About The Author

Katie Salidas is a USA Today bestselling author and RONE award winner known for her unique genre-blending style.

Since 2010 she's penned five bestselling book series: the Immortalis, Olde Town Pack, Little Werewolf, Chronicles of the Uprising, and the all-new Agents of A.S.S.E.T. series. As her not-so-secret alter ego, Rozlyn Sparks, she is a USA Today bestselling author of romance with a naughty side.

In her spare time Katie also produces and hosts a YouTube talk show; Spilling Ink. She also has a regular column on First Comics News where she explores writing from a nerdy perspective.

A reading from Magic in Disguise



Sample the First Three Chapters, Free !
Magic in Disguise by Katie Salidas



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Magic is Here!

The Wait is Over.
Magic In Disguise is finally here! 

Agents of ASSET by Katie Salidas
You've marveled at the world hidden under our very noses, discovered the four families of magic
(Terra, Ethereal, Shade, & Elemental), and witnessed the well-oiled machine that is A.S.S.E.T (Anonymous Supernatural Security and Elimination Taskforce). 

Now, watch it all fall into anarchy unless one rogue agent can destroy the Weapon of Magical Destruction once and for all.


Grab your copy today! 
Start Reading Now!


By Katie Salidas
All magic comes at a price!

Using the Weapon of Magical Destruction might not have been Sage's smartest idea, but what choice did she have? Now she's slowly dying from the effects of the magic absorbing seed embedded in her hand.

If that weren't enough to ruin her day, news of Sage's criminal misconduct has spread like wildfire landing her on top of the Magical Most Wanted list. Can't a girl catch a break?

Being hunted by the shadow clans, and cut off from A.S.S.E.T. Sage is forced to go deep under cover, on a quest to collect the elements needed invoke the magic of the Mother Goddess to destroy the seed once and for all.

Not an easy task when every shadow is a potential enemy. If she fails, it's game over. If she succeeds, she's still a wanted criminal for using forbidden magic. But at least then she might live long enough to clear her name, right?

Sample the First Three Chapters, Free !


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dora la exploradora
5.0 out of 5 stars A page-turner!


Kristen Lewendon
5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable lessons in the nature of trust

