No Rest For The Wicked is the second book published in the Immortals After Dark series. It was first published in October, 2006. The main characters are Sebastian Wroth and Kaderin the Cold Hearted, a Vampire and a Valkyrie.
Back Cover Copy[]
A vampire soldier weary of life…
Centuries ago, Sebastian Wroth was turned into a vampire—a nightmare in his mind—against his will. Burdened with hatred and alone for ages, he sees little reason to live. Until an exquisite, fey creature comes to kill him, inadvertently saving him instead.
A Valkyrie assassin dispatched to destroy him…
When Kaderin lost her two beloved sisters to a vampire attack long ago, a benevolent force deadened her sorrow—accidentally extinguishing all of her emotions. Yet whenever she encounters Sebastian, her feelings—particularly lust—emerge multiplied. For the first time, she’s unable to complete a kill.
Become competitors in a legendary hunt…
The prize of the month-long contest is powerful enough to change history, and Kaderin will do anything to win it for her sisters. Wanting only to win her, forever, Sebastian competes as well, taking every opportunity--as they travel to ancient tombs and through catacombs, seeking relics around the world--to use her new feelings to seduce her. But when forced to choose between the vampire she's falling for and reuniting her family, how can Kaderin live without either?
Summary[]
| Spoiler warning! |
| This article contains plot details from No Rest for the Wicked. |
After participating in the Valkyrie incursion of Kinevane for Emmaline Troy, Kaderin, The Cold Hearted is alerted to the location of a vampire in Russia. Arriving at the decrepit castle she is surprised to find this vampire welcomes death and doesn't fight her.
Sebastian Wroth, for his part believes himself beyond saving, and only regrets the things he didn't accomplish as a mortal, namely falling in love. He is surprised by the sound of his heart beating as Kaderin bloods him.
Kaderin begins to feel her emotions for the first time in a millenia, and is soon overcome by her lust. They indulge in a session of heavy petting, with Sebastian relieving his first erection in three centuries. After Sebastian begins to talk of their future which reminds Kaderin of her situation and she bolts into the sun to get away from him.
Sebastian decides he must make himself appear an appropriate mate to win his Bride over and traces to Blachmount and digs up some of the gold he won in the Great Northern War, that he had buried there. Selling the coins Sebastian gets a haircut and begins to buy and drink blood regularly.
Kaderin goes to London to finish her preparations for the Talisman's Hie, killing three vampires. She then goes to the jungle temple of Riora the host of the Talisman's Hie. Sebastian has been experimenting with tracing and discovers a way to trace to a person. He arrives at the Hie and tries to talk to Kaderin. They get nowhere and Sebastian half-traces to listen to those who have gathered, including Mariketa the Awaited who asks questions of her companion to feed him information on the Valkyrie.
Bowen MacRieve a Lykae, attacks Sebastian and they fight. The pair are evenly matched although Bowen doesn't transform and Sebastian doesn't trace. Kaderin stops the fight so Riora will not take away the Hie and Scribe, who serves Riora announces her arrival.
Riora runs down the rules of the Hie and announces this competition's prize, Thrane's Key. Thrane's Key will allow someone to go back in time. Kaderin lets off lightning as she realises she could use the key to get her sisters back.
Kaderin enters on behalf of the Valkyrie and Furiae. Bowen, is the first Lykae ever to enter. Sebastian wishes to enter to help Kaderin and after some manoeuvring he represents Riora. When Kaderin takes her scroll she gets Riora to agree to stall Sebastian for a day.
Kaderin uses the time to get to the south pole, Sebastian traces to her and realises that he has been tricked. He traces ahead to the mountain where the prize (three Mirror Amulets) are. Trying to get leverage he traces a Kobold and Cindey to the top in exchange for information on Kaderin.
When Kaderin reaches the top instead of accepting the remaing amulet as a gift she attacks the Kobold and takes his, throwing him of the mountain. She then removes Cindey's rope's anchor. She dives off the mountain and uses her ice axes to catch her self repeatedly on the way down.
Kaderin races back to her snowcat and tells Regin to prepare. Regin has her swords ready when Sebastian traces into the vehicle, but misses as he half traces out of her way. He promises to see her that night and goes back to Blachmount for more of his gold. His remaining chests are gone so he goes to confront Nikolai, he meets Myst the Coveted and Nikolai gives him a case with his money which he invested on his behalf and goes back to Kaderin's London apartment.
Sebastian traces to Kaderin's villa and refuses to leave so they fight to compare their fighting styles, speed vs. strength. Kaderin gets two hits and Sebastian gets two, then Kaderin makes as if to give in to him and hits him above the heart. Infuriated by her trickery Sebastian knocks her sword away and traces behind her.
Sebastian kisses her neck and begins to seduce her when he pierces her neck with a fang and tastes her blood. Kaderin is furious and Sebastian returns to his castle, that night he dreams of a fight years past that Kaderin participated in and when he wakes he realises he can see her memories.
10 days later at the Cave of the Basilisks in Las Quijadas Kaderin is searching for a Basilisk egg, she comes up against Bowen who uses a diamond necklace to distract her with her acquisitiveness as she hasn't done any aversion training since before she received her blessing. While she is obsessed with the diamonds Bowen pushes a boulder over the entrance to the cavern system, trapping her there.
