Below you will find a possible opening to Kate 5, subject to change, be completely discarded, torn apart for parts, etc. There is no guarantee it will actually make it into the book, although we kind of like it so it might.
All spoilers have been carefully taken out.
The phone rang. I stared at it. You never know. It could be a trick.
The phone rang again. I picked it up.
“Kate,” a dry voice vibrated with urgency.
Long time no kill. “Hello, Ghastek.” And what would Atlanta’s premier Master of the Dead want with me?
Masters of the Dead piloted vampires. When a victim of Immortuus Pathogen died, his mind and ego died with him, leaving a shell of the body, superstrong, superfast, lethal, and ruled only by bloodlust. Masters of the Dead grabbed hold of that empty mind and drove the vampire like a remote controlled car. They dictated the vampire’s every twitch, they saw through its eyes, heard through its ears, and spoke through its mouth. In the hands of an exceptional navigator, a Master of the Dead, a vampire was a weapon like no other.
Riding vampire minds was a well-paying business. Ghastek, like ninety percent of navigators worked for the People, a cringe-worthy hybrid of a cult, business corporation, and research facility. I hated People with a passion and I hated Roland, the man who led them, even more.
“What can I do for you?”
“A loose vampire is heading your way.”
Shit. Only the will of the navigator kept the vampire in check. Without that restraint, an insatiable hunger drove the bloodsuckers to slaughter. A loose vampire would massacre anything it came across.
It could kill a dozen people in half a minute. The city would be a bloodbath.
“What do you need?”
“I’m less than twelve miles behind her. I need you to delay her, until I come into range.”
“From which direction?”
“North-West. And Kate, try not to damage her. She’s expensive…”
I dropped the phone and dashed outside, bursting into almost painfully cold air. People filled the street – laborers, shoppers, random passersby hurrying home. Food to be slaughtered. I sucked in a lungful of cold and screamed. “Vampire! Loose vampire! Run!”
For a fraction of a second nothing happened, and then people scattered like fish before a shark. In a breath I was alone.
A thick chain lay coiled on the side of the building. It was used it to block our parking lot at night so weirdoes wouldn’t park there. Perfect.
I ran inside and swiped the keys off the hook on the wall.
Two seconds to parking lot
A second to unlock the padlock securing the chain.
Too slow. I ran, dragging the chain behind me, and dropped it before an old tree.
Three seconds to loop the chain around the trunk and work the other end into a slip knot.
I needed blood to bait the vamp. Lots and lots of blood.
A team of oxen turned the corner. I ran at them, pulling a throwing knife . The driver, an older Latino man, stared at me. His hand reached for a rifle laying on the seat next to him.
“Get off! Loose vampire!”
He scrambled out of the cart. I sliced a long shallow gash down the ox’s flank. It bellowed. Blood dripped on the ground. I ran my hand along the cut. It came wet with hot crimson and I waved it, flinging red drops into the wind.
The ox moaned. I grabbed the chain loop.
An emaciated shape leapt off the rooftop. Ropes of muscle knotted its frame under the skin so tight that every ligament and vein stood out beneath it. The vampire landed on the pavement on all fours, skidded, its long sickle claws scraping the asphalt with a screech, and whirled. Ruby eyes glared at me from a horrible face. Massive jaws gaped open, showing its fangs, ivory against the black mouth.
The vampire charged.
It all but flew above the ground with preternatural speed, straight at the ox, pulled by the intoxicating scent of blood.
I thrust myself into its path, my heartbeat impossibly slow in my ears.
The vamp’s eyes fixed on my bloody hand. I’d have only one shot at this.
The vampire leaped, covering the few feet between us. It flew, limbs out, claws raised for the kill. Its maw opened, fangs aiming for my throat. It came straight at me.
I thrust the chain loop up and over its head.
Its body hit me. The impact knocked me off my feet. I crashed to the ground and rolled upright. The vamp lunged at me. The chain snapped taut on its throat, jerking it off the pavement. The bloodsucker fell and sprung up, twisting and jerking on the end of the chain like a feral cat caught in a dog catcher’s leash.
The ox bellowed in pain. I breathed, short and shallow.
The vampire flipped and lunged in the ox’s direction. The tree shook and groaned. Blood spurted from under the chain on its neck. Either it would snap the tree or the chain would slice its throat.
The bloodsucker threw itself again, snapping the chain taut, and fell to the ground, its leap aborted. It picked itself up and sat. Intelligence flooded into its burning red eyes. The huge jaws unhinged and Ghastek’s voice came forth.
“A chain?”
“You’re welcome,” I growled, fighting the urge to bend over in relief. Ghastek must’ve gotten close enough to grab the bloodsucker’s mind. “I had to cut an ox to get the vamp fixed on me. The bill is all yours.”
“Of course.”
You bet your ass, of course. An ox cost about a grand. A vampire, especially one as old as this one, went for about thirty times that. And Ghastek didn’t even have to buy a new ox, he just had to pick up the vet bill.
