Der Reizen

Herta Tanner has inherited a ramshackle cottage in Bavaria, Germany. She is recognized by some of the townspeople in Kochberg, the nearest town, and appears to be feared by the people.

Herta meets Turan Freiermann and finds out that she is his soulmate. She also meets Father Edmund, the local priest who was a friend of her here-to-fore unknown grandfather. She gets rather upset when, after reading a letter destined for her deceased mother, she mistranslates her hereditary job to be a pimp for vampires. Turan, she discovers, is one of those “vampires”. In truth, he’s not a vampire, but Tiele, from the alternate universe called Tielen. Herta’s job, as Turan explains it, is to help the Tielen find their human soul-mates.

Herta meets one of the local detectives, Krista Zwitzer, and they become friends. They, along with the visiting Father Edmund, discover a secret passage in Herta’s cottage, that leads to the Mioneid Hall, the main gathering room for all Tiel formal activities, and Herta is given a choice – find the right Turan from out of many to rule Tielen or go home and never see Turan again. Herta elects to choose.

Some of the people Turan has met aren’t interested in becoming friends with him. They believe that he is part of the Aryan race and want his powers for their version of the Thule Society. To that end, they join forces with Dahila, Turan’s cousin and current co-ruler. Dahila, however, has her own plans and they involve the death of both Turan and Herta, preferably slowly and painfully, as well as ruling both Earth and Tielen.

As she was being rescued from Dahila’s hands, Herta passed out from the pain of her torture and missed the battle between Dahila’s followers, Thule Society members and the Tielen guard, and local police. When she awakes, Herta gives Turan what-for for not being at the Swearing-In Ceremony. She finally convinces everyone that they can make it back in time and, after a long run, they return to the Mioneid Hall in time to see Dahila try to usurp Turan’s position. Herta loses her temper and attacks Dahila. The rest of the ceremony continues as if nothing untoward had happened.

Herta spends several days in the Tiel version of a hospital while the worst of her wounds heal. Krista and Father Edmund visit Herta and bring her up to date on what happened that night. Turan and Herta agree that they will learn to be friends before anything else and Herta will remain as both Der Reizen and High Escort to Turan’s High Lord and Seeker status until such time as Herta’s full inheritance is given to her.