All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system- except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews- without the written permission of publisher or author, except where permitted by law.

Discover other titles by Ethan Russell Erway at Amazon.com:

Bleeding Star Chronicles #1 - A Sort of Homecoming

Bleeding Star Chronicles #2- Sins of the Father

Michael Belmont and the Tomb of Anubis

Michael Belmont and the Heir of Van Helsing

This book is dedicated to Kara, Gabriel, and Caleb, my family.

Libyan Desert, Egypt

Seventeen Years Earlier

Beneath the hot desert sands west of the city of Edfu, a small team of archeologists descended into the cool passages of the underground.

These men and women were grateful to find relief from the sun's scorching rays, and although this excavation had turned out to be more than some of them had bargained for, all were excited at the prospect of what might be buried below.

Dr. Shamus McGinty wiped his brow, and directed the hired workers who carried his equipment down the correct route.

He watched as these strong, young men maneuvered their heavy crates down the winding passageways, and longed for those days when he would have gladly helped them.

That ship had sailed many years ago, but his mind was still as sharp as it had been the day he’d stepped onto his first work site, and for that much he was thankful.

“This way, boys.

Watch yer step now.

Right through that tunnel and then off to the left.”

The old man made sure the final worker had passed through unhindered, and then followed gingerly along behind them.

He was eager to get started.

This ancient labyrinth had been concealed beneath the protective desert sands for thousands of years.

Lately, it had come to be known as the Necropolis of Anubis, a remarkable city of the dead which had once served the surrounding primitives as a resting place for their loved ones.

Now it had been re-discovered, and was proving to contain much valuable information about the ancient history of the Egyptian people of the region.

I wonder what all these young whipper snappers would think if they knew why I was really here
, Shamus thought, letting out a little chuckle.

As the team moved down to their destination, they passed innumerable bodies, carefully entombed and sealed off in the walls of the caves and corridors around them.

Most of these were common people, greatly loved and carefully laid to rest by their families and friends, yet common and simple people nonetheless.

Shamus listened as the younger members of the excavation team spoke excitedly to one another about the group’s most recent discovery.

Only a week before, the crypt of an ancient warrior, apparently a man of great importance, had been uncovered.

The chamber was preserved remarkably well, and promised a wealth of information for those examining it.

This particular discovery had the potential to be one of the greatest archaeological finds of the past few decades.

But for the Shamus, it held an even greater importance.

He followed the last of the team into the chamber, and began to direct them in setting up the last load of equipment.

Caught up in discussion about the work that lay ahead, the scientists did not notice the quiet, attentive man who lurked in the shadows, following them as they descended deeper into the caverns.

He had been observing their actions for a long time now, waiting to see if they would uncover the one thing he was looking for, an artifact which he’d been seeking for what seemed like an eternity.

However, he was quickly beginning to lose patience.

For months he had bided his time, letting these fools perform the work of excavating these chambers for him, but their work was moving along much too slowly.

They were taking meticulous care not to disrupt or damage the things that they examined, but he cared nothing about preserving ancient history.

He watched the simpletons as they plodded slowly along, unaware of the power that lay so near their grasp, and he sneered at the intrusive old fool that now joined them.

If these insects did not serve their purpose soon, he would have to take measures into his own hands.

With each day that passed he was becoming more fond of the idea of disposing of every last one of them.

It would be so satisfying to see them pay for making him wait.

CHAPTER ONE
Down the Dark Corridor

Michael Belmont charged up the rolling, green hillside as fast as his legs could carry him, intent on escaping the maddening creature that followed.

If only he could reach the forest, perhaps he’d be safe.

It wasn’t far now.

Surmounting the top of the hill and coming down on the other side, he slipped on the damp grass and nearly lost his footing before dodging behind a nearby cairn of stone to try and catch his breath.

He listened, and for a few long moments everything was quiet.

Perhaps it would be safe to look. Sweeping his messy brown hair away from his eyes, he knelt down and peered out from behind the rock.

There, standing just a few feet away, with its menacing eyes peering down at him, was the thing he had tried so desperately to escape.

It was his little sister, Abigail.

She raised her fist at him threateningly.

“I told you not to charge in at them like this, you’re going to scare them off,” she whispered angrily, tying her long blonde hair into a ponytail behind her head.

“What do you expect me to do?

I
had
to stretch my legs.

Being stuck on a plane all the way from Phoenix only to get into that little car for the drive up to Tarbet, and
you
prattling on about fairies the whole time.

It’s enough to drive a person insane.”

