The Feral Path — Barb Hendee; J.C. Hendee

Rashed, one of the Noble Dead and a vampire, has killed his maker and master, Lord Corische. Fleeing his master's keep in Stravina, he takes with him Teesha, Ratboy, and his brother, Parko. At first, all four relish freedom in their separate ways, but they soon learn that freedom has its dangers for their kind.

Without a master, Parko quickly loses himself to the Feral Path, that seductive sensuality of being unrestrained in the hunt and the kill. Ratboy feels this call as well but is caught between this desire and his need for companionship and safety. Teesha, reeling much more than she expected at being “homeless,” wants only a new place in the world of their own making.

Rashed is tangled in all of this by his sense of responsibility for his companions. Most of all, he's determined that Teesha never feel lost again. He'll do anything to create a home for her -- anything.

Ratboy continues to struggle against his longing to be free of self-restraint, to hunt and kill at will. Sometimes he succeeds against his baser instincts, and sometimes he doesn't. Then one night, when he loses the battle, his actions threaten everything that Rashed has managed to achieve… including Teesha's safety.

About "Tales from the world of the Noble Dead Saga"...

No knowledge of the Noble Dead Saga or related works is necessary to read and enjoy these stories. They are written for fantasy enthusiasts in general and not just our established readership. Readers new to this world can step into it through any of these short works.

Tales are organized into “collections” where all stories therein share a theme and/or premise. When one or more link together, subsequent stories will mention “sequel to…” on their covers to guide you. Even so, each is self-contained enough to be your first adventure into this world.

-- Barb & J.C. Hendee