Magic In Disguise - Chapter 3 Sneak Peek

Best New Urban Fantasy Thriller Book Series

MAGIC IN DISGUISE

AGENTS OF A.S.S.E.T. 3

KATIE SALIDAS

CHAPTER THREE

Grey dropped her by the gate to her apartment complex and sped away. She wasn’t sure if she should envy or feel sorry for the guy. Sage might be on house arrest, but Grey was truly in prison. Being tethered to Ava wasn’t something she’d wish on her worst enemy.
Though her fate hadn’t been much better. She unlocked the gate, silently praying her domestic situation – as Ava had called it – would be drama free, and took the path toward her building.
A small win – after the crushing defeat she’d had back at ASSET – would be a welcome change. Her day had not gone as planned at all.
Sage looked down at her palm. The black mark had grown again. She nearly made a cardinal sin of asking “How could things get worse?” but stopped before the words tripped off her tongue. Still, just thinking of tempting fate was enough.
Right on cue, Sage spotted Josh banging on the door as if he meant to bring it down. She sprinted to the apartment, cursing her luck.
“Matt! Open this door!” Josh demanded.
“You can’t go in there right now.” Anxiety kicked her heart into overdrive, testing her Terra immortality. A normal human might have stroked out. She wasn’t that lucky.
Josh had never looked so angry and scared. A vein throbbed near his temple. He glared at her, eyes glistening on the edge of tears, and gnashed his teeth so hard Sage could hear the soft grinding.
She had his attention, but words caught in her throat, refusing to pass the safety of her lips. How the hell does someone tell a regular human guy that his boyfriend has been turned into a vampire? The phrase sounded ludicrous. The truth, not so much.
The harsh reality of those words had far-reaching implications neither Sage nor Matt had had time enough to comprehend. Why did it have to fall to her, then, to be the messenger? Damn it! Sage could hardly stand to be in the room with Matt in her current condition. The seed painfully craved the magic animating their bodies. And Josh… Humans and newly turned vampires don’t exactly mix well.
“I’m losing my patience, Sage.”
“I know. I’m…okay. He’s fine.” Understatement of the year there. “I’m fine. We’re all fine.” She’d have struggled less for breath if she’d run a marathon. Her chest ached as her heart threatened to punch its way out. “How are you?”
“Either step aside, or I go through you.” Josh balled his fist. He wouldn’t strike her. Even if he did, she kind of deserved it. More than likely he’d beat his fist bloody trying to take down the door. “I want to see my boyfriend.” His voice cracked with strained emotions.
“Let me explain. No. Wait. Let me sum up.” Sage took hold of the handle, placing herself between the door and her very psychotic-looking friend. “He had an accident. But he’s alive-ish. Probably not ready for visitors at the moment.”
“What are you trying to say?” Tears began to trickle from the edges of his puffy eyes. “Spit it out. Truth.”
“You can’t handle the truth.”
“Stop it with the stupid movie quotes!” He reared back with his fist balled tight.
“I don’t know what else to do.” She faced him head-on. If he wanted to let loose his fury, so be it. “I can’t let you see him right now. For your own safety.”
“Zack?” Josh dropped his hand and let out a growl. Sage knew the sound well as she’d made it plenty of times herself – defeated anguish. “It was that damn vampire you invited into our home, wasn’t it? You promised you’d keep Matt safe from your new…crazy! Where’s a stake? I’ll kill the bastard myself!”
“Okay. First of all, keep your voice down.” She looked to the apartments across from her building. No lights in the windows yet, but they were bound to earn a few noise complaints if he kept this up. “Second…that’s my job, and a stake isn’t going to solve your problems. Third… Zack saved him when I failed to do it. You owe him. If you want to be mad at someone, take it out on me. Go ahead. Rail away. I deserve it!”
Josh’s breath came in stuttering waves. He balled his fist again and sent it straight at the door with all the power of his rage, bloodying his knuckles against the wood.
“I’m sorry.” She couldn’t blame him for acting out. She’d been beating herself up for days since it had all gone horribly wrong. “I truly am. I don’t know how to make things better. But we’re trying to get him through this.”
“Is he in there, with Matt?”
The door opened behind Sage. She nearly toppled backwards but caught herself in the doorframe.
“Unless you would like to make a donation, listen to killer here.” Zack kept his voice low enough to avoid the neighbors hearing, but quiet did not diminish the seriousness of his words. “Your man is safe and under my care. Should you choose to enter this apartment, you do so at your own peril. Baby vampires aren’t trustworthy around humans.”
“You…violated my boyfriend, monster!”
“Yes,” Zack replied with unusual calm. “You next?”
Of course Zack couldn’t be the adult here and calm Josh’s fears. That task again fell on Sage. And she’d already failed once at diffusing the situation. “Stop it, both of you!” She maneuvered within the doorframe so she could give both men the stink eye for acting like jerks. “You want someone to hate, Josh? I’m right here. It’s my fault what happened, and I’m doing my best to make it up to everyone.”
“How did this happen?” Josh’s nostrils flared like an angry bull, ready to charge.
“I was the target of a power-hungry kitsune with a djinn in her pocket,” she admitted. “Matt was the bait.”
“And Killer went in guns blazing with no backup,” Zack said, eagerly throwing her further under the bus.
“Thanks. Didn’t feel crappy enough. Why not drive the knife deeper before you twist it,” she grumbled.
“As you wish,” Zack replied with a devilish smirk she’d love to smack clean off his smug face.
“And the kitsune creature thing?” Josh asked. “Whatever the hell that is? What did you do to it?”
“She’s been neutralized. Along with the djinn,” she replied confidently. If nothing else, she got that part right. “They will not be a problem again.”
“And you?” Anger still tightened Josh’s jaw, but his words came out with a surprisingly softer tone. “Are you okay?”
Sage lifted her hand to show him the consequences she’d endured. “Had a bit of an accident myself.”
Josh gasped.
“Don’t worry. ASSET is helping me sort it out,” she reassured him.
“Does it hurt?”
 “A lot.” She refused to sugarcoat that fact. He wouldn’t take her admission as weakness like the other guys.
“And she can’t touch anyone magical now without killing them. Something of a backfire with that amulet she broke,” Zack filled in the gaps Sage had intentionally avoided revealing.
“Not funny.” She’d only told the vampire enough to prevent further questioning, never once admitting it was the Weapon of Magical Destruction she’d been carrying. Per ASSET, that was strictly classified information. Still, she had a sneaking suspicion he knew the truth. Zack’s currency had always been information.
“Poetic, though, isn’t it?” Zack giggled mischievously.
She’d have words with him in private later. Sage hadn’t been home five minutes, and already he was pushing her buttons. “I know you’ve always wanted me to put my hands on you.” Sage pointed a finger at his crotch. “How about now?”
“Rain check?” His impish smile never faltered as he quick-stepped backwards into the apartment, putting himself just out of harm’s way. “Would you look at the time? Junior should be waking from his nap, and he’ll want a snack. They throw such temper tantrums when they’re hungry.”
Josh cleared his throat. “How long do I have to wait to see Matt?”
“Let me make sure he is fed and washed and cleaned his room,” Zack answered. “Maybe, if he’s been a very good boy, we can arrange a little play date for you two kids. How’s the tenth of never?”
“Keep with the baby talk, and I swear I’ll smack that stupid grin right off your face,” Sage grumbled at Zack’s over-the-top impression of a doting parent.
“You owe me, remember?” Zack waggled a finger at her.
“One swift kick in the butt,” Sage snarked at him. “Yep. And I’m ready to pay up.”
“She loves me. It’s just all this stress getting to her,” Zack assured Josh. “New parent troubles and all. She’s busy all day, and I’m here slaving away with the newborn. We’ll work through these issues, I’m sure. Love will out, as they say.”
“One more word, Zack. Just one.” She narrowed her eyes threateningly at him.
“Love you, too, baby!” Zack blew her a kiss as he backed away and closed the door before she could stop him.
As annoyed as she was at Zack’s antics, Josh matched her with anguish. He didn’t need to say anything; it was there etched into the lines across his forehead and the slight quiver of his lips.
“I’m truly sorry. Hate me if you need to, but please understand I tried to save him. You know how much I love Matt. He’s family.”
“I don’t know what to do.” Josh hung his head and turned away. “How can I have a relationship with him this way? What if he…? What if I…?” Hunched over with defeat, he paced the small patio in front of her door. “I don’t know how to deal with this.”
“You have love.” She reached out and took Josh’s shoulder, reeling him in to face her.
They were both in pain. She desperately wanted to hug him, so they could share in a good ugly cry, but she was responsible for his anguish. She had no right to pretend her pain equaled his.
She swallowed her emotions. Brave face time. Make him feel all will be well. That’s what Josh needed. “There is no reason to make rash decisions right now. He needs time to adjust, and so do you. Think of it like one of your business trips. You’re gone for months sometimes. Now the shoe is on the other foot. You can still call him. Talk to him when he’s up and moving. You’ll see. He’s still the same Matt you love.”
“How long do I have to wait to see him? To hold him?” Josh shrugged free of her grip and turned to kick the concrete staircase that led to the upstairs apartments. “I miss him so much already.”
“Remember that. Remember how much you love him. Because no matter what has changed him, he is still the same guy. He will still love you.”
“But he’ll love blood more.” Zack’s voice came muffled through the thin walls.
Sage growled loud enough for the neighbors to hear. She definitely owed Zack a swift kick in the pants for that ill-timed comment.
“Don’t listen to him,” she assured Josh. “Love is powerful. You’ll see. He’s just got to learn control.”
“What if he doesn’t?”
It broke her heart to see Josh in such pain. They were all helpless to do anything but wait and see how Matt managed his newly enhanced state.
“If that jerk in there can manage to control his urges, so can Matt.” She put as much conviction in her voice as she could. “He’s ten times the man Zack is.”
“I want to believe you.” His chin quivered as he took a steadying breath and gulped down the air.
Sage admired his control. Even if Josh didn’t feel he was controlling himself, she recognized the immense strength he was employing. She’d been a blubbering mess for days after it all went down.
“A week ago, I didn’t know vampires existed. A week ago, you said you’d keep your work away from our home. And now…” Josh jabbed a finger toward her apartment. “This.”
He had her there. “I got nothing. I failed us all. I have apologized, and I will continue to apologize for all eternity. But, even if you have lost faith in me, don’t lose faith in Matt.”
“Faith,” Josh scoffed and turned on his heel. “I don’t know what that word means anymore.” He walked away without another look back, leaving the fate of his relationship in the air.
As if Sage didn’t have enough to deal with. No way was she telling Matt his boyfriend might not want to continue dating him as a vampire. So much for the power of love.

