{"title":"Back in Stock","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"print-titan-mage-ruin-signed-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT: Titan Mage Ruin (Paperback)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Two in the Titan Mage series. Published by Spice Rack Press. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eSigned by Edie Skye. \u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/ruin\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA monster-infested ruin? A dangerous bounty? A missing archaeologist? Sign this crew up for adventure!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt’s been one month since Locke was reborn on the world of Haven, and he’s still learning his way around. But his magic powers, giant mech, and brand new buff body definitely help. Not to mention his three gorgeous crew mates—Captain Alyssa, fellow Titan Mage Ember, and Chief Engineer Bexley—are determined to … help him get used to it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe’ll have to get used to it all fast, though, because their next bounty is a tough and personal one. An entire expedition has vanished at the site of an ancient ruin.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn expedition including Ember’s mother, Erudicia.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is no small task. On Haven, ruins involve more than lost history. They mean valuable artifacts, ruthless bandits, and magically-mutated monsters, and though Haven’s leading research society usually looks after its own missing crews … for some reason, it’s in no hurry to find Erudicia’s.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLocke suspects Ember knows why this particular expedition has been abandoned. He also senses she fears what she might face when forced to reunite with her estranged family. But Ember’s not one to let a little fear stand in her way, and neither is Locke. Not when they have their badass mechs called Titans on their side.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStill, questions remain: What caused the rift in Ember’s family? Why was the entire expedition abandoned? What kind of monsters lurk in that ruin? And have Locke and Ember upgraded their Titans enough to survive the trial to come?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWARNING: Titan Mage Ruin\u003c\/em\u003e is a fun fantasy adventure containing steam both punk and smutty: voluptuous airship captains, eager engineers, and lascivious mech pilots. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Edie Skye has somehow managed to mix together LitRPG, magical mecha, and a spicy harem romance into a story that is fun and great entertainment. It’s been a while since I sat down and read a book in one night, but here we are.” —Amazon Reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“As a teenager, I drooled over the mechs of Robotech and Macross, and nothing since then has captured my love of those massive robots as the titans of Titan Mage.” —Amazon Reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/ruin\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from TITAN MAGE RUIN\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePROLOGUE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was the biggest slimeball Locke had seen since the last election.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, technically not.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe’d seen and fought plenty of slime since his strange and fortuitous arrival on the world of Haven. It seemed to be one of the more common forms of monster on this alternative, magical companion to his home world of Earth. (Or, more specifically Grassroots, Kentucky.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow he’d come to be here wasn’t a long story, but it was a weird one. He’d recently suffered a car crash that left him paralyzed from the waist down and lost his job in quick (though unrelated) succession. He'd been trudging home in his wheelchair when he met a strange woman on the street—a headhunter, he soon learned, who was looking to hire someone with his qualifications. It was an unbelievable stroke of luck, so he’d signed the contract she’d offered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen he’d died.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen he’d woken up inside the cockpit of the giant robot he was presently piloting. Inside a brand-new body that was the exact opposite of the skinny, paralyzed, wheelchair-bound body he’d left behind. On an airship crewed by three gorgeous women, who \u003cem\u003ewanted\u003c\/em\u003e that body.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was more to it than that, of course, but considering where he’d started, his current situation was \u003cem\u003eawesome\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven if he was presently staring down a giant slime monster.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost slimes he’d fought before had come in the form of what his crewmates called shadow dregs—a parasitic goo that fell in meteors from the Crystal Moon, which hung full in the sky over their heads even this far into the daytime. Locke hadn’t quite figured out the Crystal Moon yet or why it dropped parasite-laden meteors so frequently that meteorfall bounties were the Harper’s Harriers’ main source of income. But then, his crewmates hadn’t figured that out yet, either, and they were native to Haven. All they knew was that shadow dregs took over beings living and non- and bent them to their will, to destructive ends, and so they had to be obliterated the moment they touched down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut in some ways, those were better than whatever creature was writhing below the airship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis goo wasn’t trying to control anything. It was just eating everything in its path.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Found the source of the distress call,” Captain Alyssa Harper radioed from the control room of the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e. “Get ready to disembark.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Way ahead of you,” a voice Locke recognized as Ember Q’Van radioed from the inside of her titan, Long Shot. “Titan” was the name Havenites gave to their most powerful type of mobile weapon. There was as much magic involved in their running as there was technology, but basically they were two-story-tall robots, and Havenites had fun with their designs. Titan Long Shot was a sleek blue and silver mech with almost athletic-looking lines and a subtle, but decidedly female aspect to the chest and hip areas. It was built for speed, mostly so it could fire the magical cannon positioned over its left shoulder and then reposition itself with ease.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Same,” Locke replied from inside his own titan, Chimera. Chimera was the opposite of Long Shot in many ways. Where Long Shot was the obvious product of some refinement, Chimera was—as its name implied—a mess of disparate parts they’d had to scrounge from other titans. (The Harriers frequently operated on a shoestring budget, and it wasn’t even a particularly \u003cem\u003egood\u003c\/em\u003e shoestring.) He’d at least been able to use his matter magic to turn all the pieces the same shade of red—oh yeah, he had magic here, too!—but in general it looked like a weird, gracefully asymmetrical hodgepodge of pieces from different armor suits. Still, it was bulky, manly, built for power and smashing stuff, and that was all he needed it to do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke—and Titan Chimera—crouched for a better view through the square opening in the hangar floor, while Ember—and Titan Long Shot—crouched beside him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn fact, the two had been in their titans since the captain had first picked up the panicked radio signal and spotted the weird shape on the horizon, and now they peered through the open door to get a better look at what they’d be fighting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e’s engineer, Bexley, looked down through the opening in the floor, too, as casually as if it \u003cem\u003edidn’t\u003c\/em\u003e open to a \u003cem\u003ethousand-foot drop\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Whoo,” she whistled. “That’s the biggest slimeball I’ve seen since the last time Locke and I f—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Now’s not the time, Bexley,” Ember groaned, adjusting her cannon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What \u003cem\u003eis\u003c\/em\u003e that thing?” Locke asked. “It’s not acting like shadow dregs.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s a gluttony phantom,” Alyssa replied. “Concentrations of void essence sometimes cause them to manifest. No one knows why.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeering down through his titan’s visual sensors, Locke could easily see why they were called “gluttony phantoms.” Beneath their airship lay an expansive farm, or what used to be one. The resident farmers ran about either shooting ineffectually at the monster or trying to corral livestock away from its flailing, grasping pseudopods, but projectile weapons could only do so much against slime. Locke saw the remains of some poor souls who’d tried to get close enough to torch it—they were currently disintegrating in its gelatinous guts—and there was nothing they could do to save the crops in its path. Wherever it traveled, it left a wide swath of vegetation devoured down to the dirt, and the phantom grew wider as it progressed. Locke could see the point where it had started, too—from this distance, a pinprick in a field of corn-like stalks, perhaps no bigger than a tennis ball. Now, growing ever closer to the cluster of barns, silos, and farmhouses, it was easily the size of a modest building.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHalf the size of a titan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It grows as it eats,” Locke observed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It does,” Alyssa replied. “Fortunately, phantoms only feed on organic matter.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh! So I can punch it!” Locke said. That was a small relief. He couldn’t punch shadow dregs; Bexley kept his titan well-maintained and sealed, but there was always the risk of the shadow dregs finding a crack and slipping in, and while there were ways to purge them, those same purges would gradually compromise the integrity of the titan’s internal systems. Generally, it was better not to touch them at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Any chance of the phantom reaching me in the cockpit?” Locke asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“There’s \u003cem\u003ealways\u003c\/em\u003e a chance,” Alyssa replied. “Gluttony phantoms aren’t nearly as persistent as shadow dregs, though. If they encounter something inedible, they ignore it, so they’re unlikely to make it that far inside your titan.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“But if it \u003cem\u003edoes\u003c\/em\u003e get inside the cockpit?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Make sure it eats something less important than your dick,” Bexley advised.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I see Bexley has her priorities in order,” Ember groaned from inside her titan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I \u003cem\u003edo\u003c\/em\u003e have my priorities in order!” Bexley snapped back. “Locke’s a void mage! His is an \u003cem\u003eimportant dick\u003c\/em\u003e!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Can we focus on the task at hand, please?” Alyssa radioed in her most Captainly voice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Wait,” Bexley chimed, “by task at hand, do you mean Locke’s dick or the—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The \u003cem\u003egluttony phantom\u003c\/em\u003e!” Alyssa shouted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Fine,” Bexley huffed, and Ember moved to take up a better position behind where the engineer was standing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’ll snipe from here,” she said as Bexley skittered out of the way. “I can keep the pseudopods from grabbing things, but you’ll need to expose its core.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Core?” Locke asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I can’t see it from here, but it’ll be a little glowing ball of void condensate somewhere in all that slime. Destroy the core, and the phantom will disintegrate.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Gotcha,” Locke replied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We’re low enough for you to avoid fall damage. Ready to jump?” Alyssa radioed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ready!” Locke replied, and then flung himself and his titan feet-first through the hangar opening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTitan Chimera flashed brilliantly red in the morning sun as it plummeted from the airship toward the ground. In this world, titans looked like giant suits of fantastical armor, but they were more than that. Their insides brimmed with magical technologies that even this society didn’t fully understand, but Locke didn’t care much about those details. The details \u003cem\u003ehe\u003c\/em\u003e cared about were the ones that turned titans into ass-kicking war machines, and those were the details he was about to put to use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47140561060131,"sku":"TITANMAGERUIN-SIGNED","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/TitanMageRuinShopifySignedPaperback.png?v=1701656053"},{"product_id":"print-titan-mage-dragon-signed-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT: Titan Mage Dragon (Paperback)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Three in the Titan Mage series. Published by Spice Rack Press. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eSigned by Edie Skye. \u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/dragon\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWorld-shaking mysteries? Secretive aristocrats? Shapeshifting dragons? All in a day’s work for Harper’s Harriers!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSix months have blown by since Locke was reborn in another world with his hot new body, magic powers, and a giant mech called a Titan. In that time, word has spread that he’s a new void mage—the rarest mage type—and now every woman he meets wants a piece of him. But only the voluptuous ladies of the airship \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e can claim his heart (and … the rest of him).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey’ll need all of him to take on their next bounty, for it promises to test their skills to their limits. A once-simple drake-hunting job has now turned into a dragon-hunting job— but there’s more to this bounty than meets the eye. Something has twisted the dragon, Ultranoth the Organized, from a reclusive collector to a rampaging winged terror, and that “something” might just be the same thing that caused the downfall of civilization a thousand years ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s a job that only Locke and his crew are qualified to take … especially since his crew includes Chief Engineer Bexley. Or, as she’s more formally known, Lady Beaunessia Valerie Brimble Morton, prodigal (and proud of it) daughter of the distinguished Morton family—and childhood friend to Ultranoth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut will Bexley be able to reach her scaly friend? And if not, what then? Will their two Titans be enough to bring down a dragon?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOr is it finally time for their \u003cem\u003ethird \u003c\/em\u003eTitan to enter the fray?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWARNING: Titan Mage Dragon\u003c\/em\u003e is a fun fantasy adventure containing steam both punk and smutty: sexy mechanics, sensuous airship captains, racy mech pilots, curious catgirls, and saucy language to match. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Edie Skye has somehow managed to mix together LitRPG, magical mecha, and a spicy harem romance into a story that is fun and great entertainment. It’s been a while since I sat down and read a book in one night, but here we are.” —Amazon Reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“As a teenager, I drooled over the mechs of Robotech and Macross, and nothing since then has captured my love of those massive robots as the titans of Titan Mage.” —Amazon Reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/dragon\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from TITAN MAGE DRAGON\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePROLOGUE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ground before Locke roiled with the shape of a monster still forming, and shuddered with the aftershocks of a natural disaster.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe meteor had struck mere hundreds of feet from the mine—far enough to miss it, but close enough to collapse it and trap all the miners inside, or worse. He didn’t know if there was anyone left to save so close to the still-smoking crater. He didn’t even know what kind of monster he was about to face.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this moment, at his level of skill, Locke was certain of one thing and one thing only:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf he did not make a dramatic entrance with his robot’s arms heroically crossed over its chest, then he was wasting the whole robot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You ready, Ember?” he asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe turned his head—and thus his titan’s head—to the right, where a sleek blue-and-silver mech crouched, the cannon on its right shoulder aimed down for its inevitable sniping. Locke’s red titan gripped a rafter at the top of the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e’s hangar, steadying itself as their airship floated around the scene. It was probably unnecessary—-titans could self-balance with aplomb—but it looked cool, and over the past several months, he’d grown so used to fighting in this machine that he figured he could safely indulge in a little Rule of Cool.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ready when you are,” Ember replied from Titan Long Shot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, I’m \u003cem\u003ealways\u003c\/em\u003e ready,” Locke replied—then did exactly what he’d been planning to do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe let go of the rafter, crossed Titan Chimera’s arms over its broad, shining chest, and then took one step and plummeted down from the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e’s lowered hangar ramp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSafe inside the cushioning conductor fluid of his cockpit, he felt invigorated rather than terrified by the sudden punch of gravity lurching through his guts. Oh, it had been terrifying the first time he’d practiced this move, but months upon months of airdrops into monster battles had trained him in what to do. He let himself fall for a bit and then, when he was just close enough to the ground, channeled a burst of magic into the crystalline gravity catalysts implanted in the back of each of his titan’s legs. The catalysts flared with purple light. A similar blast of purple excess magic plumed out of his shoulder louvers and trailed behind him like a sparkling cape. And when he landed, it was with all the composed coolness of a veteran mech pilot who was here for one thing and one thing only:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo kick monster ass like it was just one bullet on today’s badass to-do list.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah.” Locke smiled privately inside the cockpit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What?” came another voice from above—Captain Alyssa, calling from her watch point in the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e’s control room. “Is the situation down there better than it looks?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nah, it’s as bad as it looks,” Locke replied. “It’s just that I’ve been trying to nail that entrance for months and I finally got it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What tactical advantage does that give you?” Ember asked from Titan Long Shot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“None. It just looks cool.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not as cool as the—what did you call it? The three-point landing?” chimed Bexley, the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e’s chief engineer. “Even if it did tax the titan’s joints too much. Still, nine out of ten stars, would smash.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Bexley, how would you even smash a \u003cem\u003elanding pose\u003c\/em\u003e?” Ember spat. Locke could practically hear her rolling her eyes over the radio.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’d find a way,” Bexley replied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m sure you would,” he agreed with a grin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m still not clear on why those ‘landing poses’ are worth expending effort on,” Ember continued.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt once, every giant robot show Locke had watched back home on Earth flashed through his mind, complete with elaborate transformation sequences and epic theme song fights and especially those moments when the robots made their first great appearances on the field of battle, looking so unbearably kickass that even elaborately-animated missiles seemed to stop in their paths just to admire the sheer power of the mech’s presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut he couldn’t explain that to people from a world that had never known television.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s a guy thing,” Locke replied instead. “It’s hard to explain.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, like an alpha male ‘Step into the room and command all the attention’ thing?” Ember asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke was about to object, but then reflected on it and said, “Now that I think about it, that actually makes a lot of sense. You \u003cem\u003edo\u003c\/em\u003e get it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Men are not incredibly hard to figure out,” Ember stated. “It’s what I like about them. You’re very low-effort.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“… Thanks, I guess?” Locke replied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, men are as low-effort as you make them!” Bexley objected. “I, on the other hand—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We know, Bexley,” Ember retorted. “It’s hard to miss the noise.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sorry,” Bexley and Locke replied together, though Bexley’s was in a tone that was decidedly \u003cem\u003enot\u003c\/em\u003e sorry about all the noise she made when she and Locke were together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not that all this banter isn’t fascinating,” Captain Alyssa interrupted, “but there \u003cem\u003eis\u003c\/em\u003e a monster on the field.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nothing we can’t handle!” Locke replied. Now he stretched his arms out in preparation for the fight. (His titan stretched with him.) “We know it’s shadow dregs, and I’ve fought plenty of those before. Just gotta figure out the form.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe finished stretching, then focused on the writhing blob before him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis first few adventures on the world of Haven had been rocky ones, as he figured out the workings and dangers of his new home and circumstances. But their last big adventure had been pivotal. He’d learned a lot about Haven, its weird magical history, its geopolitics, its cultures, the strengths and limits of its naturally-occurring magic, the sheer complexity of its monsters, and the clever lengths to which he could push his titan—and all that had combined to unlock something inside him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSix months ago, he’d been Joseph Locke of Grassroots, Kentucky, down on his luck in every possible way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut thanks to a conveniently-timed acquaintance and some weird magical whatnot, he’d since been reborn as Locke—just Locke—void mage, wielder of \u003cem\u003eall\u003c\/em\u003e the magical elements, pilot of Titan Chimera, co-owner of the Harper’s Harriers, dangerous-errand-runner-and-occasional-bounty-hunter, and general inamorato of every woman on the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was, simply put, fucking awesome!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut even he knew that he’d been coasting until that point, trying to find his footing, and now that he’d found his first foothold, he didn’t intend to let it go.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMonster encounters were regular occurrences here, so his first step had been to brush up on the world’s monstrous fauna. He’d started taking notes on every monster he’d encountered, and filled in the gaps with tips from Ember and a titan mage friend he’d begun to make on another ship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOrion Havoc (or Rion, as he mercifully preferred to be called) was a distant friend at this point—the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eIndigo Gryphon\u003c\/em\u003e spent so much time in the air that they mostly only spoke by radio, or else when they met at random Arcane Indexes—but he was another part of Locke’s strategy: networking. He knew he was \u003cem\u003ebasically\u003c\/em\u003e powerful and valuable in this setting, but even the greatest people were only as powerful as the allies they kept, and he’d stumbled into some potentially useful ones when they’d returned to the Vasor Arcane Index after rescuing Ember’s mother from a fraught archaeology dig four months ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRion wasn’t even the most useful person he’d met that day, but over the course of their conversations, Locke quickly discovered that, in addition to being a mech pilot, he was also a monster nerd, and had been willing to send some detailed references for Locke to peruse between battles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBetween his own experience and Rion’s monster encyclopedias, Locke had been able to put together a much stronger picture of the kinds of creatures he’d be fighting, and the coalescing monster before him was one of the most prominent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShadow dregs were one of the single greatest scourges of the world of Haven. They were not native, but rather fell to the planet in meteors that broke off from the Crystal Moon hanging above in low orbit. No one had been able to explain what they were, except a magic-infused purple-black sludge; all they knew was that, once shadow dregs landed, they sought out things to take over. Living, dead, inanimate—it didn’t matter, and once they took over those things, they would rampage and spread until someone stepped in to obliterate them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke and the Harper’s Harriers made their careers out of being that someone. Meteorfall bounties were always plentiful and urgent, and time being of the essence, they generally paid well enough to be worth the risk. Of all the monsters he’d fought, shadow dregs were the one he was most familiar with.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut they were more complex than they seemed. The type of challenge presented hinged entirely on the person, monster, or type of object they took over, and they had an intelligence that, while limited, could also be incredibly dangerous. Most dregs opted to sink into living beings, to take over their muscles and brains until their eyes burned bloodshot purple-black with eldritch magic. But if the victim was large enough, they’d ignore the musculature entirely to home in on the brain, and with a host on that scale, they could wreak apocalyptic havoc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere were other varieties, too, but Locke didn’t anticipate those in most instances.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor now, he looked at the wriggling, violet mass before him and cracked his titan’s knuckles, unnecessarily.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Welp, guess I better light it up before it figures out what it’s doing.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’ll take the leftmost side,” Ember replied. “Keep clear of my shots.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Will do!” Locke shouted, and then coiled back as if to initiate a running tackle and clawed his hands together like he was holding a huge, invisible globe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis back foot landed with an enormous, earth-tearing stomp. The energy catalyst in his left arm glowed blazing orange with charging magic; the same color again spurted out of his shoulder louvers, and slowly, a dot of crackling bright energy began to coalesce between his palms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was another move he’d been practicing. When he was still getting used to his energy catalyst, he’d either used it as a flamethrower, ice thrower, or beam weapon. He hadn’t yet figured out how his machine concentrated the very physical concept of \u003cem\u003eice\u003c\/em\u003e into a particulate, not-entirely-corporeal beam of light—Haven’s physics were slightly different from Earth’s anyway—but his titan could turn his very \u003cem\u003ewill\u003c\/em\u003e into reality, and so he’d figured other shapes were possible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShapes like energy balls. Or spirit bombs. Or—\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Gods, Locke, is the screaming really necessary?” Ember shouted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“YES,” Locke shouted back, through a scream that sounded like it should span several episodes and suck all the energy from every lifeform across the planet of Haven. “IT’S AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE PROCESS.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I have literally never heard of another mage harnessing the power of screams,” Ember replied, unimpressed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“MAYBE THAT JUST MEANS I’M INNOVATIVE!” Locke roared back. The energy ball throbbed between his palms, growing larger with each syllable until it threatened to envelop his hands. He raised it above his head and let it throb and grow in size until it spanned the width of his shoulders, glowing ferocious orange and crackling with tendrils of white lightning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“HYAAAH!” he finally bellowed, and flung the burning energy ball with all his might.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Impressive,” Ember deadpanned, still unimpressed—\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe energy ball collided with the writhing churn of shadow dregs. It blasted along the whole of the spread like an incorporeal meteor making planetfall—and left nothing but a hole of singed earth at the center where it had struck.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, I take that back,” Ember began. “That is legitimately impressi—\u003cem\u003eshit\u003c\/em\u003e!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore Locke could even see what she was shouting about, a blast of searing white shot from Ember’s own titan and stabbed into the left side of what remained of the puddle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt didn’t take him long to realize what, though.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor as the wood burning scent of magic wafted past his nostrils, so too did the acrid scent of burning shadow dregs—and the sickening scent of charred human flesh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shadow dreg puddle writhed more vigorously now, galvanized to action by a direct threat, and as the purplish goo undulated, Locke now saw that it was more than a puddle of mere sludge; there were \u003cem\u003ethings\u003c\/em\u003e inside it. Human-shaped things. And not moving of their own accord.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Be on guard!” Alyssa reported from above. “Something’s happening near the mine!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke didn’t need her warning. From his vantage, he could see the broken earth shifting, as if something enormous was moving it from underneath—-or an enormous horde of smaller things.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuddenly, the ground exploded upward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke felt his stomach lurch as more shadow dregs slithered out of the rocky debris, carrying with them more human bodies, so broken that they looked like vaguely humanoid snakes wriggling across the ground. They all joined with the greater puddle in one sickening glide, and that was when the puddle began to take firmer shape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, damn, it’s a clump type!” Locke shouted, and began to blast heat attacks at the shape at a furious pace. Ember joined him at once, adding Long Shot’s powerful ranged arsenal to the mix. This kind of attack wouldn’t stop it, but the more they could whittle it down before it finished forming, the better.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClump-type shadow dregs were one of the most uncommon and least fun types to fight. Rather than controlling their victims like zombies, these took their victims’ bodies and lashed them together with their own nasty sludge, forming a single creature that looked made up of magical purplish tar and corpses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Corpse dreg,” Locke specified, intensifying his blasts as the creature grew, as a huge arm splashed out of the shape to claw the ground, then another arm, then a leg, and another leg.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe creature had grown to one story tall by the time its first arm emerged, two by the time its second arm sprouted. A great cloud of acrid smoke rose from the fury of their titans’ attacks, partially obscuring the creature. But even behind that oily screen, Locke could see the creature rising even higher. The silhouette of a weirdly humanoid head formed atop its still-wriggling shoulders, twice as high as his titan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd then a fierce gust of wind blew the smoke aside, revealing the creature in its full, terrible horror. Much of the shadow dreg sludge had retreated inward, either into their victims’ remains or behind them, yielding a monster that resembled hundreds of grimy, bloodied human bodies broken and cobbled together into the desired tall, stocky shape, connected loosely by thick, sticky strands of dark purple goop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Corpse \u003cem\u003egiant\u003c\/em\u003e,” Locke corrected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47140594221347,"sku":"TITANMAGEDRAGON-SIGNED","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/TitanMageShopify3.png?v=1701656667"},{"product_id":"print-titan-mage-rising-signed-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT: Titan Mage Rising (Paperback)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Four in the Titan Mage series. Published by Spice Rack Press. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage-rising\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSinister cultists? A catgirl kidnapping? An elite enemy Titan? Sounds like a job for Harper’s Harriers!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke has finally adjusted to life on the fantastical world of Haven—but with his hot new body, magic powers, and giant mech called a Titan, how could he not? Especially since he flies on a ship full of gorgeous women who call him captain (both of his airship … and in their beds).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSoon he’ll have to put all those resources to use because Peth, the incorporeal space witch trapped inside his Titan, has experienced a dark premonition about the Crystal Moon—and in Locke’s experience, “weird moon stuff” is just another way to spell trouble.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhich proves prescient when moon cultists show up alongside a terrifyingly advanced Titan wielding all four magical elements. They assault the Harriers’ airship and kidnap one of his crew—the shy catgirl Sloan, who has a dark history with these cultists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke is determined not to let any harm come to her, and the Harper’s Harriers surge into action. But why do the cultists want Sloan in the first place? How do these events connect to the ever-darkening shadow on the Crystal Moon? And are their Titans powerful enough to take on this new, mysterious foe?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWARNING: Titan Mage Rising is a fun fantasy adventure containing steam both punk and smutty: sensuous airship captains, naughty engineers, shameless mech pilots, mischievous catgirls, and salacious space witches. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Edie Skye has somehow managed to mix together LitRPG, magical mecha, and a spicy harem romance into a story that is fun and great entertainment. It’s been a while since I sat down and read a book in one night, but here we are.” —Amazon Reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“As a teenager, I drooled over the mechs of Robotech and Macross, and nothing since then has captured my love of those massive robots as the titans of Titan Mage.” —Amazon Reviewer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage-rising\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from TITAN MAGE RISING\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCHAPTER ONE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe V-fin Locke had added to his titan’s forehead might have been a bit much, but he didn’t particularly care.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen again, Titan Chimera was already a two-story-tall suit of bright red armor, with five different magic-channeling catalysts and a fresh polish that made it gleam in the rising sun like it had already won today’s battle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCompared to the heroic badassery of the rest of it, his little decorative indulgence was nothing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd besides, with all the ass he’d kicked these past nine months, he’d earned it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow his titan stood by the open hangar ramp of the airship \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e, arms crossed boldly over its knightly chest as Locke surveyed the scene below him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Harper’s Harriers’ star had been rising, but the success of the bounty with the dragon three months ago had rocketed that star straight across the whole sky. Now they no longer had to compete with other companies for bounty assignments; potential employers competed to hire \u003cem\u003ethem\u003c\/em\u003e by offering pay that matched their reputation. This was one such bounty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut with increased pay came increased challenge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e had three titans now, and today it would need all three of them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s the biggest bramble hulk I’ve ever seen,” Locke marveled, observing the thing through the visual sensors in his titan’s eyes. “No wonder Lord Argothine’s paying so much.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, it’s eaten at least twenty farmers and two mercenary crews,” Ember said from his right, in Titan Long Shot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The more meat it eats, the faster it grows, right?” added Sloan from Titan Deathly Rhythm on his left.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Exactly,” Locke replied. He’d fought bramble hulks before, but the way Lord Argothine’s emissary had described this one, it was levels above anything they’d yet faced. His original, unabridged copy of \u003cem\u003eThe Encyclopedia of Monsterkind\u003c\/em\u003e had been next to useless this time, so he’d used it as a reason to upgrade to the more comprehensive multivolume edition and had been reading up on the creature ever since.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBramble hulks were a plant-based form of monster, and not only carnivorous but predatory, even in their simplest form. Standard bramble hulks reminded Locke vaguely of the one plant from \u003cem\u003eLittle Shop of Horrors\u003c\/em\u003e, with a fleshy mouth for a bud and vines it could use for locomotion. (Though to his knowledge, bramble hulks didn’t sing.) In that form, they usually subsisted on small forest creatures and didn’t live long before they met a forest creature that would eat them back. But occasionally one would win against the larger attempts at prey and grow proportionally, and a reign of terror would ensue.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArgothine was the lord of Greenvale, which was not only the most verdant area of Haven—with plenty of places for even a larger bramble hulk to hide—but its breadbasket. This meant that the population he managed was mostly farmers spending most of their lives outside, and vulnerable to the monster stalking the forests around their crops.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe creature had only eaten ten farmers when the lord had first hired the Harriers, but by the time they’d arrived in Greenvale, that number had doubled, and the creature’s power with it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe monster beneath them now had the same basic shape as a standard bramble hulk, but its size towered to nearly the same height as Locke’s titan, and the vines and leaves at its base spread out in a bushy tangle twice as wide and thick enough that it could be hiding any assortment of nasty surprises.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s a fully mature monster,” Locke reported to his companions. “It’ll probably have pods that spit digestive acid somewhere in there, as well as sticky nectar beads to trap victims, so be aware. We may have titans, but this thing’s already taken down at least one titan.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“How are we going in, then?” Sloan radioed from Deathly Rhythm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Standard opening strategy,” Locke replied. “Ember, you freeze it while Sloan slows it and I whale on it. With any luck, it’ll be as simple as that, especially since it’s still morning.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey’d tracked the creature all day yesterday until it settled on the edge of this clearing and then monitored it, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Bramble hulks would go briefly dormant when the temperature cooled, as it did on these autumn nights. They were always at their most dormant just before sunrise, before the day began to warm, and so they’d waited until this moment to attack.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ha!” Ember laughed from Long Shot. “When have our bounties ever been as simple as that?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“True.” Locke laughed back. “But we’ve gotta start somewhere. We’ll adapt as it reacts. Everyone ready?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I am,” Sloan replied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Let’s do it,” Ember echoed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTitan Chimera’s head nodded. “Then, Alyssa, take us down.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Got it,” Captain Alyssa radioed from the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e’s bridge, and slowly, the airship began to sink toward the ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke took a deep breath as he felt the gentle sway of the airship’s motion, and let all the sensation of his cockpit sink into him—the gooey slosh of the conductor fluid enveloping his body, the easy press of the insulating neck ring that kept it from splashing into his face, the strange awareness of his reflex link, as it connected his very consciousness to his mech so he could command it without controls.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe became aware of the energy catalyst in his left arm, the matter catalyst in his right, the time catalyst in his right shoulder and the … oh. He’d almost forgotten.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Remember,” he added, as much for himself as his crew, “I’m out both gravity catalysts while Bexley’s building my flight unit.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, I’m workin’ as fast as I can,” Chief Engineer Bexley radioed from her hangar workstation behind them. “You can’t rush genius.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Of course not.” Locke redirected his attention back to his fellow pilots. “My point is, I can compensate for speed with my time catalyst, but don’t expect me to be doing any super jumps or kicks this time around.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe other two pilots confirmed their understanding, just as the airship shook with the gentle nudge of landing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Titan Chimera strode off, it was with the bold, heavy steps of a giant machine that knew exactly what it was here to do and how it was going to do it. Titan Deathly Rhythm strode out behind it in much a similar fashion—a welcome change from the timidity with which Sloan had approached her mech three months ago. Back then, she’d still been learning, albeit swiftly. Now she was a time-accelerated ass-kicking machine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce the two had disembarked, the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e lifted off with Titan Long Shot still on board.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Awaiting your signal,” Ember radioed as she rose, and her titan crouched to a more stable position.