{"title":"Blood Knight","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"vinyl-sticker-emma-die-cut","title":"VINYL STICKER: Emma Die-Cut","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA 3.3\" by 4\" die-cut vinyl sticker featuring Emma from \u003cem\u003eVampire Slayer \u003c\/em\u003e(Blood Knight #1)\u003cem\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtwork by Yanai.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eProduced by StickerMule.com.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 - 3.3\" by 4\" weather-resistant vinyl sticker\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg style=\"float: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" data-mce-style=\"float: none;\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Jacob \u0026 H.P. Holo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47479819075875,"sku":"EMMA-DIECUT","price":3.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/AlyssaBikiniDieCut4.png?v=1707354266"},{"product_id":"desk-mat-blood-knight-vampire-slayer-blood-knight-1-cover-art","title":"DESK MAT: Blood Knight: Vampire Slayer (Blood Knight #1) Cover Art","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"color-background-1 gradient\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"section-template--18830817526051__68a0364d-60fb-437f-b01e-75c58e17941e-padding\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"page-width page-width--narrow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"rte\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA 31.5\" by 15.5\" desk mat featuring cover art from \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Vampire Slayer \u003c\/em\u003e(Blood Knight #1)\u003cem\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmma will keep your desk warm!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtwork by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGraphic Design by Edie Skye.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 - 31.5\" by 15.5\" desk mat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApart from looking cool, this desk mat keeps surfaces free from scratches and stains. Great for making spaces more organized with minimal effort. This mat has a smooth surface and a non-slip base. It's durable and will last long without fraying or pilling. Optical and laser mice are supported.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: Materials: 100% polyester front; 100% natural rubber backing\u003cbr\u003e.: One size: 31.5\" × 15.5\" (80cm × 39.4cm )\u003cbr\u003e.: Supports optical and laser mice\u003cbr\u003e.: Smooth surface\u003cbr\u003e.: Anti-fray edges\u003cbr\u003e.: Black non-slip base\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"31.5\" × 15.5\"","offer_id":47513282380067,"sku":"20321170033205106467","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/BloodKnightDeskMatShopify.png?v=1708314048"},{"product_id":"desk-mat-blood-knight-vampire-slayer-blood-knight-1-cover-art-slightly-spicier-variant","title":"DESK MAT: Blood Knight: Vampire Slayer (Blood Knight #1) Cover Art - SLIGHTLY SPICIER VARIANT","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"color-background-1 gradient\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"section-template--18830817526051__68a0364d-60fb-437f-b01e-75c58e17941e-padding\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"page-width page-width--narrow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"rte\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA 31.5\" by 15.5\" desk mat featuring cover art from \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Vampire Slayer \u003c\/em\u003e(Blood Knight #1)\u003cem\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmma will keep your desk warm!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e*I couldn't decide whether I liked the straightforward or tilted design better, so I posted both. - Edie\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-sanitized-data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtwork by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-sanitized-data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGraphic Design by Edie Skye.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-sanitized-data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 - 31.5\" by 15.5\" desk mat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApart from looking cool, this desk mat keeps surfaces free from scratches and stains. Great for making spaces more organized with minimal effort. This mat has a smooth surface and a non-slip base. It's durable and will last long without fraying or pilling. Optical and laser mice are supported.