Grab your copy today! 
Start Reading Now!



11 Tips for Marketing Your Book Series

Supernatural Fantasy Books By Katie Salidas


How to maximize your marketing impact with multiple books.

1. Make your first book free or discounted!
Yes, you spent months perfecting your first novel, and it deserves to be priced to earn you something for your time, but when you have two or three books trailing it, consider the investment opportunity of utilizing the first book as a reader magnet. Allowing readers to try some of your first book (or all) before they spend any money can give you the opportunity to hook them early and guarantee sales on the remaining books in your novel series. Utilize sites like Story Origin to share samples or full-length reader magnets with newsletter swaps and group promotions. This step is only for those authors who already have more than one book in a series available for readers. 

2. Keep your books at a reasonable length to publish quickly while still delivering a great story. 
Aim for 40k-60k length.
Longer books take a longer time to come to market (with all the prep involved in cover art, editing, formatting, etc…) so get the rest of your series out quickly to make sure you keep readers engaged and ready to pounce when that next new release comes out. Just be sure that while you are sacrificing word count, you're not sacrificing story quality. You must to tell a good story.

3. End your books with genuine cliffhangers
Cliffhangers make readers need, not want, NEED to continue on. Give them something to look forward to. Make them want to pounce on that next book when it hits the market.

4. Make sure the covers look uniform.
Your novels should look like they belong together. Make it easy for readers to see that they are part of a book series.

5. Make sure the books are available everywhere!
Amazon, Google, Apple, Kobo, BN, Smashwords, D2D, etc… The more channels you belong in, the more available your book series is for readers to find and read.

6. Advertise the first book in your series.
Spend most your advertising budget on the first novel in your series. This is your lead in. If they love your first book, they will look for the rest of your series.

7. Use your front and back matter to advertise follow-up books. 
Make sure the other books are listed in the front and back matter of each corresponding book in the series.
Make it easy for readers to find each available book in the series (in the right order). In the front matter of your books, list all titles available, in reading order. Do the same at the end of the book, so readers don’t have to go hunting for the information.

8. Include sample chapters of the next book at the end of the current book.
At the end of book 1, put the first “teaser” chapter of book 2. Same applies for book 2, 3, 4….
Give readers a taste of what's next.

9. Create audio editions
Use ACX or Findaway Voices to hire narrators and produce audio editions of your books. Royalty share is the easiest and lowest cost option here.

10. Create POD editions
KDP is the easiest and lowest cost method of getting your books in print, and you’ll have paper copies to bring to author events. If you're in it for the long haul, check out Ingram Spark for your POD printing. 

11. Create bundles
When your series is complete… Make a boxed set to sell separately. People love collections and offering the entire series in one boxed set will entice those particuar readers.  


3 Ways to Get Over a Bad Book Review

You can be a renowned Pulitzer prize winning author and still get a few bad reviews, so before you let yourself get too down when you see a low star rating appear on your book, take a step back and breathe.

Now, don’t read the review. Don’t do it. It’s never worth opening up that Pandora’s box. Trust me… Just. Don’t. Do. It!