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTitan Long Shot was a sleek blue and silver mech with graceful, athletic lines, but its most defining feature was the great shoulder-mounted cannon that presently rotated from its back to position itself to the right of its head. As an energy mage, Ember commanded energy catalysts in both forearms, but the energy mega-catalyst in her cannon was what saw the most use in battle, and even now Locke spotted the clear honeycomb of its crystalline rod charging to icy white.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ready, Sloan?” Locke said.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I am!” Sloan chimed cheerily from beside him, and Locke grinned inside his mech.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Then have at it!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSloan’s mech sprinted into action before he’d even finished his order. Titan Deathly Rhythm was the Harriers’ newest addition, an elegant teal machine with black and silver highlights that moved with grace equal to that of its smooth curves. It only had a single time catalyst in its right arm, but Sloan had adapted to its capabilities with ease, and now it glowed bright green as she sprinted for the slumbering bramble hulk at over double her regular speed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bramble hulk stirred, vaguely aware that something strange was coming toward it, but not awake enough to react.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat changed when Sloan snatched a short sword from Deathly Rhythm’s back and plunged it straight into the monster’s centermost fleshy bud.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe creature’s mouth began to open in a startled, agonized shriek—but it could \u003cem\u003eonly\u003c\/em\u003e begin to open. Sloan’s time catalyst flared an even brighter green as she conducted her time magic through the sword and into the monster. Instead of speeding up, the bramble hulk slowed down to half speed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke saw its leaves and vines begin to move in slow motion, but they weren’t nearly fast enough to be of use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s ready!” Sloan reported happily. “Shoot it!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer tone was like that of a student presenting a gift to a favorite teacher, or perhaps a cat presenting freshly-caught prey to a favorite person, and Ember showed her thanks with a frigid white blast from her cannon. A beam of glowing particulate ice shot into the brambly base of the monster, then crackled up along the thick flesh of the mouth pod.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nice start!” Locke shouted, and strode forward. “Now it’s my turn!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was his turn that would make this battle—had made all their battles over the past nine months. Most mages on the world of Haven were adept with only one magical element. Though they might have minimal aptitude with a second, few were apt enough to use more than one, and that was what made Locke special.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe was a void mage, a mage with high aptitude for all four magical elements—matter, time, energy, and gravity—and that gave him power and versatility beyond any other titan mage in his company. Ember could only wield heat or cold; Sloan could only speed up or slow down herself or her opponents—but Locke could do that, \u003cem\u003eand\u003c\/em\u003e matter-shift his own weapons on the fly, \u003cem\u003eand\u003c\/em\u003e jump and kick (and eventually fly) with wild manipulations of gravity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd now he funneled magic into every one of his catalysts as he stomped toward the titan-sized beast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy now, he had a process for bramble hulks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst, a matter-energy combo attack.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin his back armor rested a tank of semiliquid swiftmetal, connected to both his energy and matter catalysts. He willed his energy catalyst to charge the swiftmetal with heat magic—all he ever needed was will; the titan did the rest—and then commanded his matter catalyst to spool it out of a barrel under his right hand. The thin wireframe shape of a long blade spun out of the opening, and then flash-filled with glowing white swiftmetal a moment before he reached the monster.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis timing had been perfected over scores of lesser bramble hulks, as had his techniques, and now he charged his time catalyst and dashed around the monster’s circumference, slashing its leaves and vines away like he was some fantastical (if sloppy) gardener, albeit one that kept killer plants. He didn’t move as fast as Sloan could—his time catalyst was a lower tier than hers—but it was still fast enough to make quick work of the frozen brambles, and soon he’d exposed the monster’s most essential center.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt looked like a root ball positioned just below the fleshy mouth pod. Brown tendrils of wood-hard roots curled down from the pod-like protective claws, encasing what Locke knew to be the vital organs of the monster.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m to the core!” Locke reported. “Ember, can I get a heat blast? The root armor’s thick.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not too hot, though!” Sloan added. “Don’t incinerate me.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a reasonable warning; with Long Shot’s upgrades, Ember routinely incinerated weaker monsters to ash—but she was also precise in every aspect of her handling, from aim to power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ready,” Ember reported. “Stand back.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke zipped out of her line of sight, and soon a hot red beam bored into the root ball.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn explosion of burning splinters blasted from the wooden knot, and a plume of flame billowed out as the wood began to burn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Eew! It stinks!” Sloan groaned as a cloud of smoke wafted up toward her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke didn’t disagree; bramble hulk smoke always carried on it the unpleasant scent of decomposition and wood rot … but there was something different about the smell of this advanced bramble hulk.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt smelled like that, and burning blood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What’s the verdict?” Ember called down. “Need another—wait, Locke! Look out behind you!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47140605559075,"sku":"TITANMAGERISING-SIGNED","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/TitanMageShopify4.png?v=1701658459"},{"product_id":"print-titan-mage-apocalypse-signed-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT: Titan Mage Apocalypse (Paperback)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Five in the Titan Mage series. Published by Spice Rack Press. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage-apocalypse\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA world-ending deity? An ancient superweapon? A fight for the future of Haven? Only Harper’s Harriers can save the day!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Locke came to the world of Haven, he didn’t know he’d be called upon to save it one day—but with his god-tier magic, his giant mech called a Titan, and his crew of hot, capable women, he’s the best man for the job.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEspecially now that his crew includes the Precursor space witch Peth, whose memories of what destroyed her civilization a thousand years ago have come rushing back. Now that same destroyer is about to break free from its prison within the Crystal Moon. To defeat it, they’ll have to find and activate an ancient Precursor superweapon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut reaching the superweapon won’t be easy, for Locke must now lead the Harper’s Harriers to the one place no one from Haven has gone in over a thousand years:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOuter space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHas Locke mastered his Titan enough to face his greatest challenge yet? Will his crew, their Titans, and all their epic upgrades be enough to save the world?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe may not know how his story on Haven will end, but between his harem of badass women and the coming battle with a destroyer god, one thing’s for sure:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhatever comes next, he’s going to go out with a bang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWARNING: Titan Mage Apocalypse is a fun fantasy adventure containing steam both punk and smutty: captivating airship captains, alluring engineers, provocative mech pilots, titillating catgirls, and sensual space witches. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Edie Skye has somehow managed to mix together LitRPG, magical mecha, and a spicy harem romance into a story that is fun and great entertainment. It’s been a while since I sat down and read a book in one night, but here we are.” —Amazon Reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“As a teenager, I drooled over the mechs of Robotech and Macross, and nothing since then has captured my love of those massive robots as the titans of Titan Mage.” —Amazon Reviewer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage-apocalypse\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from TITAN MAGE APOCALYPSE\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePROLOGUE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Did you literally just fuck Peth’s memory back into place?” Bexley exclaimed from the other side of Titan Chimera’s open hatch door.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke quickly readjusted his magesuit as Peth restored her short, witchy dress—what little there was of it, anyway. Until a few minutes ago, he’d been tossed in the throes of hot nasty psy magic sex with a resurrected Precursor witch inside the cockpit of his giant robot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike most experiences of his past nine months on the world of Haven, it’d been fucking awesome, but amazing as the sex had been, it wasn’t the most amazing part of this evening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat had been when Peth convulsed on top of him and then said:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I remember. \u003cem\u003eEverything\u003c\/em\u003e.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, it’s been firmly established that my dick has incredible talents,” Locke said as he rounded the hatch door.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe found the four women of his crew gathered on his titan’s scaffold in the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e’s hangar, as if hesitant to fully violate his and Peth’s privacy, even though the reason they’d come to the hangar in the first place was to investigate—and perhaps join in on—the noise. They were still docked at Edgewater, after all, which left all the ladies of the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e with more free time than usual.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe buxom, blonde pixie-haired Bexley just shrugged and nodded in agreement, as did the elegant Captain Alyssa and cute catgirl Sloan. His fellow titan mage Ember was the one hold out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I agree that your dick is talented, but dick-restored memory is a bit of a stretch.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke turned back to Peth, who was following behind him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eWas\u003c\/em\u003e that part of your design?” he asked. “That sleeping with me would restore your memories?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“If that had been the case, I wouldn’t have waited!” Peth laughed. “It was simply glorious timing.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Glorious …” Locke repeated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe timing wasn’t the only thing about his situation that was glorious. Nine months ago, he’d been a regular nobody in … well, who he’d been back on Earth was largely irrelevant now, and anyone who wanted to know his full story knew where to look. Especially now that his true origin was on record with the Arcane Index as a consequence of … everything that had happened in the past few days.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe important part was this: Peth had been a lost Precursor consciousness trapped inside Titan Chimera’s magical core. She’d brought him to Haven so he could use his rare and powerful void mage talents to pull her out into a new body, and the entire time he’d known her, memories of her old life had only emerged in fragments. Which was unfortunate, considering the thing that threatened them now was the very thing that had destroyed the Precursors a thousand years ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the meantime, she’d granted him an incredible life, pulling him into a hot, capable new body and a ship full of women who made regular, vigorous use of it. Not to mention his giant mech—Titan Chimera—which circumstances had forced him to upgrade into a badass big stompy robot, because present circumstances indeed demanded Big Stomps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd now, with her returned memories, Peth could provide valuable insight into where those big stomps needed to go.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe situation was this:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke had already saved the world once. Sort of. Maybe?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn truth, his last significant battle had only just ended, it had revealed several twists and surprises that he wasn’t sure how to make sense of, and the Arcane Index’s wider investigation into the matter had only just begun.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll Locke knew was that a force named Avarice was stirring in the Crystal Moon and the Endpoint City Arcane Index Director, Pious Pemberton, had used research conducted by moon cultists to turn himself and his followers into potential vessels for the thing. What Avarice was exactly—an intelligent alien, a hungry monster, a literal fucking cosmic horror god—Locke didn’t know. All he knew for sure was that Avarice was responsible for the meteorfall, shadow dregs, and dark specters that had plagued Haven for centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd, oh, Pious had shot his disembodied soul into the moon using a Precursor psy satellite dish. As one does.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso, he’d kidnapped Sloan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was all totally villain behavior on Pious’ part, but that was where the situation became  complex. Because Locke wasn’t entirely sure that Pious was a villain. Oh, turning even willing cultists into vessels for a gooey moon god was suspect, no doubt, but Sloan trusted Pious like a good surrogate father, and Pious had treated his operation like he was acting on the least terrible of two terrible options:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey could allow Avarice to destroy Haven wildly, or they could try to wield its power for themselves, to guide the magic it would inevitably unleash to productive uses. Both would result in the end of their world, but Pious’ expenditure of the magic, so he said, would have been wielded to create a better tomorrow—a world to rival that of the Precursors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke understood the logic, but he didn’t understand why Pious wouldn’t just want to \u003cem\u003edestroy\u003c\/em\u003e the thing, to end its cycle completely. Maybe Pious \u003cem\u003ewanted\u003c\/em\u003e to wield that power, either for his own selfish ends or for the noble end he claimed. But with his body dead and some part of him beamed up to the moon, it wasn’t like Locke could ask him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven that was uncertain, though. Locke couldn’t tell if Pious’ use of the satellite dish had succeeded. The ethereal light that poured off the dish as the spell enacted had flickered unstably, and there was no clear sign of what had actually happened. At least not as clear as, say, the moon laughing evilly as it adopted Pious’ likeness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, it still wore that creepy shadow grin stretched across its lower hemisphere. But, notably, it was no longer sending down meteors. All the meteorfall had ceased within an hour of Pious’ dying.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke wanted to think that was a result of Pious’ influence—that he actually projected his soul into the moon in the same way Peth had pulled Locke to Haven, and that he was now fighting Avarice from the inside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAlone\u003c\/em\u003e, Locke reflected, and shivered at the thought. If Pious was indeed a good man, that was fucking heroic, and he didn’t deserve to be doing it by himself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut with their present level of information, all they had were conjectures, and how could one even make an educated guess about the results of psy-magicking one’s soul into the moon? It wasn’t like that sort of thing was a common occurrence, even on Haven.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut now—\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke looked into Peth’s blue eyes, faintly glowing with more eager understanding than he’d ever seen. She could very well hold all the secrets they needed to defeat this destructive moon god and save their world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke stepped aside and gestured to let her go first.\u003c\/p\u003e\n“Then let’s hear everything.”\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47140620173603,"sku":"TITANMAGEAPOCALYPSE-SIGNED","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/TitanMageShopify5.png?v=1701657306"},{"product_id":"print-blood-knight-vampire-slayer-signed-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT: Blood Knight: Vampire Slayer (Paperback)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook One in the Blood Knight series. Published by Spice Rack Press.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn insatiable succubus? A shy werewolf? A scatterbrained angel? This team needs a leader!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJ.B. Clarke enrolled in college to earn his degree and find a steady job. What he got instead was an adventure in a secret underworld where vampires rule over all. Emma Rose, a friendly gamer who turns out to be a succubus, recruits him into Broken Fang, an overly ambitious team of monster girls. These lovely ladies know they’ll need help if they’re to stand a chance against the vampires, and they’re looking for a few good men.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, one man, actually. And that’s him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke is soon thrust into a hidden world full of magic, mystery, and mythical creatures. He’s in way over his head because Broken Fang is a dysfunctional mess, and his calculus professor is a sadistic vampire who snacks on pet animals. He’ll need more than his (considerable) experience with fantasy games to solve this problem!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFortunately, he’s far from helpless. He’s a blood knight, descended from an ancient and powerful line of vampire hunters, and his magical abilities have finally begun to awaken. But will they be enough? Can he master his powers in time to face the coming storm? Can he grow into the leader Broken Fang so desperately needs?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOr will he end up as just one more meal for the vampires?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWARNING: \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Vampire Slayer\u003c\/em\u003e is a fun urban fantasy adventure with a healthy side of heat: voluptuous succubi, energetic werewolves, incorrigible slime girls, nubile witches, and saucy language to match. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from BLOOD KNIGHT: VAMPIRE SLAYER\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCHAPTER ONE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Clarke?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hmm?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I know this is out of the blue, but have you ever played Dungeons \u0026amp; Dragons before?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJ.B Clarke sat in the Engineering and Science building’s study hall, his brain fogged with the musty stench of the decades-old building his college was too cheap to update, despite its exorbitant tuition fees. It had fallen deeper into fog over the past few hours, immersed in a grueling software problem as part of his database coursework. So when Emma called upon his brain to switch gears, it was a struggle—but soon he ungummed his brain cogs and flicked his eyes up from his laptop to meet hers across the table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmma cocked a playful eyebrow, which managed to coax Clarke’s mind fully out of its code-induced stupor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“A while ago,” he said cautiously, not sure what was behind her question. “Some of my friends were into it back in high school, but I haven’t played since I graduated. Why?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No reason, really. You just seemed the type.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The type?” Now it was his turn to raise an eyebrow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir professor had divvied up the class into random pairs for this assignment, which involved two students tackling each problem together. That meant they were supposed to divide the scope of their code between them and develop an interface to mesh their work back together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke had hoped to be paired with one of his acquaintances from the class—he hadn’t been at Chester Creek University long enough to develop any new close friends—but he’d ended up with Emma, a girl he’d exchanged no more than three words with before this assignment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot that he minded! He’d take about \u003cem\u003eany \u003c\/em\u003eexcuse to get to know her better, and it just so happened one had landed in his lap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a testament to the brain-dulling, soul-sucking nature of his surroundings that he’d managed to be distracted from her at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmmaline “Emma” Rose possessed what Clarke thought of as an “abundant” figure. Her burgundy leather jacket, black miniskirt, and gray-and-black striped stockings each seemed to strain against all those curves, especially the high and heavy thrust of her breasts, almost as if her clothes were under immense pressure from the inside, ready to burst open from all that barely-contained femininity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer face was equally attractive with large, dark eyes behind horn-rimmed glasses and a generous—often smiling—mouth, all framed by a cascade of long, raven-black hair. The glasses gave her a “sexy geek” vibe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, are you?” Emma asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was no judgment in her voice. No condescension or disdain. Just a soft, friendly form of curiosity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke had been a little nervous about how to approach Emma after class, worried about coming across as either too forward or too business-like. They were classmates assigned to the same problem; it would have been awkward for him to hit on her right out of the gate. Conversely, he didn’t want to keep things \u003cem\u003etoo \u003c\/em\u003eformal. This \u003cem\u003ewas\u003c\/em\u003e a golden opportunity to get to know her better, after all!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFortunately, Emma had beaten him to the punch. She’d broken the ice outside class with a great programming joke: \u003cem\u003eA SQL query goes into a bar, walks up to two tables and asks, “Can I join you?”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe’d have to remember that one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Why do I get the feeling this question didn’t come out of nowhere?” Clarke asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe flashed a brief smile. “Well, this place is \u003cem\u003eboring\u003c\/em\u003e, for one. And actually, one of my friends likes to GM. She put together this custom campaign, but we’re short one player. You interested?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke paused to consider how best to reply. A girl—a \u003cem\u003esmoking hot \u003c\/em\u003egirl—was inviting him to join her and her friends—her \u003cem\u003every possibly smoking hot\u003c\/em\u003e friends—for a night of pen-and-paper roleplaying. There was no way he could turn this down!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCareful though\u003c\/em\u003e, he told himself. \u003cem\u003eDon’t come across as too eager. Ease up to an eventual “yes.” \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Depends,” he replied guardedly. “What gaming system are you using?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Pathfinder 3.5. You ever hear of it?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I have,” he replied, his mind flashing through countless hours playing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ashley likes to use Pathfinder as a base for all her custom scenarios.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ashley?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“One of my friends. She stopped by our table earlier.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You mean—” He almost said \u003cem\u003ethe blonde that looks like a supermodel\u003c\/em\u003e, but instead replied, “the blonde dressed all in white. Long hair? Shiny hairband?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s her. My other friends—Sammy and Brooke—also play. Normally, the three of us would be enough, but Ashley \u003cem\u003einsists\u003c\/em\u003e we have four players for this one.” Emma leaned forward and gave him a crooked, knowing smile. “She can be stubborn like that sometimes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, if she put in all the time and effort to make her own scenario, then yeah. I can see why she’d be picky about how you played through it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Which brings us back around to my question.” She leaned back and draped an arm over the back of her chair. “Interested?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sure. When and where?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This Saturday at my apartment. We generally start arriving around five, have something to eat, then pull out the dice around six—six thirty. I’ll email you the address. It’s about twenty minutes from campus.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Great. I assume I’ll need to put together a character?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not for this one. Ashley has prebuilt characters for all of us. That’s part of the reason why she needs a specific number of players.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“For the story?” Clarke asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You guessed it!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What can you tell me about the scenario?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s urban fantasy, so the setting is modern day but with all these secretive magical elements thrown in. You’ll be playing a blood knight in hiding. They’re a hybrid class, sort of like a ranger or druid. Ashley gave the class a mix of magic and combat abilities. \u003cem\u003eVery\u003c\/em\u003e versatile.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sounds fun. I’ve always enjoyed playing hybrid classes. More options make for more engaging roleplay.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“See?” She extended an open palm toward him. “I knew you were the type!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah, I guess you had me figured out,” he replied, returning a bashful smile. “Should I bring anything to the session?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Just a copy of your character sheet and some dice, though I have spares if you need some.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No, I have my own.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Figured you would.” Emma gave him a friendly wink. “I’ll email you the character sheet along with the address. Just need to get it from Ashley first.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Thanks, but I was actually asking about food or drink. I don’t want to mooch off your hospitality or anything.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No worries there. The four of us—now \u003cem\u003efive \u003c\/em\u003eof us—take turns covering the pregame meal, and it’s Brooke’s turn this week.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Got it, and thanks for the invite. You can expect me at five, rules and dice at the ready.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Great! Looking forward to it!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What about you? What’s your character like?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, me?” Emma placed a demure hand over her chest. “I’m playing a succubus.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e***\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat Saturday, Clarke arrived at Emma’s apartment a few minutes before five with a ring binder clutched in the crook of his arm and a dice bag hanging from his fingers. Of the housing options available around campus, this was clearly one of the higher-end ones—not fancy, exactly, but sleek and new with pleasant facades that looked like they saw few raucous, vomit-strewn parties or drug deals, which was more than he could say about his own cheap place. He knocked on the door with his free hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe door cracked open, and Emma peeked her head out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Clarke!” She gave him with a warm smile. “Come on in.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Thanks.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe swung the door wide, and he stepped in, taking in the apartment. It was larger than the cubbyhole he called home—and cleaner, too—with comfy recliners and a long couch arranged around a low coffee table. Artwork hung on the walls in thick, black frames depicting a mix of anime and movie characters. \u003cem\u003eFrames\u003c\/em\u003e. She definitely lived a step above him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Thanks for the invite, again.” He set the binder down on the granite counter that separated the kitchen from the living room and tried not to look overly curious as he returned his attention to the binder. “It feels like ages since I scratched that pen-and-paper itch.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Don’t mention it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Though, I do have some \u003cem\u003eslight \u003c\/em\u003econcerns.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Like what?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well …” Clarke opened the binder and thumbed through the hundred or so pages. “I wasn’t expecting quite this many custom rules.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah,” Emma replied, her eyes laughing. “Sometimes Ashley can go a bit overboard.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Where’s she find the time for all this, anyway?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Who knows? But you know how it is. If you’re passionate about something, you find the time.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I guess so. Just wondering if her grades suffer because of her hobby.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nope. Quite the opposite, in fact. She gets straight A’s every semester, and I’m pretty sure she takes more hours than either of us.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You know her major?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ma-\u003cem\u003ejors\u003c\/em\u003e, actually. Political science and history.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke’s eyes widened. “She’s getting straight A’s with a dual major?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yep.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke shook his head. He flipped back to the front page, which contained the bulk of his character stats.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmma glanced down at the page. Something must have caught her eye, because her brow furrowed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Uh, Clarke?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s not your real name, is it?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke sighed internally. \u003cem\u003eHere we go.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m afraid so.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“But …” She made a disgusted face. “There’s no way.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I wish that were true,” he replied in a tired manner that attested to many similar conversations he endured in the past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I thought Clarke was your first name.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That would have been nice, but no. It’s my last name.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Come on.” Emma pointed to the name at the top of his character sheet, as if that would reveal some secret, \u003cem\u003ereally\u003c\/em\u003e real name beneath it. “You’re pulling my leg.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Wish I was.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“But no one’s parents would be that cruel!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You’d \u003cem\u003ethink\u003c\/em\u003e.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJ.B. Clarke gave her a sad smile, because his full name was Joffrey Baratheon Clarke. His mother—bless her enthusiastic fantasy-loving heart—had discovered George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire a few years before he’d been born and had “really liked the name’s ring.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis father—bless \u003cem\u003ehis\u003c\/em\u003e heart—hadn’t put his foot down, which led to him being named after a contender for “worst human being in fiction.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt wasn’t all bad, though. Back then, most people didn’t have a clue who Joffrey Baratheon was, and the name shortened to the much more palatable J.B., though his parents had settled for Joff most of the time. However, his namesake’s anonymity had vanished once HBO turned the books into a popular TV series and thus elevated the character from “worst human being in fiction” to “worst human being in fiction, for whom people cheered when he died and then rewound to watch it again.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd then the teasing began.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd kept going.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd going.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd fucking \u003cem\u003egoing\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke couldn’t have been happier when the show tanked in its last season so disastrously that literally \u003cem\u003eno one \u003c\/em\u003ewanted to talk about it anymore. Even a \u003cem\u003eglobal pandemic\u003c\/em\u003e couldn’t get people to rewatch its dumpster fire of an ending.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat said, his parents had been less than sympathetic when he’d confronted them about his namesake, stressing that they had no way of seeing into the future and it could have been worse. They even shared the supposedly true story of a woman who’d wanted to name her newborn daughter “Vagina” because she’d never encountered the word before the obstetrician used it and because, “Thas jus tha purdiest word I eva hurd!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke shivered involuntarily. Yes, it could have been worse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Actually,” he continued, “I’m wondering how Ashley knew my name, because it seems you didn’t tell her.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nope. News to me.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Will she let me go by ‘Clarke’ in the campaign?” He tapped a note on the page. “Because this part says we’re playing alternate versions of ourselves in the scenario.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, I’m sure Ashley will,” Emma replied with a carefree wave of her hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Will what?” came the unexpected response from the opening door.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Ash! Speak of the devil.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe newcomer gave Emma a cross look. “You know I don’t like that joke.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Must be why I keep using it, then,” Emma teased in a good-natured manner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley Smith rolled her eyes as she eased the door shut, then crossed the room with long-legged strides, high heels clicking on the hardwood. She’d dressed in all white again, this time with a short neck scarf to accent her sleeveless button-down shirt. She’d left the first three buttons open to provide a tantalizing glimpse of deep, firm cleavage. Her long, blonde hair practically gleamed in the light, held back by a metallic hairband.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe smiled at Clarke, but the expression held all the warmth of a business transaction. Clarke fought an urge to check his phone, almost certain she’d arrived at \u003cem\u003eexactly\u003c\/em\u003e 5:00 PM. She struck him as the severely punctual type.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m Ashley.” She extended a slender hand, which he shook, and found she was all business there, too. “I’m glad you could make it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Me, too,” Clarke replied, not sure what else to say, and trying to keep his eyes from wandering toward her plunging neckline. (Which was \u003cem\u003enot\u003c\/em\u003e business-appropriate.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“So, what are you sure I’ll allow?” Ashley asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“He wants to shorten his character name.” Emma tapped her finger on the character sheet. “Just chop off the first two parts.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley leaned over the page, then glanced up at Clarke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You don’t want to use your given name?” she asked, sounding somewhat perplexed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not really.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Why not?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Uh …” Clarke frowned at her. “Isn’t it obvious?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley’s eyes darted to the character sheet, stayed there for long, confused seconds, then zipped back up to Clarke. She seemed ready to ask another question, but then something softened in her face, and she shrugged.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“If you’re not comfortable with it, then use whatever you like. I only thought starting with everyone’s real names would make the scenario more immersive.” She gave Emma a knowing glance. “After all, if tonight goes well—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe door swung open violently. A tall, athletic woman barged in, four pizza boxes balanced atop one hand with absurd grace compared to the rest of her, especially when she shouted:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, bitches! I brought the meats!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second newcomer was almost as tall as Clarke, who was no slouch in the height department, though her shoulders weren’t nearly as broad, and her chest possessed a great deal more … topology than his. Still, the toned muscles visible on her arms and bare midriff spoke to an active lifestyle. Or curriculum. Or both, perhaps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe’d tied her thick, wavy mane of brunette hair back into a ponytail and wore a baggy gray T-shirt cut off at the bottom to reveal her firm stomach, its design and lettering too faded to make out. Her jeans gave a similar impression of comfortable wear and tear with a few rips around the knees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer sharp, intense eyes caught his, but then widened suddenly, and she froze midstride, almost launching the pizzas forward before she stabilized them with her free hand. Her expression—initially loud and boisterous—became almost mousy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh. You’re already here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That I am,” Clarke replied dryly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Uh … Hi? I’m Brooke. Brooke Hawthorne.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Clarke. Nice to meet you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah, uh.” Brooke held the boxes out as if offering them as an apology. “I brought pizza.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’ll take those.” Emma grabbed the pizza boxes and began arraying them on the kitchen counter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe rich, savory smell of hot cheese, meat, and marinara tickled Clarke’s nose, and his stomach grumbled in anticipation. Emma and Ashley busied themselves setting out paper plates, napkins, plastic cups, and a selection of colas at one end of the boxes. Brooke eventually unfroze from her awkward pose, gave Clarke a bashful glance, then grabbed a plate and began loading it up with pizza slices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke grabbed his own plate and surveyed the selection: three large pizzas consisting of pepperoni, meat lovers, supreme (also piled high with enough meat that the rare veggies would have cowered in fear if they’d been sapient), one medium pizza split into half pepperoni and half cheese, and a bag of breadsticks and marinara dipping sauce.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The meats indeed,” Ashley noted with a sour glance over the options.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The cheesy one is for you,” Brooke said. “See? I kept you in mind.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And what about our guest? You consider him, too?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I—” Brooke paused with her mouth open, then frowned. She faced Clarke. “You’re not a vegetarian, are you?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nope.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Any allergies?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“None I’m aware of.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You like pizza?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No, I \u003cem\u003elove \u003c\/em\u003epizza, and the more meat the better.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Fantastic! I was worried there for a minute.” Brooke’s face brightened. “You’ll fit right in.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The point,” Ashley said firmly, “is you should have asked \u003cem\u003ebefore\u003c\/em\u003e you bought the food.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Whoops.” Brooke shrugged before adding another slice to her plate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey there, girlfriends!” said a petite figure from the doorway.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Sammy!” Emma waved at her. “Would you mind locking the door? We’re all here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sure thing.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke realized he’d seen Sammy a few times around campus, though he’d never spoken to her. In fact, it was hard \u003cem\u003enot\u003c\/em\u003e to notice her, since she favored loud clothes and even louder hair, which seemed to be a different color every time he laid eyes on her. She wore a hoodie stylized with splotches of fluorescent paint, the hood pulled back to reveal a pixie cut of vibrant red hair blending toward purple at the tips.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe walked up to Clarke. “You Clarke?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s right.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Samantha Eloise.” She extended a gloved hand. “But you can call me Sammy. All my friends do.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe shook her hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Sammy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You ready to kick some vampire butt tonight?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eShh!\u003c\/em\u003e” Ashley snapped. “Spoilers!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, come on.” Sammy rolled her eyes as she grabbed her plate. “He already knows. You put it right there in your twenty-thousand-word lore dump.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke kept very quiet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I suppose you have a point there.” Ashley placed a single cheesy slice on her plate, struggling to disentangle the gooey strands gracefully. “You did read all the lore, right?” she asked, her voice tinged with uneasy hopefulness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I …” Clarke sighed. “Okay, I’m going to be honest here. I didn’t realize there was going to be quite so much material when I started printing it out. All I did was skim it before I drove over.