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: Materials: 100% polyester front; 100% natural rubber backing\u003cbr\u003e.: One size: 31.5\" × 15.5\" (80cm × 39.4cm )\u003cbr\u003e.: Supports optical and laser mice\u003cbr\u003e.: Smooth surface\u003cbr\u003e.: Anti-fray edges\u003cbr\u003e.: Black non-slip base\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"31.5\" × 15.5\"","offer_id":47513294405923,"sku":"32085435416352691528","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/BloodKnightDeskMatShopify2.png?v=1708314103"},{"product_id":"desk-mat-blood-knight-scepter-of-bone-blood-knight-2-cover-art","title":"DESK MAT: Blood Knight: Scepter of Bone (Blood Knight #2) Cover Art","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"color-background-1 gradient\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"section-template--18830817526051__68a0364d-60fb-437f-b01e-75c58e17941e-padding\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"page-width page-width--narrow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"rte\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA 31.5\" by 15.5\" desk mat featuring cover art from \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Scepter of Bone \u003c\/em\u003e(Blood Knight #2)\u003cem\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCome play with Ixia!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-sanitized-data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtwork by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-sanitized-data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGraphic Design by Edie Skye.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-sanitized-data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 - 31.5\" by 15.5\" desk mat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApart from looking cool, this desk mat keeps surfaces free from scratches and stains. Great for making spaces more organized with minimal effort. This mat has a smooth surface and a non-slip base. It's durable and will last long without fraying or pilling. Optical and laser mice are supported.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: Materials: 100% polyester front; 100% natural rubber backing\u003cbr\u003e.: One size: 31.5\" × 15.5\" (80cm × 39.4cm )\u003cbr\u003e.: Supports optical and laser mice\u003cbr\u003e.: Smooth surface\u003cbr\u003e.: Anti-fray edges\u003cbr\u003e.: Black non-slip base\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"31.5\" × 15.5\"","offer_id":47523930636579,"sku":"12535552609820844610","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/BloodKnight2DeskMatShopify.png?v=1708485030"},{"product_id":"desk-mat-blood-knight-scepter-of-bone-blood-knight-2-cover-art-slightly-spicier-variant","title":"DESK MAT: Blood Knight: Scepter of Bone (Blood Knight #2) Cover Art - SLIGHTLY SPICIER VARIANT","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"color-background-1 gradient\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"section-template--18830817526051__68a0364d-60fb-437f-b01e-75c58e17941e-padding\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"page-width page-width--narrow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"rte\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA 31.5\" by 15.5\" desk mat featuring SLIGHTLY SPICIER cover art from \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Scepter of Bone \u003c\/em\u003e(Blood Knight #2)\u003cem\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCome play with Ixia!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-sanitized-data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtwork by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-sanitized-data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGraphic Design by Edie Skye.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-sanitized-data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 - 31.5\" by 15.5\" desk mat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApart from looking cool, this desk mat keeps surfaces free from scratches and stains. Great for making spaces more organized with minimal effort. This mat has a smooth surface and a non-slip base. It's durable and will last long without fraying or pilling. Optical and laser mice are supported.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: Materials: 100% polyester front; 100% natural rubber backing\u003cbr\u003e.: One size: 31.5\" × 15.5\" (80cm × 39.4cm )\u003cbr\u003e.: Supports optical and laser mice\u003cbr\u003e.: Smooth surface\u003cbr\u003e.: Anti-fray edges\u003cbr\u003e.: Black non-slip base\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"31.5\" × 15.5\"","offer_id":47524117381411,"sku":"11639333594861809802","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/BloodKnight2DeskMatShopify2.png?v=1708484958"},{"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":"vinyl-sticker-ixia-die-cut","title":"VINYL STICKER: Ixia Die-Cut","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA 2.34\" by 3\" die-cut vinyl sticker featuring Ixia from \u003cem\u003eScepter of Bone \u003c\/em\u003e(Blood Knight #2)\u003cem\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtwork by Yanai.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eProduced by StickerMule.com.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 - 2.34\" by 3\" weather-resistant vinyl sticker\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" style=\"float: none;\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" data-mce-style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Jacob \u0026 H.P. 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Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 - 11\" by 17\" semi-glossy poster\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExperience art that feels silky to the touch with our high-quality, lighter-weight, classic semi-glossy paper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt has a paper weight of 170 gsm\/ 65 lb, making it perfect for creating long-lasting prints that are preserved in pristine condition for years to come.