Excerpt 1:
“Unhand us, witch!” the vampire shouts.
The mortals, apparently far smarter than this vampire, remain
silent. Even the vampire’s own pledge seals his lips shut. A wave of
Nether wafts off him, marking him as a Nether witch.
But fury sparks within me, and a dark grin overtakes me. I lower my
arm, setting the blades down gently in the middle of the
clearing.
“What was that?” I ask, daring the vampire to repeat himself.
Stupidly enough, he does. “I said, ‘unhand us, witch!’ Let us go
quickly, and I might not kill you.”
Arrogant fool.
I laugh quietly, and all the birds fly away, deserting their
treetop perches. A dangerous glint shines in my eyes as I saunter
within arm’s reach.
“Witch? You think me a witch?”
“How else could a pitiful, puny little woman like you do all this?”
He jerks his head at the other two men, unable to move his arms.
Cheeks flushed with anger, he draws back and spits in my face, dark
eyes flashing, all the while.
Nearby animals sense my anger reverberating on the Nether, and the
woods fall completely silent. Fury roils within me, and visions of
blood fill my mind. Everything in me demands his evisceration.
Or perhaps the removal of some limbs…
With eyes narrowed, I lift one hand. He flinches, and I smile,
baring my teeth. His spit floats into the air, leaping happily from
my skin. My spine shivers with disgust and hatred as I force the
spit to smear itself over the vampire’s face, over his eyes.
Slowly twirling one finger, I tighten his bonds. Air rushes from
his lungs, and his soft face goes red as he struggles to
breathe.
“You underestimate me. I don’t know a single witch who can do
everything I’ve done without at least three days of spell and potion
preparation. Not to mention the difficulty of lugging all those
ingredients out here.”
Lifting one average looking fingernail to his face, I trace one of
his cheekbones, then the other, splitting the skin wide. A line
drawn down the center of his nose, from bridge to tip, releases
still more blood.
My eyes flutter as the darkest parts of me savor the sight.
“As for spitting on me,” I whisper, knowing my voice will carry to
the others, echoing in their bones despite its low volume, “that was
a grave mistake. Most of my kind would have killed you on the spot,
simply for the disturbance.”
Voice suddenly a hiss, I say, “You’re lucky I’ve learned
patience.”
My soul riots for revenge, and my blood boils in my veins. I fight
the damnable words, hating my own weakness before my rage, but
still, I say, “But ignorance must not go to seed. Your family line
will end with you. You will never again create, or prolong,
life.”
And I shift the Nether to make it so.
“Your kind? What are you talking about? What makes you think you
can curse me?” All bluff and bluster, the vampire tries to appear
brave and defiant.
But I feel the fear leaking off him. I smell it in his blood, acrid
and spoiled. I hear it in his sputtering heartbeat, slightly more
erratic than those of the others.
Again, I say nothing. Drawing a deep breath, I close my eyes
slowly.
Thunder roars through the clearing, rumbling in all our chests. I
open my eyes, glittering gold sending light reflecting back at the
vampire, and my skin grows paler. Fingernails become golden talons,
embedded in black skin which reveals hues of purple as it fades to
white just above my wrist. My eyelids are colored similarly, pulsing
with the Nether that reaches out through my skin.
Black horns burst from my skull, sticking through locks of deepest
red. My horns twist as they taper off, curling back over the top of
my head.
The color drains from the vampire’s face, concealed as it is by his
blood. Sick glee spikes through me.
“Did you know you would feel my revelation in your blood? Did you
know the very air would tremble with it?” I ask, knowing the answer
to be a resounding “no.”
“You’re a…” he trails off, unable to speak for lack of air.
“Demi-demon is, I believe, the word you’re looking for,” I say,
smiling malevolently. “Now, I’m going to untether you, and you’re
going to run. Before I change my mind.”
Elexis Bell is a quiet nerd with too many hobbies, including everything from gaming to shower-singing and even archery, weather permitting. She specializes in sarcasm and writing stories that make people feel. She's made a home for herself with her husband, their dog, and a small army of cats.
She writes dark, gritty stories, sprinkling gut-wrenching emotions over high fantasy romance, thrillers, post-apocalyptic romance, and science fiction.
For further information, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, or check out her blog on her website.
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I can not wait to read this book sounds great
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