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley sank in her seat a little and, oddly, her hairband seemed to darken a few shades. It must have been a trick of the lighting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Don’t give him that look.” Sammy flopped into one of the recliners and took a large bite from a breadstick. She continued speaking with her mouth full. “All I did was skim it, too. It was either that or fall asleep halfway through.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, now,” Ashley protested. “It wasn’t that dry.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSammy snorted out a laugh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, I liked it.” Brooke plopped down into one of the chairs. “I think it’s a good primer for people new to the, uh, setting.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke guessed she’d been about to use a different word there at the end, but he didn’t give it more than a passing thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley sighed and joined them around the coffee table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith all the recliners taken, Clarke sat down at one end of the couch, fully expecting Emma to pick the other end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe didn’t, instead choosing to sit in the middle close enough for their hips to press against each other. Clarke felt a jolt of almost electric excitement surge through him at the unexpected contact. He glanced over at her, and she smiled sweetly back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Something wrong?” she asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s nothing.” He was about to start eating when he noticed Emma hadn’t brought a plate. “Not eating with us?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’ll snack on something else later.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not a fan of pizza?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s not that. I love a good slice of pizza as much as the next girl. I just have these”—she twirled a hand around as if searching for the right word—“dietary restrictions.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ah.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I can only handle so much junk food before I get hit with these cravings and need something more, umm, nutritious to fill me up.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Got it. Say no more.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSammy chuckled around a fat bite of breadstick. He had no idea why.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47841580384547,"sku":"BLOODKNIGHT-SIGNED","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/BloodKnightVampireSlayerSIGNEDShopify.png?v=1711073932"},{"product_id":"print-blood-knight-scepter-of-bone-signed-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT: Blood Knight: Scepter of Bone (Paperback)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Two in the Blood Knight series. Published by Spice Rack Press.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eSigned by Edie Skye. \u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA werebear at wits’ end? A necromancer in dire need? A bone scepter the vampires will kill for? Send in the blood knight to sort this mess out!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJ.B. Clarke and the lovely ladies of Broken Fang have won their first victory against the vampires who secretly rule the world. But their fight is far from over. To defeat the vampires once and for all, they’ll need to rally powerful allies to their cause. But before they can do that, they need to make a name for themselves amongst the hidden underworld of monsters, mages, and vampire slayers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eClarke makes a deal with the Coven of the Ashen Flower: his services as a blood knight in exchange for a steady stream of work. The coven agrees and assigns him to Ixia Grey, a young witch and aspiring esports player. Ixia proves to be a deft hand at lining up jobs for Broken Fang, and Clarke soon finds himself up to his elbows in monsters to slay—\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e—and fat paychecks to earn.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut all is not well in the city of Chester Creek. The vampires have unleashed a terrifying new monster, one more powerful and deadly than anything Clarke has ever faced. A ghostly killer now roams the shadows, an embodiment of fear and death that shreds its victims’ minds as it drains their bodies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut Clarke is a blood knight, heir to the greatest line of vampire slayers who ever walked the Earth, and he will face the coming darkness no matter what form it takes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWARNING: \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Scepter of Bone\u003c\/em\u003e is a fun urban fantasy adventure with a healthy side of heat: ravishing succubi, submissive werewolves, cosplaying slime girls, flirtatious witches, and saucy language to match. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from BLOOD KNIGHT: SCEPTER OF BONE\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCHAPTER ONE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIt took less than an hour for the aroma of Emma’s cooking to spur Clarke out of bed. He grabbed a quick shower and shave, then dressed and joined her by the apartment’s kitchen countertop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eEvidently, Emma hadn’t bothered to dress in anything besides her glasses and an apron, which said “Kiss the Cook” on the front. She kept her wings folded while her tail swung back and forth like a happy pendulum.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Good morning, Sexy!” She greeted him with a big smile. “Breakfast is almost done.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Smells great. What’s on the menu?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Omelets with feta cheese, spinach, and oven-roasted tomatoes. Want anything to drink besides coffee?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“No, thanks. Coffee’s good.” He grabbed a stool by the counter, sat down, and took a sip from the steaming mug. His eyes lit up after the first invigorating swallow. “Oh, wow. Is there something different with today’s brew? It’s going down smooth.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Glad you noticed!” She waved her spatula toward the open bag of coffee grounds. “I’m trying out a local company’s roast. This one’s called Quigley’s Dark Delight. It’s been getting rave reviews.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I can see why.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eHe drained his first cup and refilled it at the coffee maker before she served their omelets alongside a plate of buttered toast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“It’s a shame you and I are so busy this week,” she said, joining him on a stool at the counter. “We could have used today as an excuse to celebrate.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Celebrate? What’s the occasion?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“You mean you don’t know?” She flashed a coy half-smile.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eHe shook his head.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Why, today’s the three-month anniversary!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eHe froze with a forkful of egg halfway to his mouth, a sense of trepidation falling over him. Emma watched him expectantly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Wait, don’t tell me.” He lowered the fork, wracking his memories. The past few months had easily been the densest in his twenty-year life. “It’s been about a month since we defeated Heinrich.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Just about.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“So that means …”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Yes?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“That means it’s been three months since you freed me from the hex.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Close, but not quite. You’re off by two days.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Two days?” He snapped his fingers. “Of course! That’s when we started dating!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“There you go!” She clasped her hands together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Sorry. I didn’t realize it had been that long. The last few months have just flown by.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Tell me about it.” Emma chuckled and dug into her omelet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Did you have something in mind?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Oh, I don’t know.” Her eyes glinted playfully. “I’m sure I can come up with an activity we both enjoy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Emma, we do that all the time anyway.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Nothing wrong with doing it more.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Is it even possible for you to grow tired of sex?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Don’t know.” She draped an arm around him and whispered huskily into his ear. “Let’s find out.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“What have I gotten myself into?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Let’s see here.” She sat back. “A sexually overcharged harem with a succubus, a werewolf, and a slime girl?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Yes, that would be it.” He laughed and shook his head. “That’s a lot of dates to keep track of.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I can program all the important ones into your phone if you like.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“It’s not that. Have I ever mentioned that I feel like I need a manual for dating demihumans?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Maybe once or twice.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“It would really help. I want to treat all of you right, but I still feel like I’m stumbling around in the dark. Rewind three months, and I didn’t have a clue about demihumans or magic or the vampires who secretly rule the world. I’m still new to all of this, whereas you and Brooke have lived your entire lives with that knowledge. Even Sammy has me beat by years.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“You haven’t let us down yet.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“And I intend to keep it that way. For all our sakes. Let’s not forget that one of you is strong enough to snap people in half.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Brooke would never hurt you.” Emma paused with a slight frown. “On purpose, anyway.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I know. I just …” He shrugged. “I’m not sure what I’m saying. I guess it boils down to me knowing we have something special. I don’t want to screw that up.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I’m confident you won’t. You know why?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Why?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Because you worry about it. You’re keeping an eye on yourself, probably asking yourself questions like ‘Am I being the partner I need to be?’ ‘Is there more I should be doing?’ Stuff like that, right?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“More or less.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Then you have nothing to worry about.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“How can you be so sure?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Because”—she leaned in with a sly smile—“I ask myself those same questions when I think of you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50390304162083,"sku":"SCEPTEROFBONE-SIGNED","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_2_Signed_Paperback_Shopify.jpg?v=1730334007"},{"product_id":"print-blood-knight-academy-of-silence-signed-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT: Blood Knight: Academy of Silence (Paperback)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Three in the Blood Knight series. Published by Spice Rack Press.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA mysterious elf librarian? A rambunctious dragonkin coach? A cold yuki-onna professor? These monster girls are up to something!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJ.B. Clarke and the lovely ladies of Broken Fang have killed five vampires in as many months, but their mission to free humanity from the bloodsuckers who control the world has only just begun—\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e—and it’s about to get a lot more complicated!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThree mysterious monster girls have arrived in the city of Chester Creek, and they’ve been poking around in all the wrong places. Are they potential allies or a new threat? No one can tell, but fortunately, Clarke’s team includes Sammy Eloise: a slime girl with a fondness for video games, cosplay, and poisoning anyone who gets in her way. They’ll need all her shapeshifting talents if they’re to unravel this latest conundrum!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut time is running out because dark forces are on the move. The Academy of Silence has dispatched a hunter to the region, and his arrival ushers in a deadly game of cat and mouse for Clarke and the women he loves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut who is the cat, and who is the mouse?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Academy hunter is an ancient vampire, trained and equipped to dispatch any foe—including blood knights! But Clarke is hardly defenseless; his skills have been honed, his team is ready, and magical boons have transformed him into a powerful weapon against evil.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe stage has been set, the battle lines drawn, and soon these two men will meet in a clash that will shape the future of the entire world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWARNING: \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Academy of Silence\u003c\/em\u003e is a fun urban fantasy adventure with a healthy side of heat: devoted succubi, frisky werewolves, adventurous slime girls, seductive witches, and saucy language to match. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from BLOOD KNIGHT: ACADEMY OF SILENCE\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePROLOGUE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe small, windowless office was unremarkable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe woman behind the desk wasn’t.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eLady Illustris Tenebris Iram—Wrath of the Glorious Darkness—lounged in a highbacked chair, its dark leather softened with long use. She wore a black qipao that showed off her long legs, crossed with slender hands resting in her lap. The Chinese dress featured a golden dragon—because apparently that was \u003ci\u003eeveryone’s \u003c\/i\u003eidea of what a qipao looked like these days. Either that or decorated with flowers, and she’d take the dragon any day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe embroidered serpent snaked up, down, and around her full, voluptuous figure. Her skin was soft and pale, her face delicate and composed. It wasn’t her usual face, however. \u003ci\u003eThis\u003c\/i\u003e one she reserved for only her most distinguished guests.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eAnd what a guest, \u003c\/i\u003eshe thought with a wry grin. \u003ci\u003eHow long has it been since I had dealings with the Academy of Silence?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe Academy was the vampires’ answer to an important question: how best to keep various malefactors—mages or unhexed demihumans—under control? That answer took the form of the deviant hunters: elite vampires specially trained to kill the hardest of targets. The Academy was part school, fortress, and command center all wrapped in one, and though she knew where it was located—and couldn’t deny the allure of its many secrets—she also knew that some things were best left alone.\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe wooden door to her office creaked open, and a tall, handsome man stepped in. Everything about him was dark, from his short, curly hair to his complexion and the long trench coat emphasizing his broad frame. He closed the door and approached the desk, every motion measured and precise. He reminded Iram of a coiled spring, full of pent-up energy, ready to explode into action at the slightest provocation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe man removed his sunglasses and pocketed them, revealing dark eyes, piercing and patient.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThey were the eyes of a predator.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThey had to be, for this man hunted only the most dangerous of prey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe lines of his face were sharp, yet youthful, but those eyes hinted at a cold, ancient truth. An aura of magic followed him into the room, partially obscured by a well-crafted Concealment spell, but not good enough to shroud all his power. Not from her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eShe sensed the iron in that aura. Strong and pungent, even in its occluded state.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIt left the taste of blood in the air.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Lady Iram.” His voice was deep and resonant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Dorian,” she replied, her tone light, almost musical. This wasn’t her usual voice, either. She gestured to the only other chair in the office, and Deviant Hunter Dorian Alant sank into it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“It’s been a while since I saw that face. I thought we agreed to leave it in the past.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I was feeling nostalgic this morning.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Then there’s no hidden message you’re trying to convey?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“None.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I somehow doubt that. Nothing is ever so simple with you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“You know me so well, then?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I know your type.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“My ‘type,’ is it now?” Lady Iram cocked an eyebrow. “How long has it been, Dorian?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“At least ten years. Perhaps longer.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“And in all that time, you never so much as sent me a letter.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“My work keeps me busy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“No phone calls either.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“\u003ci\u003eVery\u003c\/i\u003e busy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Not even an email. You know that’s a thing nowadays, right?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I’m aware.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Got to stay current, Dorian. Can’t let the latest human trends slip by you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I understand you have a little deviancy problem, and that you requested me personally.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“\u003ci\u003eMay \u003c\/i\u003ehave one. And is that all you have to say? Just straight to business as if we only saw each other yesterday?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Is there anything else \u003ci\u003ebut\u003c\/i\u003e the Academy’s business?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Of course, there is. For one, how’s Bel, and have you spoken to her recently?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eDorian’s lip twitched. “Our \u003ci\u003eGreat Mother\u003c\/i\u003e graced the Academy with her presence last year. And yes, I was granted the honor of speaking to her, if briefly.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“She have anything interesting to say?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“She expressed her pride in the Academy, and in a few of my own accomplishments.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Pride, is it?” Iram chuckled. “I thought sloth was more her style.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“You haven’t changed at all. Must you always speak of Mother so casually?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Kid, let me explain something to you.” Lady Iram sat forward. “I was old long before you were born, and Bel is far older than me. You think either of us care for your stuffy formalities?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Respect is due to the mother of all vampires.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“She’s not \u003ci\u003emy\u003c\/i\u003e mother.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“That much is self-evident, but would it trouble you to show her a little deference? At least while I’m here. If you were anyone else, I would have ripped your throat out by now.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIram rolled her one eye. “You mean you would have tried.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Would it help if I said ‘please’?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“All right, all right.” She flashed a sudden smile, cold but polite. “I’ll behave myself. But only because you’re my favorite hunter.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThank \u003c\/i\u003eyou.” Dorian relaxed, if only by the tiniest of fractions. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to discuss why I’m here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“The reason you’re here is simple: local vampires keep turning up dead, and I don’t know why.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“When and how many?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Five so far. It started about three months ago with a vampire named Heinrich. He used to work at Chester Creek University as a math professor.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Pureblood?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“No, risen.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eDorian snorted. “Hardly a concern of ours.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Trust me, it gets better. I don’t know who killed Heinrich, but it had the appearance of typical risen infighting. Two other risen vampires moved in to claim Heinrich’s territory shortly afterward: Plainsborough and Rost, CCU’s head librarian and head football coach respectively. They clashed several times—destroying each other’s property and thralls—until their petulant spat culminated in a duel at the stadium.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Who won?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Neither. They both snuffed it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“An unusual outcome for a duel.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“That’s what I thought at the time, but there’s more. It turns out a \u003ci\u003ethird\u003c\/i\u003e vampire was present that night. I don’t have any information on this one, but the amount of structural damage suggests a very powerful pureblood. Too powerful to ordinarily be concerned with a pissant town like this.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Then that’s who killed the others?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“No. He’s dead, too! As in, his guts were splattered all over the stadium!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I see.” Dorian lowered his eyes. “That’s four dead so far. Who’s the fifth?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Olcott, a necromancer some dumbass elevated into a risen.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe hunter looked up sharply. “Someone turned a mage into a vampire?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Correct.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“That couldn’t have ended well.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“It didn’t. There’s a cemetery on the campus grounds. The original name is unimportant; nowadays it’s called Old Chester Cemetery. It’s part of the old church the place got built around. Someone used Olcott’s body to paint it red.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“And that someone is …”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Wouldn’t I like to know?” Lady Iram leaned back in her chair, and the leather sighed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Five vampires dead,” Dorian said. “Three of them risen nobodies, but two that weren’t: one a pureblood and the other a risen mage. Quite the impressive pile of corpses.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“You see why I called you here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I do.” He let out a slow sigh. “Could the mage clans be behind this?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Dorian, the mage clans are \u003ci\u003ealways\u003c\/i\u003e up to something. You might as well ask me if the sky is still blue.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Point taken.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Sure, they \u003ci\u003ecould\u003c\/i\u003e be behind the killings, but every mage knows to stay clear of vampiric business.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Lest a d-hunter be called in to perform a little housekeeping,” Dorian added, his cruel grin revealing his fangs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Precisely. And the same goes for the demihumans in this city. They all know not to mess with you vampires, because there \u003ci\u003ewill\u003c\/i\u003e be consequences. Personally, I’d say we’re dealing with a group and not an individual. Perhaps mages. Perhaps unhexed demihumans. Maybe a mix of the two. We could have a team of uppity idiots on our hands. People trying to make the world a ‘better place’ or some dreck like that. But there may be another motivator at work here, one that’s drawing powerful individuals to this area.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Do you have any idea what that might be?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Not really.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Then it seems my task is twofold. Objective One: Find and eliminate whoever’s killing vampires in this city. Objective Two: Uncover what in this area makes the killings worthwhile.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“That about sums it up.” She pushed a manila folder across the desk. “Here’s all the information I’ve compiled on the victims. Also, I recommend you take a close look at the university grounds. All the recent excitement seems to involve that place one way or another. Hell if I know why, though.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Then I’ll have a look around, starting with the stadium and the cemetery.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Are you settled in yet?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“No. I still need a base of operations while I’m in this area.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I can arrange one for you, if you like.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“This place?” Dorian made a circular gesture, indicating the business Lady Iram ran.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“No, no. Too public. I have a better location in mind. One with all the amenities of home. It’s scheduled to be renovated soon, anyway, so you’ll have the whole place to yourself. It’s in downtown Chester Creek, tucked into a corner that doesn’t see a lot of foot traffic, and it even has some existing Wards for protection, though you may wish to reinforce those yourself.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Acceptable.” Dorian pushed his chair back and rose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Don’t you want to stay a little longer?” Lady Iram’s tone bordered on a pout.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“The sooner I get started, the better.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Always duty first when it comes to you. It’s a shame, really.” Lady Iram retrieved a chilled wine bottle and two empty glasses from underneath her desk. Moisture clung to the bottle and traced down its sides. She set them down on the desktop. “I suppose I’ll have to drink this myself.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eDorian turned the bottle. His eyebrows rose when he read the label.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Virgin werewolf blood. If any of your customers saw you with this, \u003ci\u003ethey’d\u003c\/i\u003e rip your throat out.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“They’d try.” Lady Iram opened the bottle of bloodwine and poured two full glasses. “Fortunately, I have nothing to fear. Ignorance is bliss, as the humans are so fond of saying.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eDorian raised his glass and breathed in the aroma.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Exquisite,” he sighed, fangs lengthening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eLady Iram found her gaze drawn to the four obsidian rings glinting on his left hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Another one?” she asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Pardon?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“You had three rings last we met.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I’ve served the Academy long enough to receive my fourth. Our Great Mother granted it to me herself.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“My, how time flies. Has it really been that long?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“You growing senile in your old age?” Dorian asked, quirking a smile.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Hardly.” Lady Iram raised her glass. “To the success of your mission.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“To success.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThey drained their glasses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50391963828515,"sku":"ACADEMYOFSILENCE-SIGNED","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_3_Signed_Paperback_Shopify.jpg?v=1730339816"},{"product_id":"print-blood-knight-portal-of-gold-signed-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT: Blood Knight: Portal of Gold (Paperback)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Four in the Blood Knight series. Published by Spice Rack Press.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/blood-knight\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eA deadly vampire on the prowl? A beautiful werewolf in heat? A voluptuous dragonkin desperate for a child? This blood knight has his hands full!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJ.B. Clarke and the lovely ladies of Broken Fang have forged new alliances thanks to their victories against the vampires who secretly rule the world—but their job is far from over! They’re closer than ever to uncovering the secrets buried deep below the city of Chester Creek, and to securing the ultimate weapon in this magical war: the fabled Portal of Gold.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut a new threat stirs in the city’s shifter underworld. Whole werewolf packs have shown up dead under ghastly circumstances, and Brooke Hawthorne, a gorgeous wolf girl and one of Clarke’s four wives, begins searching for answers. Together, they start to unravel this new and deadly mystery, but all is not as it seems.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTreacherous forces have been playing a shadow game this whole time, and everyone—vampires and slayers alike—are nothing more than pawns to an elusive puppet master. The alluring power of the Portal of Gold has drawn this terrible being to Chester Creek, and Clarke will need all his wits and magic if he’s to survive.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis greatest challenge looms just around the corner, but he won’t face it alone: Brooke and the beautiful women of Broken Fang will stand by his side no matter what, and he’s far from defenseless on his own. He’s a blood knight, the last of the great vampire slayers, and he won’t stop until he’s freed humanity from the vampiric scourge.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAssuming a creature far worse than any vampire doesn’t kill him first.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eWARNING: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eBlood Knight: Portal of Gold\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e is a fun urban fantasy adventure where the hero saves the day and gets \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eall the girls\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium SIGNED paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/blood-knight\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from BLOOD KNIGHT: PORTAL OF GOLD\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePROLOGUE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eLady Illustris Tenebris Iram—Wrath of the Glorious Darkness—tapped a polished nail against the dark varnished wood of her desk. She sat in her office, the pleasant din of customers eating, drinking, and having a good time echoing from below.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eShe was not having a good time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe state of the game had changed, and she was no longer in control of the quaint college town of Chester Creek. Powerful forces were moving in—or were already here—and she needed to tread carefully as she bent the pieces on the board to her will.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eShe’d done it before, hundreds of times across hundreds of years, and she could do it again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eOnly this time was different.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThis time the Portal of Gold was the prize, and that meant she needed to step onto the board in order to seize its awesome power. She couldn’t rely on her minions for such an important task. Not entirely. Not without her power to back them up. Oh, she had eyes and ears and muscle aplenty at her disposal, but most were nothing more than unhexed demihumans.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eUnremarkable compared to her raw might.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIt had been twenty years since she’d been forced to engage with events so directly, but the stakes were too high, the involved parties too powerful.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThose parties didn’t have eyes on each other yet. But they knew of each other. They’d been swirling around the city for months, like planets in wild, opposing orbits. They tugged on one another, drawing closer and closer with each perilous passing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThey would eventually collide, but she couldn’t let that happen.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eNot yet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eNot until she’d squeezed every last advantage from the situation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe question remained how to do that. She didn’t know, and that uncertainty bothered her deeply. The tapping of her fingernail became more urgent, and her nail glittered for an instant like a precious gem. She stabbed the tip into her desktop, finger punching down to the first joint with no effort at all. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eShe grimaced at the damage. The nail returned to normal, and she folded her fingers into a loose fist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eLady Iram’s first challenge drew near and she composed herself. Her sharp hearing picked out the vampire’s light, high heeled footfalls clicking up a flight of wooden steps, followed closely by a heavier booted cadence. Iram drew a deep breath and studied the approaching magical auras: the first cool, controlled, but simmering with dangerous potential. In contrast, the man behind her possessed a more limited spark of magic, though Iram could practically taste his martial prowess, drawn back like a bow ready to be loosed. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eShe brought her groom with her, Iram thought. Doesn’t she trust me enough to come alone?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eWell, I can’t really blame her. The Academy of Silence already lost one hunter in this town. I didn’t have anything to do with his death, but she doesn’t know that.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe two visitors stopped outside her office, and a dainty double knock followed.\u003cbr\u003e“Come in, Jezebel,” Iram said pleasantly. “I was wondering when you’d stop by.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe door opened and the vampire walked in first. She was a slender, graceful woman with honey-blonde hair cut short and at an angle so that one side dipped near her cool gray eyes. Her lips were a severe, neutral line emphasized by deep red lipstick, and her snug black dress ended an inch below her hips, leaving an enticing glimpse of soft, pale flesh above each black stocking.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eA dark elf followed her in. His movements possessed an air of focused restraint, calm but capable of bursting into terrible violence in the blink of an eye. His pale purple skin brought out his high cheekbones and red eyes, and the ponytail kept his snow-white hair off the tall points of his ears.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eJezebel Hatchett, pureblood vampire and deviant hunter for the Academy of Silence, gave Lady Iram a curt nod before taking a seat uninvited. Her groom, Elliot Pryce, closed the door. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, eyes fixed on Iram.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Let’s get straight to business, Lady Iram,” Jezebel began. “You know why I’m here.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Of course I do. It’s because they’re still finding pieces of your predecessor strewn about the city.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“An exaggeration.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“The point is the Academy lost a d-hunter in this pissant town, and now you’ve been sent in to find out what happened to poor, old, exploded Dorian.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I’m also here to kill whoever eliminated him.” Jezebel crossed her slender legs and placed delicate hands in her lap. A lone obsidian ring gleamed on one finger.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“And his brides,” Iram added, eyes drawn to the bond ring. “They’re dead, too.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Their deaths are of no consequence.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIram glanced at Elliot. If the dark elf found Jezebel’s words distasteful, his face didn’t show it. Not that Iram had expected him to. It took a special kind of idiot to submit willingly to a vampire, to give up his freedom for power.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“What can you tell me about those responsible?” Jezebel asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Very little, I’m afraid.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Oh?” The vampire cocked an eyebrow. “What is this I hear? The legendary Lady Iram, caught unawares in her own city? How very strange.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eJezebel was right to be suspicious, and Iram needed to walk a fine line here. She’d spent decades spreading her influence across Chester Creek, and she knew exactly who’d killed the d-hunter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eBut she couldn’t reveal that to Jezebel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eNot yet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eNot when so much advantage remained to be gleaned from the blood knight and his harem.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe mere mention of a blood knight, the antithesis to vampires in many ways, would have escalated the situation beyond Iram’s ability to guide it. Dozens of d-hunters would descend on Chester Creek within days, and the blood knight would either be killed or forced into hiding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eNeither outcome benefited her. Not yet. Not with the path to the Portal of Gold partially open.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eWhich presented its own problems. Jezebel would likely find a way to retrace Dorian’s steps, and that would lead her down the same path—a path that led toward the Portal of Gold.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIram couldn’t allow that.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eWhich meant she needed to eliminate both Jezebel and Elliot.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eFortunately, she knew exactly how to accomplish that task without sullying her own hands.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“What can you share with me?” Jezebel asked pointedly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Just the basics. I requested the aid of a hunter about a month ago, asked for Dorian specifically because I knew I could depend on him. I told him about the five vampires who’d turned up dead recently, and he began his investigation. A few weeks later, he turns up dead, along with his four brides.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Where?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I’m not sure,” Iram lied, thinking carefully about which half-truths to feed the vampire.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Not sure?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“According to my sources within the police department, his brides were found dead in Studio Nightshade. It’s a club in downtown Chester Creek that was undergoing renovations at the time. Dorian was using it as his base of operations.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Then he was ambushed there?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I don’t think so. My sources came across evidence the brides’ bodies were moved there after the fact.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“A cover up, then.” Jezebel’s eyes gleamed. “But I noticed you only said the brides were moved. What about Dorian?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Oh, he was there, too. What little was left of him, anyway.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I see.” The vampire knitted her fingers. “Do you believe the mage clans were behind this? \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eI understand there are a handful of clans active in this city.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“If so, it’s unusual behavior for them. Killing a d-hunter, on top of five other vampires?” \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIram shook his head. “That’s not their style. Too aggressive.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Then what are we dealing with?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“My best guess is an independent party. Perhaps a mix of mages and demihumans.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Don’t you have anything besides guesses?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I’m afraid not.” Iram sat back, and the chair’s leather sighed. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I find this sudden lapse in your network’s abilities … distressing.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“What are you getting at?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“It’s quite simple, Lady Iram. A d-hunter is dead, and I must follow the trail wherever it leads me.” The vampire’s gaze turned sharp. “Wherever it leads.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Are you suggesting I’m somehow involved?” Iram laced her words with manufactured indignation. “I’m the one who asked for him to come here, remember?” \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“No one is above suspicion.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I should be. Do I need to call Belphegor myself and have her sort you out?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Lady Iram, please.” Jezebel smiled faintly. “I meant no offense. Certainly, the relationship you have with our Great Mother is both known and respected. However, I must approach the situation with an impartial eye.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Now hold on a second.” Outwardly, Iram’s face contorted with mild offense, but inside she was grinning. “Yes, I don’t have anything for you now, but my own investigation is ongoing. I know the police are hiding something, and that’s where I’m focusing my efforts.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Then you’ll share anything you discover?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Absolutely. I want this problem solved as much as you do.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Excellent.” Jezebel rose and smoothed out her dress. “Then I will be on my way. How often can I expect updates from you?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Daily, unless there’s a breakthrough, in which case I’ll contact you immediately.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Very good. Then, Lady Iram, I wish you a pleasant evening.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eJezebel dipped her head ever so slightly. Elliot opened the door for her, and the two left.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eLady Iram finally permitted herself that well-earned grin.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eShe would reveal to Jezebel who killed Dorian, but she would do so at a time of her choosing. She needed this d-hunter off the board, and she knew just the piece to throw at her:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eJ.B. Clarke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eAfter all, what better way to kill a vampire than with a blood knight?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54520446583075,"sku":"PORTALOFGOLD-PPR-SIGNED","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Portal_of_Gold_SIGNED_Paperback_Shopify.jpg?v=1763776029"},{"product_id":"print-blood-knight-throne-of-shadows-signed-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT: Blood Knight: Throne of Shadows (Paperback)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Five in the Blood Knight series. Published by Spice Rack Press.