Adrian Phoenix - Beneath the Skin

DEDICATED TO JEN HEDDLE, JIM SPENCER,

SEBASTIAN PHOENIX, AND

DIANE (DT) STEINER

I can’t thank each of you enough for seeing me through the medical consequences of my klutziness (Curb? What curb?) and for being so generous with your patience, support, and understanding as I healed.

Jen, working with you has always been a kick-ass pleasure, but your compassion and guidance and belief in me while I struggled to hit my deadline took off enormous pressure and allowed me to focus through the painkiller haze and write. It’s truly an honor to have you as my editor.

Thanks from the bottom of my heart—Jim and DT—for all the rides home from work and to an endless parade of doctor appointments. I appreciate your generosity more than I can say, not to mention the time you both took out of every day to shepherd me around.

And last, but sure as hell not least, thanks so much, Sebastian, for leaving your family for three weeks to take care of me; and damned good care it was too. I love you, sweetie!

Without the four of you, this book might not have been finished.

Merci beaucoup!

I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone at AquaJogger for their continuing support and encouragement and for putting up with my absences whenever I’m off on a writing vacation: Jim Spencer, Bobby Criswell, Steve Bergstrom, Lew and Kathy Thorne, Mark Poor-man—you’ve each made it possible for me to pursue my dream. Thank you!

Special writing thanks to: Sean and Rose Prescott, Karen Abrahamson, and Dean Smith for being my first readers and for helping me tell the best story possible; and to my editor, Jen Heddle, and my agent, Matt Bialer, for your passion, your humor, and your artistry—I’m honored to work with you both!

Big-ass thanks to: Mippy Carlson, Nate Gross, Sheila Dale, Louise Robson, Judi Szabo, and all the members of Club Hell and my street team for your support, enthusiasm, well wishes, and love for Dante and his world. Y’all ROCK!

Heartfelt thanks to: my sons, Matt Jensen and Sebastian Phoenix, and their partners, Sherri Lyons and Jen Phoenix, and my story-writing little Kylah Phoenix, for all their encouragement and love; and Kris Rusch, Lynn Adams, Sharon and Marty Embertson, and Jerry Robinson for your friendship and for your tireless efforts in spreading the word—I couldn’t do it without you.

Special you-were-there-in-my-time-of-need thanks to: Jeri Smith-Ready and Patrice Michelle for running me around after my graceful plummet in Orlando; Sean Prescott for picking me up at the airport and for just being there; Kris Rusch, Dean Smith, Chris and Steve York, Rose Prescott, and all the talented and prolific members of OWN for showering me with welcome-home goodies; and everyone who visited me in the hospital and sent their well-wishes—thank you each so very much!

Thanks also to Abulia Paroxysm (Sebastian Phoenix) for creating music that is original and heartfelt and true. And to Queens of the Stone Age, Saul Williams, Saints of Ruin, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, and Rammstein 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, again, thanks to you, the reader, for picking up this book and plunging back into Dante, Heather, and Lucien’s world. None of this could happen without you. If this is your first time, bienvenue and enjoy.

Please visit me at adrianphoenix.com, myspace.com/adriannikolasphoenix, and at facebook.com/pages/Adrian-Phoenix/.

To make things as simple as possible, I’ve 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 Dante’s Cajun.

For the Irish and Welsh words—including the ones I’ve created—pronunciation is provided.

One final thing: Prejeanis 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.

Arrivederci, (Italian) good-bye.

Assolutamente, (Italian) absolutely.

Beaucoup chaud tête-rouge, red-hot redhead.

Bien, well, very.

Bien compris, well understood.

Bon, good, nice, fine, kind.

Bon appétit, enjoy (as in eating), good eating, good appetite.

Bon chien, good dog.

Bonne nuit, good night.

Bonsoir, ma belle fille, good evening, my beautiful girl.

Buona sera, (Italian) good evening.

Buono, (Italian) good.

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

Cara mia, (Italian) (f) my beloved, (m) Caro mio.

Catin, (f) doll, dear, sweetheart.

Ça va bien, I’m fine, I’m good, okay.

Ça y est, that’s it.

Ça y revené, he had it coming.

Ce n’est pas possible, that is not possible.

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

C’est bon, that’s good.

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

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

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

Chéri,(m) dearest, darling, honey, (f) chérie.

Chien, (m) dog, (f) chienne.

Ciao, (Italian) hello or good-bye—generally used only among friends and family in this way.

Ciò è allineare, (Italian) this is true. Sapere di c’è ne, do you know of any?

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

Cydymaith(kuh-DUH-mith), companion.

D’accord,okay.

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

Enchanté, charmed.

Fallen,see Elohim.

Fi’ de garce, son-of-a-bitch.

Fille de sang,(f) blood-daughter; “turned” female off-spring of a vampire.

Fils, son.

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

Fola Fior, true blood, pure.

Forse sì, forse no, (Italian) perhaps yes, perhaps not.

Frère du coeur, brother of the heart.

Geis,A vow of obligation, and a taboo preventing certain actions. To break a geis results in dishonor and/or death.

Gêné toi pas, don’t be bashful.