falling from her head. In front of her shocked eyes, maybe from the electrical force, maybe because it had been his time, or maybe he'd just lost the will to live, he dissolved into ancient ash and dusted the top of Deanna's dead body. Inside her head there was a roaring sound. A building up of something huge. Something she had no idea how to control.

And something that suddenly got out of control.

She cried out, trying to tug her hands free, only to realize there were dozens of people all joined in one ma.s.sive circle around her. Speaking, yelling, and crying. A kaleidoscope of words fought for s.p.a.ce in her consciousness. Yet she couldn't get any to take form in her mind. There were too many.

But like any universe under too much pressure eventually it becomes too much to contain.

The pressure became too strong.

The heat too hot.

The pain too much.