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/blood-knight\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-expander-content a-expander-partial-collapse-content a-expander-content-expanded\" data-expanded=\"true\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eA beautiful angel in love? A devil in need of smiting? A grand destiny to fulfill? Time for this blood knight to save the world!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the Portal of Gold in their possession and powerful allies at their backs, Clarke and the gorgeous heroines of Broken Fang are poised to strike at the vampires who secretly rule the world. But as Broken Fang’s successes have mounted, so too has the attention they’ve drawn, and the devil Belphegor—mother of all vampires—has dispatched a squad of her most powerful minions to the city of Chester Creek. Their mission? Find whoever’s been causing her so much trouble—\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e—and slaughter them all.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eClarke faces his greatest challenge yet, but he isn’t about to back down now. He’s a blood knight, a master of blood magic and heir to the greatest vampire slayers in history. He will fight these bloodsuckers to the bitter end, accompanied by Emma the succubus, Ixia the witch, Sammy the slime girl, Brooke the werewolf—and the angel Sandalphon, better known as Ashley Smith.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith their enemies drawing near, Ashley puts forward a plan to defeat Belphegor once and for all. They must locate the Throne of Shadows, the arcane heart of Belphegor’s power, and destroy its evil forever. But the trail to finding the Throne has been cold for twenty years, and the only lead Ashley has is an old ally in hiding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn ally who just so happens to be a vampire.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eClarke and the lovely ladies of Broken Fang soon find themselves in a race against time. Can they uncover the location of the Throne of Shadows and devise a way to destroy it? Or will Belphegor’s hunters find them first? It’s angel versus devil with the fate of humanity in the balance!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eThe thrilling, action-packed conclusion to the Blood Knight series has arrived!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWARNING: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eBlood Knight: Throne of Shadows\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e is a fun urban fantasy adventure where the hero saves the day and gets all the girls. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-expander-header a-expander-partial-collapse-header\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium SIGNED paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/blood-knight\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from BLOOD KNIGHT: THRONE OF SHADOWS\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePROLOGUE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I hear you have another blood knight for me to kill.” Lord Baxter Redpeak grinned toothily.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBelphegor, mother of all vampires, rose from the Throne of Shadows located deep within the Fortress of Sloth. The devil shook out her wings and took long-legged strides off the Throne’s dais. She approached the dapper vampire, her eyes gleaming with purpose, weighted by the centuries she’d spent on this wretched world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Indeed, I do, Lord Redpeak.” Her voice was a clear, silvery note—resonant and commanding, yet also soft and seductive. She walked up to him, one arm folded under her generous breasts, the other tucked to the side.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRedpeak dipped his head a touch more, his lips curled into a sinister yet reverent grin. He rose to his full height and fitted his top hat back in place. With his pale skin, black hair, and brown eyes that seemed almost red in the right light, Redpeak was every bit the ancient, pureblood vampire. The knee-length frock coat, elaborate vest, and richly embroidered cravat only added to the sense he’d been plucked from a bygone era. Most vampires employed a degree of subtlety in public, but Redpeak wore his heritage on his sleeve.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBelphegor couldn’t help but smile inwardly at the presence of her most loyal and capable servant. Yes, Redpeak had his quirks—all her vampires did to some degree—but this one relished each chance to curry her favor. He was a straightforward killer, perhaps to a fault, which Belphegor found refreshing from the tiresome scheming she had to put up with from other vampiric lords and ladies, especially those control freaks who ran the Big Tech companies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I had begun to wonder if the blood knights were extinct.” Redpeak’s voice was as smooth as velvet and as deadly as a hidden razor. [HH1.1]\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“As had I.” Belphegor shrugged as if afflicted by a minor irritant. “A pity.”\u003cbr\u003eTheir voices echoed softly in the vast underground chamber. The arcano-mechanical interface of the Throne of Shadows—the “throne” itself, as it were—sat at the center of a wide, circular platform, but the actual device was much, much larger. The Throne’s high back devolved into thick cable runs, tracing upward and fanning outward to connect with the machinery built into the high ceiling. More machines extended downward from the platform, forming a thick column several hundred meters tall with conduits and coolant pipes spanning the deep, dark pit. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA young vampire had once told Belphegor the chamber resembled the emperor’s throne room from Return of the Jedi. Or at least the access pit where technicians could make adjustments to the Throne’s many intricate components. She’d never bothered to watch the movie to find out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What do we know so far?” Redpeak asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not much, I’m afraid. Are you familiar with Lady Iram?” \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Of course, Great Mother. I make it a point to stay informed on the movements of all the surviving dragons. Why? Has something happened to her?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“She’s dead.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh my.” Redpeak glanced aside in thought. “If I’m not mistaken, it’s been over five centuries since the last draconic death.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You aren’t.” Belphegor’s immortal mind recalled the death with great clarity. She’d orchestrated the draconic genocide, after all, and the few survivors had sworn fealty to her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot that she’d given them much choice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Do the other dragons know?” Redpeak asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Doubtful, but that’s not our immediate concern. We’ll let sleeping dragons lie, as it were. Instead, I want you to investigate how she died.” Belphegor gestured to the small obsidian box set beside her throne. \u003cbr\u003eRedpeak’s reddish eyes flicked to the box. “Ah, the dragon’s death box, linked to her across all space and time. I wish you would share with me how to craft such an artifact.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Perhaps one day,” Belphegor teased, and meant it. If any vampire deserved to be taught the secrets of her magic, it was Lord Redpeak.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What message did the box convey?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That she’d been killed by a blood knight.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“A blood knight killed a dragon?” A hint of glee twinkled in his eyes. “I haven’t faced a challenge like this in, oh, perhaps three or four hundred years.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What is the status of Knightfall?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Four of our number are out on assignments, but can—and will—be recalled for a threat of this magnitude. The rest stand ready for your orders, Great Mother.” He grinned with obedient malice, fangs bare. “Will you grant me the pleasure of killing yet another blood knight?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Eventually, but first I have a task for you.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You have only to name it.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The Prime Grimoire. I want it moved.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRedpeak’s brow creased. “Because of the blood knight?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Because of what the existence of another blood knight implies.” Belphegor paused to see if her servant made the connection and was delighted to see his eyes glint with understanding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You suspect the angel Sandalphon has returned.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Correct, Lord Redpeak. It’s a possibility we can’t ignore. While the transplanar hexes I cast on Earth’s dimensional divide have served us well, we know they’re not impervious. Sandalphon may have found a gap she can exploit. And even if she blundered straight through them, I doubt the hexes would kill her. Maim, perhaps. But kill outright?” Belphegor shook her head. “Angels are hard to put down for good.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Then, if the angel has returned to this plane, you believe she’ll seek the Prime Grimoire?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s one avenue open to her, so we’ll work to close it.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The grimoire is well defended,” Redpeak assured her. “Both externally, and from within. None but your most trusted servants can read it.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sandalphon could, given enough time. And while angels are naturally patient, the appearance of another blood knight tells me she’s put a new plan into motion. The Prime Grimoire represents a point of vulnerability for us. It contains details on every spell we deploy through the Throne of Shadows, spells that keep the human populace ignorant of us and limit the powers of most demihumans. Vampires control the world because of these spells, and if an enemy were ever able to study them …”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“They would possess the knowledge necessary to unravel them on a large scale,” Redpeak finished. “Though not the means.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Don’t underestimate Sandalphon.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe vampire dipped his head submissively, but the devil continued:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I only damaged her citadel twenty years ago, and it has undoubtedly healed itself to some extent over the past two decades. We have no way of knowing what resources the angel has, and so we shall prepare accordingly for all contingencies.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I understand and obey, Great Mother.” Redpeak met her gaze. “I will see to it the Prime Grimoire is moved to an appropriately secure location. Perhaps the ‘Galaxy,’ if only temporarily?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“An excellent suggestion. See to it.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Of course, Great Mother. As for the blood knight?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Eliminate that threat with extreme prejudice.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRedpeak’s grin became almost manic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Lady Iram was based in the city of Chester Creek,” Belphegor continued. “Gather Knightfall and head there. Find and kill the blood knight. If the enemy turns out to be male, slaughter any females with him. Take no chances. Stamp out his line once and for all.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“With pleasure, Great Mother.” Redpeak removed his top hat and swept his arm into an elegant bow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54649480184099,"sku":"THRONEOFSHADOWS-PPR-SIGNED","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_Throne_of_Shadows_SIGNED_Paperback_Shopify.jpg?v=1768153146"},{"product_id":"signed-print-blood-knight-vampire-slayer-complete-series-bundle-paperbacks","title":"SIGNED PRINT: Blood Knight - Complete Series BUNDLE (Paperbacks)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis bundle contains Books One thru Five in the Blood Knight series. Published by Spice Rack Press.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout these premium SIGNED PAPERBACKS:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eSigned by Edie Skye. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlood Knight: Vampire Slayer (Blood Knight #1):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn insatiable succubus? A shy werewolf? A scatterbrained angel? This team needs a leader!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJ.B. Clarke enrolled in college to earn his degree and find a steady job. What he got instead was an adventure in a secret underworld where vampires rule over all. Emma Rose, a friendly gamer who turns out to be a succubus, recruits him into Broken Fang, an overly ambitious team of monster girls. These lovely ladies know they’ll need help if they’re to stand a chance against the vampires, and they’re looking for a few good men.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, one man, actually. And that’s him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke is soon thrust into a hidden world full of magic, mystery, and mythical creatures. He’s in way over his head because Broken Fang is a dysfunctional mess, and his calculus professor is a sadistic vampire who snacks on pet animals. He’ll need more than his (considerable) experience with fantasy games to solve this problem!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFortunately, he’s far from helpless. He’s a blood knight, descended from an ancient and powerful line of vampire hunters, and his magical abilities have finally begun to awaken. But will they be enough? Can he master his powers in time to face the coming storm? Can he grow into the leader Broken Fang so desperately needs?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOr will he end up as just one more meal for the vampires?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWARNING: \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Vampire Slayer\u003c\/em\u003e is a fun urban fantasy adventure with a healthy side of heat: voluptuous succubi, energetic werewolves, incorrigible slime girls, nubile witches, and saucy language to match. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThese products are premium paperback novels.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from BLOOD KNIGHT: VAMPIRE SLAYER\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCHAPTER ONE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Clarke?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hmm?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I know this is out of the blue, but have you ever played Dungeons \u0026amp; Dragons before?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJ.B Clarke sat in the Engineering and Science building’s study hall, his brain fogged with the musty stench of the decades-old building his college was too cheap to update, despite its exorbitant tuition fees. It had fallen deeper into fog over the past few hours, immersed in a grueling software problem as part of his database coursework. So when Emma called upon his brain to switch gears, it was a struggle—but soon he ungummed his brain cogs and flicked his eyes up from his laptop to meet hers across the table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmma cocked a playful eyebrow, which managed to coax Clarke’s mind fully out of its code-induced stupor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“A while ago,” he said cautiously, not sure what was behind her question. “Some of my friends were into it back in high school, but I haven’t played since I graduated. Why?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No reason, really. You just seemed the type.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The type?” Now it was his turn to raise an eyebrow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir professor had divvied up the class into random pairs for this assignment, which involved two students tackling each problem together. That meant they were supposed to divide the scope of their code between them and develop an interface to mesh their work back together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke had hoped to be paired with one of his acquaintances from the class—he hadn’t been at Chester Creek University long enough to develop any new close friends—but he’d ended up with Emma, a girl he’d exchanged no more than three words with before this assignment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot that he minded! He’d take about \u003cem\u003eany \u003c\/em\u003eexcuse to get to know her better, and it just so happened one had landed in his lap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a testament to the brain-dulling, soul-sucking nature of his surroundings that he’d managed to be distracted from her at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmmaline “Emma” Rose possessed what Clarke thought of as an “abundant” figure. Her burgundy leather jacket, black miniskirt, and gray-and-black striped stockings each seemed to strain against all those curves, especially the high and heavy thrust of her breasts, almost as if her clothes were under immense pressure from the inside, ready to burst open from all that barely-contained femininity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer face was equally attractive with large, dark eyes behind horn-rimmed glasses and a generous—often smiling—mouth, all framed by a cascade of long, raven-black hair. The glasses gave her a “sexy geek” vibe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, are you?” Emma asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was no judgment in her voice. No condescension or disdain. Just a soft, friendly form of curiosity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke had been a little nervous about how to approach Emma after class, worried about coming across as either too forward or too business-like. They were classmates assigned to the same problem; it would have been awkward for him to hit on her right out of the gate. Conversely, he didn’t want to keep things \u003cem\u003etoo \u003c\/em\u003eformal. This \u003cem\u003ewas\u003c\/em\u003e a golden opportunity to get to know her better, after all!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFortunately, Emma had beaten him to the punch. She’d broken the ice outside class with a great programming joke: \u003cem\u003eA SQL query goes into a bar, walks up to two tables and asks, “Can I join you?”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe’d have to remember that one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Why do I get the feeling this question didn’t come out of nowhere?” Clarke asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe flashed a brief smile. “Well, this place is \u003cem\u003eboring\u003c\/em\u003e, for one. And actually, one of my friends likes to GM. She put together this custom campaign, but we’re short one player. You interested?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke paused to consider how best to reply. A girl—a \u003cem\u003esmoking hot \u003c\/em\u003egirl—was inviting him to join her and her friends—her \u003cem\u003every possibly smoking hot\u003c\/em\u003e friends—for a night of pen-and-paper roleplaying. There was no way he could turn this down!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCareful though\u003c\/em\u003e, he told himself. \u003cem\u003eDon’t come across as too eager. Ease up to an eventual “yes.” \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Depends,” he replied guardedly. “What gaming system are you using?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Pathfinder 3.5. You ever hear of it?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I have,” he replied, his mind flashing through countless hours playing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ashley likes to use Pathfinder as a base for all her custom scenarios.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ashley?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“One of my friends. She stopped by our table earlier.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You mean—” He almost said \u003cem\u003ethe blonde that looks like a supermodel\u003c\/em\u003e, but instead replied, “the blonde dressed all in white. Long hair? Shiny hairband?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s her. My other friends—Sammy and Brooke—also play. Normally, the three of us would be enough, but Ashley \u003cem\u003einsists\u003c\/em\u003e we have four players for this one.” Emma leaned forward and gave him a crooked, knowing smile. “She can be stubborn like that sometimes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, if she put in all the time and effort to make her own scenario, then yeah. I can see why she’d be picky about how you played through it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Which brings us back around to my question.” She leaned back and draped an arm over the back of her chair. “Interested?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sure. When and where?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This Saturday at my apartment. We generally start arriving around five, have something to eat, then pull out the dice around six—six thirty. I’ll email you the address. It’s about twenty minutes from campus.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Great. I assume I’ll need to put together a character?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not for this one. Ashley has prebuilt characters for all of us. That’s part of the reason why she needs a specific number of players.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“For the story?” Clarke asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You guessed it!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What can you tell me about the scenario?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s urban fantasy, so the setting is modern day but with all these secretive magical elements thrown in. You’ll be playing a blood knight in hiding. They’re a hybrid class, sort of like a ranger or druid. Ashley gave the class a mix of magic and combat abilities. \u003cem\u003eVery\u003c\/em\u003e versatile.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sounds fun. I’ve always enjoyed playing hybrid classes. More options make for more engaging roleplay.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“See?” She extended an open palm toward him. “I knew you were the type!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah, I guess you had me figured out,” he replied, returning a bashful smile. “Should I bring anything to the session?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Just a copy of your character sheet and some dice, though I have spares if you need some.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No, I have my own.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Figured you would.” Emma gave him a friendly wink. “I’ll email you the character sheet along with the address. Just need to get it from Ashley first.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Thanks, but I was actually asking about food or drink. I don’t want to mooch off your hospitality or anything.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No worries there. The four of us—now \u003cem\u003efive \u003c\/em\u003eof us—take turns covering the pregame meal, and it’s Brooke’s turn this week.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Got it, and thanks for the invite. You can expect me at five, rules and dice at the ready.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Great! Looking forward to it!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What about you? What’s your character like?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, me?” Emma placed a demure hand over her chest. “I’m playing a succubus.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e***\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat Saturday, Clarke arrived at Emma’s apartment a few minutes before five with a ring binder clutched in the crook of his arm and a dice bag hanging from his fingers. Of the housing options available around campus, this was clearly one of the higher-end ones—not fancy, exactly, but sleek and new with pleasant facades that looked like they saw few raucous, vomit-strewn parties or drug deals, which was more than he could say about his own cheap place. He knocked on the door with his free hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe door cracked open, and Emma peeked her head out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Clarke!” She gave him with a warm smile. “Come on in.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Thanks.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe swung the door wide, and he stepped in, taking in the apartment. It was larger than the cubbyhole he called home—and cleaner, too—with comfy recliners and a long couch arranged around a low coffee table. Artwork hung on the walls in thick, black frames depicting a mix of anime and movie characters. \u003cem\u003eFrames\u003c\/em\u003e. She definitely lived a step above him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Thanks for the invite, again.” He set the binder down on the granite counter that separated the kitchen from the living room and tried not to look overly curious as he returned his attention to the binder. “It feels like ages since I scratched that pen-and-paper itch.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Don’t mention it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Though, I do have some \u003cem\u003eslight \u003c\/em\u003econcerns.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Like what?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well …” Clarke opened the binder and thumbed through the hundred or so pages. “I wasn’t expecting quite this many custom rules.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah,” Emma replied, her eyes laughing. “Sometimes Ashley can go a bit overboard.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Where’s she find the time for all this, anyway?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Who knows? But you know how it is. If you’re passionate about something, you find the time.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I guess so. Just wondering if her grades suffer because of her hobby.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nope. Quite the opposite, in fact. She gets straight A’s every semester, and I’m pretty sure she takes more hours than either of us.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You know her major?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ma-\u003cem\u003ejors\u003c\/em\u003e, actually. Political science and history.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke’s eyes widened. “She’s getting straight A’s with a dual major?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yep.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke shook his head. He flipped back to the front page, which contained the bulk of his character stats.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmma glanced down at the page. Something must have caught her eye, because her brow furrowed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Uh, Clarke?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s not your real name, is it?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke sighed internally. \u003cem\u003eHere we go.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m afraid so.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“But …” She made a disgusted face. “There’s no way.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I wish that were true,” he replied in a tired manner that attested to many similar conversations he endured in the past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I thought Clarke was your first name.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That would have been nice, but no. It’s my last name.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Come on.” Emma pointed to the name at the top of his character sheet, as if that would reveal some secret, \u003cem\u003ereally\u003c\/em\u003e real name beneath it. “You’re pulling my leg.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Wish I was.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“But no one’s parents would be that cruel!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You’d \u003cem\u003ethink\u003c\/em\u003e.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJ.B. Clarke gave her a sad smile, because his full name was Joffrey Baratheon Clarke. His mother—bless her enthusiastic fantasy-loving heart—had discovered George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire a few years before he’d been born and had “really liked the name’s ring.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis father—bless \u003cem\u003ehis\u003c\/em\u003e heart—hadn’t put his foot down, which led to him being named after a contender for “worst human being in fiction.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt wasn’t all bad, though. Back then, most people didn’t have a clue who Joffrey Baratheon was, and the name shortened to the much more palatable J.B., though his parents had settled for Joff most of the time. However, his namesake’s anonymity had vanished once HBO turned the books into a popular TV series and thus elevated the character from “worst human being in fiction” to “worst human being in fiction, for whom people cheered when he died and then rewound to watch it again.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd then the teasing began.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd kept going.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd going.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd fucking \u003cem\u003egoing\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke couldn’t have been happier when the show tanked in its last season so disastrously that literally \u003cem\u003eno one \u003c\/em\u003ewanted to talk about it anymore. Even a \u003cem\u003eglobal pandemic\u003c\/em\u003e couldn’t get people to rewatch its dumpster fire of an ending.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat said, his parents had been less than sympathetic when he’d confronted them about his namesake, stressing that they had no way of seeing into the future and it could have been worse. They even shared the supposedly true story of a woman who’d wanted to name her newborn daughter “Vagina” because she’d never encountered the word before the obstetrician used it and because, “Thas jus tha purdiest word I eva hurd!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke shivered involuntarily. Yes, it could have been worse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Actually,” he continued, “I’m wondering how Ashley knew my name, because it seems you didn’t tell her.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nope. News to me.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Will she let me go by ‘Clarke’ in the campaign?” He tapped a note on the page. “Because this part says we’re playing alternate versions of ourselves in the scenario.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, I’m sure Ashley will,” Emma replied with a carefree wave of her hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Will what?” came the unexpected response from the opening door.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Ash! Speak of the devil.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe newcomer gave Emma a cross look. “You know I don’t like that joke.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Must be why I keep using it, then,” Emma teased in a good-natured manner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley Smith rolled her eyes as she eased the door shut, then crossed the room with long-legged strides, high heels clicking on the hardwood. She’d dressed in all white again, this time with a short neck scarf to accent her sleeveless button-down shirt. She’d left the first three buttons open to provide a tantalizing glimpse of deep, firm cleavage. Her long, blonde hair practically gleamed in the light, held back by a metallic hairband.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe smiled at Clarke, but the expression held all the warmth of a business transaction. Clarke fought an urge to check his phone, almost certain she’d arrived at \u003cem\u003eexactly\u003c\/em\u003e 5:00 PM. She struck him as the severely punctual type.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m Ashley.” She extended a slender hand, which he shook, and found she was all business there, too. “I’m glad you could make it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Me, too,” Clarke replied, not sure what else to say, and trying to keep his eyes from wandering toward her plunging neckline. (Which was \u003cem\u003enot\u003c\/em\u003e business-appropriate.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“So, what are you sure I’ll allow?” Ashley asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“He wants to shorten his character name.” Emma tapped her finger on the character sheet. “Just chop off the first two parts.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley leaned over the page, then glanced up at Clarke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You don’t want to use your given name?” she asked, sounding somewhat perplexed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not really.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Why not?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Uh …” Clarke frowned at her. “Isn’t it obvious?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley’s eyes darted to the character sheet, stayed there for long, confused seconds, then zipped back up to Clarke. She seemed ready to ask another question, but then something softened in her face, and she shrugged.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“If you’re not comfortable with it, then use whatever you like. I only thought starting with everyone’s real names would make the scenario more immersive.” She gave Emma a knowing glance. “After all, if tonight goes well—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe door swung open violently. A tall, athletic woman barged in, four pizza boxes balanced atop one hand with absurd grace compared to the rest of her, especially when she shouted:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, bitches! I brought the meats!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second newcomer was almost as tall as Clarke, who was no slouch in the height department, though her shoulders weren’t nearly as broad, and her chest possessed a great deal more … topology than his. Still, the toned muscles visible on her arms and bare midriff spoke to an active lifestyle. Or curriculum. Or both, perhaps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe’d tied her thick, wavy mane of brunette hair back into a ponytail and wore a baggy gray T-shirt cut off at the bottom to reveal her firm stomach, its design and lettering too faded to make out. Her jeans gave a similar impression of comfortable wear and tear with a few rips around the knees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer sharp, intense eyes caught his, but then widened suddenly, and she froze midstride, almost launching the pizzas forward before she stabilized them with her free hand. Her expression—initially loud and boisterous—became almost mousy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh. You’re already here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That I am,” Clarke replied dryly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Uh … Hi? I’m Brooke. Brooke Hawthorne.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Clarke. Nice to meet you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah, uh.” Brooke held the boxes out as if offering them as an apology. “I brought pizza.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’ll take those.” Emma grabbed the pizza boxes and began arraying them on the kitchen counter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe rich, savory smell of hot cheese, meat, and marinara tickled Clarke’s nose, and his stomach grumbled in anticipation. Emma and Ashley busied themselves setting out paper plates, napkins, plastic cups, and a selection of colas at one end of the boxes. Brooke eventually unfroze from her awkward pose, gave Clarke a bashful glance, then grabbed a plate and began loading it up with pizza slices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke grabbed his own plate and surveyed the selection: three large pizzas consisting of pepperoni, meat lovers, supreme (also piled high with enough meat that the rare veggies would have cowered in fear if they’d been sapient), one medium pizza split into half pepperoni and half cheese, and a bag of breadsticks and marinara dipping sauce.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The meats indeed,” Ashley noted with a sour glance over the options.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The cheesy one is for you,” Brooke said. “See? I kept you in mind.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And what about our guest? You consider him, too?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I—” Brooke paused with her mouth open, then frowned. She faced Clarke. “You’re not a vegetarian, are you?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nope.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Any allergies?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“None I’m aware of.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You like pizza?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No, I \u003cem\u003elove \u003c\/em\u003epizza, and the more meat the better.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Fantastic! I was worried there for a minute.” Brooke’s face brightened. “You’ll fit right in.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The point,” Ashley said firmly, “is you should have asked \u003cem\u003ebefore\u003c\/em\u003e you bought the food.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Whoops.” Brooke shrugged before adding another slice to her plate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey there, girlfriends!” said a petite figure from the doorway.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Sammy!” Emma waved at her. “Would you mind locking the door? We’re all here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sure thing.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke realized he’d seen Sammy a few times around campus, though he’d never spoken to her. In fact, it was hard \u003cem\u003enot\u003c\/em\u003e to notice her, since she favored loud clothes and even louder hair, which seemed to be a different color every time he laid eyes on her. She wore a hoodie stylized with splotches of fluorescent paint, the hood pulled back to reveal a pixie cut of vibrant red hair blending toward purple at the tips.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe walked up to Clarke. “You Clarke?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s right.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Samantha Eloise.” She extended a gloved hand. “But you can call me Sammy. All my friends do.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe shook her hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Sammy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You ready to kick some vampire butt tonight?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eShh!\u003c\/em\u003e” Ashley snapped. “Spoilers!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, come on.” Sammy rolled her eyes as she grabbed her plate. “He already knows. You put it right there in your twenty-thousand-word lore dump.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke kept very quiet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I suppose you have a point there.” Ashley placed a single cheesy slice on her plate, struggling to disentangle the gooey strands gracefully. “You did read all the lore, right?” she asked, her voice tinged with uneasy hopefulness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I …” Clarke sighed. “Okay, I’m going to be honest here. I didn’t realize there was going to be quite so much material when I started printing it out. All I did was skim it before I drove over.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley sank in her seat a little and, oddly, her hairband seemed to darken a few shades. It must have been a trick of the lighting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Don’t give him that look.” Sammy flopped into one of the recliners and took a large bite from a breadstick. She continued speaking with her mouth full. “All I did was skim it, too. It was either that or fall asleep halfway through.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, now,” Ashley protested. “It wasn’t that dry.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSammy snorted out a laugh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, I liked it.” Brooke plopped down into one of the chairs. “I think it’s a good primer for people new to the, uh, setting.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke guessed she’d been about to use a different word there at the end, but he didn’t give it more than a passing thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley sighed and joined them around the coffee table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith all the recliners taken, Clarke sat down at one end of the couch, fully expecting Emma to pick the other end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe didn’t, instead choosing to sit in the middle close enough for their hips to press against each other. Clarke felt a jolt of almost electric excitement surge through him at the unexpected contact. He glanced over at her, and she smiled sweetly back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Something wrong?” she asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s nothing.” He was about to start eating when he noticed Emma hadn’t brought a plate. “Not eating with us?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’ll snack on something else later.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not a fan of pizza?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s not that. I love a good slice of pizza as much as the next girl. I just have these”—she twirled a hand around as if searching for the right word—“dietary restrictions.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ah.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I can only handle so much junk food before I get hit with these cravings and need something more, umm, nutritious to fill me up.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Got it. Say no more.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSammy chuckled around a fat bite of breadstick. He had no idea why.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55481585402147,"sku":"BLOODKNIGHT-COMPLETE","price":94.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_Signed_Paperback_Bundle_Shopify.png?v=1786968486"},{"product_id":"signed-print-blood-knight-vampire-slayer-blood-knight-1-and-blood-knight-scepter-of-bone-blood-knight-2-bundle-paperbacks","title":"SIGNED PRINT: Blood Knight: Vampire Slayer (Blood Knight #1) and Blood Knight: Scepter of Bone (Blood Knight #2) BUNDLE (Paperbacks)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis bundle contains Books One and Two in the Blood Knight series. Published by Spice Rack Press.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout these premium SIGNED PAPERBACKS:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eSigned by Edie Skye. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlood Knight: Vampire Slayer (Blood Knight #1):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn insatiable succubus? A shy werewolf? A scatterbrained angel? This team needs a leader!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJ.B. Clarke enrolled in college to earn his degree and find a steady job. What he got instead was an adventure in a secret underworld where vampires rule over all. Emma Rose, a friendly gamer who turns out to be a succubus, recruits him into Broken Fang, an overly ambitious team of monster girls. These lovely ladies know they’ll need help if they’re to stand a chance against the vampires, and they’re looking for a few good men.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, one man, actually. And that’s him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke is soon thrust into a hidden world full of magic, mystery, and mythical creatures. He’s in way over his head because Broken Fang is a dysfunctional mess, and his calculus professor is a sadistic vampire who snacks on pet animals. He’ll need more than his (considerable) experience with fantasy games to solve this problem!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFortunately, he’s far from helpless. He’s a blood knight, descended from an ancient and powerful line of vampire hunters, and his magical abilities have finally begun to awaken. But will they be enough? Can he master his powers in time to face the coming storm? Can he grow into the leader Broken Fang so desperately needs?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOr will he end up as just one more meal for the vampires?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWARNING: \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Vampire Slayer\u003c\/em\u003e is a fun urban fantasy adventure with a healthy side of heat: voluptuous succubi, energetic werewolves, incorrigible slime girls, nubile witches, and saucy language to match. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlood Knight: Scepter of Bone (Blood Knight #2):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA werebear at wits’ end? A necromancer in dire need? A bone scepter the vampires will kill for? Send in the blood knight to sort this mess out!