A couple hours later after discussing the Hie with Nikolai, Sebastain traces to Kaderin and offers to trace her away but she refuses to give up her chance at the remaining Basilisk egg. Sebastian realises he can move the boulders blocking the entrance. He bargains for the chance to touch her but she refuses and he agrees to accept a kiss from her and Kaderin again refuses, not wanting to risk him biting her. She agrees when two Basilisks begin to approach them.
Sebastian bargains again aking her to get somewhere dark within an hour so he can continue their kiss. Kaderin fights the Basilisks while Sebastian shifts the rocks. Kaderin leaves the cavern, kicking Sebastian when he grabs her foot and Sebastian is forced to kill the largest of the Basilisks. Sebastian traces over to the other cavern system and takes a Basilisk egg from a nest, he bargains with Kaderin for a night where he can touch her however he likes in exchange for the egg.
In the cabin of her plane Kaderin paces, she calls Emma and discovers that Bowen is searching for a way to get his mate back, she rings Regin and asks why she didn't tell her Myst had married and then talks to Nix. Kaderin is furious that Nix told Bowen about the prize as Lykae live only for their Mates onces their have found them. She then asks Nix to see if she will win the Hie, Nix becomes incoherent and Regin says she has predicted Kaderin will die in the competition before the next full moon.
Kaderin decides if she is going to die she will take the pleasure she can from Sebastian before she dies. When Sebastian arrives they talk until the plane levels off and then Sebastian take advantage of his deal. They both experience pleasure.
Two days later Kaderin goes after an opal ring owned by Rodrigo Gamboa a Colombian drug lord. When Sebastian traces to Kaderin he is furious, thinking she plans to sleep with him. He drags her away to a small room and they argue. Finally Sebastian bites her, she climaxes and he is struck by the sensation that this is right.
Afterward angry Kaderin leaves and Sebastian declares he will forsake her and if she leaves with Gamboa, he will not leave alone either. Kaderin gets Gamboa into his limo and demands the opal ring. He asks why just the opal, revealing he knows she is a Valkyrie. His mother was a Demon and the opal was predicted to bring a Valkyrie. Kaderin gives him Regin's number and leaves with the ring.
A week later Kaderin, Cindey and Bowen are competing for The Box of the Nagas. The Box is located in the middle of a minefield. Sebastian traces to the center of the field and takes the box. Bowen loses an eye and part of an arm in an explosion and Cindey's eardrums burst. Sebastian traces he and Kaderin to her London apartment.
Sebastian tries to demand oral sex in exchange for the box but can't go through with it. Kaderin offers and uses mystically reinforced chains to hold him to the bed. They consumate their relationship. The next morning Kaderin buys blood and leaves it in the fridge for Sebastian, leaving him a note not to come that day as she will be in the sun, then leaves for her next task.
Sebastian traces to the Congo anyway and is met by Bowen who hits him with a shovel and knocks him into a river. Sebastian burns in the sun for two days. After the Congo, Kaderin goes to Costa Rica to fetch a tear Amphitrite, she is worried about Sebastian and concerned he has just used her for sex.
Kaderin attempts to swim out to the prize but is attacked by sharks and drowns at least once before Sebastian traces to her thinking he has only lost a day and takes her back to her apartment. Kaderin takes a day to heal, when she wakes, Sebastian reveals he traced Cindey to Siberia to keep her away from the prize. Cindey tried to sing to him but it didn't affect him.
When they check the task list The Box of the Nagas is on the list again, now in the Congo as Sebastian had it in his pocket when Bowen attacked him. Sebastian traces to it and Kaderin receives the final points she needs to enter the final round.
That night Sebastian dreams of the prophecy Nix made about Kaderin's death and makes arrangements to take her place so she won't die. He uses the mystically reinforced chains to trap her and leaves. The chains are only reinforced for Vampires so Kaderin breaks out and leaves for the Fyre Serpente.
Kaderin arrives first as her transportation is best, Sebastian is not far behind. Kaderin and Sebastian argue and a Fyre Serpente rises up and grabs Kaderin, as she is dragged down she tells Sebastian where the prize is and to "come back for me, so I can go back for them" finally revealing why she has been so determined to win. After Kaderin dies, Sebastian's arm is trapped by a boulder.
When Bowen arrives, Sebastian get him to move the boulder and traces them to the chamber with the prize. Sebastian grabs it, but with his weak arm, and Bowen has wrapped a whip around his other arm. Remembering what Riora told Kaderin in one of the memories he saw, Sebastian aims the blade at Bowen's arm. The blade is blessed by the mystic Honorius and can not miss, it takes off Bowen's arm, the one holding the whip. Sebastian claims the prize and returns to Riora's temple.
Sebastian uses Thrane's Key to go back and save Kaderin. They go back to her apartment and he collapses, when he has healed they go back and rescue Kaderin's sisters. It soon becomes clear that Dasha and Rika need help, Kaderin takes them back to Val Hall and after a few days they are convinced to encourage her to be with Sebastian.
They embrace and he traces them to the mansion in New Orleans he has bought for them.
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