You know what I think is awesome? I think it’s awesome that despite wanting the Magic Bleeds ARC very much, you guys keep leaving comments that hope that Stephanie will get her book. We’ll wait till tonight before drawing a new winner.
Well, we have no more ARCs to share, but Lord Panda also talked me into sharing a MAGIC BLEEDS snippet. This was posted once before so I think we can get away with posting it again. We’re not supposed to snippet anymore, so if it suddenly vanishes, we got in trouble with our editor.
We hope you’ll like it.
Chapter 11, in which Andrea and Raphael go to jail
The phone rang. It was probably Christy. I picked it up. “Kate Daniels.”
“I’m in lockup in Milton County Jail,” Andrea said. “Come get me.”
Chapter 11
A couple of hours later I walked into Beau Clayton’s office, carrying a long parcel wrapped in rags.
Beau grinned at me from behind his desk. In 1066, ancient Saxons met ancient Norwegians in a bloody battle over Stamford Bridge. The legend said that the Saxons surprised their enemy, and as the Norwegians tried to rally, one of their warriors, a giant of a man, stepped onto the bridge and held it by himself, killing more than forty Saxons, until someone got smart and stabbed him with a long spear from below, through the planks of the bridge. Looking at Beau, I could totally picture him on that bridge swinging a giant axe around. Hulking, six feet six, with shoulders that had trouble fitting through the door, the Milton sheriff had the face of a bone breaker. He sat behind a scarred desk that was organized to within an inch of its life. The only item out of place was a large can. The label on the can said, CANNED BOILED GREEN PEANUTS.
I sat in a chair before his desk and put the parcel on my lap. “Canned boiled peanuts. That’s pushing it.”
“With a name like Beau, a man has to be careful,” he said. “Someone might mistake me for one of them Northern boys. The peanuts help to avoid misunderstandings.”
He passed me the can. I glanced into it. Spent shell casings.
“Every time I get shot at, I drop the shells in the can,” Beau said.
The can was about halfway full. I handed it back to him.
“The last time we met, I did say you would one day need a favor from me.” He spread his huge arms. “And here we are.”
We’d worked the same case before, I from the Order’s side and he from the sheriff’s side. He’d asked me to do him a favor, arguing that one day I would need one from him, and I had agreed. You never know on whose door you might have to knock next.
“What did Andrea do?”
He opened a manila folder and glanced at it. “Ever heard of Paradise Mission?”
“No.”
“It’s a high-class hotel. Built like a Spanish mission, with the courtyard screened in. The roof is glass and they keep the temperature nice and steady.”
“Like a hothouse.”
“Basically. The courtyard is a beautiful place. Flowers everywhere, a pool, hot tubs. Favorite getaway for rich couples from the city. I took Erica there once. Costs an arm and a leg, but it’s worth it. Had to be on the waiting list for four months before we got in.”
Beau wasn’t in a hurry. Screaming at him would just make him slow down more, so I nodded.
“From what I understand, your girl was staying at the place with her significant other. I’ve got him in the cell next to hers. Now, I’m completely straight, mind you, but he was likely the prettiest man I ever seen.”
Raphael. It must’ve been their big romantic night. He had probably reserved the hotel room weeks in advance.
“Apparently, they were both in the hot tub.”
“Hot tubs are nothing but trouble,” I told him.
“Oh, I don’t know.” Beau shrugged. “With a beer and good company, they aren’t bad. Relaxing. Soothing, even. In this case, however, they failed to bring about the desired relaxation. Miss Nash got up to go to the bathroom and get some drinks. When Miss Nash came back, she found a young female talking to her significant other.” His eyes sparkled a little. He pretended to check his report. “Apparently, the interloping female was scantily clad.”
He must’ve waited years to use that in a report. “Go on.”
“According to the hotel staff, the poor man did try to discourage the femme fatale the best he could, but she was either dense or really hoped to take him for a ride. Having met her, I’d say both.”
I sighed. I knew where this was going.
“When Miss Nash approached, her fellah informed the scantily clad female that Miss Nash and he were together. He says the female appraised Miss Nash as ‘cute.’”
I put my head down and bumped it on the table a couple of times.
The two furry caterpillars Beau used as his eyebrows crept up. “Do you need a minute?”
“No, I’ll be alright. Sorry.”
“It seems that the young woman made some indelicate suggestion of a threesome. Nobody is quite sure what happened next, but everybody agrees it was damn fast. When I got there, Miss Nash was standing by the hot tub in a small bikini, pointing the business end of a SIG-Sauer P-226 at her fellah and concerned members of hotel staff, while dunking the scantily clad female’s head under the water and asking, ‘Who’s diving for clams now, bitch?’”