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWe use FSC-certified paper or equivalent certifications depending on regional availability. 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Holo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48251787804963,"sku":"BK-SEMIGLOSSY","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/BloodKnight111by17PosterShopify.png?v=1713978587"},{"product_id":"poster-blood-knight-scepter-of-bone-blood-knight-2-cover-art","title":"POSTER: Blood Knight: Scepter of Bone (Blood Knight #2) Cover Art","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eAn 11\" by 17\" semi-glossy poster featuring cover art from \u003ci\u003eBlood Knight: Scepter of Bone\u003c\/i\u003e (Blood Knight #2)\u003cem\u003e.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtwork by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePrinted on Demand by Gelato.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 - 11\" by 17\" semi-glossy poster\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExperience art that feels silky to the touch with our high-quality, lighter-weight, classic semi-glossy paper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt has a paper weight of 170 gsm\/ 65 lb, making it perfect for creating long-lasting prints that are preserved in pristine condition for years to come.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWe use FSC-certified paper or equivalent certifications depending on regional availability. 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It’s better for the people and the planet.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEach poster is shipped in robust packaging, ensuring it arrives safe and secure.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePaper sizes may vary slightly by region. For the US and Canada, the measurement is in inches, while for the rest of the world, it is in centimeters.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt is printed and shipped on demand. No minimums are required.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Jacob \u0026 H.P. Holo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48251887223075,"sku":"TM3-SEMIGLOSSY","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/BloodKnight311by17PosterShopify.png?v=1713979495"},{"product_id":"vinyl-sticker-sammy-die-cut","title":"VINYL STICKER: Sammy Die Cut","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA 2.67\" by 3\" die-cut vinyl sticker featuring Sammy from \u003cem\u003eAcademy of Silence \u003c\/em\u003e(Blood Knight #3)\u003cem\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtwork by Yanai.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eProduced by StickerMule.com.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 - 2.67\" by 3\" weather-resistant vinyl sticker\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" style=\"float: none;\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" data-mce-style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Spice Rack Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48253207511331,"sku":"SAMMY-DIECUT","price":3.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Sammy_Die_Cut_f33bd4e3-a244-44ca-85d5-5b7e6424670b.png?v=1714000752"},{"product_id":"desk-mat-blood-knight-academy-of-silence-blood-knight-3-cover-art-moar-bike-variant","title":"DESK MAT: Blood Knight: Academy of Silence (Blood Knight #3) Cover Art - MOAR BIKE VARIANT","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"color-background-1 gradient\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"section-template--18830817526051__68a0364d-60fb-437f-b01e-75c58e17941e-padding\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"page-width page-width--narrow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"rte\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA 31.5\" by 15.5\" desk mat featuring cover art from \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Academy of Silence \u003c\/em\u003e(Blood Knight #3), just with\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eMOAR BIKE\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSammy's ready to ride.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-sanitized-data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtwork by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-sanitized-data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGraphic Design by Edie Skye.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-sanitized-data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 - 31.5\" by 15.5\" desk mat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApart from looking cool, this desk mat keeps surfaces free from scratches and stains. Great for making spaces more organized with minimal effort. This mat has a smooth surface and a non-slip base. It's durable and will last long without fraying or pilling. Optical and laser mice are supported.