Chosen: A House of Night Novel

　　(House of Night Series # 3)

　　在柔依下一個主持的月圓儀式結束時，雛鬼男友艾瑞克突然慘叫仆倒，如同一個月前好友史蒂薇．蕾排斥蛻變的情狀。只是，這一次，沒有血的氣味瀰漫。等艾瑞克隨著成鬼離去，史蒂薇．蕾還在遠處另一個地方煎熬等待，詩人羅倫已在近旁伺機而動，準備撫慰見習女祭司長。

　　柔依還沒學到，男人──不，男性吸血鬼──的言語和觸撫，可能遮蔽內心的直覺。現在，柔依將第一次吸飲成鬼的血，也第一次被成鬼吸血。她將得到什麼？失去什麼？成長的路途太辛苦，她需要一個可以傾訴，可以引領她的老師。於是羅倫教導她：「整個吸血鬼世界很快就會向妳敞開，而那個世界沒有人類容身的地方。」

　　嚎啕大哭是必要的。因為有太多祕密必須隱瞞。如果讓朋友知道史蒂薇．蕾沒死，而是變成另一種生物；如果讓朋友知道，造成雛鬼異變，殘害人類青少年的幕後指使者是女祭司長──所有這些朋友都將遭遇危險，而她可能再也無法尋回史蒂薇．蕾的靈魂。但，等祕密揭穿，朋友將會唾棄她，不再信任她。

　　嚎啕大哭是必要的。因為有太多傷害已經造成。如果烙印成立了又破毀，她必須捨棄人間的戀情；如果記印居然可以消解，雛鬼將又只是一個普通的人類；如果心愛的對象竟然相繼因憤怒和死亡而離去，她將孤獨地面對自己，也孤獨地對抗她所不知道的邪惡力量。但，這樣的下場是她必須的選擇。

　　是的，有時詩揭露的不是真相，是誘惑。黑暗力量在夜之屋運作，柔依的冒險產生神祕轉折，陶沙市夜之屋學校的成鬼老師竟相繼遭殺害。這次，成為嫌疑犯的是人類，「信仰子民」已對吸血鬼展開報復行動。於是，女祭司長施咒封鎖校園，吸血鬼戰士應召喚進駐備戰。世界不再是原來的世界。但，真正的邪惡力量已經現身了嗎？

　　本書中譯本《抉擇 （夜之屋3）》由「大塊文化」出版。

　　Dark forces are at work at the House of Night and fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird’s adventures at the school take a mysterious turn.  Those who appear to be friends are turning out to be enemies.  And oddly enough, sworn enemies are also turning into friends.  So begins the gripping third installment of this “highly addictive series” (Romantic Times), in which Zoey’s mettle will be tested like never before.  Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead and struggling to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey doesn’t have a clue how to help her, but she does know that anything she and Stevie Rae discover must be kept secret from everyone else at the House of Night, where trust has become a rare commodity.  Speaking of rare: Zoey finds herself in the very unexpected and rare position of having three boyfriends. Mix a little bloodlust into the equation and the situation has the potential to spell social disaster.  Just when it seems things couldn’t get any tougher, vampyres start turning up dead. Really dead. It looks like the People of Faith, and Zoey’s horrid step-father in particular, are tired of living side-by-side with vampyres.  But, as Zoey and her friends so often find out, how things appear rarely reflects the truth...

作者簡介

菲莉絲．卡司特（P. C. Cast）

　　小說作品曾獲奧克拉荷馬書獎（Oklahoma Book Award）、美國圖書館協會YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers、稜鏡獎（Prism）、茉莉葉獎（Daphne du Maurier）、霍爾特獎章（Holt Medallion）、桂冠獎（Laurel Wreath）等多項肯定，並曾進入全美讀者選書獎（National Readers’ Choice Award）決選。資深的英文與寫作老師，住在美國奧克拉荷馬州陶沙市（Tulsa），也就是本書故事發生的地方，「夜之屋」的所在。

　　PC CAST is an award-winning fantasy and paranormal romance author, as well as an experienced speaker and teacher. Her novels have been awarded the prestigious Prism, Daphne du Maurier, Affaire Du Coeur, and other awards. She lives and teaches in Oklahoma.

克麗絲婷．卡司特（Kristin Cast）

　　菲莉絲的女兒，詩作和報導寫作曾經獲獎。

　　KRISTIN CAST has won awards for her poetry and journalism. She Lso lives in Oklahoma, where she attends Northeastern State University as a Biology major.