My pain must’ve reflected on my face, because Beau reached into his desk drawer and handed me a small bottle of aspirin. I popped two tablets into my mouth and swallowed, grimacing against the bitterness. “Then what?”
“Well, Miss Nash and I had a conversation. I bet that she wouldn’t shoot a badge and I won that bet. She had no ID on her—it was a very small bikini—so we invited her, her fellah, and the aggrieved party to be our guests here in this lovely jailhouse. Spending the night with us calmed her down.”
Oh, boy. “She had no ID, but she had a gun?”
“Brought it in a towel, from what I understand.”
Why wasn’t I surprised? “She’s a knight.”
“I figured that when she called the Order.”
I took the parcel off my lap, placed it on his desk, and carefully unwrapped the rags. Beau sucked in a lungful of air in a sharp breath.
A beautiful rapier lay in the rags.
“The schiavona,” I said. “The preferred weapon of Dalmatian Slavs, who served in the Venetian Doge Guard in the sixteenth century. Deep basket hilt.” I traced the gleaming spider web of deceptively narrow metal strips forming the sword’s guard. “Thirty-six-point-seven-inch blade, efficient for both cut and thrust. A genuine Ragnas Dream sword.”
I turned the schiavona to the side, letting the light of the feylantern catch the stylized RD on the ornate pommel. Ragnas Dream didn’t make swords, he created masterpieces. The schiavona alone would pay the mortgages on both my apartment and my father’s house in Savannah for a year. Greg, my deceased guardian, had purchased it years ago and hung it on a wall in his library, the way one would display a treasured work of art. It was the kind of sword that would make a lifelong pacifist look for tall boots and a hat with feathers.
Beau’s face acquired a greenish tint.
“Breathe, Beau.”
He exhaled in a rush. “May I?”
Every person had a weakness. Beau loved rapiers. I smiled. Once he touched it, I had him. “Feel free.”
He got up, took the rapier gently, as if it were made of glass, and slid his big hand around the leather hilt. He raised the sword point up, admiring the elegant steel blade. A deep serenity claimed his face. Beau thrust, a textbook perfect, liquid movement, elegant and precise and so completely at odds with his huge body. “Christ,” he murmured. “It’s perfect.”
“She was never here,” I told him. “Her ‘fellah’ was never here. You don’t know their names and you’ve never seen them before.”
Beau was a very good cop, because he made himself put the rapier down. “Are you trying to bribe a law enforcement official, Kate?”
“I’m trying to present a law enforcement official with a token of appreciation for his delicate handling of the Order’s personnel issues. Knights of the Order are under a lot of pressure. Andrea Nash is one of the best knights I’ve ever met.”
Beau looked at the schiavona. A minute stretched into eternity.
I gave him a wide smile. “Oh, and one more thing.” I reached over and touched the pale opal in the base of the hilt.
Three. Two.
One.
The sword hummed a single perfect chime, like a silver bell. A thin line of red grew from the hilt down the blade, branching in curling shoots like an ornate vine until it finally reached the point. Beau turned pale.
“Enchanted blade. Never needs sharpening or oiling. I forgot to mention that part,” I said.
Beau tore his haze from the schiavona. “Take them and make sure they don’t come back.”
Ten minutes later Andrea, Raphael, and I stepped out of the jailhouse into a frigid overcast day. Both Raphael and Andrea wore the orange potato sacks that passed for Milton Jail uniforms.
“Assault.” I counted off on my fingers. “Assault with a deadly weapon. Conduct unbecoming a knight. Endangerment of civilians. Reckless use of a firearm in a public place. Resisting arrest. Drunk and disorderly.”
“I was neither drunk nor disorderly.” Andrea clenched her teeth.
“No, I’m sure you were drowning her in a completely calm and professional manner. Beau Clayton is a crack shot. You’re lucky he didn’t empty his clip into your head. You brought a gun to the hot tub. Who does that?”
Andrea folded her hands on her chest. “Don’t hassle me about my guns. You drag that sword everywhere. The whole thing was his idea. I wanted to go on a weekend.”
I looked at Raphael. He hit me with a dazzling smile. If I had any capacity for swooning, I would’ve hit the floor like a log. Some men were handsome. Some were sexy. Raphael was scorching hot. Not traditionally handsome, he had dark blue eyes, intense and heated from within by a fire that instantly made you think of sheets and skin. Coupled with his long black hair and the toned, supple body of a shapeshifter, the effect was shocking to all things female. Since he was my best friend’s honey bunny, I was pretty much immune to his evil powers, but once in a while he caught me off-guard.
“It was the only night that was available in the next six months,” he said, “and I had to call in a favor to get it.”