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: Materials: 100% polyester front; 100% natural rubber backing\u003cbr\u003e.: One size: 31.5\" × 15.5\" (80cm × 39.4cm )\u003cbr\u003e.: Supports optical and laser mice\u003cbr\u003e.: Smooth surface\u003cbr\u003e.: Anti-fray edges\u003cbr\u003e.: Black non-slip base\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"31.5\" × 15.5\"","offer_id":50162100994339,"sku":"25191908697591192832","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Sammy_Desk_Pad_MOAR_BIKE_Shopify.jpg?v=1729027420"},{"product_id":"desk-mat-blood-knight-academy-of-silence-blood-knight-3-cover-art","title":"DESK MAT: Blood Knight: Academy of Silence (Blood Knight #3) Cover Art","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"color-background-1 gradient\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"section-template--18830817526051__68a0364d-60fb-437f-b01e-75c58e17941e-padding\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"page-width page-width--narrow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"rte\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA 31.5\" by 15.5\" desk mat featuring cover art from \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Academy of Silence \u003c\/em\u003e(Blood Knight #3)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSammy's ready to ride.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-sanitized-data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtwork by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-sanitized-data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGraphic Design by Edie Skye.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-sanitized-data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 - 31.5\" by 15.5\" desk mat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApart from looking cool, this desk mat keeps surfaces free from scratches and stains. Great for making spaces more organized with minimal effort. This mat has a smooth surface and a non-slip base. It's durable and will last long without fraying or pilling. Optical and laser mice are supported.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: Materials: 100% polyester front; 100% natural rubber backing\u003cbr\u003e.: One size: 31.5\" × 15.5\" (80cm × 39.4cm )\u003cbr\u003e.: Supports optical and laser mice\u003cbr\u003e.: Smooth surface\u003cbr\u003e.: Anti-fray edges\u003cbr\u003e.: Black non-slip base\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\" data-sanitized-data-mce-style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"31.5\" × 15.5\"","offer_id":50162212405539,"sku":"31587516273974219325","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Sammy_Desk_Pad_Shopify.jpg?v=1729027650"},{"product_id":"blanket-blood-knight-vampire-slayer-blood-knight-1-cover-art","title":"BLANKET: Blood Knight: Vampire Slayer (Blood Knight #1) Cover Art","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA 50\" by 60\" velveteen plush blanket featuring cover art from \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Vampire Slayer \u003c\/em\u003e(Blood Knight #1)\u003cem\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eSnuggle up with Emma!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtwork by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 - 50\" by 60\" velveteen plush blanket\u003c\/p\u003e\nNOTE: Due to variations in the production process, blankets may arrive up to 3\" shorter than their listed size.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: 100% polyester (SPOKE) or 83% Polyester and 17% Spandex (Miami Sublimation)\u003cbr\u003e.: Print goes on one side of the blanket in high detail and vibrant color\u003cbr\u003e.: Medium heavy-weight fabric (8.85 oz\/yd² (300 g\/m²)) that feels extra soft to the touch (thickness of the fabric may slightly vary)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"50\" × 60\"","offer_id":50270812143907,"sku":"25931096270578465831","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_Vampire_Slayer_Blanket_Shopify.jpg?v=1729646708"},{"product_id":"blanket-blood-knight-scepter-of-bone-blood-knight-2-cover-art","title":"BLANKET: Blood Knight: Scepter of Bone (Blood Knight #2) Cover Art","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA 50\" by 60\" velveteen plush blanket featuring cover art from \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Scepter of Bone \u003c\/em\u003e(Blood Knight #2)\u003cem\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eSnuggle up with Ixia!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtwork by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 - 50\" by 60\" velveteen plush blanket\u003c\/p\u003e\nNOTE: Due to variations in the production process, blankets may arrive up to 3\" shorter than their listed size.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: 100% polyester (SPOKE) or 83% Polyester and 17% Spandex (Miami Sublimation)\u003cbr\u003e.: Print goes on one side of the blanket in high detail and vibrant color\u003cbr\u003e.: Medium heavy-weight fabric (8.85 oz\/yd² (300 g\/m²)) that feels extra soft to the touch (thickness of the fabric may slightly vary)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"50\" × 60\"","offer_id":50270914117923,"sku":"28947275396777532063","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_2_Blanket_Shopify.jpg?v=1729648634"},{"product_id":"blanket-blood-knight-academy-of-silence-blood-knight-3-cover-art","title":"BLANKET: Blood Knight: Academy of Silence (Blood Knight #3) Cover Art","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA 50\" by 60\" velveteen plush blanket featuring cover art from \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Academy of Silence \u003c\/em\u003e(Blood Knight #3)\u003cem\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eSnuggle up with Sammy!