Adrian Phoenix - Etched in Bone (The Makers Song book 4)

Etched In Bone

by Adrian Phoenix

The Maker's Song #4

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

HEARTFELT THANKS TO MY incredible editor, Jen Heddle, for her insight, advice, understanding, and patience. I couldnt do this without her! Special thanks also to Renee Huff and Erica Feldon at Pocket for their unflagging support and promotion; to Craig White for the beautiful covers and to Lisa Litwack for their design. I couldnt be happier! Im honored to work with each of you. And Im also honored to be a part of Pocket. Im deeply grateful to everyone involved with my books for your hard work, dedication, and support!

Big thanks to my agent, Matt Bialer, as always for your encouragement, friendship, and enthusiasm. Youve made this wonderful journey even more so.

Special thanks to Paul Goat Allen at

for his unwavering support and promotion of the books, and for his love of the characters and their story. You rock! I cant thank you enough. Gimme a devil sign, dude.

And to D.B. Reynolds for not only writing awesome and sexy books (check out her Vampires in America series), but for her friendship and support.

Monster thanks to: Mippy Carlson, Nate Gross, Sheila Dale, Louise Robson, Judi Szabo, Heather Lobdell, and all the members of Club Hell and my street team for your support, enthusiasm, and love for Dante and his world. Hes got a helluva lot of kisses to deliver.

To my friends and family: You know who you are. I love you all. Youre the flame that fuels my heart.

Thanks also to: Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, Anders Manga, Saints of Ruin, How to Destroy Angels, and Muse for the music.

And, last, but never least, Trent Reznor whose music always provides an emotional soundscape for Dante and his world and is always a source of inspiration.

And, always, thanks to you, the reader, for picking up this book and plunging back into Dante, Heather, and Luciens world. None of this could happen without you. If this is your first time, bienvenue and enjoy.

GLOSSARY

TO MAKE THINGS AS simple as possible, Ive listed not only words, but phrases used in the story. Please keep in mind that Cajun is different from Parisian French and the French generally spoken in Europe. Different grammatically and even, sometimes, in pronunciation and spelling.

The French that Guy Mauvais and Justine Aucoin use is traditional French as opposed to Dantes Cajun.

For the Irish and Welsh wordsincluding the ones Ive createdpronunciation is provided.

One final thing: Prejean is pronounced PRAY-zhawn.

Aingeal (AIN-gyahl), angel. Fallen/Elohim word.

Ami , (m) friend, (f) amie. Mon ami , my friend.

Anhrefncathl (ann-HREVN-cathl), chaos song; the song of a Maker. Fallen/Elohim word.

Apprentis , (pl) apprentices, (s) apprenti .

Assolutamente , (Italian) absolutely.

Aussi , too, also.

Au voir , short for au revoir , good-bye.

Beaucoup , very, much, many, a great deal.

Bien , well, very.

Bon , good, nice, fine, kind.

Bonne chance , good luck.

Buenas noches , (Spanish) good evening.

Buona sera , (Italian) good evening. Buona sera , bella , good evening, beautiful.

Buono , (Italian) good.

a fait pas rien , youre welcome. Also, pas de quoi .

a fini pas , it never ends.

Calon-cyfaill , (KAW-lawn-CUHV-aisle) bondmate, heart-mate.

Catin , (f) doll, dear, sweetheart.

a va bien , Im fine, Im good, okay.

a va pas du tout , Things arent going well at all.

Cercle de Druide , Circle of Druids, a sacred and select nightkind order.

Cest bon , thats good.

Chalkydri (chal-KOO-dree), winged serpentine demons of Sheol, subservient to the Elohim.

Cher , (m) dear, beloved; (f) chre . Mon cher , (m) my dear or my beloved.

Cher ami, mon , (m) my dearest friend, my best friend; intimate, implying a special relationship. (f) Chre ami, ma .

Chri , (m) dearest, darling, honey (f) chrie .

Chien , (m) dog. (f) Chienne , dog, bitch.

