Vexed

The Morganville Vampires: Extras #15

by Rachel Caine

And now, we have our next original short story … and another one for Myrnin, because Cassie wanted it that way! Technically, it’s Myrnin and Oliver, who have a strange affinity, mostly because they’re both capable of being utterly weird and cruel when pushed, but also capable of kindness, too. Myrnin’s kindness is on display here, but so is his weirdness, and Oliver’s cruelty. A little of everything, and a creepy tale of a pursuit that ends in a sinister house with secrets, ghosts, lies, and monsters.
Some of the monsters, they’ve brought in with them.
Fun factoid: I borrowed (as I am prone to do, with vampire tales) from history for this, specifically the gruesome story of the Bloody Benders, who ran a combination store/traveller’s inn, with murder on the side, in 1870s Kansas. The names I used were correct to that period, and I have a fondness for bizarre names, having great-aunts named Pearly Lake and Precious Jewel in my family tree. Rumour says there was also a relative named Holy Bible, but I can’t swear to that one.

Genres: Vampires, Young Adult, Novella, Short Stories, Paranormal Romance, Teen, Paranormal

22 pages, ebook

About the author

Rachel Caine was a pen name of Roxanne Longstreet Conrad.

She has also published as:
Roxanne Longstreet
Roxanne Conrad
Julie Fortune
Ian Hammell

Her Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/rachelcainef...

Her Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/rachelcaine...

Reviews

[Jassicca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story written in Myrnin's POV. He's in a mission with Oliver to hunt down a loose vampire. In the abandoned house, when they finally captured the Vampire, Oliver stepped out from the house, but Myrnin couldn't leave the house — trapped inside the house by a ghost. It's not often we see these two working together, and even Mynin was surprised to see Oliver still waiting for him outside when he finally released from the house. I always loved reading Myrnin's story. He's crazy but also funny, and I especially like his remark on his bunny slippers and about the snake.

Here's some recap:

"The riding boots he wore weren’t good for running, but he was somewhat grateful that he hadn’t chosen the bunny slippers tonight. They were certainly not made for harsh terrain, and the area in which they’d gone was littered with rusted metal scrap, discarded lumber, and snakes too slow to slip out of the way, but still fast enough to strike at him in the darkness. Dangerous footing, even for a vampire.

He managed to pull next to the still-running Oliver and said, “There are snakes, you know.”

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

No dates so it doesn’t affect my count, it’s in Midnight Bites. I just had to put something down about how much I loved this short story. Myrnin of course is quickly becoming the love of my life (after Lord John Grey from Outlander and Percy Jackson, oh and Magnus Bane) and this little story is about him and Oliver tracking down a rogue vampire. Only while trying to leave the dilapidated house the vamp was staying in, Myrnin is trapped. Seems the ghosts of a very evil family want him to take the place of the vamp they just captured. But the best part? Oliver showing understanding and compassion towards Myrnin. Every other book I had a different feeling about Oliver, but that can only be because he’s a complex character who has lived for 700+ years. And this made me happy. (Though the last short, your mileage may vary, blew me away but I can’t ruin anything. Maybe he saved Michael out of kindness, maybe he caused Michael to need to be saved. Rachel has passed, we’ll never know.)

[Darinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in Midnight Bites.

Told from Myrnin's point of view. Myrnin and Oliver track down a vampire.

A creepy and interesting story. Enjoyed the combination of Myrnin and Oliver on the hunt together.

[Emaly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy

[Starlin Reynolds-Couch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love me some Myrnin!!

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story, it's the first time we've gotten a Myrnin perspective in the modern times, and I loved him and Oliver, these characters who aren't on the straight and narrow!

[Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting enough.

[Corn Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spooky but really good

[Hurricane_ReD · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely fascinating historical ghost story.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a freaky okay kind of story. I did enjoy reading about Oliver and Myrnin out on a assignment for a change.

[jessica ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very different from the usual, a bit creepy, an average read.