Amber Smoke
By Kristin Cast
A teenage girl’s life changes in the course of one night when she meets her attractive vampire protector and is charged with saving the world.
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Plot Summary
Alekos was created eons ago by the Furies for the purpose of protecting mortals and fulfilling their revenge. After spending years living among humans, he is called back to the Underworld and ordered by the Furies to find the girl he was created to protect. Jenna is a senior in high school whose biggest worry is getting to the first party of the semester. Her mother leaves on a date with Paul, her mortician boyfriend, and Jenna drives her decades-old car. After five miles, her car breaks down and she is forced to catch a public bus. While waiting at the station, she hears a male voice speaking to her and whips out her pepper spray. Just as she steps back to spray him, she suddenly finds herself back home. It is as if time has turned back and all the events from before the party repeat themselves. Thinking it must be a dream, Jenna hears a male voice in her heard that urges her to find him. She is teleported back to the bus stop, and an attractive man meets her and introduces himself as Alek. Jenna knows she can trust him. He explains that she is dead and turns back time to show her the moment she tripped and cracked her head at the bus stop. He kissed her dead lips, turning her into a vampire that lives off energy. Alek explains that he was sent to help her send back an ancient monster that escaped from the Underworld. Like Alek’s power to turn back time, Jenna discovers that she has the power to see smoke around people that reveals information about them. Alek takes her to where the monster is, and Jenna is shocked to see that it is the home of her mom’s boyfriend. When Jenna confronts Paul, she sees the dark and twisted smoke surrounding him. She faces off against Paul and absorbs all his evil energy and defeats him. She is filled with feelings of hatred until Alek snaps her out of it, explaining that she cannot let the darkness consume her. She shares a kiss with Alek and sees the amber smoke surrounding him, making her feel protected and reassured, signifying a new beginning.