{"product_id":"signed-print-blood-knight-vampire-slayer-blood-knight-1-and-blood-knight-scepter-of-bone-blood-knight-2-bundle-paperbacks","title":"SIGNED PRINT: Blood Knight: Vampire Slayer (Blood Knight #1) and Blood Knight: Scepter of Bone (Blood Knight #2) BUNDLE (Paperbacks)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis bundle contains Books One and Two in the Blood Knight series. Published by Spice Rack Press.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout these premium SIGNED PAPERBACKS:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eSigned by Edie Skye. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-d364ed80-7fff-a1ab-7c6d-e9d4ac79ce1b\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWant a personalized signature? Let us know in the comment box when you check out! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/titan-mage\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"short-description std\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlood Knight: Vampire Slayer (Blood Knight #1):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"two-thirds first genesis-author-pro-book-description\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn insatiable succubus? A shy werewolf? A scatterbrained angel? This team needs a leader!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJ.B. Clarke enrolled in college to earn his degree and find a steady job. What he got instead was an adventure in a secret underworld where vampires rule over all. Emma Rose, a friendly gamer who turns out to be a succubus, recruits him into Broken Fang, an overly ambitious team of monster girls. These lovely ladies know they’ll need help if they’re to stand a chance against the vampires, and they’re looking for a few good men.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, one man, actually. And that’s him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke is soon thrust into a hidden world full of magic, mystery, and mythical creatures. He’s in way over his head because Broken Fang is a dysfunctional mess, and his calculus professor is a sadistic vampire who snacks on pet animals. He’ll need more than his (considerable) experience with fantasy games to solve this problem!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFortunately, he’s far from helpless. He’s a blood knight, descended from an ancient and powerful line of vampire hunters, and his magical abilities have finally begun to awaken. But will they be enough? Can he master his powers in time to face the coming storm? Can he grow into the leader Broken Fang so desperately needs?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOr will he end up as just one more meal for the vampires?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWARNING: \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Vampire Slayer\u003c\/em\u003e is a fun urban fantasy adventure with a healthy side of heat: voluptuous succubi, energetic werewolves, incorrigible slime girls, nubile witches, and saucy language to match. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlood Knight: Scepter of Bone (Blood Knight #2):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA werebear at wits’ end? A necromancer in dire need? A bone scepter the vampires will kill for? Send in the blood knight to sort this mess out!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJ.B. Clarke and the lovely ladies of Broken Fang have won their first victory against the vampires who secretly rule the world. But their fight is far from over. To defeat the vampires once and for all, they’ll need to rally powerful allies to their cause. But before they can do that, they need to make a name for themselves amongst the hidden underworld of monsters, mages, and vampire slayers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eClarke makes a deal with the Coven of the Ashen Flower: his services as a blood knight in exchange for a steady stream of work. The coven agrees and assigns him to Ixia Grey, a young witch and aspiring esports player. Ixia proves to be a deft hand at lining up jobs for Broken Fang, and Clarke soon finds himself up to his elbows in monsters to slay—\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e—and fat paychecks to earn.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut all is not well in the city of Chester Creek. The vampires have unleashed a terrifying new monster, one more powerful and deadly than anything Clarke has ever faced. A ghostly killer now roams the shadows, an embodiment of fear and death that shreds its victims’ minds as it drains their bodies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut Clarke is a blood knight, heir to the greatest line of vampire slayers who ever walked the Earth, and he will face the coming darkness no matter what form it takes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWARNING: \u003cem\u003eBlood Knight: Scepter of Bone\u003c\/em\u003e is a fun urban fantasy adventure with a healthy side of heat: ravishing succubi, submissive werewolves, cosplaying slime girls, flirtatious witches, and saucy language to match. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThese products are premium paperback novels.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrefer a different format? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/edieskye.com\/book\/blood-knight\/\"\u003eClick here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Depositphotos_4583318_S_100x100.jpg?v=1675805195\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnjoy a sample from BLOOD KNIGHT: VAMPIRE SLAYER\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCHAPTER ONE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Clarke?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hmm?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I know this is out of the blue, but have you ever played Dungeons \u0026amp; Dragons before?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJ.B Clarke sat in the Engineering and Science building’s study hall, his brain fogged with the musty stench of the decades-old building his college was too cheap to update, despite its exorbitant tuition fees. It had fallen deeper into fog over the past few hours, immersed in a grueling software problem as part of his database coursework. So when Emma called upon his brain to switch gears, it was a struggle—but soon he ungummed his brain cogs and flicked his eyes up from his laptop to meet hers across the table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmma cocked a playful eyebrow, which managed to coax Clarke’s mind fully out of its code-induced stupor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“A while ago,” he said cautiously, not sure what was behind her question. “Some of my friends were into it back in high school, but I haven’t played since I graduated. Why?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No reason, really. You just seemed the type.