The vampire squated in the snow. “How did you manage to get a chain on her?”
I sagged against the ox cart. “The old-fashioned way – I put it over its head.” My face was hot, my hands were cold. My mouth tasted bitter. The adrenaline rush wearing off.
“What the hell happened?” I asked.
“One of Rowena’s journeymen fainted,” Ghastek said. “It happens. Needless to say, she’s now barred from navigation.”
The journeymen, Masters of the Dead in training, were perfectly aware that if their control over the unded slipped, the vampire would turn the city into a slaughterhouse. They had nerves like fighter pilots pre-Shift. They didn’t faint. There was more to it, but Ghastek’s tone made it clear that getting any more information out of him would take a team of lawyers and a medieval torture device.
Just as well. The less I interacted with the People, the better. “Did it kill anybody?”
“There were no casualties.”
My pulse finally slowed down.
To my right, a humvee swung into the parking lot at a breakneck speed. Armored like a tank, it carried an M240B, a medium machine gun, mounted on the roof. The gunner was pale as a sheet.
“Cavalry,” I said.
The vampire grimaced, mimicking Ghastek’s expression. “Of course. The jocks got all dressed up to kill a vampire and now they won’t get to shoot the big gun. Kate, would you mind stepping closer? Otherwise they might shoot her anyway.”
You’ve got to be kidding me. I moved to stand beside the vamp. “You owe me.
“Indeed.” The bloodsucker rose next to me, waving its front limbs. “There is no need for concern. The matter is under control.”
A black SUV turned the corner into the parking lot from the left. The two vehicles came to a screeching stop in front of me and vampire. The humvee disgorged four cops in the blue Paranormal Activity Division armor. The taller of the four leveled a shotgun at the vamp and snarled. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? You’ve almost killed half of the city!”
The SUV’s door opened and Ghastek stepped out. Thin and somber, he wore a perfectly pressed grey suit with a barely visible pinstripe. Three members of the People emerged from the SUV behind him, a man and two women. All three were meticulously groomed and would’ve looked at home in a high-pressure boardroom.
“There is no need to exaggerate.” Ghastek strode to the vampire. “No lives were lost.”
“No thanks to you.” The taller cop showed no signs of lowering the shotgun.
“She is completely safe now,” Ghastek said. “Allow me to demonstrate.” The vampire rose from its haunches and curtsied.
The PAD collectively turned purple with rage.
“See? I have complete control of the unde…” Ghastek’s eyes rolled back into his head. His mouth went slack. For a long second he remained upright, his body completely still, then his legs gave. He swayed once and crashed into the dirty snow.
The vampire’s eyes flared with bright murderous red. It opened its mouth, revealing twin sickles of its fangs.
The PAD opened fire.
Exciting!
Ohh…cool, something is making the masters of the dead pass out. That is not going to be good for business.
I hope you keep it in the book, lots of action. =)
What a lovely way to relax after coming home from work. Thank you Ilona. I thought it was a good start.
Tantalizing tidbit!
Hmmmm…what could make Ghastek pass out? Interesting. Thanks for the snippet!!
ohhhh, love the snippet. i feel a little like a vampire, too. vamps smell blood, want more.
I read snippet, want more story
really, it’s not something I can control. instinct 
Awesome!! I hope this–or something like it–makes it in. It’s *very* exciting!
AWESOME!!
(But Gosh Ilona… Book 5???? I don’t know how much more I can take
LOL 
I am in dyer need of Book 4…
I know!!!! You can’t give me 5 when I haven’t read 4!!! …Obviously Kate doesn’t kill Roland in 4…how’s that for a spoiler.
Oooh exciting! Can’t wait to see what managed to make Ghastek pass out. Need more Kate………………….!!
Super, Super, Super!! Love it, nice beginning. Thanks for the snippet.
O_O You can’t leave it there!!! Well, you can, I guess. If you must *grumble*
lol seriously, Love it!! I’m dying for Magic Bleeds and any snippet is just making it worse! And this is way worse cause it’s a snippet from the book after…which is an even longer wait *sigh*
Thank you for sharing though
OMG! Thank you Ilona. What happens next?
I have a question: what is Ghastek’s range for controlling the vampire? In Magic Bites, he went to Kate’s house in Savannah, but here he was 12 miles away.
Yxx
He hovers around 10 miles.
Atlanta and Savannah are about 4 hours apart by car
Thanks. Geography is not my strong suit.
We watched Jamie Oliver USA (cooking program) and he went to Savannah, I was trying to take in the surrounding of where Kate lives. 
OOH, OOH, OOH!!! More of that!!! PLEASE more of that!!!
Awesome!! Thank you!!!
Ooooooooooooooo
Thank you.
(first time poster, go easy on me:)
I would say leave it in, but I don’t know the details of the book yet so…
I love Ghastek, mysterious and creepy. It’s cool to learn more about the vampires and how they are controlled.
