Dangerous Tides Read online

  Table of Contents Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Teaser chapter

  Praise for the novels of "THE REIGNING QUEEN OF PARANORMAL ROMANCE"*

  MIND GAME

  "Swift-moving and sexually charged . . . electrifying."

  --*Publishers Weekly "[A] compelling and spectacular series. The amazingly prolific author's ability to create captivating and adrenaline-raising worlds is unsurpassed." --Romantic Times "Explosive . . . An exciting, thrilling read . . . A phenomenal plot. Ms. Feehan has really outdone herself . . . The sexual chemistry is literally a scorcher . . . Mind Game is a definite page-turner." --Fallen Angel Reviews

  WILD RAIN

  "Feehan has a knack for bringing vampiric Carpathians to vivid, virile life . . . A romance that feels both destined and believable. Readers whose fantasies center on untamed wilderness and on untamed heroes who are as sensitive as they are strong will be seduced by this erotic adventure."

  --Publishers Weekly "Ms. Feehan is unsurpassed in romantic fantasy; her imagination knows no bounds in creating unique and fresh tales that abound in steamy sensuality, fantastical imagery, and lyrical prose." --Rendezvous "A powerful tale that pumps up the adrenaline of the audience any time the lead couple talk or just stare at one another in loving disbelief . . . A fabulous jungle love story."

  --Midwest Book Review "A riotous adventure, chock full of beautiful imagery, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and passionate romance . . . The sex is spicy enough to singe your eyebrows."--Romance Reviews Today "[A] terrific new series . . . Fascinating." --Romantic Times

  SHADOW GAME

  "Having fast made a name for herself in the vampire romance realm, Feehan now turns her attention to other supernatural powers in this swift, sensational offering . . . The sultry, spine-tingling kind of read that [Feehan's] fans will adore."

  --Publishers Weekly "One of the best current voices in the darker paranormal romance subgenre, Feehan has begun another series that, while lacking the fantasy feel of her Carpathian romances, is equally intense, sensual, and mesmerizing and might appeal especially to fans of futuristic romances. Known for her vampire tales, Feehan is a rising star in paranormal romance."

  --Library Journal "An exciting military science fiction romance suspense tale that never slows down until the final confrontation. The story-line is fast-paced and loaded with action."

  --Midwest Book Review "Sizzling sex scenes both physical and telepathic pave the road to true love . . . Action, suspense, and smart characters make this erotically charged romance an entertaining read."

  --Booklist "A very fast-paced action-packed thriller/love story all wrapped up into one . . . I highly recommend this book and will be adding it to my keeper's shelf." --EscapeToRomance.com

  "Feehan packs such a punch with this story it will leave one gasping for breath. She conquers yet another genre of romance with ease, proving why she is a master . . . Ms. Feehan wields the suspense blade with ease, keeping readers enthralled and teetering on the edge . . . Guaranteed not to disappoint, and will leave one begging for more. A must-read book, only cementing Ms. Feehan's position as a genre favorite for yet another round." --The Best Reviews . . . and the novels of Christine Feehan "Just as I begin to think the romance genre has nowhere else to run, I get to read something that takes another giant leap down a totally unknown road. Romance, suspense and intrigue, and the paranormal . . . combined to make one of the most delicious journeys I have had the pleasure of taking in a long, long time . . . Definitely something for everyone."

  --Romance and Friends "Feehan's newest is a skillful blend of supernatural thrills and romance that is sure to entice readers." --Publishers Weekly "If you are looking for something that is fun and different, pick up a copy of this book." --All About Romance "This one is a keeper . . . I had a hard time putting [it] down ... Don't miss this book!" --New-Age Bookshelf "The characters and twists in this book held me on the edge of my seat the whole time I read it. If you've enjoyed Ms. Feehan's previous novels, you will surely be captivated by this step into the world of Gothic romance . . . Once again, Ms. Feehan does not disappoint." --Under the Covers Book Reviews

  Titles by Christine Feehan

  CONSPIRACY GAME

  NIGHT GAME

  MIND GAME

  SHADOW GAME

  DANGEROUS TIDES

  OCEANS OF FIRE

  WILD RAIN

  DARK DEMON

  DARK SECRET

  DARK DESTINY

  DARK MELODY

  DARK SYMPHONY

  DARK GUARDIAN

  DARK LEGEND

  DARK FIRE

  DARK CHALLENGE

  DARK MAGIC

  DARK GOLD

  DARK DESIRE

  DARK PRINCE

  THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

  Published by the Penguin Group

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  Africa Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  DANGEROUS TIDES

  A Jove Book / published by arrangement with the author

  PRINTING HISTORY

  Jove mass-market edition / July 2006

  Copyright (c) 2006 by Christine Feehan.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without

  permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation

  of the author's rights.

