The Killing Dance by Laurell K. Hamilton 12/21/07

This is one of the few books that doesn’t take its name from a club or other business. “The killing dance” is the werewolf’s description of both sex and the fight for succession.

The book begins with Dominic Dumare, Sabin and Jean-Claude in Anita’s office.  Sabin wants Anita to help cure of his “rotting disease.”  Grossly, that’s exactly what happens: Sabin is rotting but being a vampire, he won’t die.  Just rot.  Dumare is also a necromancer and offers to teach Anita more about being a necromancer.

In this book, Anita is JC’s acknowledged human servant but what no one else knows is that she does not have the marks so she isn’t, in the truest sense of the word, his human servant.

Anita leaves that meeting to go with Richard to a dinner party at Catherine’s.  Catherine likes Richard and wants Anita to dump Jean-Claude and marry Richard.  Also there are Monica and Robert.   Monica is the one that nearly got Catherine killed and Robert is now her husband.  Monica is pregnant.  While at the party, Anita finds out that someone has put a hit out on her for $250,000.  They called Edward, who refused.  He thought he’d get to kill more people guarding Anita.  If he took the hit, he’d only get to kill her.

Richard and Anita help Mrs. Pringle take a new TV into her apartment and Custard (Mrs. P’s dog) lets Anita know that there is someone in her apartment.  Murder attempt number one.  Anita has to go to the police station and give a statement.

Anita has to spend the night at Richard’s to avoid putting her neighbors at risk. While there, Edward calls and tells her that the price has increased to $500,000. Anita must know what the hit is out for her for but she just doesn’t know it.

Also, while they are there, Richard checks his messages and there is one from Stephen who is trying to avoid being in one of Raina’s movies. Richard and Anita go rescue him. On the way, they fight about whether or not Richard should just kill Marcus. Richard also gives Anita a lesson in werewolf culture. Ulfric is pack leader, Lupa is his mate and alpha female. Lukoi is what werewolves call themselves. Freki is second in command. Geri is the second second. Freki is one of Odin’s wolves, Odin being the chief Norse god. King Kykaon of Arcadia (Greek) was a werewolf and they call themselves lukoi in honor of him. Richard is now Fenrir, the challenger. Fenrir was the giant wolf who killed Odin.

When they get there, Anita realizes it’s a set up. Sebastian challenges Richard because he knows that Richard will not kill. However, Richard is much stronger than Sebastain and forces him to “eat power” and so Sebastian can not make the challenge. Jamil shows up. They all want Richard to stop with his boy scout act.

Anita hears Stephen scream and goes to find and rescue him. There she finds him being raped and his brother participating. Richard does what he needs to do then joins Anita. Again he is challenged. He tells the wolves there not to bother Stephen and they say “yeah, so what? You tell us this but you won’t do anything about it!” Anita announces that she will kill anyone who harms Stephen.

Anita and Richard fight on the way home. Richard goes out to patrol for assassins and sends Stephen in to sleep with Anita because he’s scared. She wakes up with him and realizes that this is the very first time that she has actually spent the entire night with a man. Anita waks up and hears voices, so she goes out to investigate. Richard has called a meeting of “his” wolves and they are there. Dr. Lillian is there stitching up Richard. Richard and Anita have another fight. This is when Anita first really begins to think that she will have to break up with Richard. He won’t kill, which is a character flaw in Anita’s opinion, given that he is a werewolf.

The lukoi have their meeting, along with Rafael,Louie (wererats) and Christine (weretiger). The tell Anita that JC has withdrawn his support of Marcus and given it to Richard. Sylvie (a lesbian) threatens to make Anita a werewolf. Richard says no one is to be infected against their will, it’s his order. He’s challenged. Rafael says he will kill to protect Anita. Richard finally says he will kill anyone who goes against his orders. Richard says to the pack “this is my lupa/ KNow her scent, know her skin. She has shed our blood, and shed her blood for us. She stands as protector for those weaker than herself. She will kill for us, if we ask. She is your alpha.” Sylvie and Neal refuse to acknowledge her as alpha. Neal challenges Anita and Anita wins but it’s pretty much by luck. Sylvie acknowledges her as alpha but not as dominant to her.

Edward arrives to find the mess and tells Anita that the contract has been picked up again. Anita has a date with JC to go to a club opening (Danse Macabre) that night and she is “outed” as dating the Master of the City on national television. She isn’t happy about that.

Anita meets Liv, a female vampire. She isn’t impressed by The Executioner. They have an exchange. Anita finds out that JC isn’t having sex with anyone. Damian shows up. We meet Cassandra, a werewolf. Sabin is at the opening. Willie and Liv both try to guard Anita. Damian goes on stage and uses his powers to bespell a human, Anita stops him. Anita tries to talk to the woman (Karen) but Liv comes over and Karen faints dead away. Anita sends Liv on her way while she, Cassandra and a new woman Anabelle Smith take Karen into the bathroom. Raina shows up, shows off and tells Anita that she is JC’s partner in Danse Macabre, which Anita did not know. Raina announces that there is a cab waiting for Karen to take her home and Anita sends Cassandra out with Karen to meet the cab. Raina leaves. Turns out, Anabelle is the next assassin and tries to kill Anita but Anita kills her first. Ooops. Now there are police involved again.

Anita is being interrogated by Detective Greeley and Rizzo when Dolph shows up. He takes Anita to a crime scene. It’s Robert. Zerbrowski is there and Anita is glad to see him all healed after his attack by a shapeshifting witch. This is the first time we see that Dolph is bothered by Anita dating JC and Richard. Detective Reynolds is introduced -a detective witch. The first detective with any magic and she specifically asked for RPIT. Monica had to go to the hospital because she nearly lost her baby after finding out Robert was dead. That probably sucked … I’m sure she thought that marrying a vamp would ensure that she would never be a widow. Edward calls and tells Anita she needs to go into hiding at Circus of the Damned until he can find out who is trying to kill her. Richard, JC and Anita all manage to get into various and sundry fights, then the try the triumverate business again and it works. Pretty well … Anita raises several zombies and 3 vampires: Damian, Liv and Willie. Anita isn’t sure she can put them back and still have them wake up as vampires. She calls on Dominic who is also a necromancer to help. They think she can heal Sabin. They put the vamps back to bed but Anita passes out because when she tries to send Damian back, something in him pushed her out of him.

Edward shows up and tells them that the person who put the hit out on Anita is Marcus. Richard decides he can, in fact, kill Marcus. Edward introduces Harley to Anita.

Cassandra helps Anita dress for The Big Event. Richard goes to challenge Marcus and changes while on top of Anita. She freaks, goes back to The Circus of the Damned and has sex with JC. Richard comes over the next morning, figures it out and freaks out. Cassandra shows up to help clean up the mess, punches Anita and takes her to Gabriel and Raina. Cassandra is Damian and Sabin’s shapeshifter third, they too are a triumverate. Anita manages to kill Gabriel because Richard and JC give her 3 of the 4 marks. She has their power and she kills Gabriel and Raina. Harley and Edward show up but Anita has to kill Harley because he loses track of Edward and starts to freak out.

In the end, Richard gets mad at Anita and refuses to talk to him. Anita loves him but there isn’t anything she can do.