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The type?” Now it was his turn to raise an eyebrow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir professor had divvied up the class into random pairs for this assignment, which involved two students tackling each problem together. That meant they were supposed to divide the scope of their code between them and develop an interface to mesh their work back together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke had hoped to be paired with one of his acquaintances from the class—he hadn’t been at Chester Creek University long enough to develop any new close friends—but he’d ended up with Emma, a girl he’d exchanged no more than three words with before this assignment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot that he minded! He’d take about \u003cem\u003eany \u003c\/em\u003eexcuse to get to know her better, and it just so happened one had landed in his lap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a testament to the brain-dulling, soul-sucking nature of his surroundings that he’d managed to be distracted from her at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmmaline “Emma” Rose possessed what Clarke thought of as an “abundant” figure. Her burgundy leather jacket, black miniskirt, and gray-and-black striped stockings each seemed to strain against all those curves, especially the high and heavy thrust of her breasts, almost as if her clothes were under immense pressure from the inside, ready to burst open from all that barely-contained femininity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer face was equally attractive with large, dark eyes behind horn-rimmed glasses and a generous—often smiling—mouth, all framed by a cascade of long, raven-black hair. The glasses gave her a “sexy geek” vibe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, are you?” Emma asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was no judgment in her voice. No condescension or disdain. Just a soft, friendly form of curiosity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke had been a little nervous about how to approach Emma after class, worried about coming across as either too forward or too business-like. They were classmates assigned to the same problem; it would have been awkward for him to hit on her right out of the gate. Conversely, he didn’t want to keep things \u003cem\u003etoo \u003c\/em\u003eformal. This \u003cem\u003ewas\u003c\/em\u003e a golden opportunity to get to know her better, after all!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFortunately, Emma had beaten him to the punch. She’d broken the ice outside class with a great programming joke: \u003cem\u003eA SQL query goes into a bar, walks up to two tables and asks, “Can I join you?”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe’d have to remember that one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Why do I get the feeling this question didn’t come out of nowhere?” Clarke asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe flashed a brief smile. “Well, this place is \u003cem\u003eboring\u003c\/em\u003e, for one. And actually, one of my friends likes to GM. She put together this custom campaign, but we’re short one player. You interested?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke paused to consider how best to reply. A girl—a \u003cem\u003esmoking hot \u003c\/em\u003egirl—was inviting him to join her and her friends—her \u003cem\u003every possibly smoking hot\u003c\/em\u003e friends—for a night of pen-and-paper roleplaying. There was no way he could turn this down!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCareful though\u003c\/em\u003e, he told himself. \u003cem\u003eDon’t come across as too eager. Ease up to an eventual “yes.” \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Depends,” he replied guardedly. “What gaming system are you using?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Pathfinder 3.5. You ever hear of it?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I have,” he replied, his mind flashing through countless hours playing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ashley likes to use Pathfinder as a base for all her custom scenarios.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ashley?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“One of my friends. She stopped by our table earlier.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You mean—” He almost said \u003cem\u003ethe blonde that looks like a supermodel\u003c\/em\u003e, but instead replied, “the blonde dressed all in white. Long hair? Shiny hairband?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s her. My other friends—Sammy and Brooke—also play. Normally, the three of us would be enough, but Ashley \u003cem\u003einsists\u003c\/em\u003e we have four players for this one.” Emma leaned forward and gave him a crooked, knowing smile. “She can be stubborn like that sometimes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, if she put in all the time and effort to make her own scenario, then yeah. I can see why she’d be picky about how you played through it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Which brings us back around to my question.” She leaned back and draped an arm over the back of her chair. “Interested?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sure. When and where?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This Saturday at my apartment. We generally start arriving around five, have something to eat, then pull out the dice around six—six thirty. I’ll email you the address. It’s about twenty minutes from campus.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Great. I assume I’ll need to put together a character?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not for this one. Ashley has prebuilt characters for all of us. That’s part of the reason why she needs a specific number of players.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“For the story?” Clarke asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You guessed it!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What can you tell me about the scenario?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s urban fantasy, so the setting is modern day but with all these secretive magical elements thrown in. You’ll be playing a blood knight in hiding. They’re a hybrid class, sort of like a ranger or druid. Ashley gave the class a mix of magic and combat abilities. \u003cem\u003eVery\u003c\/em\u003e versatile.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sounds fun. I’ve always enjoyed playing hybrid classes. More options make for more engaging roleplay.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“See?” She extended an open palm toward him. “I knew you were the type!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah, I guess you had me figured out,” he replied, returning a bashful smile. “Should I bring anything to the session?