Heart of Stone

London, 1910. Bram Stoker's Dracula had made barely a ripple in the pool of human consciousness, and it would be another 12 years before Nosferatu breathed life into a vampire on the big screen… but even then, in human society, vampires existed. Like a seam of gold running through the coal, they were there, but you had to look for them. Doctor Connor became a vampire, and had been dead for one hundred years. But, will I survive the next one hundred? He was not so sure. The London of 2010 was a Vampire Hive. Immortality resembled a tightrope walk over the Grand Canyon, and the difference between having a prune or a plum for a brain was the hydration that could only happen when a vampire slept. Like all true predators, vampires evolved, learning how to 'sleep' one compartment of their brain at a time. The down side was, that like the victims of a multiple personality disorder, although vampires were always conscious, they were not always in control. As though that were not enough, Mother Nature stepped in and dealt a cruel blow. An influenza epidemic killed most of the human population, created a food shortage, and forced vampires out of the shadows. Vampire and human destiny changed when Connor and Rebekah's worlds collided, and now, in Book Four, the adventure continues to hurtle forward. The London Hive has settled into an uneasy peace - as though everyone is holding their breath. Connor delivers great news on the development of the 'blood substitute', and humans are beginning to let go of their fear and believe that vampires are not all bad. An engagement party brings everyone in the eco-town together; Seren and Osiris celebrate the first hybrid betrothal, but then the emergency klaxon jolts the world back into battle stations. A vessel oozes into the London docks and the undead crew are cloaked in secrecy and unknown customs. Julian meets them with a display of force, but the visitors are masters in distraction and deception. The hive is torn apart when Connor betrays his family and willingly joins the vessel. Rebekah, Marius, Anthony and Greg launch their own mission against the invading force. Seren, Osiris and Malachi strive to make contact and find a weakness in the wall Connor has built around him. Julian and the London Hive can't afford to lose this confrontation - the lives of humans and vampires alike hang on the edge of an abyss - one push and the world as they know it ends. Connor doesn't believe in magic, portents, or the black arts, but science and reasoning are no match against the forces dragging him under.