You opened it, didn’t you? And you read it. Stings like the fires of a thousand Hells, doesn't it? 

See. Told you it wasn’t worth it.

Well, like ripping off a band-aid, the hardest part is over. Now it’s time for healing and doing something constructive with that negative review.

First. Let the pain subside. Then, ask yourself, was there anything of merit in the review?
Not all criticism is destructive. You could find some gems of wisdom to help you in making your writing that much stronger in the future.

Of course, a good majority of what you’ll see in reviews is pure opinion without much to clarify, so you have to take it all with a grain of salt, or two… maybe a margarita glass with salt rim… you know, whatever makes you feel better.

Whatever you do with the review in question, do not publicly call out the reviewer or post the review publicly online. That’s a major no-no. Bad reviews make you want to lash out. Of course they do. You poured your heart and soul into this work that someone shredded in a few paragraphs. Feel that pain, but do it in private, with your author friends, and that margarita. No good comes from highlighting that review.

Put it behind you and move on. There will be more good reviews in your future, best to focus on those when they come in, and ignore anything else. You don't need that negativity in your life. 

Sharing the Book Love - Check out These Awesome Authors and Their Books!





Raven's Sight: A Young Adult Paranormal Mystery (Raven's Shadows Book 1) by [Weeks, R.L.]Raven looks out over the small, industrial town of Cogsworth and imagines a life beyond the confines of her grandmother's mansion.

However, Raven holds a dark secret that prevents her from leaving. One which comes to light after her father's untimely death. Now an orphan, Raven must do her best to hide her gifts of sight if she's to survive the cruel Victorian society she lives in.

When a ghost of a child comes to her for help, Raven finds herself in the gas-lit streets of London, on the trail of a serial killer. As she tries to solve the string of murders, she realizes that the murders are almost identical to those from a case left unsolved years before she was born.

In a race against time, Raven is thrown into a world she doesn't know. With her crush, Tom, a ghost, her friend, Emmett, now a primary suspect in the case, and an uncle who runs illicit groups and hates women, Raven will have to unravel the mysteries quickly before she becomes the next victim.

Click the Link Below to get this book! 

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From Darkness: Fallen Into Shadows Book One by [Hawkins, Imani L.]Light does not always come from darkness…

A war is brewing, fueled by the Fallen’s occupation of the city of Burnsville, and Myleah is caught in the middle. A fallen angel, shrouded in darkness, Myleah must fight against the council that governs them to reunite the fallen and save the city. 

Lovers collide in a battle for the souls of the Fallen when Myleah comes face to face with Tyrin. His thirst for the council’s blood means he’ll kill anyone standing in his way, including Myleah.

Myleah is faced with impossible odds. She must learn to embrace the darkness within her to stoke her powers of ice and sight. Only then will she be strong enough to snuff out of the flames of the impending war and ensure the survival of humans and Fallen alike.




Click the Link Below to get this book! 


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Shifted: Siren Prophecy 1 (Shifter Academy) by [Barr, Tricia, Reeder, Joanna, Leya, Angel, Booth, Jesse, Jay, Alessandra]Rule #1: Never go out after dark.
Rule #2: Never go into large bodies of water.
Rule #3: Stay off of social media.

Myreen didn’t think breaking one rule, just once, would lead to the death of her mother. And she never expected to learn she was a mermaid shifter, or that her mother was killed by vampires.

Whisked away in the middle of the night for her own safety, Myreen finds herself in a secret school for shifters. With rumors swirling, mean girls circling, and two incredibly attractive guys tugging her in separate directions, Myreen will need to untangle the web of secrets surrounding her if she ever wants to find out why her mother was murdered.

But as she dives deeper into the mystery, she discovers a truth about herself that no one saw coming—a truth that will change the fate of the shifter world forever.


Click the Link Below to get this book! 


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On the Brink: A Dystopian Anthology by [Ingleby, Alison, Adkins, Heather Marie, Andrews, Carissa, Andrews, Alanah, Korn, Tracy, Ward, Chris, Littlemore, Clare, Heingarten, Paul, Andrews, Ellabee, Behn, Brea, Kopievsky, Mikhaeyla, Huard, Michael W.]One world. 12 possible futures. Get your copy of this limited edition collection of dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction today!

From the ashes of the world that was, a new dystopia will emerge...

Join our gritty heroines and courageous heroes as they battle for freedom. Their societies are divided by politics and technology, devastated by war, climate change, toxins, and plague.

Fighting for the future will mean conquering their pasts, but not everyone is who they seem. In these futuristic worlds, every day is a fight for survival.

Discover 12 page-turning stories from bestselling and award-winning dystopian authors that will leave you shocked, fascinated, and entertained.

Will hope prevail? Or is the darkness just too strong?

Click the Link Below to get this book! 

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The Impossible Quest Of Hailing A Taxi On Christmas Eve (Cyberpunk Fairy Tales Book 1) by [Saoulidis, George]In this modern retelling of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," Scrooge is looking for a taxi to get home on Christmas Eve. But he will get the ride of his life, as he is walked through his past, his present and his future to end up a changed man.

Set in modern day Athens, this science-fiction version of the classic ghost story is guaranteed to bring shivers down your spine and a smile to your face.

“It isn't too late for all us Scrooges, and this story did make me see more than the classic.”

“An entertaining, uplifting novella perfect to read during Christmastime.”