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtwork by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 - 50\" by 60\" velveteen plush blanket\u003c\/p\u003e\nNOTE: Due to variations in the production process, blankets may arrive up to 3\" shorter than their listed size.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: 100% polyester (SPOKE) or 83% Polyester and 17% Spandex (Miami Sublimation)\u003cbr\u003e.: Print goes on one side of the blanket in high detail and vibrant color\u003cbr\u003e.: Medium heavy-weight fabric (8.85 oz\/yd² (300 g\/m²)) that feels extra soft to the touch (thickness of the fabric may slightly vary)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"50\" × 60\"","offer_id":50270960484643,"sku":"11935273339656798641","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_3_Blanket_Shopify.jpg?v=1729648776"},{"product_id":"blanket-blood-knight-portal-of-gold-blood-knight-4-cover-art-jean-variant","title":"BLANKET: Blood Knight: Portal of Gold (Blood Knight #4) Cover Art - JEAN VARIANT","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA 50\" by 60\" velveteen plush blanket featuring JEAN VARIANT cover art from \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Portal of Gold \u003c\/em\u003e(Blood Knight #4)\u003cem\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eSnuggle up with Brooke!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtwork by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 - 50\" by 60\" velveteen plush blanket\u003c\/p\u003e\nNOTE: Due to variations in the production process, blankets may arrive up to 3\" shorter than their listed size.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: 100% polyester (SPOKE) or 83% Polyester and 17% Spandex (Miami Sublimation)\u003cbr\u003e.: Print goes on one side of the blanket in high detail and vibrant color\u003cbr\u003e.: Medium heavy-weight fabric (8.85 oz\/yd² (300 g\/m²)) that feels extra soft to the touch (thickness of the fabric may slightly vary)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"50\" × 60\"","offer_id":50389658108195,"sku":"28816886680907572258","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_4_Blanket_Shopify_JEAN_VARIANT.jpg?v=1730331034"},{"product_id":"blanket-blood-knight-portal-of-gold-blood-knight-4-cover-art","title":"BLANKET: Blood Knight: Portal of Gold (Blood Knight #4) Cover Art","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA 50\" by 60\" velveteen plush blanket featuring cover art from \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Portal of Gold \u003c\/em\u003e(Blood Knight #4)\u003cem\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eSnuggle up with Brooke!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtwork by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 - 50\" by 60\" velveteen plush blanket\u003c\/p\u003e\nNOTE: Due to variations in the production process, blankets may arrive up to 3\" shorter than their listed size.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: 100% polyester (SPOKE) or 83% Polyester and 17% Spandex (Miami Sublimation)\u003cbr\u003e.: Print goes on one side of the blanket in high detail and vibrant color\u003cbr\u003e.: Medium heavy-weight fabric (8.85 oz\/yd² (300 g\/m²)) that feels extra soft to the touch (thickness of the fabric may slightly vary)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"50\" × 60\"","offer_id":50389668987171,"sku":"29397546134730940607","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_4_Blanket_Shopify_ORIGINAL.jpg?v=1730330941"},{"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-vampire-slayer-paperback","title":"UNSIGNED 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 PAPERBACK:\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\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-983566d7-7fff-a834-4b88-3fed374d99ad\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is an unsigned premium paperback, printed on demand just for you!\u003c\/span\u003e\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:\/\/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 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: 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":50453419196707,"sku":"BLOODKNIGHT-PAPERBACK","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_Vampire_Slayer_Paperback_Shopify.jpg?v=1733063767"},{"product_id":"print-blood-knight-scepter-of-bone-paperback","title":"UNSIGNED 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 PAPERBACK:\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\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-983566d7-7fff-a834-4b88-3fed374d99ad\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is an unsigned premium paperback, printed on demand just for you!\u003c\/span\u003e\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:\/\/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 wit's 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":50468437917987,"sku":"SCEPTEROFBONE-PAPERBACK","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_2_Paperback_Shopify.jpg?v=1733063518"},{"product_id":"print-blood-knight-academy-of-silence-paperback","title":"UNSIGNED 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 PAPERBACK:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-983566d7-7fff-a834-4b88-3fed374d99ad\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is an unsigned premium paperback, printed on demand just for you!