  Purchase only authorized editions.

  For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

  a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  eISBN : 978-1-4406-3085-9

  JOVE(r)

  Jove Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

  a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., />
  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  JOVE is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  The "J" design is a trademark belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  https://us.penguingroup.com

  This book is special to me because it was written for my baby sister, Nanci Goodacre. At a time in my life when few people believed I could ever publish a book, not only did she give me encouragement, but she also gave me help, typing up my handwritten stories on an old word processor until all hours of the night. She's a wonderful mother, an excellent nurse, but most of all, she's what these books are really about--love of family, strength, the magic of sisters and absolute support when you need it the most!

  FOR CHRISTINE'S READERS

  Be sure to go to www.christinefeehan.com/members /to sign up for her PRIVATE book announcement list and get a FREE EXCLUSIVE Christine Feehan animated screensaver. Please feel free to e-mail her at [email protected]. She would love to hear from you.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I was lucky enough to find Will Prater, the pilot of the Huey helicopter often used for over-water, short-haul rescue on the Northern California coast in the very area where my mythical town of Sea Haven is located. He spent hours with me, showing me rescue equipment, videos of actual rescues and the helicopter itself. He patiently explained every phase of the rescue and answered so many questions. He and the men of the California Department of Forestry, especially those manning the Howard Forest Station, are extraordinary men performing a heroic service.

  1

  THE wind moaned, a soft pitch that rose slowly into an eerie wailing cry, almost as if a voice summoned him. Waves crashed on the jagged rocks, foamed white and sent spray high into the air. The sound was deafening, big thunderous booms echoing along the cliffs. Heavy rain had left the cliffs unstable, but Drew Madison ignored the warning signs and climbed over the fence to slip and slide his way through the soft, crumbling dirt close to the edge.

  The water churned and boiled, a dark beckoning brew far below the jutting cliffs. The sight was mesmerizing. As hard as he tried, he could not pull his fascinated gaze away or stop listening to the voices murmuring in the thunder--calling-- calling. He wiped his hand over his face to clear his head. His skin was wet, but he wasn't certain if it was the drizzling rain or his own tears. The waves boomed again, this time the sound hollow to his ears, a lost soul as haunted as he was. A summons.

  He forced his hands over his ears to drown out the mournful howl, but the wind struck at him, demanding attention, insistent that he listen. He stumbled back, shaking his head, slipped, teetering for just a moment. Let go. Let go. The voices in the wind urged him. Freedom was a step or two away.

  "No!" He shook his head and felt behind him for the security of the fence. His fingers gripped the wood so tight his knuckles turned white. He stared down at his hands, forcing his gaze from the roiling water below. He had to tell someone, make them understand what was going on. But who was there to tell? They'd lock him up if he told them the tides were dangerous. Something lived there, and it was hungry.

  HANNAH Drake stood on the captain's walk facing the sea. The wind beat at her with unusual fury, sending her long hair whipping across her face. Waves pounded relentlessly, and somewhere in the distance she thought she heard a cry of alarm. Hannah stepped closer to the protective railing and turned in the direction she thought the elusive sound had come from. Three times now she'd felt uneasy--and three times she'd failed to find the source.

  She glanced at her home. Her sisters waited for her, their warmth and happiness filling up the cold emptiness, but she couldn't go to them yet. She had to make one more try. She threw her head back and stared up at the sky. Clouds partially obscured the moon, casting dark shadows over the light. Her breath lodged in her throat as she caught sight of the double ring around the moon--dark red to black.

  "Hannah!" Libby Drake called. "Come save me. I'm getting picked on!"

  Hannah drew her sweater closer around her and hurried back into the safe haven of her home. Trouble was coming very soon, but she didn't know where--or at whom--it would strike. She needed the laughter and camaraderie of her sisters to dispel the fear growing inside of her. Sometimes her gifts were a curse.

  Libby slipped her arm around Hannah as they went down the stairs together. "You okay? You're shivering with cold."

  "I'm fine. I'm looking forward to our get-together tonight", Hannah replied, hugging Libby close. Just touching Libby could soothe away her fears. She forced a smile as she joined her sisters, throwing herself on the floor in the warm circle. "So tell me why you're all picking on Libby." She glanced one last time toward a window and then turned away. There was nothing she could do, so she turned her attention to her sisters and the enjoyment they always brought her.

  "All I said was, I'm tired of being Goody Two-shoes. I'm changing my image completely and becoming a bad girl," Libby announced.

  "Libby, you crack me up," Sarah Drake said to her younger sister. "You don't have a mean bone in your body. You couldn't be a bad girl if you tried."

