and Warlock. Trevor met Becki at the Pub after he was sent to Charleston to find and retrieve the coin. Their friendship was immediate and runs deep. Unfortunately, Trev’s co-workers are blood-suckers who will kill anyone who gets in their way.
The Secret Council of Elders - A council comprised of both mortal and immortal leaders, who do whatever is needed to make sure the existence of Witches, Warlocks, Vampires, Werewolves, and other immortal beings remains secret. They govern all immortal beings and enforce the rules of conduct.
ART - Artifact Recovery Team - A Special Ops team created by The Secret Council centuries ago. The team is comprised of both mortals and immortals working together to maintain balance in the civilian world.
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CONTENTS Acknowledgments i
Characters ii Chapter One Pg 1
Chapter Two Pg 17 Chapter Three Pg 44
Chapter Four Pg 62 Chapter Five Pg 78
Chapter Six Pg 92
Chapter Seven Pg 119 Chapter Eight Pg 136
Chapter Nine Pg 155 Chapter Ten Pg 166
Chapter Eleven Pg 194 Chapter Twelve Pg 198
Chapter Thirteen Pg 206 About the Author Pg 213
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CHAPTER ONE
What is that god-awful noise? Royce thought as he struggled to open his eyes through the sledge hammer pounding on his skull. It seemed to be keeping time to the beat of music blaring from extremely large speakers in very close proximity.
“Oh my God, Jonah, you are giving me a headache,” Natie said rubbing her temples. “I want to relax and work on my tan, not listen to you pound on that stupid crate. I don’t know why Becki had to bring that thing on board anyway. It’s probably full of junk no-one else wanted, a stupid time-capsule or something.”
“Well we won’t know if we don’t get it open, will we?” Jonah asked snidely, as he continued to pound and pry using the limited resources he had available on the boat.
“Seriously, leave the stupid thing alone, Jonah! Uncle Kurt has the tools to open it at his house and you are giving me a headache! Give it a rest!”
“My breathing gives you a headache,” Jonah complained, as he threw the hammer and screw driver he had been using into a small tool box.
Becki ignored the exchange between Natie and Jonah; concentrating instead on rinsing the saltwater from her mask and regulator. She would take the equipment home and dump it in the bathtub to clean it thoroughly, but this would work for now. Saltwater deposits could build up and destroy scuba gear if it wasn’t properly cared for.
Becki had hoped to find a few sharks’ teeth while she and Jonah were diving, but they had not had any luck today. She had found a crate though, the one Natie and Jonah were arguing over; of course, they had been arguing over one thing or another for the last four years, so why should today be any different?
Becki shook her head and continued to clean her equipment as Natie continued to argue with Jonah. Meanwhile Royce struggled to piece together the events of the past few days. Where the hell was he? He tried shifting into a more comfortable position, but seemed to be tightly wedged into an awfully small space.
Royce St. John led a Special Operations Force, for the Secret Council of Elders. “The Council” consisted of both mortal and immortal members, and Chief Elder Arimus ruled with a strong hand. Their primary function; to make sure humans continued to believe Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, and other mythical beings were just that, a myth.
Royce’s team had been activated to locate and return a set of coins that had been stolen centuries ago. The coins were quite special and potentially deadly. If this particular set of coins ended up in the wrong hands, the consequences could be devastating to the entire World.
As his brain struggled to analyze exactly where he might be, he heard something that made his blood run cold.
“Jonah, don’t worry about the crate right now. I’ll get Uncle Kurt to work on it,” Becki offered, hoping to avoid the inevitable shouting match between Natie and Jonah.
“Fine,” Jonah agreed. “I’ll just shove it off to the side, and you can deal with it later. Hand me a beer, would you?”
Suddenly, Royce felt himself moving. What the hell?
“Shit, Becki,” Jonah complained as he shoved the crate out of the center of the walkway, “this crate seems heavier than it did when we pulled it out of water. Kurt may have to come and pick the bitch up.”
Royce began to feel ill. This could not be right! His