“This is a rollicking, hiccup producing, laugh out loud morality play that would make Dickens sit up and take notice. A lot of fun!”

Read more of the Cyberpunk Fairy Tales, a unique twist on the classic stories you grew up with. Sometimes dark and disturbing like the Grimm stories, other times new and relevant to the modern age.

Click the Link Below to get this book! 

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And don't forget to pick up your copy of my latest, Magic In Disguise! 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JFTMTZ8/


Happy Holidays!!

3 Ways to Overcome Author Envy

Immortalis Series by Katie Salidas at Barnes and Noble

Admit it, the green-eyed monster hits every now and again. You’re scrolling through your Facebook status updates and you see another author friend announce a book deal with a major publisher, or maybe they’ve hit the NYT best seller list, maybe they have gotten a super five-star review, whatever the case, you’re now sitting there a mix of feelings. On the one hand, you are so happy for your friend. You know all the hard work that goes into book creation. And on the other hand, you’re thinking, “Hey… where’s my success?”

It’s a rough spot to be in when you feel like you deserve more and are not getting it. But, maybe you’re looking at things wrong.

It’s said that lucky people make their own luck. Hard to believe when you’re having the crappiest day possible, but I do think there is some truth to that statement. It’s not that they manufacture their own luck, but that they look for the good in things rather than focusing on the negative, and find ways to draw that good to themselves.

Instead of worrying about where your success is, why not take a look at what you have. Read through your book reviews. Have you had any new ones recently within the last month? I’ll bet you have. Especially if you’ve been promoting your book and making your presence known online. Why not share that review with your facebook friends (just like other authors are doing). That “sharing of your success” might just spark a new friend to read your book and could turn into another good review down the road. See, you just made your own luck.

Have a look at your sales ranking on Amazon. Have you hit any categories lately? Maybe you’re in the top 100 of something. Even if it is obscure (I’ve been in the top 100 in Plays for some unknown reason), share that with your friends and readers. That can also invite new people to buy. You’re book is “special.” If it hasn’t hit a category, why not try to make it hit one? Put the call out to readers stating that is a goal and if you can just reach X amount of clicks/sales/whatever, you might get there. People love to help you reach a goal or take on a challenge. It might just work for you. And again, you’ll have made your own luck.

None of those ideas working? Well, You can always drum up more interest by offering a contest. Why not offer up review copies of your book on your facebook or twitter pages. And the first ten people to send back confirmed reviews will win a prize. That prize could be more free books, could be an amazon gift card, etc… you make the rules. 

The point here is, to make yourself some success rather than feeling less than stellar about not having any.  The more you focus on your books, the less time you have to worry about anything else. 

Sharing the book love!

Sharing the love!
I post a lot about my own books, but let me take a moment to introduce you to two other authors and their awesome offerings!

Lost Angels: A Supernatural & Paranormal Romance Novel (The Lost Archangels Book 0) by [Creed, Tatenda]Lost Angels: A Supernatural & Paranormal Romance Novel 
https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/41e7968c-f858-11e8-93fd-4fbbb4b9cddd

Supernatural collides with Mortal instruments and Vampire Diaries.
Dare to begin the passionate, thrilling, and provocative journey of love, dilemmas, sacrifice, and an epic love story? Prepare to be addicted… Grab the Prequel, Lost Angels, and unveil the mystery behind the romantic and addictive series of The Lost Archangels.

Busy collecting prayers, on top of watching over the Archangels, it's another day for Jude Thaddeus to prove his perfection to Father God. He intends to uphold his impeccable record and become an Archangel. Nothing must come between him and his desire.

Except…

After years of planning, Lucifer has discovered a means to kill his siblings, the Archangels. It’s a perfect plan. One he’s sure Jude will not see coming. Neither will the Archangels who’ve now become complacent, self-righteous, judgmental, and arrogant.

The battle begins when Ava, the woman chosen to veil the Sacred City of Ashbourne, cries out for help.

Everyone has a plan, a need, or a desire, except they forget the one plan that matters most—God’s. The outcome is shocking, one that triggers a never-ending battle, and unveils a love story like no other.

Revenge. Resentment. Betrayal. None is more unbearable than the Agony of Love.
https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/41e7968c-f858-11e8-93fd-4fbbb4b9cddd


Myleah: Fallen Into Shadows Prelude by [Hawkins, Imani L]Myleah: Fallen Into Shadows Prelude
https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/10a91a54-f890-11e8-a43d-13494a94aa07
One death can destroy many...

Myleah, a Fallen angel, had been through hell and back, only to be discarded by the very people she'd given her all to. But when a Fallen angel is brutally slaughtered, Myleah is called upon by those same people to use her gift of sight to bring the killer to justice.

Myleah is forced to face her demons as she navigates the new world of the Fallen, taking down anyone who stands in her way to redemption. Desperate for vengeance, she rains down destruction on anyone who opposes her. But the lines have been drawn, and she soon discovers she is nothing but a pawn a game with incredible odds.