Coooooool!
I love I love!!
A snippet, a snippet!! (Claps hands, jumps up and down with glee)
Love it! A loose vampire is always a good time. I would read this much and be totally hooked on the book. I’m sure others will be too. Now we only have to wait a year + for the other 93% of the story.
*hopping from one foot to the other in excitment*
I love the fringe benifits of reading your blog. General awesomeness, POV goodness, and action packed pulse pounding snippets!
Thank you!
What a delightful way to start my morning! Whee!! I so love Ghastek. Thanks for keeping us fed! Now I don’t have to ravage through Atlanta looking for more snippets.
Great intro! Way to start off with some action!
I really liked the content of the snippet; it was high octane and as always amusing.
I noticed a couple of typos and I felt like some of the word choices were a bit funny (disgorged really means the right thing but just is awkward sounding…or high pressure boardroom maybe like a high-profile corporate takeover). Well, I may not be a writer but I read too much for my own good and your books are part of my top shelf!
That was awesome!!!! Thanks!!!
Nice mini-escape from my already stressful day. Thank you sincerely for the chance to go someplace else for a while!
Squees of delight! It’s looking exciting! And interesting to note that clearly Roland is still around after book 4…
“The phone rang. I stared at it. You never know. It could be a trick.”
So true.
Thank you!!
“The PAD opened fire.”
Oh gosh, is Kate still standing next to the vampire??
She really knows how to find trouble
This line made me giggle in my cubicle for a full minute at least.
Even if that was a joke – it was still very exciting! I cannot wait to read Kate 4 (Magic Bleeds). Thank you for posting!
Thank you! Thank you! Love this beginning, but I know that if it goes, it will be because you’ve come up with something even better.
BTW… Recently my 7th grade daughter was looking for reading material and I handed her Magic Bites. She just returned Magic Strikes and is bugging me for the next one. So… passing on the bugging here.
Available 05/25/2010 Book 4 ……Book 5 this is torture. But so good – Thank you.
Nice! Ghastek faints. Me looooove it!
Cool. Don’t take it out. Very exciting and action-packed ala Kate. Plus leaves us guessing and wanting more.
“She is completely safe now,” Ghastek said. “Allow me to demonstrate.” The vampire rose from its haunches and curtsied.
The PAD collectively turned purple with rage.
AHAHAHAAHA!!!
I’m very very curious about kate standing with the people after the “great revelation” I’m surprised that she and ghastek seems to be on the same terms as before…
Well, I didn’t say to whom “the great revelation” occurred, did I?
Please, visualize me rocking back and forth with glazed eyes due to a terminal case of booklust…
If Ghastek is Atlanta’s premier Master of the Dead, does this mean something happened to his boss?
(sigh) book 4 can’t come soon enough.
And poor Ghastek will have a lot of appologizing to do when he wakes, to Kate, the PAD, and the maligned apprentice!
=A
Been out of commission going on two weeks from severe sinus infection…reading this gave me a few minutes of pain free absorption. Thank you! Looking forward to Kate 5!!!
That was awesome! Thanks so much for giving us a treat! Even if it is changed, removed, gutted… it was still lovely to have a new bit of Kate to devour!
How very interesting… *gleaming eyes*
So loooong! *Sigh*
Absolutely drool worthy! I wanted to keep reading.
Eagerly anticipating #4, and now #5.
Thank you, thank you, thank you….
OOOh! *joins the snippet dance*
Thank You!
ooohhh, shiny!!! Me likes.
Most definitely needs to be in book 5 somewhere. It’s too good to take out completely. LOVE IT!!! Thanks Ilona and Gordon!
wonderful fabulous thanks so much!
Snippet was awesome!!! Only problem is that I will be thinking of this during class instead of taking notes.
in the fashion of ‘rocks fall, everybody dies’ here we have : “bullets fly, Vampire dies” oh, I do love the sound of it…. “Loose Vampire! Run!” I just had this funny image in my mind… Time 2009 – Big Normal City: Woman in middle of a busy street shouting “Loose Vampire! Run for your lives!” what kind of reactions would she get?
I hope it stays in the beginning or somewhere in book 5 (Gasp! Book 5?!) I am curious as to what happens to leave Navigators out cold… could it be some kind of a virus or is Roland in it? *stalks away muttering to self on mysteries and grabs On the Edge on way out*
O
M
G
I cannot wait books for 4 & 5
If it were physically possible to reach through a computer screen and yank said opening to Kate 5 (and whatever other goodies were on hand) I’d do so. I think my staring and stroking the computer screen is starting to freak out the cleaning lady.
The collective “You” ROCK!!! Thanks!
This is torture!! Hope it (or close facsimile) stays in when the book comes out. Looks like a great story arc!
Squeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
I am loving it – Exciting stuff!
You tantalize, you tease, you torment, yet we still come back. Who is sicker, you or us? (Love to all, especially the snippet)