“Lower your voice,” she hissed at him.

“The last time we were here, Liam told me that this place was a faery grove.

But you’re acting like such an idiot that you’ve probably scared them off.”

Liam MacDonald was Michael’s best friend, but the two of them only got to see each other a few times a year.

Michael's family resided in the small city of Prescott in central Arizona, and Liam lived near the village of Tarbet, Scotland, off the west shore of Loch Lomond, in a place called McGinty Castle.

Michael’s parents were extensive world travelers.

His father was a cultural anthropologist, and his mother an archeologist.

They were funded by a private party, and worked and travelled together to conduct their research.

Sometimes, Michael, who had just turned twelve years old, and his sister Abigail, who was nine, would go along with them, but they often stayed with their uncle Lincoln in Sedona, or here in Scotland with Liam and his father.

Michael stood up and straightened his shirt.

“Liam is off of his rocker if he really thinks fairies exist in that forest, but he was probably just playing a trick on you.

You know how he loves to joke.”

“Well, he wasn’t joking about this and you know it.

You’ve seen how scared he gets when he talks about them.”

“Why aren’t
you
scared of them too then?” he prodded her.

“If you think Liam knows so much about faeries, and he doesn’t want anything to do with them, then why would you?”

She looked at him as though he were stupid.

“Because, they’re beautiful, and nice, and helpful.

Liam doesn’t know, he’s never actually met one.”

Neither have you
, Michael thought.

He didn’t say it because he was sick of arguing with her.

If she wanted to believe in such faery tale nonsense, that was her decision.

“What was that?” Michael asked, lifting his ear.

Abigail looked hungrily toward the forest, hoping he’d seen something.

“What, what was what?”

“I think Dad just called.

We’d better head back to the car now.”

Abigail scrunched her nose in frustration.

Michael could see a hissy fit developing, so he quickly turned and jogged back toward the road.

Moments later he glanced back to confirm that his sister was following, although she didn’t look very happy about it.

A few minutes later their mother was ushering them back into the car.

“I know how hard traveling is on you two, but hang in there.

We’ll be at McGinty castle before you know it.”

Both Michael and his sister were excited to visit the castle again, and they actually thought of it like a second home, but they were also sad, because in a few days their mother and father would be leaving, and be gone for several weeks on business.

As his father drove their small rental car through the countryside, Michael watched the rolling hills pass through his sight.

The green grass was often dotted with the white, fluffy forms of black-faced sheep, and as they went by a herd of highland cattle, Abigail commented that it might be fun to braid their shaggy, ginger colored hair.

“Dad," she said, suddenly excited, "are we going to be able to go on a hunt for the Loch Ness Monster this time?"

Mr. Belmont looked at his wife and smiled, as if he were waiting for the question to be asked.

"Not this time," he told her.

"McGinty castle isn't all that close to Loch Ness, and we're going to be pretty busy over the next few days preparing for the expedition."

"Well, I'd like to have at least
some
fun while we're here," she responded.

“I didn’t even get to explore that faery grove.”

"Abigail," warned her mother, "stop being a drama queen.

You're going to have a lot of fun, just like you always do when you stay at the castle."

"Humph," the girl responded, crossing her arms and beginning to pout.

Michael gave her a broad smile, and she stuck out her tongue.

He knew that his sister wasn't really that upset. Lately, she had become very skilled in feigning hurt feelings in order to get attention; at least that's what his mother had told him.

His eyes returned to the book his father had given him before boarding their flight from America.

It was called
Memoirs of My Journeys
and was written by Shamus McGinty.

Shamus was Liam MacDonald's great uncle, and had left McGinty Castle to Liam’s father Declan in his will.

Michael turned the page to see a black and white photo of the castle with a description on the opposite page.

Come with me, as I walk the cobblestone streets through the grounds of McGinty Castle.

The smell of fresh cut grass lingers in the air, and the bonnie yellow wildflowers and purple heather bells accent the rolling green hills around us.

Other books

American Heroes Series - 03 - Purgatory by Kathryn le Veque

Doña Perfecta by Benito Pérez Galdós

The Wombles to the Rescue by Elisabeth Beresford

Winter Harvest by Susan Jaymes

Pretty When She Dies by Rhiannon Frater

Rebecca's Choice by Eicher, Jerry S.

Archipelago N.Y.: Flynn by Todorov, Vladimir

The Defiant by Lisa M. Stasse

All He Desires: The Complete Series by Erin Lark

Her Dangerous Promise - Part 1: (Romantic Suspense Serial) by Ashley Stryker