Will Myleah choose to stand with her own kind against the humans? Or will she find salvation in the arms of the small human boy who'd taken her in when the Fallen had turned their backs on her?
https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/10a91a54-f890-11e8-a43d-13494a94aa07

Magic in Disguise - Chapter 2 Sneak Peek

MAGIC IN DISGUISE

AGENTS OF A.S.S.E.T. 3

KATIE SALIDAS

CHAPTER TWO

All the eagerness she’d had to get back to work evaporated the moment Sage breached the threshold of Ava’s office. Her boss sat, busy as ever, behind the wall of her laptop, shuffling piles of paper from her overflowing inbox to another stack of documents towering on the other side of her desk. Ava either had not noticed them come in, or as Sage suspected, was playing a game of dominance.
“You wanted to see us?” Sage called out.
Ava’s head popped up. Her turquoise eyes narrowed as she inspected Sage from head to toe. If only Terras had been gifted with mind reading. Ava Masters had a poker face better than anyone Sage had ever seen. Mouth set in a hard flat line. No hints of a smile or smirk. No body language to signal intentions. Ava kept her posture neutral as her gaze traveled toward their target, Sage’s gloved hand.
“Shut the door and sit.” Ava barked the order, and Sage found herself jumping from sudden shock. Ava set down her pages and closed the laptop, then folded her arms and waited for Sage to do as she was told. Every movement felt calculated and controlled, more so than usual. Almost as if Ava had some apprehension about being in the room with Sage. But that couldn’t be possible. Ava didn’t strike her as the type who feared anything, and even if she did, no one would ever see it.
All the posturing left a bitter taste in Sage’s throat. Tests. That’s what this was. But what were they testing? How was she supposed to act?
Some days she regretted telling Mark she couldn’t work with him. Back home in Phoenix, he’d been a surrogate father. Never too busy to stop what he was doing, he’d always greeted her with warmth. He made her feel comfortable to come to him with anything. Ava held the same top-level position in the Vegas office, but her approach to being the head honcho was more despot than director. 
“Enjoying your vacation, Miss Cynwrig?” Ava’s tone was anything but casual.
 “I wouldn’t exactly call it a vacation.” Sage struggled to control the tremble in her voice. This felt too much like a trap. She turned sideways looking for Grey, but he hadn’t taken the other seat.
“It wasn’t meant to be.” Ava’s shrill reply worked like a slap to the face, refocusing Sage’s attention back on her boss. “Have you sorted out your domestic situation?”
“Do you need me in here?” Grey hovered near a chair as if expecting to be told to vacate it the moment his cheeks hit the cushion. “I can wait outside.”
“Sit, Mr. Maddox.” Ava pointed to the other chair with her perfectly manicured finger. “I’ll get to you in a moment.”
He responded immediately, like a well-trained pup, taking the chair and leaving Sage to wonder exactly how bad his week with Ava had been. Maybe she had gotten the better punishment after all.
Ava cleared her throat, and Sage snapped to attention.
“My domestic situation is…uh…being managed,” Sage answered. “I believe I’m ready to return to work.”
“You’ll return when I say.” Ava held out her hand. “Show me your palm, please?”
At least she asked nicely. Sage pulled off her gloves and held her damaged hand out for inspection.
Ava snapped it up with the speed of a viper and yanked her forward with such strength Sage nearly came out of her seat.
The poker face faltered. Ava’s expression shifted between curiosity and concern the longer she scrutinized Sage’s palm. She knew it was bad, but for her boss to let slip the control she had over her expression was truly telling.
Darkness, that had started as a small spot marking the place where the seed had embedded itself, had grown, slowly stretching out in all directions as it claimed new territory across her hand. The epicenter remained black as pitch, lightening a little across the recently deadened skin. Like bruises, her hand was splotched purple and blue. The outer areas of the seed’s reach had turned yellow, not quite succumbing to the darkness but clearly losing the fight. All of it a stark contrast to the creamy color of her undamaged skin. Her hand was dying. Slowly, but dying all the same. A truth Sage did not want to admit aloud. The black mark had grown from nothing in the space of a week, and she felt the scream of every nerve before being silenced. How long would it be before her whole body was covered by this cursed black mark? What would become of her when it did?
“I’m assuming there is pain to match the outward symptoms,” Ava said without an ounce of sympathy in her voice. “Manageable, I expect?”
“Better when I am clear of magic, not so much at other times.”
“I’d like to run a few tests.” Ava dropped Sage’s hand, letting it crash on her desk.
Grey leaned in, resting his chin on his hands. He could have warned her this was going to happen. At least give her a heads-up she was becoming a lab rat.
Falling into the trap of self-pity was too easy. Temptation she’d been struggling with for the last week. But maybe she’d been looking at it wrong. Maybe Ava didn’t know all. Maybe she needed to be the lab rat. Yes. Sage nodded to herself. Work toward a cure. Stay positive.
Ava reached to open the topmost drawer in her desk. “We need to see how that thing responds to stimulus.” She pulled out a crystal sphere, the kind of mystical see-into-the-future equipment that would be used in a fortune teller’s tent.
Sage almost made a Great Zoltar joke to lighten the mood, but caught herself before she stuck her foot in her mouth. Boss lady wasn’t the joking type, and Sage was already on the ‘problem child’ list.
Ava held it up, letting the light hit it, awakening an inner light within the sphere. Deep within the center, a tiny glowing ember of blue light pulsed. Magic. Hidden from mortal eyes, but clearly visible to the Terra. The seed pulsed within Sage’s palm, sensing the magic, burning with hunger. Even before Ava’s prompt for her to, “Touch it,” Sage felt the pull. As if the seed had already reached out and lassoed the orb, it drew her hand upwards to take hold of it.