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJ.B. Clarke and the lovely ladies of Broken Fang have won their first victory against the vampires who secretly rule the world. But their fight is far from over. To defeat the vampires once and for all, they’ll need to rally powerful allies to their cause. But before they can do that, they need to make a name for themselves amongst the hidden underworld of monsters, mages, and vampire slayers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eClarke makes a deal with the Coven of the Ashen Flower: his services as a blood knight in exchange for a steady stream of work. The coven agrees and assigns him to Ixia Grey, a young witch and aspiring esports player. Ixia proves to be a deft hand at lining up jobs for Broken Fang, and Clarke soon finds himself up to his elbows in monsters to slay—\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e—and fat paychecks to earn.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut all is not well in the city of Chester Creek. The vampires have unleashed a terrifying new monster, one more powerful and deadly than anything Clarke has ever faced. A ghostly killer now roams the shadows, an embodiment of fear and death that shreds its victims’ minds as it drains their bodies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut Clarke is a blood knight, heir to the greatest line of vampire slayers who ever walked the Earth, and he will face the coming darkness no matter what form it takes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWARNING: \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Scepter of Bone\u003c\/em\u003e is a fun urban fantasy adventure with a healthy side of heat: ravishing succubi, submissive werewolves, cosplaying slime girls, flirtatious witches, and saucy language to match. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThese products are premium paperback novels.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from BLOOD KNIGHT: VAMPIRE SLAYER\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCHAPTER ONE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Clarke?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hmm?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I know this is out of the blue, but have you ever played Dungeons \u0026amp; Dragons before?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJ.B Clarke sat in the Engineering and Science building’s study hall, his brain fogged with the musty stench of the decades-old building his college was too cheap to update, despite its exorbitant tuition fees. It had fallen deeper into fog over the past few hours, immersed in a grueling software problem as part of his database coursework. So when Emma called upon his brain to switch gears, it was a struggle—but soon he ungummed his brain cogs and flicked his eyes up from his laptop to meet hers across the table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmma cocked a playful eyebrow, which managed to coax Clarke’s mind fully out of its code-induced stupor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“A while ago,” he said cautiously, not sure what was behind her question. “Some of my friends were into it back in high school, but I haven’t played since I graduated. Why?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No reason, really. You just seemed the type.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The type?” Now it was his turn to raise an eyebrow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir professor had divvied up the class into random pairs for this assignment, which involved two students tackling each problem together. That meant they were supposed to divide the scope of their code between them and develop an interface to mesh their work back together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke had hoped to be paired with one of his acquaintances from the class—he hadn’t been at Chester Creek University long enough to develop any new close friends—but he’d ended up with Emma, a girl he’d exchanged no more than three words with before this assignment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot that he minded! He’d take about \u003cem\u003eany \u003c\/em\u003eexcuse to get to know her better, and it just so happened one had landed in his lap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a testament to the brain-dulling, soul-sucking nature of his surroundings that he’d managed to be distracted from her at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmmaline “Emma” Rose possessed what Clarke thought of as an “abundant” figure. Her burgundy leather jacket, black miniskirt, and gray-and-black striped stockings each seemed to strain against all those curves, especially the high and heavy thrust of her breasts, almost as if her clothes were under immense pressure from the inside, ready to burst open from all that barely-contained femininity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer face was equally attractive with large, dark eyes behind horn-rimmed glasses and a generous—often smiling—mouth, all framed by a cascade of long, raven-black hair. The glasses gave her a “sexy geek” vibe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, are you?” Emma asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was no judgment in her voice. No condescension or disdain. Just a soft, friendly form of curiosity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke had been a little nervous about how to approach Emma after class, worried about coming across as either too forward or too business-like. They were classmates assigned to the same problem; it would have been awkward for him to hit on her right out of the gate. Conversely, he didn’t want to keep things \u003cem\u003etoo \u003c\/em\u003eformal. This \u003cem\u003ewas\u003c\/em\u003e a golden opportunity to get to know her better, after all!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFortunately, Emma had beaten him to the punch. She’d broken the ice outside class with a great programming joke: \u003cem\u003eA SQL query goes into a bar, walks up to two tables and asks, “Can I join you?”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe’d have to remember that one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Why do I get the feeling this question didn’t come out of nowhere?” Clarke asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe flashed a brief smile. “Well, this place is \u003cem\u003eboring\u003c\/em\u003e, for one. And actually, one of my friends likes to GM. She put together this custom campaign, but we’re short one player. You interested?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke paused to consider how best to reply. A girl—a \u003cem\u003esmoking hot \u003c\/em\u003egirl—was inviting him to join her and her friends—her \u003cem\u003every possibly smoking hot\u003c\/em\u003e friends—for a night of pen-and-paper roleplaying. There was no way he could turn this down!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCareful though\u003c\/em\u003e, he told himself. \u003cem\u003eDon’t come across as too eager. Ease up to an eventual “yes.” \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Depends,” he replied guardedly. “What gaming system are you using?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Pathfinder 3.5. You ever hear of it?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I have,” he replied, his mind flashing through countless hours playing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ashley likes to use Pathfinder as a base for all her custom scenarios.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ashley?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“One of my friends. She stopped by our table earlier.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You mean—” He almost said \u003cem\u003ethe blonde that looks like a supermodel\u003c\/em\u003e, but instead replied, “the blonde dressed all in white. Long hair? Shiny hairband?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s her. My other friends—Sammy and Brooke—also play. Normally, the three of us would be enough, but Ashley \u003cem\u003einsists\u003c\/em\u003e we have four players for this one.” Emma leaned forward and gave him a crooked, knowing smile. “She can be stubborn like that sometimes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, if she put in all the time and effort to make her own scenario, then yeah. I can see why she’d be picky about how you played through it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Which brings us back around to my question.” She leaned back and draped an arm over the back of her chair. “Interested?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sure. When and where?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This Saturday at my apartment. We generally start arriving around five, have something to eat, then pull out the dice around six—six thirty. I’ll email you the address. It’s about twenty minutes from campus.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Great. I assume I’ll need to put together a character?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not for this one. Ashley has prebuilt characters for all of us. That’s part of the reason why she needs a specific number of players.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“For the story?” Clarke asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You guessed it!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What can you tell me about the scenario?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s urban fantasy, so the setting is modern day but with all these secretive magical elements thrown in. You’ll be playing a blood knight in hiding. They’re a hybrid class, sort of like a ranger or druid. Ashley gave the class a mix of magic and combat abilities. \u003cem\u003eVery\u003c\/em\u003e versatile.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sounds fun. I’ve always enjoyed playing hybrid classes. More options make for more engaging roleplay.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“See?” She extended an open palm toward him. “I knew you were the type!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah, I guess you had me figured out,” he replied, returning a bashful smile. “Should I bring anything to the session?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Just a copy of your character sheet and some dice, though I have spares if you need some.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No, I have my own.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Figured you would.” Emma gave him a friendly wink. “I’ll email you the character sheet along with the address. Just need to get it from Ashley first.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Thanks, but I was actually asking about food or drink. I don’t want to mooch off your hospitality or anything.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No worries there. The four of us—now \u003cem\u003efive \u003c\/em\u003eof us—take turns covering the pregame meal, and it’s Brooke’s turn this week.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Got it, and thanks for the invite. You can expect me at five, rules and dice at the ready.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Great! Looking forward to it!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What about you? What’s your character like?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, me?” Emma placed a demure hand over her chest. “I’m playing a succubus.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e***\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat Saturday, Clarke arrived at Emma’s apartment a few minutes before five with a ring binder clutched in the crook of his arm and a dice bag hanging from his fingers. Of the housing options available around campus, this was clearly one of the higher-end ones—not fancy, exactly, but sleek and new with pleasant facades that looked like they saw few raucous, vomit-strewn parties or drug deals, which was more than he could say about his own cheap place. He knocked on the door with his free hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe door cracked open, and Emma peeked her head out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Clarke!” She gave him with a warm smile. “Come on in.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Thanks.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe swung the door wide, and he stepped in, taking in the apartment. It was larger than the cubbyhole he called home—and cleaner, too—with comfy recliners and a long couch arranged around a low coffee table. Artwork hung on the walls in thick, black frames depicting a mix of anime and movie characters. \u003cem\u003eFrames\u003c\/em\u003e. She definitely lived a step above him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Thanks for the invite, again.” He set the binder down on the granite counter that separated the kitchen from the living room and tried not to look overly curious as he returned his attention to the binder. “It feels like ages since I scratched that pen-and-paper itch.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Don’t mention it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Though, I do have some \u003cem\u003eslight \u003c\/em\u003econcerns.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Like what?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well …” Clarke opened the binder and thumbed through the hundred or so pages. “I wasn’t expecting quite this many custom rules.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah,” Emma replied, her eyes laughing. “Sometimes Ashley can go a bit overboard.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Where’s she find the time for all this, anyway?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Who knows? But you know how it is. If you’re passionate about something, you find the time.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I guess so. Just wondering if her grades suffer because of her hobby.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nope. Quite the opposite, in fact. She gets straight A’s every semester, and I’m pretty sure she takes more hours than either of us.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You know her major?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ma-\u003cem\u003ejors\u003c\/em\u003e, actually. Political science and history.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke’s eyes widened. “She’s getting straight A’s with a dual major?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yep.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke shook his head. He flipped back to the front page, which contained the bulk of his character stats.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmma glanced down at the page. Something must have caught her eye, because her brow furrowed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Uh, Clarke?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s not your real name, is it?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke sighed internally. \u003cem\u003eHere we go.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m afraid so.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“But …” She made a disgusted face. “There’s no way.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I wish that were true,” he replied in a tired manner that attested to many similar conversations he endured in the past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I thought Clarke was your first name.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That would have been nice, but no. It’s my last name.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Come on.” Emma pointed to the name at the top of his character sheet, as if that would reveal some secret, \u003cem\u003ereally\u003c\/em\u003e real name beneath it. “You’re pulling my leg.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Wish I was.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“But no one’s parents would be that cruel!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You’d \u003cem\u003ethink\u003c\/em\u003e.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJ.B. Clarke gave her a sad smile, because his full name was Joffrey Baratheon Clarke. His mother—bless her enthusiastic fantasy-loving heart—had discovered George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire a few years before he’d been born and had “really liked the name’s ring.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis father—bless \u003cem\u003ehis\u003c\/em\u003e heart—hadn’t put his foot down, which led to him being named after a contender for “worst human being in fiction.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt wasn’t all bad, though. Back then, most people didn’t have a clue who Joffrey Baratheon was, and the name shortened to the much more palatable J.B., though his parents had settled for Joff most of the time. However, his namesake’s anonymity had vanished once HBO turned the books into a popular TV series and thus elevated the character from “worst human being in fiction” to “worst human being in fiction, for whom people cheered when he died and then rewound to watch it again.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd then the teasing began.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd kept going.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd going.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd fucking \u003cem\u003egoing\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke couldn’t have been happier when the show tanked in its last season so disastrously that literally \u003cem\u003eno one \u003c\/em\u003ewanted to talk about it anymore. Even a \u003cem\u003eglobal pandemic\u003c\/em\u003e couldn’t get people to rewatch its dumpster fire of an ending.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat said, his parents had been less than sympathetic when he’d confronted them about his namesake, stressing that they had no way of seeing into the future and it could have been worse. They even shared the supposedly true story of a woman who’d wanted to name her newborn daughter “Vagina” because she’d never encountered the word before the obstetrician used it and because, “Thas jus tha purdiest word I eva hurd!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke shivered involuntarily. Yes, it could have been worse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Actually,” he continued, “I’m wondering how Ashley knew my name, because it seems you didn’t tell her.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nope. News to me.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Will she let me go by ‘Clarke’ in the campaign?” He tapped a note on the page. “Because this part says we’re playing alternate versions of ourselves in the scenario.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, I’m sure Ashley will,” Emma replied with a carefree wave of her hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Will what?” came the unexpected response from the opening door.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Ash! Speak of the devil.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe newcomer gave Emma a cross look. “You know I don’t like that joke.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Must be why I keep using it, then,” Emma teased in a good-natured manner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley Smith rolled her eyes as she eased the door shut, then crossed the room with long-legged strides, high heels clicking on the hardwood. She’d dressed in all white again, this time with a short neck scarf to accent her sleeveless button-down shirt. She’d left the first three buttons open to provide a tantalizing glimpse of deep, firm cleavage. Her long, blonde hair practically gleamed in the light, held back by a metallic hairband.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe smiled at Clarke, but the expression held all the warmth of a business transaction. Clarke fought an urge to check his phone, almost certain she’d arrived at \u003cem\u003eexactly\u003c\/em\u003e 5:00 PM. She struck him as the severely punctual type.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m Ashley.” She extended a slender hand, which he shook, and found she was all business there, too. “I’m glad you could make it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Me, too,” Clarke replied, not sure what else to say, and trying to keep his eyes from wandering toward her plunging neckline. (Which was \u003cem\u003enot\u003c\/em\u003e business-appropriate.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“So, what are you sure I’ll allow?” Ashley asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“He wants to shorten his character name.” Emma tapped her finger on the character sheet. “Just chop off the first two parts.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley leaned over the page, then glanced up at Clarke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You don’t want to use your given name?” she asked, sounding somewhat perplexed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not really.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Why not?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Uh …” Clarke frowned at her. “Isn’t it obvious?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley’s eyes darted to the character sheet, stayed there for long, confused seconds, then zipped back up to Clarke. She seemed ready to ask another question, but then something softened in her face, and she shrugged.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“If you’re not comfortable with it, then use whatever you like. I only thought starting with everyone’s real names would make the scenario more immersive.” She gave Emma a knowing glance. “After all, if tonight goes well—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe door swung open violently. A tall, athletic woman barged in, four pizza boxes balanced atop one hand with absurd grace compared to the rest of her, especially when she shouted:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, bitches! I brought the meats!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second newcomer was almost as tall as Clarke, who was no slouch in the height department, though her shoulders weren’t nearly as broad, and her chest possessed a great deal more … topology than his. Still, the toned muscles visible on her arms and bare midriff spoke to an active lifestyle. Or curriculum. Or both, perhaps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe’d tied her thick, wavy mane of brunette hair back into a ponytail and wore a baggy gray T-shirt cut off at the bottom to reveal her firm stomach, its design and lettering too faded to make out. Her jeans gave a similar impression of comfortable wear and tear with a few rips around the knees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer sharp, intense eyes caught his, but then widened suddenly, and she froze midstride, almost launching the pizzas forward before she stabilized them with her free hand. Her expression—initially loud and boisterous—became almost mousy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh. You’re already here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That I am,” Clarke replied dryly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Uh … Hi? I’m Brooke. Brooke Hawthorne.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Clarke. Nice to meet you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah, uh.” Brooke held the boxes out as if offering them as an apology. “I brought pizza.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’ll take those.” Emma grabbed the pizza boxes and began arraying them on the kitchen counter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe rich, savory smell of hot cheese, meat, and marinara tickled Clarke’s nose, and his stomach grumbled in anticipation. Emma and Ashley busied themselves setting out paper plates, napkins, plastic cups, and a selection of colas at one end of the boxes. Brooke eventually unfroze from her awkward pose, gave Clarke a bashful glance, then grabbed a plate and began loading it up with pizza slices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke grabbed his own plate and surveyed the selection: three large pizzas consisting of pepperoni, meat lovers, supreme (also piled high with enough meat that the rare veggies would have cowered in fear if they’d been sapient), one medium pizza split into half pepperoni and half cheese, and a bag of breadsticks and marinara dipping sauce.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The meats indeed,” Ashley noted with a sour glance over the options.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The cheesy one is for you,” Brooke said. “See? I kept you in mind.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And what about our guest? You consider him, too?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I—” Brooke paused with her mouth open, then frowned. She faced Clarke. “You’re not a vegetarian, are you?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nope.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Any allergies?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“None I’m aware of.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You like pizza?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No, I \u003cem\u003elove \u003c\/em\u003epizza, and the more meat the better.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Fantastic! I was worried there for a minute.” Brooke’s face brightened. “You’ll fit right in.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The point,” Ashley said firmly, “is you should have asked \u003cem\u003ebefore\u003c\/em\u003e you bought the food.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Whoops.” Brooke shrugged before adding another slice to her plate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey there, girlfriends!” said a petite figure from the doorway.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Sammy!” Emma waved at her. “Would you mind locking the door? We’re all here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sure thing.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke realized he’d seen Sammy a few times around campus, though he’d never spoken to her. In fact, it was hard \u003cem\u003enot\u003c\/em\u003e to notice her, since she favored loud clothes and even louder hair, which seemed to be a different color every time he laid eyes on her. She wore a hoodie stylized with splotches of fluorescent paint, the hood pulled back to reveal a pixie cut of vibrant red hair blending toward purple at the tips.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe walked up to Clarke. “You Clarke?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s right.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Samantha Eloise.” She extended a gloved hand. “But you can call me Sammy. All my friends do.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe shook her hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Sammy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You ready to kick some vampire butt tonight?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eShh!\u003c\/em\u003e” Ashley snapped. “Spoilers!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, come on.” Sammy rolled her eyes as she grabbed her plate. “He already knows. You put it right there in your twenty-thousand-word lore dump.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke kept very quiet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I suppose you have a point there.” Ashley placed a single cheesy slice on her plate, struggling to disentangle the gooey strands gracefully. “You did read all the lore, right?” she asked, her voice tinged with uneasy hopefulness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I …” Clarke sighed. “Okay, I’m going to be honest here. I didn’t realize there was going to be quite so much material when I started printing it out. All I did was skim it before I drove over.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley sank in her seat a little and, oddly, her hairband seemed to darken a few shades. It must have been a trick of the lighting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Don’t give him that look.” Sammy flopped into one of the recliners and took a large bite from a breadstick. She continued speaking with her mouth full. “All I did was skim it, too. It was either that or fall asleep halfway through.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, now,” Ashley protested. “It wasn’t that dry.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSammy snorted out a laugh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, I liked it.” Brooke plopped down into one of the chairs. “I think it’s a good primer for people new to the, uh, setting.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke guessed she’d been about to use a different word there at the end, but he didn’t give it more than a passing thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley sighed and joined them around the coffee table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith all the recliners taken, Clarke sat down at one end of the couch, fully expecting Emma to pick the other end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe didn’t, instead choosing to sit in the middle close enough for their hips to press against each other. Clarke felt a jolt of almost electric excitement surge through him at the unexpected contact. He glanced over at her, and she smiled sweetly back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Something wrong?” she asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s nothing.” He was about to start eating when he noticed Emma hadn’t brought a plate. “Not eating with us?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’ll snack on something else later.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not a fan of pizza?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s not that. I love a good slice of pizza as much as the next girl. I just have these”—she twirled a hand around as if searching for the right word—“dietary restrictions.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ah.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I can only handle so much junk food before I get hit with these cravings and need something more, umm, nutritious to fill me up.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Got it. Say no more.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSammy chuckled around a fat bite of breadstick. He had no idea why.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55481600180515,"sku":"BLOODKNIGHT-1and2","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_1_and_2_Bundle_Shopify.png?v=1786971847"},{"product_id":"signed-print-battle-scarred-titan-mage-ruin-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT [BATTLE SCARRED]: Titan Mage Ruin (Paperback)","description":"\u003ch3 align=\"left\"\u003eOccasionally I get weird books in my stock that are generally good quality, but have minor errors that make them not-full-price-worthy. These are some of those books! If you don't mind a copy that's a little less-than-perfect, though - here, have $5 off! :D\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Two in the Titan Mage series. Published by Spice Rack Press. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eSigned by Edie Skye. \u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/ruin\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA monster-infested ruin? A dangerous bounty? A missing archaeologist? Sign this crew up for adventure!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt’s been one month since Locke was reborn on the world of Haven, and he’s still learning his way around. But his magic powers, giant mech, and brand new buff body definitely help. Not to mention his three gorgeous crew mates—Captain Alyssa, fellow Titan Mage Ember, and Chief Engineer Bexley—are determined to … help him get used to it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe’ll have to get used to it all fast, though, because their next bounty is a tough and personal one. An entire expedition has vanished at the site of an ancient ruin.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn expedition including Ember’s mother, Erudicia.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is no small task. On Haven, ruins involve more than lost history. They mean valuable artifacts, ruthless bandits, and magically-mutated monsters, and though Haven’s leading research society usually looks after its own missing crews … for some reason, it’s in no hurry to find Erudicia’s.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLocke suspects Ember knows why this particular expedition has been abandoned. He also senses she fears what she might face when forced to reunite with her estranged family. But Ember’s not one to let a little fear stand in her way, and neither is Locke. Not when they have their badass mechs called Titans on their side.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStill, questions remain: What caused the rift in Ember’s family? Why was the entire expedition abandoned? What kind of monsters lurk in that ruin? And have Locke and Ember upgraded their Titans enough to survive the trial to come?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWARNING: Titan Mage Ruin\u003c\/em\u003e is a fun fantasy adventure containing steam both punk and smutty: voluptuous airship captains, eager engineers, and lascivious mech pilots. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Edie Skye has somehow managed to mix together LitRPG, magical mecha, and a spicy harem romance into a story that is fun and great entertainment. It’s been a while since I sat down and read a book in one night, but here we are.” —Amazon Reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“As a teenager, I drooled over the mechs of Robotech and Macross, and nothing since then has captured my love of those massive robots as the titans of Titan Mage.” —Amazon Reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/ruin\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from TITAN MAGE RUIN\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePROLOGUE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was the biggest slimeball Locke had seen since the last election.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, technically not.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe’d seen and fought plenty of slime since his strange and fortuitous arrival on the world of Haven. It seemed to be one of the more common forms of monster on this alternative, magical companion to his home world of Earth. (Or, more specifically Grassroots, Kentucky.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow he’d come to be here wasn’t a long story, but it was a weird one. He’d recently suffered a car crash that left him paralyzed from the waist down and lost his job in quick (though unrelated) succession. He'd been trudging home in his wheelchair when he met a strange woman on the street—a headhunter, he soon learned, who was looking to hire someone with his qualifications. It was an unbelievable stroke of luck, so he’d signed the contract she’d offered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen he’d died.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen he’d woken up inside the cockpit of the giant robot he was presently piloting. Inside a brand-new body that was the exact opposite of the skinny, paralyzed, wheelchair-bound body he’d left behind. On an airship crewed by three gorgeous women, who \u003cem\u003ewanted\u003c\/em\u003e that body.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was more to it than that, of course, but considering where he’d started, his current situation was \u003cem\u003eawesome\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven if he was presently staring down a giant slime monster.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost slimes he’d fought before had come in the form of what his crewmates called shadow dregs—a parasitic goo that fell in meteors from the Crystal Moon, which hung full in the sky over their heads even this far into the daytime. Locke hadn’t quite figured out the Crystal Moon yet or why it dropped parasite-laden meteors so frequently that meteorfall bounties were the Harper’s Harriers’ main source of income. But then, his crewmates hadn’t figured that out yet, either, and they were native to Haven. All they knew was that shadow dregs took over beings living and non- and bent them to their will, to destructive ends, and so they had to be obliterated the moment they touched down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut in some ways, those were better than whatever creature was writhing below the airship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis goo wasn’t trying to control anything. It was just eating everything in its path.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Found the source of the distress call,” Captain Alyssa Harper radioed from the control room of the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e. “Get ready to disembark.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Way ahead of you,” a voice Locke recognized as Ember Q’Van radioed from the inside of her titan, Long Shot. “Titan” was the name Havenites gave to their most powerful type of mobile weapon. There was as much magic involved in their running as there was technology, but basically they were two-story-tall robots, and Havenites had fun with their designs. Titan Long Shot was a sleek blue and silver mech with almost athletic-looking lines and a subtle, but decidedly female aspect to the chest and hip areas. It was built for speed, mostly so it could fire the magical cannon positioned over its left shoulder and then reposition itself with ease.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Same,” Locke replied from inside his own titan, Chimera. Chimera was the opposite of Long Shot in many ways. Where Long Shot was the obvious product of some refinement, Chimera was—as its name implied—a mess of disparate parts they’d had to scrounge from other titans. (The Harriers frequently operated on a shoestring budget, and it wasn’t even a particularly \u003cem\u003egood\u003c\/em\u003e shoestring.) He’d at least been able to use his matter magic to turn all the pieces the same shade of red—oh yeah, he had magic here, too!—but in general it looked like a weird, gracefully asymmetrical hodgepodge of pieces from different armor suits. Still, it was bulky, manly, built for power and smashing stuff, and that was all he needed it to do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke—and Titan Chimera—crouched for a better view through the square opening in the hangar floor, while Ember—and Titan Long Shot—crouched beside him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn fact, the two had been in their titans since the captain had first picked up the panicked radio signal and spotted the weird shape on the horizon, and now they peered through the open door to get a better look at what they’d be fighting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e’s engineer, Bexley, looked down through the opening in the floor, too, as casually as if it \u003cem\u003edidn’t\u003c\/em\u003e open to a \u003cem\u003ethousand-foot drop\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Whoo,” she whistled. “That’s the biggest slimeball I’ve seen since the last time Locke and I f—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Now’s not the time, Bexley,” Ember groaned, adjusting her cannon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What \u003cem\u003eis\u003c\/em\u003e that thing?” Locke asked. “It’s not acting like shadow dregs.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s a gluttony phantom,” Alyssa replied. “Concentrations of void essence sometimes cause them to manifest. No one knows why.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeering down through his titan’s visual sensors, Locke could easily see why they were called “gluttony phantoms.” Beneath their airship lay an expansive farm, or what used to be one. The resident farmers ran about either shooting ineffectually at the monster or trying to corral livestock away from its flailing, grasping pseudopods, but projectile weapons could only do so much against slime. Locke saw the remains of some poor souls who’d tried to get close enough to torch it—they were currently disintegrating in its gelatinous guts—and there was nothing they could do to save the crops in its path. Wherever it traveled, it left a wide swath of vegetation devoured down to the dirt, and the phantom grew wider as it progressed. Locke could see the point where it had started, too—from this distance, a pinprick in a field of corn-like stalks, perhaps no bigger than a tennis ball. Now, growing ever closer to the cluster of barns, silos, and farmhouses, it was easily the size of a modest building.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHalf the size of a titan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It grows as it eats,” Locke observed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It does,” Alyssa replied. “Fortunately, phantoms only feed on organic matter.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh! So I can punch it!” Locke said. That was a small relief. He couldn’t punch shadow dregs; Bexley kept his titan well-maintained and sealed, but there was always the risk of the shadow dregs finding a crack and slipping in, and while there were ways to purge them, those same purges would gradually compromise the integrity of the titan’s internal systems. Generally, it was better not to touch them at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Any chance of the phantom reaching me in the cockpit?” Locke asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“There’s \u003cem\u003ealways\u003c\/em\u003e a chance,” Alyssa replied. “Gluttony phantoms aren’t nearly as persistent as shadow dregs, though. If they encounter something inedible, they ignore it, so they’re unlikely to make it that far inside your titan.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“But if it \u003cem\u003edoes\u003c\/em\u003e get inside the cockpit?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Make sure it eats something less important than your dick,” Bexley advised.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I see Bexley has her priorities in order,” Ember groaned from inside her titan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I \u003cem\u003edo\u003c\/em\u003e have my priorities in order!” Bexley snapped back. “Locke’s a void mage! His is an \u003cem\u003eimportant dick\u003c\/em\u003e!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Can we focus on the task at hand, please?” Alyssa radioed in her most Captainly voice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Wait,” Bexley chimed, “by task at hand, do you mean Locke’s dick or the—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The \u003cem\u003egluttony phantom\u003c\/em\u003e!” Alyssa shouted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Fine,” Bexley huffed, and Ember moved to take up a better position behind where the engineer was standing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’ll snipe from here,” she said as Bexley skittered out of the way. “I can keep the pseudopods from grabbing things, but you’ll need to expose its core.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Core?” Locke asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I can’t see it from here, but it’ll be a little glowing ball of void condensate somewhere in all that slime. Destroy the core, and the phantom will disintegrate.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Gotcha,” Locke replied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We’re low enough for you to avoid fall damage. Ready to jump?” Alyssa radioed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ready!” Locke replied, and then flung himself and his titan feet-first through the hangar opening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTitan Chimera flashed brilliantly red in the morning sun as it plummeted from the airship toward the ground. In this world, titans looked like giant suits of fantastical armor, but they were more than that. Their insides brimmed with magical technologies that even this society didn’t fully understand, but Locke didn’t care much about those details. The details \u003cem\u003ehe\u003c\/em\u003e cared about were the ones that turned titans into ass-kicking war machines, and those were the details he was about to put to use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55481641861411,"sku":"TITANMAGERUIN-DAMAGED","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Titan_Mage_Ruin_Battle_Scarred_Shopify.png?v=1786973251"},{"product_id":"signed-print-battle-scarred-titan-mage-dragon-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT [BATTLE SCARRED]: Titan Mage Dragon (Paperback)","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOccasionally I get weird books in my stock that are generally good quality, but have minor errors that make them not-full-price-worthy. These are some of those books! If you don't mind a copy that's a little less-than-perfect, though - here, have $5 off! :D\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Three in the Titan Mage series. Published by Spice Rack Press. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eSigned by Edie Skye. \u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/dragon\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWorld-shaking mysteries? Secretive aristocrats? Shapeshifting dragons? All in a day’s work for Harper’s Harriers!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSix months have blown by since Locke was reborn in another world with his hot new body, magic powers, and a giant mech called a Titan. In that time, word has spread that he’s a new void mage—the rarest mage type—and now every woman he meets wants a piece of him. But only the voluptuous ladies of the airship \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e can claim his heart (and … the rest of him).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey’ll need all of him to take on their next bounty, for it promises to test their skills to their limits. A once-simple drake-hunting job has now turned into a dragon-hunting job— but there’s more to this bounty than meets the eye. Something has twisted the dragon, Ultranoth the Organized, from a reclusive collector to a rampaging winged terror, and that “something” might just be the same thing that caused the downfall of civilization a thousand years ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s a job that only Locke and his crew are qualified to take … especially since his crew includes Chief Engineer Bexley. Or, as she’s more formally known, Lady Beaunessia Valerie Brimble Morton, prodigal (and proud of it) daughter of the distinguished Morton family—and childhood friend to Ultranoth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut will Bexley be able to reach her scaly friend? And if not, what then? Will their two Titans be enough to bring down a dragon?