  Libby scowled at Sarah and then glared at the circle of faces surrounding her. "I am not the Goody Two-shoes you all think I am."

  "Oh, really?" Joley Drake raised an eyebrow from where she was sprawled out on the floor. "Name one person in this world you'd like to see take a flight to Mars. Someone you utterly despise."

  Laughter rang through the living room. "No way is that possible." Hannah leaned over to kiss Libby on her temple. "We all adore you, hon, but you really don't have it in you to be a bad girl. Not like me--or Joley." She looked at the youngest sister. "Or Elle."

  The laughter increased and Elle shrugged. "It's the red hair. I take no responsibility for my . . . er . . . interesting personality."

  "It's way more fun to be bad," Joley said, unrepentant. "No one expects you to do the right thing and you're never really in trouble. Mom and Dad never expected me to be polite and kind when we were growing up. They spent all their time telling me to censor myself." She reached for a cookie and sat up to drink her tea. "I tried to explain I was censoring, that five things came into my head and I picked the least offensive, but they still weren't thrilled."

  Elle grinned at Joley over her teacup. "They got used to being called into the principal's office at school. I was really glad I came after you. You paved the way for me. I argued with the teachers over everything and the counselor said I had problems with authority figures."

  "They could never actually catch me at anything," Hannah said, breathing on her fingernails and polishing them with a satisfied air. "One or two of the teachers suspected I had something to do with frogs pouring out of the desks of girls who weren't very nice to me, but no one could actually prove it."

  Libby sighed. "I want to be like that. I detest being the good girl."

  "But you are a good girl," Kate pointed out, patting Libby's knee. "You can't help it. Even as a kid you had causes. You couldn't get into trouble because you were too busy saving the world. That's not a bad thing."

  "And you don't think mean things, Libby," Abigail added. "It isn't in you."

  "You're responsible," Sarah said. "That's a good thing."

  Libby, sitting cross-legged on the floor, covered her face with her hands, groaned aloud as she tipped over to land with her head in Hannah's lap. "No. It's so boring. I'm just plain boring. I want to be bad to the bone. Wild. Unpredictable. Anything but good old steady Libby."

  "I'll dye your hair for you, Lib," Joley offered. "Hot pink tips and streaks of pink and purple."

  Libby peeked out around her fingers. "I cannot possibly have hot pink tips and streaks of pink and purple and be taken seriously when I go to the hospital to work. Can you imagine the reaction of my patients?"

  Joley frowned. "That's the point, Lib. You want a reaction. Throw caution and good sense to the wind. Changing your hair color isn't going to make you less of a doctor. You're as respected as any doctor
could get."

  Libby dropped her hands from her face and reached for an all important cookie. She needed comfort food. "I'm scheduled to go on a run with the Doctors Without Borders. I can't go to Africa with hot pink hair."

  "Sure you can. The kids will love it," Joley insisted.

  "It's different with you, Joley. You're a musician. People expect you to be wild and crazy. I have to look a certain way."

  "Why?" The plate of cookies was empty and Joley waved toward the kitchen. On cue, the plate rose into the air and sailed toward the kitchen where the aroma of freshly baked cookies wafted out into the living room.

  "Joley's showing off," Elle said. "It took her forever to learn that."

  Joley swatted at Elle with a rolled-up newspaper. "It did not. I could do that before you were born. Get with the program, Hagatha, we're trying to teach Libby how to be a bad girl."

  "Talk about Hagatha," Elle defended herself. "I tried to wake you up this morning and you made rude noises and threatened to toss me off the tower into a sea filled with sharks."

  Joley poked Libby. "See, hon? That's how to be a bad girl. Did I get up and do the vacuuming like her majesty wanted me to do? No, I slept in and she did it for me."

  "As if." Elle snorted. "I didn't do your job. Libby did it so you could catch up on your sleep which you wouldn't need if you weren't up at all hours of the night."

  A collective groan went up. "Libby, you didn't." Joley tried to sound disappointed but she only managed to choke on laughter.

  Libby ducked her head so that her black hair fell in a cloud around her face and shoulders. "I thought you might need a few extra hours. It wasn't a big deal."

  Sarah hugged Libby. "You are incredible and don't even realize it."

  "No, I'm not," Libby insisted. "I want to be a Hagatha. I just don't want to color my hair. Sorry, Joley, thanks for trying, but seriously, pink hair isn't for me."

  Joley grinned at her. "There you go, trying not to hurt my feelings. We need a school for bad girls. It would be the only time in your life you got less than an A."

  Libby lifted her chin and glared at her younger sister. "I could get an A in bad girl class. I always get A's."

  Joley shrugged. "I tried not to get good grades. Once you start, the mom and pop want it to continue. Then you're stuck."