Blue Bloods: Keys to the Repository

Text and il ustrations copyright © 2010 by Melissa de la Cruz “Shelter Island” copyright © 2007 by Melissa de la Cruz, a version of which first

appeared in
666: The Number of the Beast
, published by Point, an imprint of Scholastic Inc. Reprinted by permission of Scholastic Inc.

Al rights reserved. Published by Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Book Group. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form

or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written

permission from the publisher. For information address Hyperion, 114 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10011-5690.

First Edition

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

V567-9638-5-10105

Printed in the United States of America

Designed by Elizabeth H. Clark

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file.

ISBN 978-1-4231-3454-1

Reinforced binding

Visit www.bluebloodsbooks.com

Visit www.hyperionteens.com

Table of Contents

Also by Melissa de la Cruz

Letter from the Author

The Repository Files

Once Upon a Time in Paradise

Once Upon a Time in New York . . .

FAMILY RECORDS: VAN ALEN

There's a First (or Fourth) Time For Everything, or "Mr. Darcy Requests"

FAMILY RECORDS: FORCE

The Lie that Concealed the Truth, or "The Last Meeting"

FAMILY RECORDS: LLEWELLYN

Wolf Pact

FAMILY RECORDS: OFF-COVEN

Shelter Island

VENATOR RECORDS: Martin

The Venator's Tale

The Van Alen Legacy And The Paths of the Dead

The Gates of Hel

THE FALLEN BRETHREN: HOUSE OF MORNINGSTAR

The Seven Ruling Houses of the Conclave

The Committee

Appendix A: List of Secondary Characters

Appendix B: A Partial List of Canine Familiars

Appendix C: Dictionary of Terms

Misguided Angel

Acknowledgments

Also by Melissa de la Cruz

THE BLUE BLOODS SERIES

Blue Bloods

Masquerade

Revelations

The Van Alen Legacy

THE AU PAIRS SERIES

The Au Pairs

Skinny-Dipping

Sun-Kissed

Crazy Hot

THE ASHLEYS SERIES

The Ashleys

Jealous?

Birthday Vicious

Lipgloss Jungle

Cat’s Meow

Fresh off the Boat

Angels on Sunset Boulevard

Girl Stays in the Picture

NONFICTION

How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less

The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch Heels and Faux Pas

Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys: Essays About the Friendship Between Straight Women and Gay Men

For my family: Mike, Mattie, Mom, Aina, Steve, Nicholas, Joseph, Chit, and Christina, and the memory of Pop

The possession of knowledge does not kil the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery.

—Anaïs Nin

Dear Constant Reader,

When I was growing up, I was a huge fan of Stephen King’s books (I stil am). And something I remember so vividly about reading his books is that

once in a while he would include a letter to his readers in the introduction. These letters were addressed “Dear Constant Reader” because as he

published more and more novels, it became apparent to him that his readers were eating them up—reading them as fast as he could write them, and

so he wanted to thank them for that, and to celebrate it as wel . In his letters he would give us a little insight into how he wrote his books, what inspired

them, how they were written, and what he thought about them once finished.

I
loved
these letters. I think I secretly enjoyed his letters a little more than the books themselves. As someone who had read al of his books, I

was fascinated by this glimpse into their inner workings, and to be told something more about the stories—a background history, an inspiration, a

governing idea, maybe—that was not to be found in the pages themselves.

If you are holding this book in your hands, I hope it’s safe for me to assume that you are
my
Constant Reader, and that you are curious to find out

a little more about the world of the Blue Bloods beyond what has been available in the novels so far. And for that, I am extremely tickled, humbled, and

gratified. It’s always been a dream of mine to write a book like this, a companion book to the series. I absolutely adore companion books. On my

shelf next to my many Stephen King novels, you wil also find
The Dark Tower: A Concordance, Volume 1
and
The Road to the Dark Tower:

Exploring Stephen King’s Magnum Opus
.

I’d like to share a little bit about the Blue Bloods se-ries—how I first imagined it and how it came to be and how the work is going. The story

behind the story, so to speak. As King says, “Some people don’t want to know how sausage is made; if so, skip this and go ahead to the real meal.”

So if you don’t want to hear about the backstory, you don’t have to read this. But if you do, here it is.

When my editor asked if I ever wanted to try my hand at a horror/fantasy book, I responded with a resounding YES! YES! YES! As soon as I got

off the phone with her, my mind was whirling with so many ideas. I knew from the beginning I wanted to write a big epic fantasy, like my favorite books

from childhood: King’s Dark Tower series, Isaac Asimov’s The Foundation trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Anne Rice’s Vampire

Chronicles. But I also wanted to set the story in the modern world, like J.K. Rowling’s wonderful Harry Potter books, which reminded me, as an adult,

how pleasurable reading books could be. I especial y wanted to set it in New York City, my home, which I had just left and missed terribly, as we had

moved to Los Angeles in late 2003.

It just happened that at the time my editor cal ed, I was tooling around on the Internet and had found a Web site that listed every passenger on the

Mayflower
, along with their notable descendants. The list was the “lightning bulb” from the beginning: I thought, what if al these wealthy, important, and

influential Americans (the list includes the likes of the Bushes and the Roosevelts, but also—which I thought was more interesting—American icons

like Oprah and Marilyn Monroe)—what if al these great people had come to be that way because they were . . . (da da dum . . .) UNDEAD?

(BWAHA-HA-HA-HA.)

My other idea was that I very much wanted to have an origin story for my vampires. I had yet to come across a vampire novel that had one. I

wanted a believable explanation for their existence. I had always loved the story of
Paradise Lost
and found Lucifer’s fal incredibly romantic and

tragic. And so: the
Mayflower
, the New York elite, and vampires as cursed angels who fel with Lucifer—my outline was real y starting to take shape.

I imagined a large, sprawling story with a huge cast of characters. Some pieces came into place easily: three girls, three different motivations.

Schuyler, the shy girl who might hold the key to the Blue Bloods’ salvation; Mimi, whose superficial façade masks her true nature; and Bliss, who

hides a dangerous secret. Other pieces, like how the Lost Colony of Roanoke figured into the tale, came as I was writingthe first book. Soon I was off

and running, and now, five years later, I am more immersed in the story than ever. It is alive in my mind, the Blue Bloods’ saga dominates talk at my

dinner table (my husband is a supportive sounding board), I spend my days turning over plot points, and I can’t sleep if I can’t solve a character’s

dilemma.

In these pages you’l find the mythology of the Blue Bloods explained, some new stories featuring our favorite young vampires, and a sneak peek

at what’s to come. I should warn you, The Repository Files, which include character profiles, were written by rather crotchety historians who work for

the humorless Committee, so you might find their estimation of the characters a little astringent. Also, while the Repository might think they know

everything, careful readers wil observe that in certain instances their knowledge is somewhat limited.

Thank you for welcoming the Blue Bloods into your library. I have very much enjoyed the journey that has brought them to your shelves.

I don’t remember how Stephen King said good-bye to his readers, but for me, it’s always a very fond . . .

xoxo

Mel

THE REPOSITORY FILES

The following documents you are about to read contain top secret and classified information concerning the history of the Blue Bloods. These

records were compiled and maintained by Conduit Renfield, the Repository’s longest-serving historian, along with higher-ranking scribes and