She cringed, fighting against the tractor beam guiding her. The wrath of disobeying would be nothing compared to the pain in her hand, but still she struggled to willingly reach out and cause herself pain. Slow, deep breaths, in and out. Sage closed her eyes and gave in.
Zap!
Electricity jolted through her body. She yelped, yanking her hand back, and cradled it against her chest.
Ava picked up the crystal orb to inspect. She held it up in the light. The blue ember was no longer visible. “Let me see your hand now.”
Sage complied, holding out her palm for inspection. Residual echoes of the electricity still throbbed, sending pulses all the way up her arm.
“Not enough.” Tiny creases appeared on Ava’s brow. She pursed her lips as she closed in for a better look at Sage’s aching hand. “We need something more powerful.” Again, she dropped Sage’s hand, letting it smash down onto the desk.
“What are you hoping to find?” Sage asked.
Ava ducked down, opening the bottom drawer in her desk. “When I need you to speak, I will ask the questions, Miss Cynwrig.”
A snarky retort nearly leapt off the end of Sage’s tongue, but she held it back, turning her confusion toward Grey.
He looked just as uncertain as Sage. They exchanged confused glances and shrugs, further confirming that no one in the room had a clue what to do about her hand.
Ava popped back up from the drawer holding an ornately carved wooden stick in her hand. “Let’s run the test again.”
Sage wanted to refuse. She didn’t have a masochistic bone in her body, despite what everyone said about her always trying to kill herself, but knew her boss would only force her hand if she did. She took a moment to steel her courage, telling herself this is being done in the name of breaking the curse, though she didn’t doubt Ava was taking some pleasure in punishing Sage for her disobedience.
She sucked in a deep breath and readied herself for the pain that was sure to come.
Ava held out the wand. “Take hold of it, please, with your injured hand.”
The seed had already locked onto the magic. Like a magnet, it drew Sage’s hand. If she struggled, she could avoid touching it, but all she had to do was let go of control and the seed would guide her there. It throbbed hungrily, burning with an insatiable fire the moment she came close to the wood. Then it struck, the fiery stab like a white hot knife sliced through her palm the moment she made contact with it. Controlled by the seed’s desire, she gripped the wand tightly, her fingers wrapping around it, closing the connection. Invisible flames danced up from her hand, consuming her arm, her chest, spreading all across her body. She bit back a cry threatening to burst from her throat. Time distorted. Seconds felt like minutes. The seed lazily savored the power within the magical artifact. Sage was the conduit, feeling the magic flow through her and be incinerated. The seed was in control. She couldn’t release her grip if she wanted to.
Tears watered in her eyes. She held back from voicing her agony as long as she could, holding out until the power finally ebbed. She collapsed on Ava’s desk. The wand, finally free of her grip, clattered against wood.
“Are you okay?” Grey’s hand rested on her back. “You look like you’re about to puke.”
If he only knew how right he was, but the worst was over. She clutched her injured hand tightly to her chest, allowing small whimpers to escape as she panted through the remaining waves of pain and sat up again.
 “Do not mess up my office. If you’re going to be sick, use a bin.” Ava reached around her desk and pulled a trash can out.
“I’m fine. I’ll be fine. Just need a little air.” She took the trash can all the same.
“What you just… let’s call it neutralized, for lack of a better word, was The Wand of Wailing. It has been around for over a thousand years, wielded by many an Elemental druid.”
“Wait. Aren’t all elementals magic people?” Sage asked.
“Yes, dear, but wands are for focusing magic. After a time, they retain bits of power. They themselves become quite magical in their own right. We recovered this one last week. No need to put it in the archives now.”
Had Ava tried to make a joke? Sage couldn’t tell. Either way, she wasn’t in the laughing mood. Her body felt like an open wound, raw and tender.
“Let’s see that hand again, shall we?” Ava held her own out, waiting.
Sage allowed her boss to inspect it again, praying there would be no more tests.
“Very interesting.” Ava’s lip curled into an approving grin. “You see the black mark has reduced in size.”
Sage and Grey both leaned in to get a better look. Ava was right. The mark had not gone completely, but it had shrunk.
“What does this mean?” Sage asked, afraid to jump to a hopeful conclusion just yet.
“It would seem to indicate that the seed requires a certain level of magic to avoid drawing from your own.”
“But I have no magic.” Sage knew she’d said something stupid the moment the words left her lips. And Ava looked all too happy to be able to correct her.
“No active magic, no. You are by nature a creature of magic, Miss Cynwrig. Your power is in neutralizing. A very potent form of magic.”
“So it’s taking from me when it can’t take from another source?”
“It would appear so,” Ava answered.
“So we need to cut it out of her, then?” Grey jumped to his feet. “She’s had that thing in her palm for a week now, and look what it’s done.”
“And by feeding it magic, we have reduced the effect it has had on her,” Ava answered. “She’s in no immediate danger. However, as fond as you are of your blades, Mr. Maddox, we do not just slice people open on a whim. There may be consequences. This is unknown magic we are working with.”
“Do I get a say in any of this?” Sage asked, feeling as if she were being talked over rather than talked to.
“Only if your words add value to the conversation,” Ava replied sharply. “We already understand the impact this is having on you, as well as your ability to work. So if all you wish to add to the conversation is your desire to have it removed quickly, you need not speak.”
Sage slumped back in her chair.
“We do need to move quickly,” Grey said in her defense.
“I will take that into consideration. For now, Miss Cynwrig is to return home until further notice. See that she gets there safely. And when you have returned, Mr. Maddox, you will assist me in the records room. Dismissed.”


