Destined. Morgan Rice

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      “O my love! my wife!

      Death, that hath suck’d the honey of thy breath,

      Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty:

      Thou art not conquer’d; beauty’s ensign yet

      Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks…”

– William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

      Copyright © 2011 by Morgan Rice

      All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author.

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

      Jacket art ©iStock.com /© lamia-ell

Acclaim for the Vampire Journals

      “Rice does a great job of pulling you into the story from the beginning, utilizing a great descriptive quality that transcends the mere painting of the setting… Nicely written and an extremely fast read.”

– Black Lagoon Reviews (regarding Turned)

      “An ideal story for young readers. Morgan Rice did a good job spinning an interesting twist… Refreshing and unique. The series focuses around one girl… one extraordinary girl!…Easy to read but extremely fast-paced… Rated PG.”

– The Romance Reviews (regarding Turned)

      “Grabbed my attention from the beginning and did not let go… This story is an amazing adventure that is fast paced and action packed from the very beginning. There is not a dull moment to be found.”

– Paranormal Romance Guild (regarding Turned)

      “Jam packed with action, romance, adventure, and suspense. Get your hands on this one and fall in love all over again.”

– vampirebooksite.com (regarding Turned)

      “A great plot, and this especially was the kind of book you will have trouble putting down at night. The ending was a cliffhanger that was so spectacular that you will immediately want to buy the next book, just to see what happens.”

– The Dallas Examiner (regarding Loved)

      “A book to rival TWILIGHT and VAMPIRE DIARIES, and one that will have you wanting to keep reading until the very last page! If you are into adventure, love and vampires this book is the one for you!”

– Vampirebooksite.com (regarding Turned)

      “Morgan Rice proves herself again to be an extremely talented storyteller… This would appeal to a wide range of audiences, including younger fans of the vampire/fantasy genre. It ended with an unexpected cliffhanger that leaves you shocked.”

– The Romance Reviews (regarding Loved)About Morgan Rice

      Morgan Rice is the #1 bestselling author of THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, a young adult series comprising eleven books (and counting); the #1 bestselling series THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY, a post-apocalyptic thriller comprising two books (and counting); and the #1 bestselling epic fantasy series THE SORCERER’S RING, comprising thirteen books (and counting).

      Morgan’s books are available in audio and print editions, and translations of the books are available in German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portugese, Japanese, Chinese, Swedish, Dutch, Turkish, Hungarian, Czech and Slovak (with more languages forthcoming).

      Morgan loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.morganricebooks.com to join the email list, receive a free book, receive free giveaways, download the free app, get the latest exclusive news, connect on Facebook and Twitter, and stay in touch!

Books by Morgan Rice

      THE SORCERER’S RING

      A QUEST OF HEROES (Book #1)

      A MARCH OF KINGS (Book #2)

      A FATE OF DRAGONS (Book #3)

      A CRY OF HONOR (Book #4)

      A VOW OF GLORY (Book #5)

      A CHARGE OF VALOR (Book #6)

      A RITE OF SWORDS (Book #7)

      A GRANT OF ARMS (Book #8)

      A SKY OF SPELLS (Book #9)

      A SEA OF SHIELDS (Book #10)

      A REIGN OF STEEL (Book #11)

      A LAND OF FIRE (Book #12)

      A RULE OF QUEENS (Book #13)

      THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY

      ARENA ONE: SLAVERSUNNERS (Book #1)

      ARENA TWO (Book #2)

      THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS

      TURNED (Book #1)

      LOVED (Book #2)

      BETRAYED (Book #3)

      DESTINED (Book #4)

      DESIRED (Book #5)

      BETROTHED (Book #6)

      VOWED (Book #7)

      FOUND (Book #8)

      RESURRECTED (Book #9)

      CRAVED (Book #10)

      FATED (Book #11)

      Listen to THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS series in audio book format!

      Now available on:

      Amazon

      Audible

      iTunes

FACT:

      In 2009, the first intact corpse of a supposed vampire was discovered, on the small island of Lazzaretto Nuovo, in the Venice lagoon. The vampire, a woman who died by plague in the 16th century, was found buried with a brick in her mouth – supporting the medieval belief that vampires were behind plagues like the Black Death.

FACT:

      Venice in the 1700s was unlike any place on earth. People flocked there from around the world to join in its lavish parties and balls, and to dress in elaborate costumes and masks. It was normal for people to walk the streets in full costume. For the first time in history, there was no longer gender inequality. Women, previously kept down by authority, could now disguise themselves as men, and could thus gain access to anywhere they wished…

      Chapter One

      Assisi, Umbria (Italy)

      (1790)

      Caitlin Paine awoke slowly, completely enveloped in the blackness. She tried to open her eyes, to get her bearings on where she was, but it didn’t do any good. She went to move her hands, her arms – but that didn’t work, either. She felt covered, immersed in a soft texture, and she couldn’t figure out what it was. It was heavy, weighing her down, and with each passing moment, it seemed to get heavier.

      She tried to breathe, but as she did, she realized her passageways were blocked.

      Panicking, Caitlin tried to take a deep breath through her mouth, but when she did, she felt something get lodged deep in her throat. Its smell filled her nose, and she finally realized what it was: soil. She was immersed in soil, covering her face and eyes and nose, entering her mouth. She realized it was heavy because it was weighing down on her,