Creawdwr (KRAY-OW-dooer), creator; Maker/Unmaker; an extremely rare branch of the Elohim believed to be extinct. Last known creawdwr was Yahweh.

Creu tn (kray tahn), Makers fire, a creawdwr s power of creation.

Cydymaith (kuh-DUH-mith), companion.

Da , (Russian) yes.

Daccord , okay.

Delizioso , (Italian) delicious.

Elohim , (s and pl) the Fallen; the beings mythologized as fallen angels.

una possibilit , (Italian) Its a possibility.

Exactement , exactly.

Fais-moi , make me.

Fallen , see Elohim .

Fi de garce , son-of-a-bitch.

Filidh , master bard/warriors of the llygaid.

Fils, son . Mon fils , my son.

Fille de sang , (f) blood-daughter; turned female offspring of a vampire.

Fils de sang , (m) blood-son; turned male offspring of a vampire.

Fout moi la paix , leave me alone. Harsher than quitte moi tranquille .

Grazie , (Italian) thank you.

Je connais , I know.

Je taime , I love you.

Je tentends , I hear you. Je tentends, catin , I hear you, doll.

Joli , (m) pretty, cute; (f) jolie . Mon joli , my pretty boy.

Jsu ici , Im here.

Jsu sr , Im sure

Le Conseil du Sang , the Council of Blood, nightkind lawgivers.

Llygad , (THLOO-gad) (s) eye; a watcher; keeper of immortal history; story-shaper; Llygaid , (THLOO-guide) pl.

Ma belle femme , my beautiful woman, lady. Can mean wife.

Ma mre , my mother.

Marmot , (m) brat.

Ms claro que el agua , (Spanish) as clear as daylight.

Menteuse , (f) liar; (m) menteur .

Merci , thank you. Merci beaucoup , thanks a lot. Merci bien , thanks very much.

Merde , shit.

Mre de sang , (f) blood-mother; female vampire who has turned another and become their parent.

Minou , (m) endearing name for a cat.

Mio amico , (Italian) my friend.

Mo bhean , (Irish) my lady.

Mo phiste , (Irish) my child.

Mselle , (f) abbreviated spoken form of mademoiselle , Miss, young lady.

Msieu , (m) abbreviated spoken form of monsieur , Mr., sir, gentleman.

Naturellement , naturally, of course.

Nephilim , the offspring resulting from Fallen and mortal unions.

Nightbringer , a name/title given to Lucien De Noir.

Nightkind , (s and pl) vampire; Dantes term for vampires.

Nomad , name for the pagan, gypsy-style clans who ride across the land.

Oui , yes.

Oui sr , Yeah, sure; yeah, right.

Pre , (m) father, Mon pre , my father.

Pre de sang , (m) blood-father; male vampire who has turned another and become their parent.

Peut-tre , maybe, perhaps.

Potete andare diritto ad inferno , (Italian) You can go straight to hell.

Ptit, mon , (m) my little one, (f) ptite, ma . (Generally affectionate.)

Quitte moi tranquille , leave me alone.

S , (Italian) yes.

Tais toi , shut up.

Tayeau , (s) hound. Tayeoux , (pl) hounds

Tes sr de sa? are you sure about that? Tes sr? you sure?

Toujours , always.

Tout de suite , right away.

Trs , very.

Trs joli , (m) very pretty.

True Blood , born vampire, rare and powerful.

Une main lave lautre , one good turn deserves another.

Va tcacher , go to hell.

Wybrcathl (OOEEBR-cathl), sky-song. Fallen/Elohim word.

Caterinas lullaby : Fi la nana, e mi bel fiol/ Fi la nana, e mi bel fiol/ Fa si la nana/ Fa si la nana/ Dormi ben, e mi bel fiol/ Dormi ben, e mi bel fiol...

Hush-a-bye, my lovely child/ Hush-a-bye, my lovely child/ Hush, hush and go to sleep/ Hush, hush and go to sleep/ Sleep well, my lovely child/ Sleep well, my lovely child... Traditional Italian lullaby in an old dialect.

DIRTY BUSINESS

NEW ORLEANS

CLUB HELL

March 30