\u003c\/span\u003e\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:\/\/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 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: 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":50963215188259,"sku":"ACADEMYOFSILENCE-PPR","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_3_Paperback_Shopify.jpg?v=1733065008"},{"product_id":"pillow-sham-emma","title":"PILLOW SHAM: Emma","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA microfiber pillow sham featuring Emma from the Blood Knight series.\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRest your head on Emma's ... wings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCover Art by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: Lightweight woven microfiber (100% polyester)\u003cbr\u003e.: Multiple sizes\u003cbr\u003e.: Pillow insert not included\u003cbr\u003e.: Envelope closure\u003cbr\u003e.: Cream color back\u003cbr\u003e.: Note: Pre-constructed item. Size variance +\/- 0.75\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"Standard","offer_id":53425139450147,"sku":"12273503195559229791","price":33.55,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"King","offer_id":53425139482915,"sku":"14811761808410006636","price":36.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Emma_Pillow_Sham_Shopify_Product_Graphics.jpg?v=1742058351"},{"product_id":"pillow-sham-ixia","title":"PILLOW SHAM: Ixia","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA microfiber pillow sham featuring Ixia from the Blood Knight series.\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRest your head on Ixia's ... gamer mats.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCover Art by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: Lightweight woven microfiber (100% polyester)\u003cbr\u003e.: Multiple sizes\u003cbr\u003e.: Pillow insert not included\u003cbr\u003e.: Envelope closure\u003cbr\u003e.: Cream color back\u003cbr\u003e.: Note: Pre-constructed item. Size variance +\/- 0.75\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"Standard","offer_id":53474055160099,"sku":"11653147524388079327","price":33.55,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"King","offer_id":53474055192867,"sku":"71563567500557755530","price":36.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Ixia_Pillow_Sham_Shopify_Product_Graphics.jpg?v=1742496671"},{"product_id":"pillow-sham-ashley","title":"PILLOW SHAM: Ashley","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA microfiber pillow sham featuring Ashley from the Blood Knight series.\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet Ashley take you into her ... wings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCover Art by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: Lightweight woven microfiber (100% polyester)\u003cbr\u003e.: Multiple sizes\u003cbr\u003e.: Pillow insert not included\u003cbr\u003e.: Envelope closure\u003cbr\u003e.: Cream color back\u003cbr\u003e.: Note: Pre-constructed item. Size variance +\/- 0.75\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"Standard","offer_id":53474061943075,"sku":"16699186320136081473","price":33.55,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"King","offer_id":53474061975843,"sku":"16354177511967867984","price":36.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Ashley_Pillow_Sham_Shopify_Product_Graphics.jpg?v=1742742887"},{"product_id":"pillow-sham-sammy","title":"PILLOW SHAM: Sammy","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA microfiber pillow sham featuring Sammy from the Blood Knight series.\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe'll rev your engine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCover Art by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: Lightweight woven microfiber (100% polyester)\u003cbr\u003e.: Multiple sizes\u003cbr\u003e.: Pillow insert not included\u003cbr\u003e.: Envelope closure\u003cbr\u003e.: Cream color back\u003cbr\u003e.: Note: Pre-constructed item. Size variance +\/- 0.75\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"Standard","offer_id":53474181775651,"sku":"22413148739966523287","price":33.55,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"King","offer_id":53474181808419,"sku":"16149367038215691893","price":36.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Sammy_Pillow_Sham_Shopify_Product_Graphics.jpg?v=1742742779"},{"product_id":"pillow-sham-brooke-original-cover","title":"PILLOW SHAM: Brooke (Original Cover)","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA microfiber pillow sham featuring Brooke from the Blood Knight series.\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe's ready for ... head scratches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCover Art by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: Lightweight woven microfiber (100% polyester)\u003cbr\u003e.: Multiple sizes\u003cbr\u003e.: Pillow insert not included\u003cbr\u003e.: Envelope closure\u003cbr\u003e.: Cream color back\u003cbr\u003e.: Note: Pre-constructed item. Size variance +\/- 0.75\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"Standard","offer_id":53474279817507,"sku":"70166309235833916316","price":33.55,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"King","offer_id":53474279850275,"sku":"97842760598131031622","price":36.