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Just a copy of your character sheet and some dice, though I have spares if you need some.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No, I have my own.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Figured you would.” Emma gave him a friendly wink. “I’ll email you the character sheet along with the address. Just need to get it from Ashley first.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Thanks, but I was actually asking about food or drink. I don’t want to mooch off your hospitality or anything.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No worries there. The four of us—now \u003cem\u003efive \u003c\/em\u003eof us—take turns covering the pregame meal, and it’s Brooke’s turn this week.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Got it, and thanks for the invite. You can expect me at five, rules and dice at the ready.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Great! Looking forward to it!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What about you? What’s your character like?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, me?” Emma placed a demure hand over her chest. “I’m playing a succubus.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e***\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat Saturday, Clarke arrived at Emma’s apartment a few minutes before five with a ring binder clutched in the crook of his arm and a dice bag hanging from his fingers. Of the housing options available around campus, this was clearly one of the higher-end ones—not fancy, exactly, but sleek and new with pleasant facades that looked like they saw few raucous, vomit-strewn parties or drug deals, which was more than he could say about his own cheap place. He knocked on the door with his free hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe door cracked open, and Emma peeked her head out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Clarke!” She gave him with a warm smile. “Come on in.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Thanks.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe swung the door wide, and he stepped in, taking in the apartment. It was larger than the cubbyhole he called home—and cleaner, too—with comfy recliners and a long couch arranged around a low coffee table. Artwork hung on the walls in thick, black frames depicting a mix of anime and movie characters. \u003cem\u003eFrames\u003c\/em\u003e. She definitely lived a step above him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Thanks for the invite, again.” He set the binder down on the granite counter that separated the kitchen from the living room and tried not to look overly curious as he returned his attention to the binder. “It feels like ages since I scratched that pen-and-paper itch.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Don’t mention it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Though, I do have some \u003cem\u003eslight \u003c\/em\u003econcerns.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Like what?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well …” Clarke opened the binder and thumbed through the hundred or so pages. “I wasn’t expecting quite this many custom rules.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah,” Emma replied, her eyes laughing. “Sometimes Ashley can go a bit overboard.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Where’s she find the time for all this, anyway?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Who knows? But you know how it is. If you’re passionate about something, you find the time.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I guess so. Just wondering if her grades suffer because of her hobby.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nope. Quite the opposite, in fact. She gets straight A’s every semester, and I’m pretty sure she takes more hours than either of us.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You know her major?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ma-\u003cem\u003ejors\u003c\/em\u003e, actually. Political science and history.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke’s eyes widened. “She’s getting straight A’s with a dual major?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yep.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke shook his head. He flipped back to the front page, which contained the bulk of his character stats.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmma glanced down at the page. Something must have caught her eye, because her brow furrowed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Uh, Clarke?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s not your real name, is it?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke sighed internally. \u003cem\u003eHere we go.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m afraid so.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“But …” She made a disgusted face. “There’s no way.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I wish that were true,” he replied in a tired manner that attested to many similar conversations he endured in the past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I thought Clarke was your first name.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That would have been nice, but no. It’s my last name.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Come on.” Emma pointed to the name at the top of his character sheet, as if that would reveal some secret, \u003cem\u003ereally\u003c\/em\u003e real name beneath it. “You’re pulling my leg.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Wish I was.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“But no one’s parents would be that cruel!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You’d \u003cem\u003ethink\u003c\/em\u003e.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJ.B. Clarke gave her a sad smile, because his full name was Joffrey Baratheon Clarke. His mother—bless her enthusiastic fantasy-loving heart—had discovered George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire a few years before he’d been born and had “really liked the name’s ring.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis father—bless \u003cem\u003ehis\u003c\/em\u003e heart—hadn’t put his foot down, which led to him being named after a contender for “worst human being in fiction.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt wasn’t all bad, though. Back then, most people didn’t have a clue who Joffrey Baratheon was, and the name shortened to the much more palatable J.B., though his parents had settled for Joff most of the time. However, his namesake’s anonymity had vanished once HBO turned the books into a popular TV series and thus elevated the character from “worst human being in fiction” to “worst human being in fiction, for whom people cheered when he died and then rewound to watch it again.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd then the teasing began.