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOr is it finally time for their \u003cem\u003ethird \u003c\/em\u003eTitan to enter the fray?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWARNING: Titan Mage Dragon\u003c\/em\u003e is a fun fantasy adventure containing steam both punk and smutty: sexy mechanics, sensuous airship captains, racy mech pilots, curious catgirls, and saucy language to match. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Edie Skye has somehow managed to mix together LitRPG, magical mecha, and a spicy harem romance into a story that is fun and great entertainment. It’s been a while since I sat down and read a book in one night, but here we are.” —Amazon Reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“As a teenager, I drooled over the mechs of Robotech and Macross, and nothing since then has captured my love of those massive robots as the titans of Titan Mage.” —Amazon Reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/dragon\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from TITAN MAGE DRAGON\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePROLOGUE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ground before Locke roiled with the shape of a monster still forming, and shuddered with the aftershocks of a natural disaster.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe meteor had struck mere hundreds of feet from the mine—far enough to miss it, but close enough to collapse it and trap all the miners inside, or worse. He didn’t know if there was anyone left to save so close to the still-smoking crater. He didn’t even know what kind of monster he was about to face.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this moment, at his level of skill, Locke was certain of one thing and one thing only:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf he did not make a dramatic entrance with his robot’s arms heroically crossed over its chest, then he was wasting the whole robot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You ready, Ember?” he asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe turned his head—and thus his titan’s head—to the right, where a sleek blue-and-silver mech crouched, the cannon on its right shoulder aimed down for its inevitable sniping. Locke’s red titan gripped a rafter at the top of the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e’s hangar, steadying itself as their airship floated around the scene. It was probably unnecessary—-titans could self-balance with aplomb—but it looked cool, and over the past several months, he’d grown so used to fighting in this machine that he figured he could safely indulge in a little Rule of Cool.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ready when you are,” Ember replied from Titan Long Shot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, I’m \u003cem\u003ealways\u003c\/em\u003e ready,” Locke replied—then did exactly what he’d been planning to do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe let go of the rafter, crossed Titan Chimera’s arms over its broad, shining chest, and then took one step and plummeted down from the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e’s lowered hangar ramp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSafe inside the cushioning conductor fluid of his cockpit, he felt invigorated rather than terrified by the sudden punch of gravity lurching through his guts. Oh, it had been terrifying the first time he’d practiced this move, but months upon months of airdrops into monster battles had trained him in what to do. He let himself fall for a bit and then, when he was just close enough to the ground, channeled a burst of magic into the crystalline gravity catalysts implanted in the back of each of his titan’s legs. The catalysts flared with purple light. A similar blast of purple excess magic plumed out of his shoulder louvers and trailed behind him like a sparkling cape. And when he landed, it was with all the composed coolness of a veteran mech pilot who was here for one thing and one thing only:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo kick monster ass like it was just one bullet on today’s badass to-do list.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah.” Locke smiled privately inside the cockpit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What?” came another voice from above—Captain Alyssa, calling from her watch point in the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e’s control room. “Is the situation down there better than it looks?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nah, it’s as bad as it looks,” Locke replied. “It’s just that I’ve been trying to nail that entrance for months and I finally got it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What tactical advantage does that give you?” Ember asked from Titan Long Shot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“None. It just looks cool.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not as cool as the—what did you call it? The three-point landing?” chimed Bexley, the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e’s chief engineer. “Even if it did tax the titan’s joints too much. Still, nine out of ten stars, would smash.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Bexley, how would you even smash a \u003cem\u003elanding pose\u003c\/em\u003e?” Ember spat. Locke could practically hear her rolling her eyes over the radio.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’d find a way,” Bexley replied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m sure you would,” he agreed with a grin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m still not clear on why those ‘landing poses’ are worth expending effort on,” Ember continued.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt once, every giant robot show Locke had watched back home on Earth flashed through his mind, complete with elaborate transformation sequences and epic theme song fights and especially those moments when the robots made their first great appearances on the field of battle, looking so unbearably kickass that even elaborately-animated missiles seemed to stop in their paths just to admire the sheer power of the mech’s presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut he couldn’t explain that to people from a world that had never known television.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s a guy thing,” Locke replied instead. “It’s hard to explain.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, like an alpha male ‘Step into the room and command all the attention’ thing?” Ember asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke was about to object, but then reflected on it and said, “Now that I think about it, that actually makes a lot of sense. You \u003cem\u003edo\u003c\/em\u003e get it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Men are not incredibly hard to figure out,” Ember stated. “It’s what I like about them. You’re very low-effort.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“… Thanks, I guess?” Locke replied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, men are as low-effort as you make them!” Bexley objected. “I, on the other hand—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We know, Bexley,” Ember retorted. “It’s hard to miss the noise.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sorry,” Bexley and Locke replied together, though Bexley’s was in a tone that was decidedly \u003cem\u003enot\u003c\/em\u003e sorry about all the noise she made when she and Locke were together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not that all this banter isn’t fascinating,” Captain Alyssa interrupted, “but there \u003cem\u003eis\u003c\/em\u003e a monster on the field.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nothing we can’t handle!” Locke replied. Now he stretched his arms out in preparation for the fight. (His titan stretched with him.) “We know it’s shadow dregs, and I’ve fought plenty of those before. Just gotta figure out the form.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe finished stretching, then focused on the writhing blob before him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis first few adventures on the world of Haven had been rocky ones, as he figured out the workings and dangers of his new home and circumstances. But their last big adventure had been pivotal. He’d learned a lot about Haven, its weird magical history, its geopolitics, its cultures, the strengths and limits of its naturally-occurring magic, the sheer complexity of its monsters, and the clever lengths to which he could push his titan—and all that had combined to unlock something inside him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSix months ago, he’d been Joseph Locke of Grassroots, Kentucky, down on his luck in every possible way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut thanks to a conveniently-timed acquaintance and some weird magical whatnot, he’d since been reborn as Locke—just Locke—void mage, wielder of \u003cem\u003eall\u003c\/em\u003e the magical elements, pilot of Titan Chimera, co-owner of the Harper’s Harriers, dangerous-errand-runner-and-occasional-bounty-hunter, and general inamorato of every woman on the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was, simply put, fucking awesome!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut even he knew that he’d been coasting until that point, trying to find his footing, and now that he’d found his first foothold, he didn’t intend to let it go.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMonster encounters were regular occurrences here, so his first step had been to brush up on the world’s monstrous fauna. He’d started taking notes on every monster he’d encountered, and filled in the gaps with tips from Ember and a titan mage friend he’d begun to make on another ship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOrion Havoc (or Rion, as he mercifully preferred to be called) was a distant friend at this point—the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eIndigo Gryphon\u003c\/em\u003e spent so much time in the air that they mostly only spoke by radio, or else when they met at random Arcane Indexes—but he was another part of Locke’s strategy: networking. He knew he was \u003cem\u003ebasically\u003c\/em\u003e powerful and valuable in this setting, but even the greatest people were only as powerful as the allies they kept, and he’d stumbled into some potentially useful ones when they’d returned to the Vasor Arcane Index after rescuing Ember’s mother from a fraught archaeology dig four months ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRion wasn’t even the most useful person he’d met that day, but over the course of their conversations, Locke quickly discovered that, in addition to being a mech pilot, he was also a monster nerd, and had been willing to send some detailed references for Locke to peruse between battles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBetween his own experience and Rion’s monster encyclopedias, Locke had been able to put together a much stronger picture of the kinds of creatures he’d be fighting, and the coalescing monster before him was one of the most prominent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShadow dregs were one of the single greatest scourges of the world of Haven. They were not native, but rather fell to the planet in meteors that broke off from the Crystal Moon hanging above in low orbit. No one had been able to explain what they were, except a magic-infused purple-black sludge; all they knew was that, once shadow dregs landed, they sought out things to take over. Living, dead, inanimate—it didn’t matter, and once they took over those things, they would rampage and spread until someone stepped in to obliterate them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke and the Harper’s Harriers made their careers out of being that someone. Meteorfall bounties were always plentiful and urgent, and time being of the essence, they generally paid well enough to be worth the risk. Of all the monsters he’d fought, shadow dregs were the one he was most familiar with.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut they were more complex than they seemed. The type of challenge presented hinged entirely on the person, monster, or type of object they took over, and they had an intelligence that, while limited, could also be incredibly dangerous. Most dregs opted to sink into living beings, to take over their muscles and brains until their eyes burned bloodshot purple-black with eldritch magic. But if the victim was large enough, they’d ignore the musculature entirely to home in on the brain, and with a host on that scale, they could wreak apocalyptic havoc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere were other varieties, too, but Locke didn’t anticipate those in most instances.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor now, he looked at the wriggling, violet mass before him and cracked his titan’s knuckles, unnecessarily.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Welp, guess I better light it up before it figures out what it’s doing.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’ll take the leftmost side,” Ember replied. “Keep clear of my shots.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Will do!” Locke shouted, and then coiled back as if to initiate a running tackle and clawed his hands together like he was holding a huge, invisible globe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis back foot landed with an enormous, earth-tearing stomp. The energy catalyst in his left arm glowed blazing orange with charging magic; the same color again spurted out of his shoulder louvers, and slowly, a dot of crackling bright energy began to coalesce between his palms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was another move he’d been practicing. When he was still getting used to his energy catalyst, he’d either used it as a flamethrower, ice thrower, or beam weapon. He hadn’t yet figured out how his machine concentrated the very physical concept of \u003cem\u003eice\u003c\/em\u003e into a particulate, not-entirely-corporeal beam of light—Haven’s physics were slightly different from Earth’s anyway—but his titan could turn his very \u003cem\u003ewill\u003c\/em\u003e into reality, and so he’d figured other shapes were possible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShapes like energy balls. Or spirit bombs. Or—\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Gods, Locke, is the screaming really necessary?” Ember shouted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“YES,” Locke shouted back, through a scream that sounded like it should span several episodes and suck all the energy from every lifeform across the planet of Haven. “IT’S AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE PROCESS.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I have literally never heard of another mage harnessing the power of screams,” Ember replied, unimpressed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“MAYBE THAT JUST MEANS I’M INNOVATIVE!” Locke roared back. The energy ball throbbed between his palms, growing larger with each syllable until it threatened to envelop his hands. He raised it above his head and let it throb and grow in size until it spanned the width of his shoulders, glowing ferocious orange and crackling with tendrils of white lightning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“HYAAAH!” he finally bellowed, and flung the burning energy ball with all his might.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Impressive,” Ember deadpanned, still unimpressed—\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe energy ball collided with the writhing churn of shadow dregs. It blasted along the whole of the spread like an incorporeal meteor making planetfall—and left nothing but a hole of singed earth at the center where it had struck.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, I take that back,” Ember began. “That is legitimately impressi—\u003cem\u003eshit\u003c\/em\u003e!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore Locke could even see what she was shouting about, a blast of searing white shot from Ember’s own titan and stabbed into the left side of what remained of the puddle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt didn’t take him long to realize what, though.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor as the wood burning scent of magic wafted past his nostrils, so too did the acrid scent of burning shadow dregs—and the sickening scent of charred human flesh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shadow dreg puddle writhed more vigorously now, galvanized to action by a direct threat, and as the purplish goo undulated, Locke now saw that it was more than a puddle of mere sludge; there were \u003cem\u003ethings\u003c\/em\u003e inside it. Human-shaped things. And not moving of their own accord.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Be on guard!” Alyssa reported from above. “Something’s happening near the mine!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke didn’t need her warning. From his vantage, he could see the broken earth shifting, as if something enormous was moving it from underneath—-or an enormous horde of smaller things.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuddenly, the ground exploded upward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke felt his stomach lurch as more shadow dregs slithered out of the rocky debris, carrying with them more human bodies, so broken that they looked like vaguely humanoid snakes wriggling across the ground. They all joined with the greater puddle in one sickening glide, and that was when the puddle began to take firmer shape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, damn, it’s a clump type!” Locke shouted, and began to blast heat attacks at the shape at a furious pace. Ember joined him at once, adding Long Shot’s powerful ranged arsenal to the mix. This kind of attack wouldn’t stop it, but the more they could whittle it down before it finished forming, the better.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClump-type shadow dregs were one of the most uncommon and least fun types to fight. Rather than controlling their victims like zombies, these took their victims’ bodies and lashed them together with their own nasty sludge, forming a single creature that looked made up of magical purplish tar and corpses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Corpse dreg,” Locke specified, intensifying his blasts as the creature grew, as a huge arm splashed out of the shape to claw the ground, then another arm, then a leg, and another leg.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe creature had grown to one story tall by the time its first arm emerged, two by the time its second arm sprouted. A great cloud of acrid smoke rose from the fury of their titans’ attacks, partially obscuring the creature. But even behind that oily screen, Locke could see the creature rising even higher. The silhouette of a weirdly humanoid head formed atop its still-wriggling shoulders, twice as high as his titan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd then a fierce gust of wind blew the smoke aside, revealing the creature in its full, terrible horror. Much of the shadow dreg sludge had retreated inward, either into their victims’ remains or behind them, yielding a monster that resembled hundreds of grimy, bloodied human bodies broken and cobbled together into the desired tall, stocky shape, connected loosely by thick, sticky strands of dark purple goop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Corpse \u003cem\u003egiant\u003c\/em\u003e,” Locke corrected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55481649398051,"sku":"TITANMAGEDRAGON-SIGNED","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Titan_Mage_Dragon_Battle_Scarred_Shopify.png?v=1786973548"},{"product_id":"signed-print-battle-scarred-titan-mage-rising-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT [BATTLE SCARRED]: Titan Mage Rising (Paperback)","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOccasionally I get weird books in my stock that are generally good quality, but have minor errors that make them not-full-price-worthy. These are some of those books! If you don't mind a copy that's a little less-than-perfect, though - here, have $5 off! :D\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Four in the Titan Mage series. Published by Spice Rack Press. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage-rising\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSinister cultists? A catgirl kidnapping? An elite enemy Titan? Sounds like a job for Harper’s Harriers!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke has finally adjusted to life on the fantastical world of Haven—but with his hot new body, magic powers, and giant mech called a Titan, how could he not? Especially since he flies on a ship full of gorgeous women who call him captain (both of his airship … and in their beds).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSoon he’ll have to put all those resources to use because Peth, the incorporeal space witch trapped inside his Titan, has experienced a dark premonition about the Crystal Moon—and in Locke’s experience, “weird moon stuff” is just another way to spell trouble.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhich proves prescient when moon cultists show up alongside a terrifyingly advanced Titan wielding all four magical elements. They assault the Harriers’ airship and kidnap one of his crew—the shy catgirl Sloan, who has a dark history with these cultists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke is determined not to let any harm come to her, and the Harper’s Harriers surge into action. But why do the cultists want Sloan in the first place? How do these events connect to the ever-darkening shadow on the Crystal Moon? And are their Titans powerful enough to take on this new, mysterious foe?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWARNING: Titan Mage Rising is a fun fantasy adventure containing steam both punk and smutty: sensuous airship captains, naughty engineers, shameless mech pilots, mischievous catgirls, and salacious space witches. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Edie Skye has somehow managed to mix together LitRPG, magical mecha, and a spicy harem romance into a story that is fun and great entertainment. It’s been a while since I sat down and read a book in one night, but here we are.” —Amazon Reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“As a teenager, I drooled over the mechs of Robotech and Macross, and nothing since then has captured my love of those massive robots as the titans of Titan Mage.” —Amazon Reviewer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage-rising\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from TITAN MAGE RISING\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCHAPTER ONE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe V-fin Locke had added to his titan’s forehead might have been a bit much, but he didn’t particularly care.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen again, Titan Chimera was already a two-story-tall suit of bright red armor, with five different magic-channeling catalysts and a fresh polish that made it gleam in the rising sun like it had already won today’s battle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCompared to the heroic badassery of the rest of it, his little decorative indulgence was nothing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd besides, with all the ass he’d kicked these past nine months, he’d earned it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow his titan stood by the open hangar ramp of the airship \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e, arms crossed boldly over its knightly chest as Locke surveyed the scene below him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Harper’s Harriers’ star had been rising, but the success of the bounty with the dragon three months ago had rocketed that star straight across the whole sky. Now they no longer had to compete with other companies for bounty assignments; potential employers competed to hire \u003cem\u003ethem\u003c\/em\u003e by offering pay that matched their reputation. This was one such bounty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut with increased pay came increased challenge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e had three titans now, and today it would need all three of them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s the biggest bramble hulk I’ve ever seen,” Locke marveled, observing the thing through the visual sensors in his titan’s eyes. “No wonder Lord Argothine’s paying so much.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, it’s eaten at least twenty farmers and two mercenary crews,” Ember said from his right, in Titan Long Shot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The more meat it eats, the faster it grows, right?” added Sloan from Titan Deathly Rhythm on his left.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Exactly,” Locke replied. He’d fought bramble hulks before, but the way Lord Argothine’s emissary had described this one, it was levels above anything they’d yet faced. His original, unabridged copy of \u003cem\u003eThe Encyclopedia of Monsterkind\u003c\/em\u003e had been next to useless this time, so he’d used it as a reason to upgrade to the more comprehensive multivolume edition and had been reading up on the creature ever since.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBramble hulks were a plant-based form of monster, and not only carnivorous but predatory, even in their simplest form. Standard bramble hulks reminded Locke vaguely of the one plant from \u003cem\u003eLittle Shop of Horrors\u003c\/em\u003e, with a fleshy mouth for a bud and vines it could use for locomotion. (Though to his knowledge, bramble hulks didn’t sing.) In that form, they usually subsisted on small forest creatures and didn’t live long before they met a forest creature that would eat them back. But occasionally one would win against the larger attempts at prey and grow proportionally, and a reign of terror would ensue.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArgothine was the lord of Greenvale, which was not only the most verdant area of Haven—with plenty of places for even a larger bramble hulk to hide—but its breadbasket. This meant that the population he managed was mostly farmers spending most of their lives outside, and vulnerable to the monster stalking the forests around their crops.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe creature had only eaten ten farmers when the lord had first hired the Harriers, but by the time they’d arrived in Greenvale, that number had doubled, and the creature’s power with it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe monster beneath them now had the same basic shape as a standard bramble hulk, but its size towered to nearly the same height as Locke’s titan, and the vines and leaves at its base spread out in a bushy tangle twice as wide and thick enough that it could be hiding any assortment of nasty surprises.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s a fully mature monster,” Locke reported to his companions. “It’ll probably have pods that spit digestive acid somewhere in there, as well as sticky nectar beads to trap victims, so be aware. We may have titans, but this thing’s already taken down at least one titan.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“How are we going in, then?” Sloan radioed from Deathly Rhythm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Standard opening strategy,” Locke replied. “Ember, you freeze it while Sloan slows it and I whale on it. With any luck, it’ll be as simple as that, especially since it’s still morning.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey’d tracked the creature all day yesterday until it settled on the edge of this clearing and then monitored it, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Bramble hulks would go briefly dormant when the temperature cooled, as it did on these autumn nights. They were always at their most dormant just before sunrise, before the day began to warm, and so they’d waited until this moment to attack.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ha!” Ember laughed from Long Shot. “When have our bounties ever been as simple as that?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“True.” Locke laughed back. “But we’ve gotta start somewhere. We’ll adapt as it reacts. Everyone ready?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I am,” Sloan replied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Let’s do it,” Ember echoed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTitan Chimera’s head nodded. “Then, Alyssa, take us down.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Got it,” Captain Alyssa radioed from the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e’s bridge, and slowly, the airship began to sink toward the ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke took a deep breath as he felt the gentle sway of the airship’s motion, and let all the sensation of his cockpit sink into him—the gooey slosh of the conductor fluid enveloping his body, the easy press of the insulating neck ring that kept it from splashing into his face, the strange awareness of his reflex link, as it connected his very consciousness to his mech so he could command it without controls.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe became aware of the energy catalyst in his left arm, the matter catalyst in his right, the time catalyst in his right shoulder and the … oh. He’d almost forgotten.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Remember,” he added, as much for himself as his crew, “I’m out both gravity catalysts while Bexley’s building my flight unit.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, I’m workin’ as fast as I can,” Chief Engineer Bexley radioed from her hangar workstation behind them. “You can’t rush genius.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Of course not.” Locke redirected his attention back to his fellow pilots. “My point is, I can compensate for speed with my time catalyst, but don’t expect me to be doing any super jumps or kicks this time around.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe other two pilots confirmed their understanding, just as the airship shook with the gentle nudge of landing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Titan Chimera strode off, it was with the bold, heavy steps of a giant machine that knew exactly what it was here to do and how it was going to do it. Titan Deathly Rhythm strode out behind it in much a similar fashion—a welcome change from the timidity with which Sloan had approached her mech three months ago. Back then, she’d still been learning, albeit swiftly. Now she was a time-accelerated ass-kicking machine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce the two had disembarked, the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e lifted off with Titan Long Shot still on board.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Awaiting your signal,” Ember radioed as she rose, and her titan crouched to a more stable position.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTitan Long Shot was a sleek blue and silver mech with graceful, athletic lines, but its most defining feature was the great shoulder-mounted cannon that presently rotated from its back to position itself to the right of its head. As an energy mage, Ember commanded energy catalysts in both forearms, but the energy mega-catalyst in her cannon was what saw the most use in battle, and even now Locke spotted the clear honeycomb of its crystalline rod charging to icy white.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ready, Sloan?” Locke said.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I am!” Sloan chimed cheerily from beside him, and Locke grinned inside his mech.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Then have at it!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSloan’s mech sprinted into action before he’d even finished his order. Titan Deathly Rhythm was the Harriers’ newest addition, an elegant teal machine with black and silver highlights that moved with grace equal to that of its smooth curves. It only had a single time catalyst in its right arm, but Sloan had adapted to its capabilities with ease, and now it glowed bright green as she sprinted for the slumbering bramble hulk at over double her regular speed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bramble hulk stirred, vaguely aware that something strange was coming toward it, but not awake enough to react.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat changed when Sloan snatched a short sword from Deathly Rhythm’s back and plunged it straight into the monster’s centermost fleshy bud.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe creature’s mouth began to open in a startled, agonized shriek—but it could \u003cem\u003eonly\u003c\/em\u003e begin to open. Sloan’s time catalyst flared an even brighter green as she conducted her time magic through the sword and into the monster. Instead of speeding up, the bramble hulk slowed down to half speed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke saw its leaves and vines begin to move in slow motion, but they weren’t nearly fast enough to be of use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s ready!” Sloan reported happily. “Shoot it!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer tone was like that of a student presenting a gift to a favorite teacher, or perhaps a cat presenting freshly-caught prey to a favorite person, and Ember showed her thanks with a frigid white blast from her cannon. A beam of glowing particulate ice shot into the brambly base of the monster, then crackled up along the thick flesh of the mouth pod.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nice start!” Locke shouted, and strode forward. “Now it’s my turn!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was his turn that would make this battle—had made all their battles over the past nine months. Most mages on the world of Haven were adept with only one magical element. Though they might have minimal aptitude with a second, few were apt enough to use more than one, and that was what made Locke special.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe was a void mage, a mage with high aptitude for all four magical elements—matter, time, energy, and gravity—and that gave him power and versatility beyond any other titan mage in his company. Ember could only wield heat or cold; Sloan could only speed up or slow down herself or her opponents—but Locke could do that, \u003cem\u003eand\u003c\/em\u003e matter-shift his own weapons on the fly, \u003cem\u003eand\u003c\/em\u003e jump and kick (and eventually fly) with wild manipulations of gravity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd now he funneled magic into every one of his catalysts as he stomped toward the titan-sized beast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy now, he had a process for bramble hulks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst, a matter-energy combo attack.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin his back armor rested a tank of semiliquid swiftmetal, connected to both his energy and matter catalysts. He willed his energy catalyst to charge the swiftmetal with heat magic—all he ever needed was will; the titan did the rest—and then commanded his matter catalyst to spool it out of a barrel under his right hand. The thin wireframe shape of a long blade spun out of the opening, and then flash-filled with glowing white swiftmetal a moment before he reached the monster.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis timing had been perfected over scores of lesser bramble hulks, as had his techniques, and now he charged his time catalyst and dashed around the monster’s circumference, slashing its leaves and vines away like he was some fantastical (if sloppy) gardener, albeit one that kept killer plants. He didn’t move as fast as Sloan could—his time catalyst was a lower tier than hers—but it was still fast enough to make quick work of the frozen brambles, and soon he’d exposed the monster’s most essential center.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt looked like a root ball positioned just below the fleshy mouth pod. Brown tendrils of wood-hard roots curled down from the pod-like protective claws, encasing what Locke knew to be the vital organs of the monster.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m to the core!” Locke reported. “Ember, can I get a heat blast? The root armor’s thick.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not too hot, though!” Sloan added. “Don’t incinerate me.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a reasonable warning; with Long Shot’s upgrades, Ember routinely incinerated weaker monsters to ash—but she was also precise in every aspect of her handling, from aim to power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ready,” Ember reported. “Stand back.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke zipped out of her line of sight, and soon a hot red beam bored into the root ball.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn explosion of burning splinters blasted from the wooden knot, and a plume of flame billowed out as the wood began to burn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Eew! It stinks!” Sloan groaned as a cloud of smoke wafted up toward her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke didn’t disagree; bramble hulk smoke always carried on it the unpleasant scent of decomposition and wood rot … but there was something different about the smell of this advanced bramble hulk.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt smelled like that, and burning blood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What’s the verdict?” Ember called down. “Need another—wait, Locke! Look out behind you!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55481676005667,"sku":"TITANMAGERISING-DAMAGED","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Titan_Mage_Rising_Battle_Scarred_Shopify.png?v=1786974209"},{"product_id":"signed-print-battle-scarred-titan-mage-apocalypse-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT [BATTLE SCARRED]: Titan Mage Apocalypse (Paperback)","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOccasionally I get weird books in my stock that are generally good quality, but have minor errors that make them not-full-price-worthy. These are some of those books! If you don't mind a copy that's a little less-than-perfect, though - here, have $5 off! :D\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Five in the Titan Mage series. Published by Spice Rack Press. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage-apocalypse\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA world-ending deity? An ancient superweapon? A fight for the future of Haven? Only Harper’s Harriers can save the day!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Locke came to the world of Haven, he didn’t know he’d be called upon to save it one day—but with his god-tier magic, his giant mech called a Titan, and his crew of hot, capable women, he’s the best man for the job.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEspecially now that his crew includes the Precursor space witch Peth, whose memories of what destroyed her civilization a thousand years ago have come rushing back. Now that same destroyer is about to break free from its prison within the Crystal Moon. To defeat it, they’ll have to find and activate an ancient Precursor superweapon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut reaching the superweapon won’t be easy, for Locke must now lead the Harper’s Harriers to the one place no one from Haven has gone in over a thousand years:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOuter space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHas Locke mastered his Titan enough to face his greatest challenge yet? Will his crew, their Titans, and all their epic upgrades be enough to save the world?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe may not know how his story on Haven will end, but between his harem of badass women and the coming battle with a destroyer god, one thing’s for sure:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhatever comes next, he’s going to go out with a bang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWARNING: Titan Mage Apocalypse is a fun fantasy adventure containing steam both punk and smutty: captivating airship captains, alluring engineers, provocative mech pilots, titillating catgirls, and sensual space witches. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Edie Skye has somehow managed to mix together LitRPG, magical mecha, and a spicy harem romance into a story that is fun and great entertainment. It’s been a while since I sat down and read a book in one night, but here we are.” —Amazon Reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“As a teenager, I drooled over the mechs of Robotech and Macross, and nothing since then has captured my love of those massive robots as the titans of Titan Mage.” —Amazon Reviewer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage-apocalypse\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from TITAN MAGE APOCALYPSE\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePROLOGUE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Did you literally just fuck Peth’s memory back into place?” Bexley exclaimed from the other side of Titan Chimera’s open hatch door.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke quickly readjusted his magesuit as Peth restored her short, witchy dress—what little there was of it, anyway. Until a few minutes ago, he’d been tossed in the throes of hot nasty psy magic sex with a resurrected Precursor witch inside the cockpit of his giant robot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike most experiences of his past nine months on the world of Haven, it’d been fucking awesome, but amazing as the sex had been, it wasn’t the most amazing part of this evening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat had been when Peth convulsed on top of him and then said:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I remember. \u003cem\u003eEverything\u003c\/em\u003e.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, it’s been firmly established that my dick has incredible talents,” Locke said as he rounded the hatch door.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe found the four women of his crew gathered on his titan’s scaffold in the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e’s hangar, as if hesitant to fully violate his and Peth’s privacy, even though the reason they’d come to the hangar in the first place was to investigate—and perhaps join in on—the noise. They were still docked at Edgewater, after all, which left all the ladies of the \u003cem\u003eBlue Heron\u003c\/em\u003e with more free time than usual.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe buxom, blonde pixie-haired Bexley just shrugged and nodded in agreement, as did the elegant Captain Alyssa and cute catgirl Sloan. His fellow titan mage Ember was the one hold out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I agree that your dick is talented, but dick-restored memory is a bit of a stretch.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke turned back to Peth, who was following behind him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eWas\u003c\/em\u003e that part of your design?” he asked. “That sleeping with me would restore your memories?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“If that had been the case, I wouldn’t have waited!” Peth laughed. “It was simply glorious timing.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Glorious …” Locke repeated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe timing wasn’t the only thing about his situation that was glorious. Nine months ago, he’d been a regular nobody in … well, who he’d been back on Earth was largely irrelevant now, and anyone who wanted to know his full story knew where to look. Especially now that his true origin was on record with the Arcane Index as a consequence of … everything that had happened in the past few days.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe important part was this: Peth had been a lost Precursor consciousness trapped inside Titan Chimera’s magical core. She’d brought him to Haven so he could use his rare and powerful void mage talents to pull her out into a new body, and the entire time he’d known her, memories of her old life had only emerged in fragments. Which was unfortunate, considering the thing that threatened them now was the very thing that had destroyed the Precursors a thousand years ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the meantime, she’d granted him an incredible life, pulling him into a hot, capable new body and a ship full of women who made regular, vigorous use of it. Not to mention his giant mech—Titan Chimera—which circumstances had forced him to upgrade into a badass big stompy robot, because present circumstances indeed demanded Big Stomps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd now, with her returned memories, Peth could provide valuable insight into where those big stomps needed to go.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe situation was this:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke had already saved the world once. Sort of. Maybe?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn truth, his last significant battle had only just ended, it had revealed several twists and surprises that he wasn’t sure how to make sense of, and the Arcane Index’s wider investigation into the matter had only just begun.