(House of Night Series # 2)
以為校園裡只有嬉戲,只有青春的浪擲嗎?
你錯了。這不是兒戲,攸關生死。
事情從來不是表面上那個樣子,夜后早已提醒。
青春的生命,你笑,你嘆息,你哭泣。你以為自己知道往後將發生什麼事,故事卻朝出乎意料的方向轉折。是的,這是夜之屋,吸血鬼養成學校,除了青春期的莫名憂傷、渴望和焦躁,人生還因蛻變成吸血鬼的考驗,而益形複雜、艱難。但這不是重點。
祕密藏在夜之屋。等柔依終於適應新學校的生活,結交新的好友,並成為菁英社團「黑暗女兒」的領導人,她才遽然發覺,夜后妮克絲關於黑暗與光亮、良善與邪 惡的提醒,不是針對遙遠的未來。現在,就是現在,吸血鬼與人類的世界需要她。夜后賦予的使命太隱密,她懵然無知。但她必須快速蛻變,急速成長。
有時,成長有賴於詩。詩讓感覺細緻,足以喚醒女孩內裡的女人。學校東牆的橡樹下,視聽圖書館的古老藏書裡,貼在教室置物櫃的紙條上,一首首俳句讓柔依悸 動,也迷惑。月光下,當吸血鬼桂冠詩人羅倫希望親睹柔依肩頭和背部的特殊刺青,尋求靈感,她褪下外套的那一刻,突然發覺,在這個比自己成熟的男性面前,自 己不再忐忑緊張,反而自信從容。
詩之外是步步進逼的現實,人類社會的男孩相繼失蹤、死亡,所有證據都指向夜之屋,人類社會與吸血鬼世界 的古老衝突再度浮上檯面。警探來訪之後的這一夜,不,這個白天,噩夢來臨,幫柔依入睡的綿羊是一個個慘死的人類男孩,女祭司長和詩人置身血河。等另一則消 息傳來,柔依的前男友將是下一個受害者,她已沒有時間遲疑,必須立刻採取行動。
當柔依摸索著重建黑暗女兒,學習以見習女祭司長的身分主 持儀式,她的感情生活卻陷入混亂。當柔依終於首次公開設立守護圈,好友逐一體現夜后賜予的感應力,在最值得慶祝的時刻,摯愛的室友竟排斥蛻變,喀血猝死。 如今,柔依必須承受痛徹心腑的哀傷,面對信任被背叛,並堅守一個終究可能無法實現的承諾……
本書中譯本《背叛 (夜之屋2)》由「大塊文化」出版。
Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night. She’s come to terms with the vast powers the vampyre goddess, Nyx, has given her, and is getting a handle on being the new Leader of the Dark Daughters. Best of all, Zoey finally feels like she belongs--like she really fits in. She actually has a boyfriend…or two. Then the unthinkable happens: Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night, and Zoey must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world.