Andrea waved her hands around. “And we spent it in a jailhouse. Do you have any idea how hard it is to go out in public with him? We can’t go anywhere, we can’t do anything, because he gets hit on all the time. Sometimes women come up to him like I’m not even there!”
“I sympathize, but you can’t drown them, Andrea. You’re trained to kill and they aren’t. It’s not exactly a fair fight.”
“Fuck fair! Fuck you and fuck him, and whatever.”
She strode off.
Raphael was grinning ear to ear.
“Well, you’re taking it well.”
His eyes shone with faint ruby sheen. “Mating frenzy.”
“What?”
“When two shapeshifters become mated, we go crazy for a few weeks. It’s all about unreasonable aggression and irrational snarling at anyone who looks at your mate a second too long.”
“And you’re loving every moment of it.”
He bobbed his head up and down. “I’ve earned it.”
Andrea reversed her course and came up to us. “I’m sorry I was an ass. Thank you. I owe you one.”
“No big,” I told her.
She looked at Raphael. “I’d like to go home.”
He bowed with an exaggerated flourish. “Your wish is my command, my lady. We need to go back to the hotel, scale the wall, and steal our car back.”
“That sounds good.”
They walked off.
Mating frenzy. The world had gone completely insane on me. I sighed and went to get Marigold. I had an appointment with a sexual deviant and I didn’t want to be late.
Thanks for the treat, Ilona!!
No ARC, snippet is good enough!! =)
It’s 30th March now.. I can wait.. I can really wait…
Thank you so much! What a great scene – can’t wait to read everything around it. I’m trying to keep my day clear for the day the book is released. I’m going to work harder now!
God, I love Andrea and Raphael so much. *cackle*
LOVE IT!!! aah im so excited…Magic Bleeds comes out 6 days before my birthday!! Its gunna be an awesome birthday! Thanks Ilona
Ok, Im picturing Raphael grinning like the cat that ate the canary. That scene was perfectly vivid. Not too mention hilarious and kinda sweet. Thank you!
for all the people who get their audio books from audible.com, if you go to http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/wishList/requestListDisplay.jsp you can prompt audible to get Magic Bleeds when it comes out. ((I call it my ‘santa list” since it is where I put down all the books I want to be available as soon as possible.)
I made my husband listen to the part about the gun and the hot tub as I read it outloud. OMG, you guys know this is going to be the best book EVER, right? I CANNOT wait to read it.
I don’t know why but I forgot that Andrea was a beasty. A lot more of this makes sense since the last time it was posted. I wonder who the sexual deviant is? Maybe Curran, or Saiman? This is taking forever. Just give it to us now, please!
The sexual deviant here was so obviously Ted Moynohan – that it hurts.
Ah! but there’s the bit in magic strikes when Saiman says, “I prefer ‘sexual deviant’ myself” after Derek calls him a “fucking pervert” !!!!
::
Wow, I am a nerd…
::kicks herself for moving into uni and temporarily deluding herself that study was more important than haunting this site, subsequently missing out on getting an ARC
Ignoring the snippet–it’s too painful to try and read it. Reading the first three chapters is fine, that’s the beginning of the tale. Chapter 11 is much further along and in the middle. It gives too much away.
However, I’m glad you guys decided to wait a little longer for the winner to get back to you. Only makes you both more awesome.
Ilona and Gordon chose well — you can read the clip without being the least little bit spoiled, unless you haven’t read the short story in the anthology “Must Love Hellhounds” — in which case, you should run out and do so before “Magic Bleeds”
Ilona and Gordon, many thanks for the treat!!
I always forget how much I love Raphael then I read a passage with him and I can’t stop smiling!
Bless y’all’s heart! Thank You
Have I mentioned recently that I love you? I had read this the first time it was up, but it was a great treat to read it again tonight
hmm make me think, what would curran do if he was in a mating frenzing -_- …….
ahhh, thank you. I remember that snippet, but I think a few details changed, right?
anyway, is it may yet?
‘Who’s diving for clams now?’ bwahahahaha
I liked this the first time, the second is even better!!!! Thanks
Wheeeeeeeeeeeee! Thank you! I’m so glad it’s in the book after all *GGGG*
Sere is right, it’s even better now
Thank you for the awesome snippet! Glad it made it to the book.
^_^
Snippet! Yay! How great that it’s in the book.
‘Who’s diving for clams now?’ tee-hee
Hilarious! Beau sounds like a cool guy. Y’all make every character so interesting!
Hilarious and awesome! Thank you! Can’t wait until the book comes out…
I read this and then I go back to see the Magic Bleeds countdown on the main page…I feel like it is mocking me.
Can’t wait for the book!