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Brooke_Original_Cover_Pillow_Sham_Shopify_Product_Graphics.jpg?v=1742743010"},{"product_id":"pillow-sham-brooke-jean-cover","title":"PILLOW SHAM: Brooke (Jean Cover)","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA microfiber pillow sham featuring Brooke from the Blood Knight series.\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe's ready for ... head scratches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCover Art by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: Lightweight woven microfiber (100% polyester)\u003cbr\u003e.: Multiple sizes\u003cbr\u003e.: Pillow insert not included\u003cbr\u003e.: Envelope closure\u003cbr\u003e.: Cream color back\u003cbr\u003e.: Note: Pre-constructed item. Size variance +\/- 0.75\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"Standard","offer_id":53474993307939,"sku":"12422881423115401450","price":33.55,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"King","offer_id":53474993340707,"sku":"19290515633796841938","price":36.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Brooke_Jean_Cover_Pillow_Sham_Shopify_Product_Graphics.jpg?v=1742743114"},{"product_id":"pillow-sham-maximum-emma","title":"PILLOW SHAM: MAXIMUM Emma","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eA microfiber pillow sham featuring EVEN MORE Emma from the Blood Knight series.\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRest your head on Emma's ... wings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Premium Merch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCover Art by Yanai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProduced by Printify.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.: Lightweight woven microfiber (100% polyester)\u003cbr\u003e.: Multiple sizes\u003cbr\u003e.: Pillow insert not included\u003cbr\u003e.: Envelope closure\u003cbr\u003e.: Cream color back\u003cbr\u003e.: Note: Pre-constructed item. Size variance +\/- 0.75\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- x-tinymce\/html --\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight\u003c\/em\u003e? Check it out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CRC7JMF8\/\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"Standard","offer_id":53479988527395,"sku":"12002597289404986035","price":33.55,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"King","offer_id":53479988560163,"sku":"90157844081470701787","price":36.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Emma_MAXIMUM_Pillow_Sham_Shopify_Product_Graphics.jpg?v=1742747834"},{"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":"calendar-the-edie-skye-2025-waifu-calendar-all-best-girls-all-year-long-11-by-16-6","title":"CALENDAR: The Edie Skye 2026 Waifu Calendar - All Best Girls • All Year Long - 11\" by 16.5\"","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn 11\" by 16.5\" 2026 wall calendar featuring artwork from Edie Skye's Titan Mage, Titan Mage Havoc, Blood Knight, Monster Girl Tamer, and Catgirls from Outer Space. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA calendar to stimulate the intellect and otherwise.\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium merch:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eArtwork by Yanai, Jackson Tjota, and Starli.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eProduced by Gelato.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e1 - 11\" by 16.5\" spiral bound wall calendar.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eFeatures: \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHigh-Quality Printing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Printed in vibrant, full-color on 250gsm coated silk paper (100 lb cover) with professional packaging for a flawless delivery.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEco-Friendly:\u003c\/strong\u003e Made with FSC\/PESC-certified papers and local production to minimize our environmental impact.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cb\u003ePrinted on demand, no minimum orders.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003eWhat's Titan Mage? Check it out\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/titan-mage\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's Titan Mage Havoc? (It's not out yet, but it will be soon!)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003eWhat's Blood Knight? Check it out\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/blood-knight\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003eWhat's Monster Girl Tamer? Check it out\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/monster-girl-tamer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003eWhat's Catgirls from Outer Space? Check it out\u003c\/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/catgirls-from-outer-space\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Jacob \u0026 H.P. Holo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54560613597475,"sku":"b573d8b1-f2b1-4e6b-8de7-f254ab1d4eaa","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Edie_Skye_2026_Calendar_11_by_16.5_Shopify.jpg?v=1765376394"},{"product_id":"calendar-the-edie-skye-2026-waifu-calendar-all-best-girls-all-year-long-8-5-by-11","title":"CALENDAR: The Edie Skye 2026 Waifu Calendar - All Best Girls • All Year Long - 8.5\" by 11\"","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn 8.5\" by 11\" 2026 wall calendar featuring artwork from Edie Skye's Titan Mage, Titan Mage Havoc, Blood Knight, Monster Girl Tamer, and Catgirls from Outer Space. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA calendar to stimulate the intellect and otherwise.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium merch:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eArtwork by Yanai, Jackson Tjota, and Starli.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eProduced by Gelato.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e1 - 8.5\" by 11\" spiral bound wall calendar.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHigh-Quality Printing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Printed in vibrant, full-color on 250gsm coated silk paper (100 lb cover) with professional packaging for a flawless delivery.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEco-Friendly:\u003c\/strong\u003e Made with FSC\/PESC-certified papers and local production to minimize our environmental impact.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrinted on demand, no minimum orders.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003eWhat's Titan Mage? Check it out \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/titan-mage\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's Titan Mage Havoc? (It's not out yet, but it will be soon!)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003eWhat's Blood Knight? Check it out\u003c\/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/blood-knight\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003eWhat's Monster Girl Tamer? Check it out\u003c\/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/monster-girl-tamer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003eWhat's Catgirls from Outer Space? Check it out\u003c\/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/catgirls-from-outer-space\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Jacob \u0026 H.P. Holo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54560614711587,"sku":"d9a8ea26-84b9-4831-9ec2-0b2174ca437b","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Edie_Skye_2026_Calendar_8.5_by_11_Shopify.jpg?v=1765377281"},{"product_id":"calendar-the-edie-skye-2026-waifu-calendar-all-best-girls-all-year-long-5-5-by-16-5","title":"CALENDAR: The Edie Skye 2026 Waifu Calendar - All Best Girls • All Year Long - 5.5\" by 16.5\"","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn 5.5\" by 16.5\" 2026 wall calendar featuring artwork from Edie Skye's Titan Mage, Titan Mage Havoc, Blood Knight, Monster Girl Tamer, and Catgirls from Outer Space. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA calendar to stimulate the intellect and otherwise.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this premium merch:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eArtwork by Yanai, Jackson Tjota, and Starli.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eProduced by Gelato.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e1 - 5.5\" by 16.5\" spiral bound wall calendar.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHigh-Quality Printing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Printed in vibrant, full-color on 250gsm coated silk paper (100 lb cover) with professional packaging for a flawless delivery.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEco-Friendly:\u003c\/strong\u003e Made with FSC\/PESC-certified papers and local production to minimize our environmental impact.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrinted on demand, no minimum orders.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003eWhat's Titan Mage? Check it out\u003c\/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/titan-mage\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's Titan Mage Havoc? (It's not out yet, but it will be soon!)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003eWhat's Blood Knight? Check it out\u003c\/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/blood-knight\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003eWhat's Monster Girl Tamer? Check it out\u003c\/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/monster-girl-tamer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003eWhat's Catgirls from Outer Space? Check it out\u003c\/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/pages\/catgirls-from-outer-space\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003e!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Jacob \u0026 H.P. Holo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54560615006499,"sku":"8eb49cb4-2323-4291-8ac0-20eb25bf5968","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Edie_Skye_2026_Calendar_5.5_by_16.5_Shopify.jpg?v=1765377492"},{"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"}],"url":"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/collections\/blood-knight.oembed?page=3","provider":"Jacob \u0026 H.P. Holo ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}