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll Locke knew was that a force named Avarice was stirring in the Crystal Moon and the Endpoint City Arcane Index Director, Pious Pemberton, had used research conducted by moon cultists to turn himself and his followers into potential vessels for the thing. What Avarice was exactly—an intelligent alien, a hungry monster, a literal fucking cosmic horror god—Locke didn’t know. All he knew for sure was that Avarice was responsible for the meteorfall, shadow dregs, and dark specters that had plagued Haven for centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd, oh, Pious had shot his disembodied soul into the moon using a Precursor psy satellite dish. As one does.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso, he’d kidnapped Sloan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was all totally villain behavior on Pious’ part, but that was where the situation became  complex. Because Locke wasn’t entirely sure that Pious was a villain. Oh, turning even willing cultists into vessels for a gooey moon god was suspect, no doubt, but Sloan trusted Pious like a good surrogate father, and Pious had treated his operation like he was acting on the least terrible of two terrible options:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey could allow Avarice to destroy Haven wildly, or they could try to wield its power for themselves, to guide the magic it would inevitably unleash to productive uses. Both would result in the end of their world, but Pious’ expenditure of the magic, so he said, would have been wielded to create a better tomorrow—a world to rival that of the Precursors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke understood the logic, but he didn’t understand why Pious wouldn’t just want to \u003cem\u003edestroy\u003c\/em\u003e the thing, to end its cycle completely. Maybe Pious \u003cem\u003ewanted\u003c\/em\u003e to wield that power, either for his own selfish ends or for the noble end he claimed. But with his body dead and some part of him beamed up to the moon, it wasn’t like Locke could ask him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven that was uncertain, though. Locke couldn’t tell if Pious’ use of the satellite dish had succeeded. The ethereal light that poured off the dish as the spell enacted had flickered unstably, and there was no clear sign of what had actually happened. At least not as clear as, say, the moon laughing evilly as it adopted Pious’ likeness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, it still wore that creepy shadow grin stretched across its lower hemisphere. But, notably, it was no longer sending down meteors. All the meteorfall had ceased within an hour of Pious’ dying.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke wanted to think that was a result of Pious’ influence—that he actually projected his soul into the moon in the same way Peth had pulled Locke to Haven, and that he was now fighting Avarice from the inside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAlone\u003c\/em\u003e, Locke reflected, and shivered at the thought. If Pious was indeed a good man, that was fucking heroic, and he didn’t deserve to be doing it by himself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut with their present level of information, all they had were conjectures, and how could one even make an educated guess about the results of psy-magicking one’s soul into the moon? It wasn’t like that sort of thing was a common occurrence, even on Haven.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut now—\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke looked into Peth’s blue eyes, faintly glowing with more eager understanding than he’d ever seen. She could very well hold all the secrets they needed to defeat this destructive moon god and save their world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocke stepped aside and gestured to let her go first.\u003c\/p\u003e\n“Then let’s hear everything.”\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55481678397731,"sku":"TITANMAGEAPOCALYPSE-DAMAGED","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Titan_Mage_Apocalypse_Battle_Scarred.png?v=1786974694"},{"product_id":"signed-print-battle-scarred-blood-knight-vampire-slayer-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT [BATTLE SCARRED]: Blood Knight: Vampire Slayer (Paperback)","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOccasionally I get weird books in my stock that are generally good quality, but have minor errors that make them not-full-price-worthy. These are some of those books! If you don't mind a copy that's a little less-than-perfect, though - here, have $5 off! :D\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook One in the Blood Knight series. Published by Spice Rack Press.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn insatiable succubus? A shy werewolf? A scatterbrained angel? This team needs a leader!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJ.B. Clarke enrolled in college to earn his degree and find a steady job. What he got instead was an adventure in a secret underworld where vampires rule over all. Emma Rose, a friendly gamer who turns out to be a succubus, recruits him into Broken Fang, an overly ambitious team of monster girls. These lovely ladies know they’ll need help if they’re to stand a chance against the vampires, and they’re looking for a few good men.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, one man, actually. And that’s him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke is soon thrust into a hidden world full of magic, mystery, and mythical creatures. He’s in way over his head because Broken Fang is a dysfunctional mess, and his calculus professor is a sadistic vampire who snacks on pet animals. He’ll need more than his (considerable) experience with fantasy games to solve this problem!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFortunately, he’s far from helpless. He’s a blood knight, descended from an ancient and powerful line of vampire hunters, and his magical abilities have finally begun to awaken. But will they be enough? Can he master his powers in time to face the coming storm? Can he grow into the leader Broken Fang so desperately needs?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOr will he end up as just one more meal for the vampires?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWARNING: \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Vampire Slayer\u003c\/em\u003e is a fun urban fantasy adventure with a healthy side of heat: voluptuous succubi, energetic werewolves, incorrigible slime girls, nubile witches, and saucy language to match. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from BLOOD KNIGHT: VAMPIRE SLAYER\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCHAPTER ONE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Clarke?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hmm?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I know this is out of the blue, but have you ever played Dungeons \u0026amp; Dragons before?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJ.B Clarke sat in the Engineering and Science building’s study hall, his brain fogged with the musty stench of the decades-old building his college was too cheap to update, despite its exorbitant tuition fees. It had fallen deeper into fog over the past few hours, immersed in a grueling software problem as part of his database coursework. So when Emma called upon his brain to switch gears, it was a struggle—but soon he ungummed his brain cogs and flicked his eyes up from his laptop to meet hers across the table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmma cocked a playful eyebrow, which managed to coax Clarke’s mind fully out of its code-induced stupor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“A while ago,” he said cautiously, not sure what was behind her question. “Some of my friends were into it back in high school, but I haven’t played since I graduated. Why?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No reason, really. You just seemed the type.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The type?” Now it was his turn to raise an eyebrow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir professor had divvied up the class into random pairs for this assignment, which involved two students tackling each problem together. That meant they were supposed to divide the scope of their code between them and develop an interface to mesh their work back together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke had hoped to be paired with one of his acquaintances from the class—he hadn’t been at Chester Creek University long enough to develop any new close friends—but he’d ended up with Emma, a girl he’d exchanged no more than three words with before this assignment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot that he minded! He’d take about \u003cem\u003eany \u003c\/em\u003eexcuse to get to know her better, and it just so happened one had landed in his lap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a testament to the brain-dulling, soul-sucking nature of his surroundings that he’d managed to be distracted from her at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmmaline “Emma” Rose possessed what Clarke thought of as an “abundant” figure. Her burgundy leather jacket, black miniskirt, and gray-and-black striped stockings each seemed to strain against all those curves, especially the high and heavy thrust of her breasts, almost as if her clothes were under immense pressure from the inside, ready to burst open from all that barely-contained femininity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer face was equally attractive with large, dark eyes behind horn-rimmed glasses and a generous—often smiling—mouth, all framed by a cascade of long, raven-black hair. The glasses gave her a “sexy geek” vibe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, are you?” Emma asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was no judgment in her voice. No condescension or disdain. Just a soft, friendly form of curiosity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke had been a little nervous about how to approach Emma after class, worried about coming across as either too forward or too business-like. They were classmates assigned to the same problem; it would have been awkward for him to hit on her right out of the gate. Conversely, he didn’t want to keep things \u003cem\u003etoo \u003c\/em\u003eformal. This \u003cem\u003ewas\u003c\/em\u003e a golden opportunity to get to know her better, after all!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFortunately, Emma had beaten him to the punch. She’d broken the ice outside class with a great programming joke: \u003cem\u003eA SQL query goes into a bar, walks up to two tables and asks, “Can I join you?”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe’d have to remember that one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Why do I get the feeling this question didn’t come out of nowhere?” Clarke asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe flashed a brief smile. “Well, this place is \u003cem\u003eboring\u003c\/em\u003e, for one. And actually, one of my friends likes to GM. She put together this custom campaign, but we’re short one player. You interested?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke paused to consider how best to reply. A girl—a \u003cem\u003esmoking hot \u003c\/em\u003egirl—was inviting him to join her and her friends—her \u003cem\u003every possibly smoking hot\u003c\/em\u003e friends—for a night of pen-and-paper roleplaying. There was no way he could turn this down!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCareful though\u003c\/em\u003e, he told himself. \u003cem\u003eDon’t come across as too eager. Ease up to an eventual “yes.” \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Depends,” he replied guardedly. “What gaming system are you using?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Pathfinder 3.5. You ever hear of it?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I have,” he replied, his mind flashing through countless hours playing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ashley likes to use Pathfinder as a base for all her custom scenarios.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ashley?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“One of my friends. She stopped by our table earlier.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You mean—” He almost said \u003cem\u003ethe blonde that looks like a supermodel\u003c\/em\u003e, but instead replied, “the blonde dressed all in white. Long hair? Shiny hairband?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s her. My other friends—Sammy and Brooke—also play. Normally, the three of us would be enough, but Ashley \u003cem\u003einsists\u003c\/em\u003e we have four players for this one.” Emma leaned forward and gave him a crooked, knowing smile. “She can be stubborn like that sometimes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, if she put in all the time and effort to make her own scenario, then yeah. I can see why she’d be picky about how you played through it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Which brings us back around to my question.” She leaned back and draped an arm over the back of her chair. “Interested?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sure. When and where?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This Saturday at my apartment. We generally start arriving around five, have something to eat, then pull out the dice around six—six thirty. I’ll email you the address. It’s about twenty minutes from campus.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Great. I assume I’ll need to put together a character?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not for this one. Ashley has prebuilt characters for all of us. That’s part of the reason why she needs a specific number of players.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“For the story?” Clarke asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You guessed it!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What can you tell me about the scenario?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s urban fantasy, so the setting is modern day but with all these secretive magical elements thrown in. You’ll be playing a blood knight in hiding. They’re a hybrid class, sort of like a ranger or druid. Ashley gave the class a mix of magic and combat abilities. \u003cem\u003eVery\u003c\/em\u003e versatile.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sounds fun. I’ve always enjoyed playing hybrid classes. More options make for more engaging roleplay.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“See?” She extended an open palm toward him. “I knew you were the type!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah, I guess you had me figured out,” he replied, returning a bashful smile. “Should I bring anything to the session?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Just a copy of your character sheet and some dice, though I have spares if you need some.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No, I have my own.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Figured you would.” Emma gave him a friendly wink. “I’ll email you the character sheet along with the address. Just need to get it from Ashley first.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Thanks, but I was actually asking about food or drink. I don’t want to mooch off your hospitality or anything.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No worries there. The four of us—now \u003cem\u003efive \u003c\/em\u003eof us—take turns covering the pregame meal, and it’s Brooke’s turn this week.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Got it, and thanks for the invite. You can expect me at five, rules and dice at the ready.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Great! Looking forward to it!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What about you? What’s your character like?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, me?” Emma placed a demure hand over her chest. “I’m playing a succubus.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e***\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat Saturday, Clarke arrived at Emma’s apartment a few minutes before five with a ring binder clutched in the crook of his arm and a dice bag hanging from his fingers. Of the housing options available around campus, this was clearly one of the higher-end ones—not fancy, exactly, but sleek and new with pleasant facades that looked like they saw few raucous, vomit-strewn parties or drug deals, which was more than he could say about his own cheap place. He knocked on the door with his free hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe door cracked open, and Emma peeked her head out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Clarke!” She gave him with a warm smile. “Come on in.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Thanks.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe swung the door wide, and he stepped in, taking in the apartment. It was larger than the cubbyhole he called home—and cleaner, too—with comfy recliners and a long couch arranged around a low coffee table. Artwork hung on the walls in thick, black frames depicting a mix of anime and movie characters. \u003cem\u003eFrames\u003c\/em\u003e. She definitely lived a step above him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Thanks for the invite, again.” He set the binder down on the granite counter that separated the kitchen from the living room and tried not to look overly curious as he returned his attention to the binder. “It feels like ages since I scratched that pen-and-paper itch.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Don’t mention it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Though, I do have some \u003cem\u003eslight \u003c\/em\u003econcerns.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Like what?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well …” Clarke opened the binder and thumbed through the hundred or so pages. “I wasn’t expecting quite this many custom rules.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah,” Emma replied, her eyes laughing. “Sometimes Ashley can go a bit overboard.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Where’s she find the time for all this, anyway?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Who knows? But you know how it is. If you’re passionate about something, you find the time.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I guess so. Just wondering if her grades suffer because of her hobby.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nope. Quite the opposite, in fact. She gets straight A’s every semester, and I’m pretty sure she takes more hours than either of us.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You know her major?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ma-\u003cem\u003ejors\u003c\/em\u003e, actually. Political science and history.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke’s eyes widened. “She’s getting straight A’s with a dual major?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yep.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke shook his head. He flipped back to the front page, which contained the bulk of his character stats.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmma glanced down at the page. Something must have caught her eye, because her brow furrowed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Uh, Clarke?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s not your real name, is it?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke sighed internally. \u003cem\u003eHere we go.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m afraid so.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“But …” She made a disgusted face. “There’s no way.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I wish that were true,” he replied in a tired manner that attested to many similar conversations he endured in the past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I thought Clarke was your first name.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That would have been nice, but no. It’s my last name.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Come on.” Emma pointed to the name at the top of his character sheet, as if that would reveal some secret, \u003cem\u003ereally\u003c\/em\u003e real name beneath it. “You’re pulling my leg.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Wish I was.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“But no one’s parents would be that cruel!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You’d \u003cem\u003ethink\u003c\/em\u003e.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJ.B. Clarke gave her a sad smile, because his full name was Joffrey Baratheon Clarke. His mother—bless her enthusiastic fantasy-loving heart—had discovered George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire a few years before he’d been born and had “really liked the name’s ring.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis father—bless \u003cem\u003ehis\u003c\/em\u003e heart—hadn’t put his foot down, which led to him being named after a contender for “worst human being in fiction.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt wasn’t all bad, though. Back then, most people didn’t have a clue who Joffrey Baratheon was, and the name shortened to the much more palatable J.B., though his parents had settled for Joff most of the time. However, his namesake’s anonymity had vanished once HBO turned the books into a popular TV series and thus elevated the character from “worst human being in fiction” to “worst human being in fiction, for whom people cheered when he died and then rewound to watch it again.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd then the teasing began.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd kept going.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd going.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd fucking \u003cem\u003egoing\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke couldn’t have been happier when the show tanked in its last season so disastrously that literally \u003cem\u003eno one \u003c\/em\u003ewanted to talk about it anymore. Even a \u003cem\u003eglobal pandemic\u003c\/em\u003e couldn’t get people to rewatch its dumpster fire of an ending.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat said, his parents had been less than sympathetic when he’d confronted them about his namesake, stressing that they had no way of seeing into the future and it could have been worse. They even shared the supposedly true story of a woman who’d wanted to name her newborn daughter “Vagina” because she’d never encountered the word before the obstetrician used it and because, “Thas jus tha purdiest word I eva hurd!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke shivered involuntarily. Yes, it could have been worse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Actually,” he continued, “I’m wondering how Ashley knew my name, because it seems you didn’t tell her.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nope. News to me.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Will she let me go by ‘Clarke’ in the campaign?” He tapped a note on the page. “Because this part says we’re playing alternate versions of ourselves in the scenario.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, I’m sure Ashley will,” Emma replied with a carefree wave of her hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Will what?” came the unexpected response from the opening door.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Ash! Speak of the devil.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe newcomer gave Emma a cross look. “You know I don’t like that joke.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Must be why I keep using it, then,” Emma teased in a good-natured manner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley Smith rolled her eyes as she eased the door shut, then crossed the room with long-legged strides, high heels clicking on the hardwood. She’d dressed in all white again, this time with a short neck scarf to accent her sleeveless button-down shirt. She’d left the first three buttons open to provide a tantalizing glimpse of deep, firm cleavage. Her long, blonde hair practically gleamed in the light, held back by a metallic hairband.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe smiled at Clarke, but the expression held all the warmth of a business transaction. Clarke fought an urge to check his phone, almost certain she’d arrived at \u003cem\u003eexactly\u003c\/em\u003e 5:00 PM. She struck him as the severely punctual type.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m Ashley.” She extended a slender hand, which he shook, and found she was all business there, too. “I’m glad you could make it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Me, too,” Clarke replied, not sure what else to say, and trying to keep his eyes from wandering toward her plunging neckline. (Which was \u003cem\u003enot\u003c\/em\u003e business-appropriate.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“So, what are you sure I’ll allow?” Ashley asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“He wants to shorten his character name.” Emma tapped her finger on the character sheet. “Just chop off the first two parts.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley leaned over the page, then glanced up at Clarke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You don’t want to use your given name?” she asked, sounding somewhat perplexed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not really.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Why not?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Uh …” Clarke frowned at her. “Isn’t it obvious?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley’s eyes darted to the character sheet, stayed there for long, confused seconds, then zipped back up to Clarke. She seemed ready to ask another question, but then something softened in her face, and she shrugged.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“If you’re not comfortable with it, then use whatever you like. I only thought starting with everyone’s real names would make the scenario more immersive.” She gave Emma a knowing glance. “After all, if tonight goes well—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe door swung open violently. A tall, athletic woman barged in, four pizza boxes balanced atop one hand with absurd grace compared to the rest of her, especially when she shouted:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, bitches! I brought the meats!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second newcomer was almost as tall as Clarke, who was no slouch in the height department, though her shoulders weren’t nearly as broad, and her chest possessed a great deal more … topology than his. Still, the toned muscles visible on her arms and bare midriff spoke to an active lifestyle. Or curriculum. Or both, perhaps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe’d tied her thick, wavy mane of brunette hair back into a ponytail and wore a baggy gray T-shirt cut off at the bottom to reveal her firm stomach, its design and lettering too faded to make out. Her jeans gave a similar impression of comfortable wear and tear with a few rips around the knees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer sharp, intense eyes caught his, but then widened suddenly, and she froze midstride, almost launching the pizzas forward before she stabilized them with her free hand. Her expression—initially loud and boisterous—became almost mousy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh. You’re already here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That I am,” Clarke replied dryly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Uh … Hi? I’m Brooke. Brooke Hawthorne.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Clarke. Nice to meet you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah, uh.” Brooke held the boxes out as if offering them as an apology. “I brought pizza.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’ll take those.” Emma grabbed the pizza boxes and began arraying them on the kitchen counter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe rich, savory smell of hot cheese, meat, and marinara tickled Clarke’s nose, and his stomach grumbled in anticipation. Emma and Ashley busied themselves setting out paper plates, napkins, plastic cups, and a selection of colas at one end of the boxes. Brooke eventually unfroze from her awkward pose, gave Clarke a bashful glance, then grabbed a plate and began loading it up with pizza slices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke grabbed his own plate and surveyed the selection: three large pizzas consisting of pepperoni, meat lovers, supreme (also piled high with enough meat that the rare veggies would have cowered in fear if they’d been sapient), one medium pizza split into half pepperoni and half cheese, and a bag of breadsticks and marinara dipping sauce.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The meats indeed,” Ashley noted with a sour glance over the options.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The cheesy one is for you,” Brooke said. “See? I kept you in mind.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And what about our guest? You consider him, too?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I—” Brooke paused with her mouth open, then frowned. She faced Clarke. “You’re not a vegetarian, are you?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nope.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Any allergies?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“None I’m aware of.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You like pizza?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No, I \u003cem\u003elove \u003c\/em\u003epizza, and the more meat the better.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Fantastic! I was worried there for a minute.” Brooke’s face brightened. “You’ll fit right in.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The point,” Ashley said firmly, “is you should have asked \u003cem\u003ebefore\u003c\/em\u003e you bought the food.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Whoops.” Brooke shrugged before adding another slice to her plate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey there, girlfriends!” said a petite figure from the doorway.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Sammy!” Emma waved at her. “Would you mind locking the door? We’re all here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sure thing.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke realized he’d seen Sammy a few times around campus, though he’d never spoken to her. In fact, it was hard \u003cem\u003enot\u003c\/em\u003e to notice her, since she favored loud clothes and even louder hair, which seemed to be a different color every time he laid eyes on her. She wore a hoodie stylized with splotches of fluorescent paint, the hood pulled back to reveal a pixie cut of vibrant red hair blending toward purple at the tips.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe walked up to Clarke. “You Clarke?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s right.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Samantha Eloise.” She extended a gloved hand. “But you can call me Sammy. All my friends do.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe shook her hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Sammy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You ready to kick some vampire butt tonight?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eShh!\u003c\/em\u003e” Ashley snapped. “Spoilers!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, come on.” Sammy rolled her eyes as she grabbed her plate. “He already knows. You put it right there in your twenty-thousand-word lore dump.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke kept very quiet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I suppose you have a point there.” Ashley placed a single cheesy slice on her plate, struggling to disentangle the gooey strands gracefully. “You did read all the lore, right?” she asked, her voice tinged with uneasy hopefulness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I …” Clarke sighed. “Okay, I’m going to be honest here. I didn’t realize there was going to be quite so much material when I started printing it out. All I did was skim it before I drove over.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley sank in her seat a little and, oddly, her hairband seemed to darken a few shades. It must have been a trick of the lighting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Don’t give him that look.” Sammy flopped into one of the recliners and took a large bite from a breadstick. She continued speaking with her mouth full. “All I did was skim it, too. It was either that or fall asleep halfway through.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, now,” Ashley protested. “It wasn’t that dry.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSammy snorted out a laugh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, I liked it.” Brooke plopped down into one of the chairs. “I think it’s a good primer for people new to the, uh, setting.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke guessed she’d been about to use a different word there at the end, but he didn’t give it more than a passing thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley sighed and joined them around the coffee table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith all the recliners taken, Clarke sat down at one end of the couch, fully expecting Emma to pick the other end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe didn’t, instead choosing to sit in the middle close enough for their hips to press against each other. Clarke felt a jolt of almost electric excitement surge through him at the unexpected contact. He glanced over at her, and she smiled sweetly back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Something wrong?” she asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s nothing.” He was about to start eating when he noticed Emma hadn’t brought a plate. “Not eating with us?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’ll snack on something else later.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not a fan of pizza?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s not that. I love a good slice of pizza as much as the next girl. I just have these”—she twirled a hand around as if searching for the right word—“dietary restrictions.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ah.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I can only handle so much junk food before I get hit with these cravings and need something more, umm, nutritious to fill me up.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Got it. Say no more.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSammy chuckled around a fat bite of breadstick. He had no idea why.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55485899309347,"sku":"BLOODKNIGHT-DAMAGED","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_1_Battle_Scarred_Shopify.png?v=1787146341"},{"product_id":"signed-print-battle-scarred-blood-knight-scepter-of-bone-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT [BATTLE SCARRED]: Blood Knight: Scepter of Bone (Paperback)","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOccasionally I get weird books in my stock that are generally good quality, but have minor errors that make them not-full-price-worthy. These are some of those books! If you don't mind a copy that's a little less-than-perfect, though - here, have $5 off! :D\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Two in the Blood Knight series. Published by Spice Rack Press.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eSigned by Edie Skye. \u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA werebear at wits’ end? A necromancer in dire need? A bone scepter the vampires will kill for? Send in the blood knight to sort this mess out!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJ.B. Clarke and the lovely ladies of Broken Fang have won their first victory against the vampires who secretly rule the world. But their fight is far from over. To defeat the vampires once and for all, they’ll need to rally powerful allies to their cause. But before they can do that, they need to make a name for themselves amongst the hidden underworld of monsters, mages, and vampire slayers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eClarke makes a deal with the Coven of the Ashen Flower: his services as a blood knight in exchange for a steady stream of work. The coven agrees and assigns him to Ixia Grey, a young witch and aspiring esports player. Ixia proves to be a deft hand at lining up jobs for Broken Fang, and Clarke soon finds himself up to his elbows in monsters to slay—\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e—and fat paychecks to earn.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut all is not well in the city of Chester Creek. The vampires have unleashed a terrifying new monster, one more powerful and deadly than anything Clarke has ever faced. A ghostly killer now roams the shadows, an embodiment of fear and death that shreds its victims’ minds as it drains their bodies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut Clarke is a blood knight, heir to the greatest line of vampire slayers who ever walked the Earth, and he will face the coming darkness no matter what form it takes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWARNING: \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Scepter of Bone\u003c\/em\u003e is a fun urban fantasy adventure with a healthy side of heat: ravishing succubi, submissive werewolves, cosplaying slime girls, flirtatious witches, and saucy language to match. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from BLOOD KNIGHT: SCEPTER OF BONE\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCHAPTER ONE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIt took less than an hour for the aroma of Emma’s cooking to spur Clarke out of bed. He grabbed a quick shower and shave, then dressed and joined her by the apartment’s kitchen countertop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eEvidently, Emma hadn’t bothered to dress in anything besides her glasses and an apron, which said “Kiss the Cook” on the front. She kept her wings folded while her tail swung back and forth like a happy pendulum.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Good morning, Sexy!” She greeted him with a big smile. “Breakfast is almost done.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Smells great. What’s on the menu?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Omelets with feta cheese, spinach, and oven-roasted tomatoes. Want anything to drink besides coffee?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“No, thanks. Coffee’s good.” He grabbed a stool by the counter, sat down, and took a sip from the steaming mug. His eyes lit up after the first invigorating swallow. “Oh, wow. Is there something different with today’s brew? It’s going down smooth.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Glad you noticed!” She waved her spatula toward the open bag of coffee grounds. “I’m trying out a local company’s roast. This one’s called Quigley’s Dark Delight. It’s been getting rave reviews.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I can see why.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eHe drained his first cup and refilled it at the coffee maker before she served their omelets alongside a plate of buttered toast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“It’s a shame you and I are so busy this week,” she said, joining him on a stool at the counter. “We could have used today as an excuse to celebrate.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Celebrate? What’s the occasion?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“You mean you don’t know?” She flashed a coy half-smile.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eHe shook his head.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Why, today’s the three-month anniversary!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eHe froze with a forkful of egg halfway to his mouth, a sense of trepidation falling over him. Emma watched him expectantly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Wait, don’t tell me.” He lowered the fork, wracking his memories. The past few months had easily been the densest in his twenty-year life. “It’s been about a month since we defeated Heinrich.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Just about.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“So that means …”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Yes?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“That means it’s been three months since you freed me from the hex.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Close, but not quite. You’re off by two days.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Two days?” He snapped his fingers. “Of course! That’s when we started dating!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“There you go!” She clasped her hands together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Sorry. I didn’t realize it had been that long. The last few months have just flown by.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Tell me about it.” Emma chuckled and dug into her omelet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Did you have something in mind?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Oh, I don’t know.” Her eyes glinted playfully. “I’m sure I can come up with an activity we both enjoy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Emma, we do that all the time anyway.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Nothing wrong with doing it more.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Is it even possible for you to grow tired of sex?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Don’t know.” She draped an arm around him and whispered huskily into his ear. “Let’s find out.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“What have I gotten myself into?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Let’s see here.” She sat back. “A sexually overcharged harem with a succubus, a werewolf, and a slime girl?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Yes, that would be it.” He laughed and shook his head. “That’s a lot of dates to keep track of.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I can program all the important ones into your phone if you like.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“It’s not that. Have I ever mentioned that I feel like I need a manual for dating demihumans?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Maybe once or twice.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“It would really help. I want to treat all of you right, but I still feel like I’m stumbling around in the dark. Rewind three months, and I didn’t have a clue about demihumans or magic or the vampires who secretly rule the world. I’m still new to all of this, whereas you and Brooke have lived your entire lives with that knowledge. Even Sammy has me beat by years.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“You haven’t let us down yet.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“And I intend to keep it that way. For all our sakes. Let’s not forget that one of you is strong enough to snap people in half.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Brooke would never hurt you.” Emma paused with a slight frown. “On purpose, anyway.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I know. I just …” He shrugged. “I’m not sure what I’m saying. I guess it boils down to me knowing we have something special. I don’t want to screw that up.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I’m confident you won’t. You know why?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Why?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Because you worry about it. You’re keeping an eye on yourself, probably asking yourself questions like ‘Am I being the partner I need to be?’ ‘Is there more I should be doing?’ Stuff like that, right?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“More or less.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Then you have nothing to worry about.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“How can you be so sure?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Because”—she leaned in with a sly smile—“I ask myself those same questions when I think of you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55485915529507,"sku":"SCEPTEROFBONE-DAMAGED","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_2_Battle_Scarred_Shopify.png?v=1787146507"},{"product_id":"signed-print-battle-scarred-blood-knight-academy-of-silence-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT [BATTLE SCARRED]: Blood Knight: Academy of Silence (Paperback)","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOccasionally I get weird books in my stock that are generally good quality, but have minor errors that make them not-full-price-worthy. These are some of those books! If you don't mind a copy that's a little less-than-perfect, though - here, have $5 off! :D\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Three in the Blood Knight series. Published by Spice Rack Press.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA mysterious elf librarian? A rambunctious dragonkin coach? A cold yuki-onna professor? These monster girls are up to something!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJ.B. Clarke and the lovely ladies of Broken Fang have killed five vampires in as many months, but their mission to free humanity from the bloodsuckers who control the world has only just begun—\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e—and it’s about to get a lot more complicated!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThree mysterious monster girls have arrived in the city of Chester Creek, and they’ve been poking around in all the wrong places. Are they potential allies or a new threat? No one can tell, but fortunately, Clarke’s team includes Sammy Eloise: a slime girl with a fondness for video games, cosplay, and poisoning anyone who gets in her way. They’ll need all her shapeshifting talents if they’re to unravel this latest conundrum!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut time is running out because dark forces are on the move. The Academy of Silence has dispatched a hunter to the region, and his arrival ushers in a deadly game of cat and mouse for Clarke and the women he loves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut who is the cat, and who is the mouse?