That line about “diving for clams” gets me every time. lol
I can’t wait. Beware poor mailman if your late delivering.
Thank you so much! The snippet lit up my day
I do believe I love you.
I can’t wait for more! Just 56 more days. And yes, I do have this book on a countdown clock on my desktop.
I’m not a teenager, though I easily am addicted to authors, tv shows,etc. But I must say I’ve never reached a point where I read a book series at least four times, visit an author’s website nearly every day and even offered my services to the author’s publicist as a translator (i run a translation agency). I told my assistants I have a very important appointment on May 25th – I just can’t wait to read your last book and really want it to be a special day, with no one around to interrupt me, not even my husband.
I love your imagination and kate/Curran relationship, which makes me think of “Pride and Prejudice” . The humour, the rythm, the characters are very catchy.
Thanks for the snippet.Thanks for your talent.
Oh my god… This just totally made my day! Thank you so much for the snippet, even though it might be considered mild torture in some countries….
I can´t wait until the release. Have to check Amazon if I´ve really already pre-ordered Magic Bleeds…
And again, thanks so much.
Greetings from Germany!
Thank you so very, very much for this snippet! Totally is going to be continuing to make my week, I love it so much! XD I love how Kate handled the situation and I loved even more her reactions as Beau told the story of events. I loved how happy Raphael is with Andrea’s possessiveness (I find that feral edge very, very hot) and that last line just kills me. You remind me again and again just why I love this series so much!
Thanks for the snippet!
Thank you so much for the snippet!! I just loved it!
“He bobbed his head up and down. “I’ve earned it.”” I can just see the Cheshire grin on his face when he said that!
And a belated congratulations to the ARC winners! I do hope SK doesn’t miss out on her ARC…it is so great of you guys to give her a little extra time to claim it.
Thanks for the snippet!!! The wait might kill me, but it’s going to worth it to read this book
*whimper* *sigh* There goes my dream sword… *sniff* I always wanted a schiavona…
Loved it! I’m dying to read Magic Bleeds, I hope it’s delivered early!
Yesterday was really rotten (even for a Monday) and after reading the snippet from the book, I laughed so much. I can just see Andrea dunking the girl. The whole scene was so funny. Made me forget how rotten the day was.
You are so good!
Thanks.
Read the snippet when you all originally posted it, and still have to say thanks. I love love love Andrea and Raphael. And now I’m all tickled to find out who the sexual deviant is. There are so many characters it could be. LOL.
I hope she is ok and that she just forgot about the book
Thanks for the snippet LOVED it!!
Awesome!!! I love every word I get from Kate’s books, it doesn’t matter who it’s about. Thank-you for every word.
My only hope is that, since nothing has been posted, that Stephanie was able to get her ARC *crosses fingers!*
I only just recently found out about ARC books! I think the universe just flipped its donut for me.
Love the books! ;p
…Aww, now you’re making me feel bad for burning incense to the Spatula God begging for a miracle that Stephanie’s arc would somehow end up in my own greedy paws (ok, paws can’t be greedy, but mine sure feel like it)! I guess a few genuine good well-wishers can make the rest of us look good…though I do have some sympathy for the deep horror of the experience “I forgot to check the site and I COULD HAVE HAD AN ARC?!?” Ok, I wouldn’t actually wish that on anyone…but there’s no harm in wishing she could forget about it until the day the book comes out and that somehow her arc could make its way to me, is there? As long as you’re wishing it all at once? =P
If I’m remembering correctly, the last time this was posted, there was a different ending. I thought the last one was good, this was even better.
“Your wish is my command, my lady. We need to go back to the hotel, scale the wall, and steal our car back.”
“That sounds good.”
love it!
Yay! Thank you, thank you, thank you for this great snippet
Hah. For once, virtue was its own reward. That snippet still makes me snicker.
LOL Thank Ilona that was a great snippet to help hold us over till the release of the book !
Awesome. Just awesome.
[...] Andrews has posted a part of chapter 11 from Magic Bleeds. I think we’ve seen a portion of it before, but not this much. [...]
Awesomeness.
Makes me wonder if this also serves as foundation for us to understand future behaviors of Curran….
*squinches eyes real tight*…I hope, I hope, I hope…
OMG, I can’t wait to read the whole book *going now to pull out the previous books to reread AGAIN*
Now I want to know who the sexual deviant is!
Thanks for that. But really it just made the anticipation that much more difficult to cope with. But thanks. So glad I pre-ordered. *grins*
Carolyn
now that was truly lovely. I am definitely finding hard to wait until may, however i love the way you write so much that this is just painful. Thanks that took the edge off. I hope your move went well, and thank god your still writing. Love yall from North Cackalackee…. wilmington, N.C.