Hunters of the Dusk

Hunters of the Dusk
Darren Shan

Darren Shan, Mr Crepsley and Vancha Marsch, are the hunters of the dusk. Their quarry – the Vampaneze Lord. But friends old and new may stand in their way…It is six years after Darren was made a Vampire Prince and following a grim prophesy made by Mr Tiny, the vampires know the ascension of the Vampaneze Lord is at hand. Mr Tiny warns the vampires that there will be only three opportunities for the Vampaneze Lord to be vanquished and only three vampires who may succeed: Vancha Marsch, Larten Crepsley… and Darren Shan.Leaving the enclave of Vampire Mountain, Harkat, Darren and Mr Crepsley are shadowed by a creature of the night, do battle with the vampaneze, meet the mysterious Evanna and pay a visit to some old friends at the Cirque Du Freak. But no friend can prevent the bloody trail of bodies – the Vampaneze Lord may be more than a match for the hunters of the dusk.

HUNTERS OF THE DUSK

THE SAGA OF DARREN SHAN

BOOK 7

HUNTERS OF THE DUSK

THE SAGA OF DARREN SHAN

BOOK 7

Hunt for Darren Shan

on the web at

www.darrenshan.com

For:

Shirley & Derek – “Beauty and the Beast”

Sparring Partners:

Gillie Russell & Zoë Clarke

Ringside crew:

The Christopher Little clan

OBEs (Order of the Bloody Entrails) to:

Kerri “carve yer guts up” Goddard-Kinch

“la femme fatale” Christine Colinet

Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Other Books in the Series The Saga of Darren Shan

Copyright

About the Publisher

PROLOGUE

IT WAS an age of tragic mistakes. For me, the tragedy began fourteen years earlier when, mesmerized by a vampire’s amazing performing tarantula, I stole it from him. After an initially successful theft, everything went to hell, and I paid for my crime with my humanity. Faking my own death, I left my family and home, and travelled the world with the Cirque Du Freak, as the assistant to a blood-drinking creature of the night.

My name’s Darren Shan. I’m a half-vampire.

I’m also – through a series of events so astounding I still have trouble believing they really happened – a Vampire Prince. The Princes are the leaders of the vampire clan, respected and obeyed by all. There are only five of them — the others are Paris Skyle, Mika Ver Leth, Arrow and Vancha March.

I’d been a Prince for six years, living within the Halls of Vampire Mountain (the stronghold of the clan), learning the customs and traditions of my people, and how to be a vampire of good standing. I’d also been learning the ways of warfare, and how to use weapons. The rules of battle were essential components of any vampire’s education, but now more so than ever — because we were at war.