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Academy hunter is an ancient vampire, trained and equipped to dispatch any foe—including blood knights! But Clarke is hardly defenseless; his skills have been honed, his team is ready, and magical boons have transformed him into a powerful weapon against evil.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe stage has been set, the battle lines drawn, and soon these two men will meet in a clash that will shape the future of the entire world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWARNING: \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Academy of Silence\u003c\/em\u003e is a fun urban fantasy adventure with a healthy side of heat: devoted succubi, frisky werewolves, adventurous slime girls, seductive witches, and saucy language to match. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from BLOOD KNIGHT: ACADEMY OF SILENCE\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePROLOGUE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe small, windowless office was unremarkable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe woman behind the desk wasn’t.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eLady Illustris Tenebris Iram—Wrath of the Glorious Darkness—lounged in a highbacked chair, its dark leather softened with long use. She wore a black qipao that showed off her long legs, crossed with slender hands resting in her lap. The Chinese dress featured a golden dragon—because apparently that was \u003ci\u003eeveryone’s \u003c\/i\u003eidea of what a qipao looked like these days. Either that or decorated with flowers, and she’d take the dragon any day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe embroidered serpent snaked up, down, and around her full, voluptuous figure. Her skin was soft and pale, her face delicate and composed. It wasn’t her usual face, however. \u003ci\u003eThis\u003c\/i\u003e one she reserved for only her most distinguished guests.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eAnd what a guest, \u003c\/i\u003eshe thought with a wry grin. \u003ci\u003eHow long has it been since I had dealings with the Academy of Silence?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe Academy was the vampires’ answer to an important question: how best to keep various malefactors—mages or unhexed demihumans—under control? That answer took the form of the deviant hunters: elite vampires specially trained to kill the hardest of targets. The Academy was part school, fortress, and command center all wrapped in one, and though she knew where it was located—and couldn’t deny the allure of its many secrets—she also knew that some things were best left alone.\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe wooden door to her office creaked open, and a tall, handsome man stepped in. Everything about him was dark, from his short, curly hair to his complexion and the long trench coat emphasizing his broad frame. He closed the door and approached the desk, every motion measured and precise. He reminded Iram of a coiled spring, full of pent-up energy, ready to explode into action at the slightest provocation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe man removed his sunglasses and pocketed them, revealing dark eyes, piercing and patient.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThey were the eyes of a predator.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThey had to be, for this man hunted only the most dangerous of prey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe lines of his face were sharp, yet youthful, but those eyes hinted at a cold, ancient truth. An aura of magic followed him into the room, partially obscured by a well-crafted Concealment spell, but not good enough to shroud all his power. Not from her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eShe sensed the iron in that aura. Strong and pungent, even in its occluded state.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIt left the taste of blood in the air.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Lady Iram.” His voice was deep and resonant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Dorian,” she replied, her tone light, almost musical. This wasn’t her usual voice, either. She gestured to the only other chair in the office, and Deviant Hunter Dorian Alant sank into it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“It’s been a while since I saw that face. I thought we agreed to leave it in the past.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I was feeling nostalgic this morning.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Then there’s no hidden message you’re trying to convey?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“None.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I somehow doubt that. Nothing is ever so simple with you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“You know me so well, then?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I know your type.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“My ‘type,’ is it now?” Lady Iram cocked an eyebrow. “How long has it been, Dorian?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“At least ten years. Perhaps longer.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“And in all that time, you never so much as sent me a letter.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“My work keeps me busy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“No phone calls either.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“\u003ci\u003eVery\u003c\/i\u003e busy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Not even an email. You know that’s a thing nowadays, right?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I’m aware.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Got to stay current, Dorian. Can’t let the latest human trends slip by you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I understand you have a little deviancy problem, and that you requested me personally.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“\u003ci\u003eMay \u003c\/i\u003ehave one. And is that all you have to say? Just straight to business as if we only saw each other yesterday?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Is there anything else \u003ci\u003ebut\u003c\/i\u003e the Academy’s business?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Of course, there is. For one, how’s Bel, and have you spoken to her recently?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eDorian’s lip twitched. “Our \u003ci\u003eGreat Mother\u003c\/i\u003e graced the Academy with her presence last year. And yes, I was granted the honor of speaking to her, if briefly.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“She have anything interesting to say?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“She expressed her pride in the Academy, and in a few of my own accomplishments.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Pride, is it?” Iram chuckled. “I thought sloth was more her style.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“You haven’t changed at all. Must you always speak of Mother so casually?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Kid, let me explain something to you.” Lady Iram sat forward. “I was old long before you were born, and Bel is far older than me. You think either of us care for your stuffy formalities?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Respect is due to the mother of all vampires.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“She’s not \u003ci\u003emy\u003c\/i\u003e mother.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“That much is self-evident, but would it trouble you to show her a little deference? At least while I’m here. If you were anyone else, I would have ripped your throat out by now.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIram rolled her one eye. “You mean you would have tried.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Would it help if I said ‘please’?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“All right, all right.” She flashed a sudden smile, cold but polite. “I’ll behave myself. But only because you’re my favorite hunter.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThank \u003c\/i\u003eyou.” Dorian relaxed, if only by the tiniest of fractions. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to discuss why I’m here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“The reason you’re here is simple: local vampires keep turning up dead, and I don’t know why.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“When and how many?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Five so far. It started about three months ago with a vampire named Heinrich. He used to work at Chester Creek University as a math professor.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Pureblood?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“No, risen.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eDorian snorted. “Hardly a concern of ours.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Trust me, it gets better. I don’t know who killed Heinrich, but it had the appearance of typical risen infighting. Two other risen vampires moved in to claim Heinrich’s territory shortly afterward: Plainsborough and Rost, CCU’s head librarian and head football coach respectively. They clashed several times—destroying each other’s property and thralls—until their petulant spat culminated in a duel at the stadium.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Who won?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Neither. They both snuffed it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“An unusual outcome for a duel.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“That’s what I thought at the time, but there’s more. It turns out a \u003ci\u003ethird\u003c\/i\u003e vampire was present that night. I don’t have any information on this one, but the amount of structural damage suggests a very powerful pureblood. Too powerful to ordinarily be concerned with a pissant town like this.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Then that’s who killed the others?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“No. He’s dead, too! As in, his guts were splattered all over the stadium!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I see.” Dorian lowered his eyes. “That’s four dead so far. Who’s the fifth?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Olcott, a necromancer some dumbass elevated into a risen.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe hunter looked up sharply. “Someone turned a mage into a vampire?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Correct.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“That couldn’t have ended well.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“It didn’t. There’s a cemetery on the campus grounds. The original name is unimportant; nowadays it’s called Old Chester Cemetery. It’s part of the old church the place got built around. Someone used Olcott’s body to paint it red.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“And that someone is …”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Wouldn’t I like to know?” Lady Iram leaned back in her chair, and the leather sighed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Five vampires dead,” Dorian said. “Three of them risen nobodies, but two that weren’t: one a pureblood and the other a risen mage. Quite the impressive pile of corpses.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“You see why I called you here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I do.” He let out a slow sigh. “Could the mage clans be behind this?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Dorian, the mage clans are \u003ci\u003ealways\u003c\/i\u003e up to something. You might as well ask me if the sky is still blue.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Point taken.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Sure, they \u003ci\u003ecould\u003c\/i\u003e be behind the killings, but every mage knows to stay clear of vampiric business.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Lest a d-hunter be called in to perform a little housekeeping,” Dorian added, his cruel grin revealing his fangs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Precisely. And the same goes for the demihumans in this city. They all know not to mess with you vampires, because there \u003ci\u003ewill\u003c\/i\u003e be consequences. Personally, I’d say we’re dealing with a group and not an individual. Perhaps mages. Perhaps unhexed demihumans. Maybe a mix of the two. We could have a team of uppity idiots on our hands. People trying to make the world a ‘better place’ or some dreck like that. But there may be another motivator at work here, one that’s drawing powerful individuals to this area.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Do you have any idea what that might be?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Not really.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Then it seems my task is twofold. Objective One: Find and eliminate whoever’s killing vampires in this city. Objective Two: Uncover what in this area makes the killings worthwhile.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“That about sums it up.” She pushed a manila folder across the desk. “Here’s all the information I’ve compiled on the victims. Also, I recommend you take a close look at the university grounds. All the recent excitement seems to involve that place one way or another. Hell if I know why, though.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Then I’ll have a look around, starting with the stadium and the cemetery.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Are you settled in yet?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“No. I still need a base of operations while I’m in this area.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I can arrange one for you, if you like.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“This place?” Dorian made a circular gesture, indicating the business Lady Iram ran.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“No, no. Too public. I have a better location in mind. One with all the amenities of home. It’s scheduled to be renovated soon, anyway, so you’ll have the whole place to yourself. It’s in downtown Chester Creek, tucked into a corner that doesn’t see a lot of foot traffic, and it even has some existing Wards for protection, though you may wish to reinforce those yourself.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Acceptable.” Dorian pushed his chair back and rose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Don’t you want to stay a little longer?” Lady Iram’s tone bordered on a pout.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“The sooner I get started, the better.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Always duty first when it comes to you. It’s a shame, really.” Lady Iram retrieved a chilled wine bottle and two empty glasses from underneath her desk. Moisture clung to the bottle and traced down its sides. She set them down on the desktop. “I suppose I’ll have to drink this myself.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eDorian turned the bottle. His eyebrows rose when he read the label.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Virgin werewolf blood. If any of your customers saw you with this, \u003ci\u003ethey’d\u003c\/i\u003e rip your throat out.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“They’d try.” Lady Iram opened the bottle of bloodwine and poured two full glasses. “Fortunately, I have nothing to fear. Ignorance is bliss, as the humans are so fond of saying.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eDorian raised his glass and breathed in the aroma.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Exquisite,” he sighed, fangs lengthening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eLady Iram found her gaze drawn to the four obsidian rings glinting on his left hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Another one?” she asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Pardon?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“You had three rings last we met.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I’ve served the Academy long enough to receive my fourth. Our Great Mother granted it to me herself.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“My, how time flies. Has it really been that long?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“You growing senile in your old age?” Dorian asked, quirking a smile.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Hardly.” Lady Iram raised her glass. “To the success of your mission.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“To success.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThey drained their glasses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55485932634403,"sku":"ACADEMYOFSILENCE-DAMAGED","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_3_Battle_Scarred_Shopify.png?v=1787146782"},{"product_id":"signed-print-battle-scarred-blood-knight-portal-of-gold-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT [BATTLE SCARRED]: Blood Knight: Portal of Gold (Paperback)","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOccasionally I get weird books in my stock that are generally good quality, but have minor errors that make them not-full-price-worthy. These are some of those books! If you don't mind a copy that's a little less-than-perfect, though - here, have $5 off! :D\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Four in the Blood Knight series. Published by Spice Rack Press.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/blood-knight\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eA deadly vampire on the prowl? A beautiful werewolf in heat? A voluptuous dragonkin desperate for a child? This blood knight has his hands full!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJ.B. Clarke and the lovely ladies of Broken Fang have forged new alliances thanks to their victories against the vampires who secretly rule the world—but their job is far from over! They’re closer than ever to uncovering the secrets buried deep below the city of Chester Creek, and to securing the ultimate weapon in this magical war: the fabled Portal of Gold.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut a new threat stirs in the city’s shifter underworld. Whole werewolf packs have shown up dead under ghastly circumstances, and Brooke Hawthorne, a gorgeous wolf girl and one of Clarke’s four wives, begins searching for answers. Together, they start to unravel this new and deadly mystery, but all is not as it seems.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTreacherous forces have been playing a shadow game this whole time, and everyone—vampires and slayers alike—are nothing more than pawns to an elusive puppet master. The alluring power of the Portal of Gold has drawn this terrible being to Chester Creek, and Clarke will need all his wits and magic if he’s to survive.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis greatest challenge looms just around the corner, but he won’t face it alone: Brooke and the beautiful women of Broken Fang will stand by his side no matter what, and he’s far from defenseless on his own. He’s a blood knight, the last of the great vampire slayers, and he won’t stop until he’s freed humanity from the vampiric scourge.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAssuming a creature far worse than any vampire doesn’t kill him first.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eWARNING: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eBlood Knight: Portal of Gold\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e is a fun urban fantasy adventure where the hero saves the day and gets \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eall the girls\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium SIGNED paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/blood-knight\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from BLOOD KNIGHT: PORTAL OF GOLD\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePROLOGUE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eLady Illustris Tenebris Iram—Wrath of the Glorious Darkness—tapped a polished nail against the dark varnished wood of her desk. She sat in her office, the pleasant din of customers eating, drinking, and having a good time echoing from below.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eShe was not having a good time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe state of the game had changed, and she was no longer in control of the quaint college town of Chester Creek. Powerful forces were moving in—or were already here—and she needed to tread carefully as she bent the pieces on the board to her will.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eShe’d done it before, hundreds of times across hundreds of years, and she could do it again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eOnly this time was different.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThis time the Portal of Gold was the prize, and that meant she needed to step onto the board in order to seize its awesome power. She couldn’t rely on her minions for such an important task. Not entirely. Not without her power to back them up. Oh, she had eyes and ears and muscle aplenty at her disposal, but most were nothing more than unhexed demihumans.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eUnremarkable compared to her raw might.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIt had been twenty years since she’d been forced to engage with events so directly, but the stakes were too high, the involved parties too powerful.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThose parties didn’t have eyes on each other yet. But they knew of each other. They’d been swirling around the city for months, like planets in wild, opposing orbits. They tugged on one another, drawing closer and closer with each perilous passing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThey would eventually collide, but she couldn’t let that happen.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eNot yet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eNot until she’d squeezed every last advantage from the situation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe question remained how to do that. She didn’t know, and that uncertainty bothered her deeply. The tapping of her fingernail became more urgent, and her nail glittered for an instant like a precious gem. She stabbed the tip into her desktop, finger punching down to the first joint with no effort at all. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eShe grimaced at the damage. The nail returned to normal, and she folded her fingers into a loose fist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eLady Iram’s first challenge drew near and she composed herself. Her sharp hearing picked out the vampire’s light, high heeled footfalls clicking up a flight of wooden steps, followed closely by a heavier booted cadence. Iram drew a deep breath and studied the approaching magical auras: the first cool, controlled, but simmering with dangerous potential. In contrast, the man behind her possessed a more limited spark of magic, though Iram could practically taste his martial prowess, drawn back like a bow ready to be loosed. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eShe brought her groom with her, Iram thought. Doesn’t she trust me enough to come alone?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eWell, I can’t really blame her. The Academy of Silence already lost one hunter in this town. I didn’t have anything to do with his death, but she doesn’t know that.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe two visitors stopped outside her office, and a dainty double knock followed.\u003cbr\u003e“Come in, Jezebel,” Iram said pleasantly. “I was wondering when you’d stop by.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe door opened and the vampire walked in first. She was a slender, graceful woman with honey-blonde hair cut short and at an angle so that one side dipped near her cool gray eyes. Her lips were a severe, neutral line emphasized by deep red lipstick, and her snug black dress ended an inch below her hips, leaving an enticing glimpse of soft, pale flesh above each black stocking.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eA dark elf followed her in. His movements possessed an air of focused restraint, calm but capable of bursting into terrible violence in the blink of an eye. His pale purple skin brought out his high cheekbones and red eyes, and the ponytail kept his snow-white hair off the tall points of his ears.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eJezebel Hatchett, pureblood vampire and deviant hunter for the Academy of Silence, gave Lady Iram a curt nod before taking a seat uninvited. Her groom, Elliot Pryce, closed the door. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, eyes fixed on Iram.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Let’s get straight to business, Lady Iram,” Jezebel began. “You know why I’m here.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Of course I do. It’s because they’re still finding pieces of your predecessor strewn about the city.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“An exaggeration.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“The point is the Academy lost a d-hunter in this pissant town, and now you’ve been sent in to find out what happened to poor, old, exploded Dorian.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I’m also here to kill whoever eliminated him.” Jezebel crossed her slender legs and placed delicate hands in her lap. A lone obsidian ring gleamed on one finger.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“And his brides,” Iram added, eyes drawn to the bond ring. “They’re dead, too.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Their deaths are of no consequence.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIram glanced at Elliot. If the dark elf found Jezebel’s words distasteful, his face didn’t show it. Not that Iram had expected him to. It took a special kind of idiot to submit willingly to a vampire, to give up his freedom for power.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“What can you tell me about those responsible?” Jezebel asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Very little, I’m afraid.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Oh?” The vampire cocked an eyebrow. “What is this I hear? The legendary Lady Iram, caught unawares in her own city? How very strange.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eJezebel was right to be suspicious, and Iram needed to walk a fine line here. She’d spent decades spreading her influence across Chester Creek, and she knew exactly who’d killed the d-hunter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eBut she couldn’t reveal that to Jezebel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eNot yet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eNot when so much advantage remained to be gleaned from the blood knight and his harem.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe mere mention of a blood knight, the antithesis to vampires in many ways, would have escalated the situation beyond Iram’s ability to guide it. Dozens of d-hunters would descend on Chester Creek within days, and the blood knight would either be killed or forced into hiding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eNeither outcome benefited her. Not yet. Not with the path to the Portal of Gold partially open.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eWhich presented its own problems. Jezebel would likely find a way to retrace Dorian’s steps, and that would lead her down the same path—a path that led toward the Portal of Gold.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIram couldn’t allow that.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eWhich meant she needed to eliminate both Jezebel and Elliot.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eFortunately, she knew exactly how to accomplish that task without sullying her own hands.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“What can you share with me?” Jezebel asked pointedly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Just the basics. I requested the aid of a hunter about a month ago, asked for Dorian specifically because I knew I could depend on him. I told him about the five vampires who’d turned up dead recently, and he began his investigation. A few weeks later, he turns up dead, along with his four brides.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Where?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I’m not sure,” Iram lied, thinking carefully about which half-truths to feed the vampire.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Not sure?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“According to my sources within the police department, his brides were found dead in Studio Nightshade. It’s a club in downtown Chester Creek that was undergoing renovations at the time. Dorian was using it as his base of operations.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Then he was ambushed there?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I don’t think so. My sources came across evidence the brides’ bodies were moved there after the fact.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“A cover up, then.” Jezebel’s eyes gleamed. “But I noticed you only said the brides were moved. What about Dorian?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Oh, he was there, too. What little was left of him, anyway.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I see.” The vampire knitted her fingers. “Do you believe the mage clans were behind this? \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eI understand there are a handful of clans active in this city.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“If so, it’s unusual behavior for them. Killing a d-hunter, on top of five other vampires?” \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIram shook his head. “That’s not their style. Too aggressive.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Then what are we dealing with?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“My best guess is an independent party. Perhaps a mix of mages and demihumans.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Don’t you have anything besides guesses?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I’m afraid not.” Iram sat back, and the chair’s leather sighed. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I find this sudden lapse in your network’s abilities … distressing.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“What are you getting at?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“It’s quite simple, Lady Iram. A d-hunter is dead, and I must follow the trail wherever it leads me.” The vampire’s gaze turned sharp. “Wherever it leads.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Are you suggesting I’m somehow involved?” Iram laced her words with manufactured indignation. “I’m the one who asked for him to come here, remember?” \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“No one is above suspicion.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“I should be. Do I need to call Belphegor myself and have her sort you out?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Lady Iram, please.” Jezebel smiled faintly. “I meant no offense. Certainly, the relationship you have with our Great Mother is both known and respected. However, I must approach the situation with an impartial eye.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Now hold on a second.” Outwardly, Iram’s face contorted with mild offense, but inside she was grinning. “Yes, I don’t have anything for you now, but my own investigation is ongoing. I know the police are hiding something, and that’s where I’m focusing my efforts.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Then you’ll share anything you discover?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Absolutely. I want this problem solved as much as you do.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Excellent.” Jezebel rose and smoothed out her dress. “Then I will be on my way. How often can I expect updates from you?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Daily, unless there’s a breakthrough, in which case I’ll contact you immediately.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Very good. Then, Lady Iram, I wish you a pleasant evening.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eJezebel dipped her head ever so slightly. Elliot opened the door for her, and the two left.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eLady Iram finally permitted herself that well-earned grin.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eShe would reveal to Jezebel who killed Dorian, but she would do so at a time of her choosing. She needed this d-hunter off the board, and she knew just the piece to throw at her:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eJ.B. Clarke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eAfter all, what better way to kill a vampire than with a blood knight?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55486187700515,"sku":"PORTALOFGOLD-PPR-DAMAGED","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_4_Battle_Scarred_Shopify.png?v=1787147818"},{"product_id":"signed-print-battle-scarred-blood-knight-throne-of-shadows-paperback","title":"SIGNED PRINT [BATTLE SCARRED]: Blood Knight: Throne of Shadows (Paperback)","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOccasionally I get weird books in my stock that are generally good quality, but have minor errors that make them not-full-price-worthy. These are some of those books! If you don't mind a copy that's a little less-than-perfect, though - here, have $5 off! :D\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Five in the Blood Knight series. Published by Spice Rack Press.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium SIGNED PAPERBACK:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/blood-knight\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-expander-content a-expander-partial-collapse-content a-expander-content-expanded\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eA beautiful angel in love? A devil in need of smiting? A grand destiny to fulfill? Time for this blood knight to save the world!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the Portal of Gold in their possession and powerful allies at their backs, Clarke and the gorgeous heroines of Broken Fang are poised to strike at the vampires who secretly rule the world. But as Broken Fang’s successes have mounted, so too has the attention they’ve drawn, and the devil Belphegor—mother of all vampires—has dispatched a squad of her most powerful minions to the city of Chester Creek. Their mission? Find whoever’s been causing her so much trouble—\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e—and slaughter them all.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eClarke faces his greatest challenge yet, but he isn’t about to back down now. He’s a blood knight, a master of blood magic and heir to the greatest vampire slayers in history. He will fight these bloodsuckers to the bitter end, accompanied by Emma the succubus, Ixia the witch, Sammy the slime girl, Brooke the werewolf—and the angel Sandalphon, better known as Ashley Smith.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith their enemies drawing near, Ashley puts forward a plan to defeat Belphegor once and for all. They must locate the Throne of Shadows, the arcane heart of Belphegor’s power, and destroy its evil forever. But the trail to finding the Throne has been cold for twenty years, and the only lead Ashley has is an old ally in hiding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn ally who just so happens to be a vampire.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eClarke and the lovely ladies of Broken Fang soon find themselves in a race against time. Can they uncover the location of the Throne of Shadows and devise a way to destroy it? Or will Belphegor’s hunters find them first? It’s angel versus devil with the fate of humanity in the balance!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eThe thrilling, action-packed conclusion to the Blood Knight series has arrived!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWARNING: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eBlood Knight: Throne of Shadows\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e is a fun urban fantasy adventure where the hero saves the day and gets all the girls. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-expander-header a-expander-partial-collapse-header\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis product is a premium SIGNED paperback novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/blood-knight\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from BLOOD KNIGHT: THRONE OF SHADOWS\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePROLOGUE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I hear you have another blood knight for me to kill.” Lord Baxter Redpeak grinned toothily.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBelphegor, mother of all vampires, rose from the Throne of Shadows located deep within the Fortress of Sloth. The devil shook out her wings and took long-legged strides off the Throne’s dais. She approached the dapper vampire, her eyes gleaming with purpose, weighted by the centuries she’d spent on this wretched world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Indeed, I do, Lord Redpeak.” Her voice was a clear, silvery note—resonant and commanding, yet also soft and seductive. She walked up to him, one arm folded under her generous breasts, the other tucked to the side.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRedpeak dipped his head a touch more, his lips curled into a sinister yet reverent grin. He rose to his full height and fitted his top hat back in place. With his pale skin, black hair, and brown eyes that seemed almost red in the right light, Redpeak was every bit the ancient, pureblood vampire. The knee-length frock coat, elaborate vest, and richly embroidered cravat only added to the sense he’d been plucked from a bygone era. Most vampires employed a degree of subtlety in public, but Redpeak wore his heritage on his sleeve.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBelphegor couldn’t help but smile inwardly at the presence of her most loyal and capable servant. Yes, Redpeak had his quirks—all her vampires did to some degree—but this one relished each chance to curry her favor. He was a straightforward killer, perhaps to a fault, which Belphegor found refreshing from the tiresome scheming she had to put up with from other vampiric lords and ladies, especially those control freaks who ran the Big Tech companies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I had begun to wonder if the blood knights were extinct.” Redpeak’s voice was as smooth as velvet and as deadly as a hidden razor. [HH1.1]\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“As had I.” Belphegor shrugged as if afflicted by a minor irritant. “A pity.”\u003cbr\u003eTheir voices echoed softly in the vast underground chamber. The arcano-mechanical interface of the Throne of Shadows—the “throne” itself, as it were—sat at the center of a wide, circular platform, but the actual device was much, much larger. The Throne’s high back devolved into thick cable runs, tracing upward and fanning outward to connect with the machinery built into the high ceiling. More machines extended downward from the platform, forming a thick column several hundred meters tall with conduits and coolant pipes spanning the deep, dark pit. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA young vampire had once told Belphegor the chamber resembled the emperor’s throne room from Return of the Jedi. Or at least the access pit where technicians could make adjustments to the Throne’s many intricate components. She’d never bothered to watch the movie to find out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What do we know so far?” Redpeak asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not much, I’m afraid. Are you familiar with Lady Iram?” \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Of course, Great Mother. I make it a point to stay informed on the movements of all the surviving dragons. Why? Has something happened to her?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“She’s dead.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh my.” Redpeak glanced aside in thought. “If I’m not mistaken, it’s been over five centuries since the last draconic death.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You aren’t.” Belphegor’s immortal mind recalled the death with great clarity. She’d orchestrated the draconic genocide, after all, and the few survivors had sworn fealty to her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot that she’d given them much choice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Do the other dragons know?” Redpeak asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Doubtful, but that’s not our immediate concern. We’ll let sleeping dragons lie, as it were. Instead, I want you to investigate how she died.” Belphegor gestured to the small obsidian box set beside her throne. \u003cbr\u003eRedpeak’s reddish eyes flicked to the box. “Ah, the dragon’s death box, linked to her across all space and time. I wish you would share with me how to craft such an artifact.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Perhaps one day,” Belphegor teased, and meant it. If any vampire deserved to be taught the secrets of her magic, it was Lord Redpeak.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What message did the box convey?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That she’d been killed by a blood knight.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“A blood knight killed a dragon?” A hint of glee twinkled in his eyes. “I haven’t faced a challenge like this in, oh, perhaps three or four hundred years.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What is the status of Knightfall?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Four of our number are out on assignments, but can—and will—be recalled for a threat of this magnitude. The rest stand ready for your orders, Great Mother.” He grinned with obedient malice, fangs bare. “Will you grant me the pleasure of killing yet another blood knight?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Eventually, but first I have a task for you.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You have only to name it.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The Prime Grimoire. I want it moved.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRedpeak’s brow creased. “Because of the blood knight?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Because of what the existence of another blood knight implies.” Belphegor paused to see if her servant made the connection and was delighted to see his eyes glint with understanding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You suspect the angel Sandalphon has returned.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Correct, Lord Redpeak. It’s a possibility we can’t ignore. While the transplanar hexes I cast on Earth’s dimensional divide have served us well, we know they’re not impervious. Sandalphon may have found a gap she can exploit. And even if she blundered straight through them, I doubt the hexes would kill her. Maim, perhaps. But kill outright?” Belphegor shook her head. “Angels are hard to put down for good.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Then, if the angel has returned to this plane, you believe she’ll seek the Prime Grimoire?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s one avenue open to her, so we’ll work to close it.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The grimoire is well defended,” Redpeak assured her. “Both externally, and from within. None but your most trusted servants can read it.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sandalphon could, given enough time. And while angels are naturally patient, the appearance of another blood knight tells me she’s put a new plan into motion. The Prime Grimoire represents a point of vulnerability for us. It contains details on every spell we deploy through the Throne of Shadows, spells that keep the human populace ignorant of us and limit the powers of most demihumans. Vampires control the world because of these spells, and if an enemy were ever able to study them …”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“They would possess the knowledge necessary to unravel them on a large scale,” Redpeak finished. “Though not the means.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Don’t underestimate Sandalphon.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe vampire dipped his head submissively, but the devil continued:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I only damaged her citadel twenty years ago, and it has undoubtedly healed itself to some extent over the past two decades. We have no way of knowing what resources the angel has, and so we shall prepare accordingly for all contingencies.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I understand and obey, Great Mother.” Redpeak met her gaze. “I will see to it the Prime Grimoire is moved to an appropriately secure location. Perhaps the ‘Galaxy,’ if only temporarily?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“An excellent suggestion. See to it.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Of course, Great Mother. As for the blood knight?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Eliminate that threat with extreme prejudice.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRedpeak’s grin became almost manic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Lady Iram was based in the city of Chester Creek,” Belphegor continued. “Gather Knightfall and head there. Find and kill the blood knight. If the enemy turns out to be male, slaughter any females with him. Take no chances. Stamp out his line once and for all.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“With pleasure, Great Mother.” Redpeak removed his top hat and swept his arm into an elegant bow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55486200545571,"sku":"THRONEOFSHADOWS-DAMAGED","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_5_Battle_Scarred_Shopify.png?v=1787148074"}],"url":"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/collections\/back-in-stock.oembed?page=2","provider":"Jacob \u0026 H.P. Holo ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}