Chapter 4

Stephen Sulkey

## The Bayou Girl: A Gathering of Shadows Bedelia Marie Dubois has transformed Savannah into a sanctuary, but peace was never meant to last. As word of the mysterious vampire known as the Dark Angel spreads throughout the supernatural world, strangers begin arriving at Pecan Hill seeking her guidance, her protection, and, in some cases, the gift of immortality itself. Among them is Mei-Ling Yao, one of the legendary Tiger People, whose arrival reveals that vampires are only one part of a far older and more mysterious world. While ancient alliances are forged and dangerous new enemies gather in the shadows, Bedelia faces an even greater challenge. The man she loves, Benjamin Reese, is slowly dying, trapped between his humanity and the terrible hunger of immortality. Desperate to save him without sacrificing the principles that define them both, Bedelia searches for a path no vampire has ever found. Then, beneath the ancient oaks of Savannah, a revelation changes everything. As the spirits of the dead reveal a destiny stretching far beyond one city or one century, Bedelia begins to understand that the Dark Angels were never meant to defend Savannah alone. Their purpose is far greater—and the darkness gathering against them is greater still. *A Gathering of Shadows* expands the world of **The Bayou Girl** into an epic tale of supernatural mystery, loyalty, sacrifice, and hope, where the line between monster and guardian grows ever more difficult to define... and where one immortal woman may be destined for a role no one could have imagined.