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd kept going.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd going.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd fucking \u003cem\u003egoing\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke couldn’t have been happier when the show tanked in its last season so disastrously that literally \u003cem\u003eno one \u003c\/em\u003ewanted to talk about it anymore. Even a \u003cem\u003eglobal pandemic\u003c\/em\u003e couldn’t get people to rewatch its dumpster fire of an ending.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat said, his parents had been less than sympathetic when he’d confronted them about his namesake, stressing that they had no way of seeing into the future and it could have been worse. They even shared the supposedly true story of a woman who’d wanted to name her newborn daughter “Vagina” because she’d never encountered the word before the obstetrician used it and because, “Thas jus tha purdiest word I eva hurd!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke shivered involuntarily. Yes, it could have been worse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Actually,” he continued, “I’m wondering how Ashley knew my name, because it seems you didn’t tell her.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nope. News to me.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Will she let me go by ‘Clarke’ in the campaign?” He tapped a note on the page. “Because this part says we’re playing alternate versions of ourselves in the scenario.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, I’m sure Ashley will,” Emma replied with a carefree wave of her hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Will what?” came the unexpected response from the opening door.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Ash! Speak of the devil.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe newcomer gave Emma a cross look. “You know I don’t like that joke.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Must be why I keep using it, then,” Emma teased in a good-natured manner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley Smith rolled her eyes as she eased the door shut, then crossed the room with long-legged strides, high heels clicking on the hardwood. She’d dressed in all white again, this time with a short neck scarf to accent her sleeveless button-down shirt. She’d left the first three buttons open to provide a tantalizing glimpse of deep, firm cleavage. Her long, blonde hair practically gleamed in the light, held back by a metallic hairband.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe smiled at Clarke, but the expression held all the warmth of a business transaction. Clarke fought an urge to check his phone, almost certain she’d arrived at \u003cem\u003eexactly\u003c\/em\u003e 5:00 PM. She struck him as the severely punctual type.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m Ashley.” She extended a slender hand, which he shook, and found she was all business there, too. “I’m glad you could make it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Me, too,” Clarke replied, not sure what else to say, and trying to keep his eyes from wandering toward her plunging neckline. (Which was \u003cem\u003enot\u003c\/em\u003e business-appropriate.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“So, what are you sure I’ll allow?” Ashley asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“He wants to shorten his character name.” Emma tapped her finger on the character sheet. “Just chop off the first two parts.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley leaned over the page, then glanced up at Clarke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You don’t want to use your given name?” she asked, sounding somewhat perplexed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not really.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Why not?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Uh …” Clarke frowned at her. “Isn’t it obvious?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley’s eyes darted to the character sheet, stayed there for long, confused seconds, then zipped back up to Clarke. She seemed ready to ask another question, but then something softened in her face, and she shrugged.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“If you’re not comfortable with it, then use whatever you like. I only thought starting with everyone’s real names would make the scenario more immersive.” She gave Emma a knowing glance. “After all, if tonight goes well—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe door swung open violently. A tall, athletic woman barged in, four pizza boxes balanced atop one hand with absurd grace compared to the rest of her, especially when she shouted:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, bitches! I brought the meats!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second newcomer was almost as tall as Clarke, who was no slouch in the height department, though her shoulders weren’t nearly as broad, and her chest possessed a great deal more … topology than his. Still, the toned muscles visible on her arms and bare midriff spoke to an active lifestyle. Or curriculum. Or both, perhaps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe’d tied her thick, wavy mane of brunette hair back into a ponytail and wore a baggy gray T-shirt cut off at the bottom to reveal her firm stomach, its design and lettering too faded to make out. Her jeans gave a similar impression of comfortable wear and tear with a few rips around the knees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer sharp, intense eyes caught his, but then widened suddenly, and she froze midstride, almost launching the pizzas forward before she stabilized them with her free hand. Her expression—initially loud and boisterous—became almost mousy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh. You’re already here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That I am,” Clarke replied dryly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Uh … Hi? I’m Brooke. Brooke Hawthorne.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Clarke. Nice to meet you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah, uh.” Brooke held the boxes out as if offering them as an apology. “I brought pizza.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’ll take those.” Emma grabbed the pizza boxes and began arraying them on the kitchen counter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe rich, savory smell of hot cheese, meat, and marinara tickled Clarke’s nose, and his stomach grumbled in anticipation. Emma and Ashley busied themselves setting out paper plates, napkins, plastic cups, and a selection of colas at one end of the boxes. Brooke eventually unfroze from her awkward pose, gave Clarke a bashful glance, then grabbed a plate and began loading it up with pizza slices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke grabbed his own plate and surveyed the selection: three large pizzas consisting of pepperoni, meat lovers, supreme (also piled high with enough meat that the rare veggies would have cowered in fear if they’d been sapient), one medium pizza split into half pepperoni and half cheese, and a bag of breadsticks and marinara dipping sauce.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The meats indeed,” Ashley noted with a sour glance over the options.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The cheesy one is for you,” Brooke said. “See? I kept you in mind.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And what about our guest? You consider him, too?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I—” Brooke paused with her mouth open, then frowned. She faced Clarke. “You’re not a vegetarian, are you?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nope.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Any allergies?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“None I’m aware of.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You like pizza?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No, I \u003cem\u003elove \u003c\/em\u003epizza, and the more meat the better.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Fantastic! I was worried there for a minute.” Brooke’s face brightened. “You’ll fit right in.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The point,” Ashley said firmly, “is you should have asked \u003cem\u003ebefore\u003c\/em\u003e you bought the food.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Whoops.” Brooke shrugged before adding another slice to her plate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey there, girlfriends!” said a petite figure from the doorway.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, Sammy!” Emma waved at her. “Would you mind locking the door? We’re all here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sure thing.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke realized he’d seen Sammy a few times around campus, though he’d never spoken to her. In fact, it was hard \u003cem\u003enot\u003c\/em\u003e to notice her, since she favored loud clothes and even louder hair, which seemed to be a different color every time he laid eyes on her. She wore a hoodie stylized with splotches of fluorescent paint, the hood pulled back to reveal a pixie cut of vibrant red hair blending toward purple at the tips.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe walked up to Clarke. “You Clarke?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s right.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Samantha Eloise.” She extended a gloved hand. “But you can call me Sammy. All my friends do.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe shook her hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Sammy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You ready to kick some vampire butt tonight?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eShh!\u003c\/em\u003e” Ashley snapped. “Spoilers!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, come on.” Sammy rolled her eyes as she grabbed her plate. “He already knows. You put it right there in your twenty-thousand-word lore dump.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke kept very quiet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I suppose you have a point there.” Ashley placed a single cheesy slice on her plate, struggling to disentangle the gooey strands gracefully. “You did read all the lore, right?” she asked, her voice tinged with uneasy hopefulness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I …” Clarke sighed. “Okay, I’m going to be honest here. I didn’t realize there was going to be quite so much material when I started printing it out. All I did was skim it before I drove over.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley sank in her seat a little and, oddly, her hairband seemed to darken a few shades. It must have been a trick of the lighting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Don’t give him that look.” Sammy flopped into one of the recliners and took a large bite from a breadstick. She continued speaking with her mouth full. “All I did was skim it, too. It was either that or fall asleep halfway through.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey, now,” Ashley protested. “It wasn’t that dry.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSammy snorted out a laugh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, I liked it.” Brooke plopped down into one of the chairs. “I think it’s a good primer for people new to the, uh, setting.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClarke guessed she’d been about to use a different word there at the end, but he didn’t give it more than a passing thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshley sighed and joined them around the coffee table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith all the recliners taken, Clarke sat down at one end of the couch, fully expecting Emma to pick the other end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe didn’t, instead choosing to sit in the middle close enough for their hips to press against each other. Clarke felt a jolt of almost electric excitement surge through him at the unexpected contact. He glanced over at her, and she smiled sweetly back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Something wrong?” she asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s nothing.” He was about to start eating when he noticed Emma hadn’t brought a plate. “Not eating with us?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’ll snack on something else later.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not a fan of pizza?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s not that. I love a good slice of pizza as much as the next girl. I just have these”—she twirled a hand around as if searching for the right word—“dietary restrictions.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ah.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I can only handle so much junk food before I get hit with these cravings and need something more, umm, nutritious to fill me up.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Got it. Say no more.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSammy chuckled around a fat bite of breadstick. He had no idea why.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Holo Writing LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55481600180515,"sku":"BLOODKNIGHT-1and2","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5471\/9267\/files\/Blood_Knight_1_and_2_Bundle_Shopify.png?v=1786971847","url":"https:\/\/store.holowriting.com\/products\/signed-print-blood-knight-vampire-slayer-blood-knight-1-and-blood-knight-scepter-of-bone-blood-knight-2-bundle-paperbacks","provider":"Jacob \u0026 H.P. Holo ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}