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Magic in Disguise - Chapter 1 Sneak Peek for #Bookworms

Best New Urban Fantasy Thriller Book Series

MAGIC IN DISGUISE

AGENTS OF A.S.S.E.T. 3
KATIE SALIDAS

CHAPTER ONE

How did I get here?
Deep within her hand, the twinges began. Sage stared at the ugly blemish blackening her palm. A few days earlier, the only deformity she could claim was the birthmark that labeled her a Terra: The Tree of Life.
The Great Mother had bestowed innate magical protection upon those who bore her mark. But all magic comes with a price. Especially for Terras. If only she’d read the fine print, she’d have been more careful with her gift.
Sage had been tasked with protecting the greatest weapon known to the magical community, The Seed of Destruction; daring to use its magic, however, earned her this penance. And if the ever-growing black mark on her palm was any indication of the consequences, she too, would ultimately be destroyed by the seed’s need to consume power. 
Pain was fast becoming her constant companion. Living in a house with vampires, she was never too far from magic. Dark or light, it didn’t matter. The seed burned with insatiable hunger for power. She clenched her fist tight, but it did nothing to silence the throbbing.
A knock at her front door provided a perfect distraction from all the negative thoughts that came to her during the lonely hours of isolation.
She jumped to her feet, happy to have any kind of company. Well, any kind of non-magical company. What she wouldn’t give for a pair of missionaries to drop by. She’d endure whatever religion they wanted to peddle as long as they would sit and have a cup of coffee with her. 
“What’s the password?” Sage called playfully as she clicked the door lock.
“Coffee,” Grey responded mechanically.
“That was last week’s password.” She yanked the door open, and met him with an impish smirk. “Try again.”
Grey stood, arms crossed, that silly fedora ever present on top of his head. She was tempted to knock it off, just to continue her playful greeting, but he beat her to the punch with an annoyed, “Grow up.”
Mercurial as ever, she never knew if he was going to play along with her jokes or throw a wet blanket on her good mood. Still, she had to try. He was the only person who visited her since she’d earned the scarlet letter at ASSET. Administrative leave, they called it. Sage had other words. Cabin fever, a slow decent into madness.
“Don’t you want to know the new password?” She stood her ground, hands on her hips, a flimsy barricade, more playful than purpose, but enough to prevent Grey from entering her home.
“You’re either going to let me in, or find a new way to get to work.”
After nearly a week without news, his words renewed her spirit. Her blockade crumbled. She reached out and yanked Grey into the apartment.
“Do we have a case?” Thank the Goddess! Real human…er…Terra interaction. Non-bloodsucker company. Vampires didn’t make the best of roommates. “Fill me in. Shifters, witches, trolls? Who needs our help?”
“Slow your roll there, newbie.” Grey cracked a smile. He had to know how much she needed this. How desperate she was for something useful to do.
She closed the door behind him and ushered Grey to the kitchen table. “Easy for you to say. You’re not on house arrest. I’d willingly jump on the back of your bike and ride across the country and back if it means getting out of this house.”
“Careful what you wish for,” he teased.
She pressed him down into one of the dining chairs and rounded the table to take the one opposite him. “I might be a newbie, but I’m not messing with wishes and djinn again. Hell no!” She crossed her fingers behind her back. Luke’s fate had been a need-to-know basis kind of thing, and even though Grey was her partner, she hadn’t quite let him in on that secret yet.
Luke was still very much alive and living across the walkway from her apartment too. Though he couldn’t possibly have retained his magic after what she’d done to him.
 “All right, there’s this kid.” Grey folded his arms on the table and leaned in closely. “Poor, pitiful little thing.” He whispered the words like a secret none but the two of them should share. “She got herself into a lot of trouble. Mixing with the wrong sort.”
“Really? Do we need to rescue her?” Chills prickled at the back of Sage’s neck. She bristled with excitement. This was her chance to make amends. Anticipation had her salivating for more information. She wouldn’t fail. “Who has her?”
“Oh yeah. She needs rescuing, all right. If I had my way the minute I brought her in, I’d have her locked up. For her own protection.” He snickered, breaking just long enough for Sage to catch the cruelty of his joke.
“Jerk.” She reached across the table and swatted the hat off his head. Too bad she’d been aiming for his cheek.
Grey laughed all the way to the ground as he ducked under the table to retrieve his fedora. His amusement vanished as he came back up. Eyes widened with fearful curiosity. He stared silently as if seeing Sage for the first time, only he hadn’t looked her in the eye. The target of his concern fell much lower than her face.
“You sure you’re up for working in your current condition?”
Sage hid her ruined hand behind her back, but it was too late. He’d already taken in the new damage. “I’m fine. I can still work.”
He stood and dusted off the hat before placing it back on his head. “I’d rather we get you sorted before hitting the field again, but Ava’s ordered you in for a meeting.”
She cringed at the prospect of another lecture from Queen High Bitch herself. “Should I be scared?”
Grey gave a noncommittal shrug. “Whatever it is, we’re partners, so we’ll take our lumps together.”
She stood and grabbed her keys off the wall hook. “Speaking of… How come I got sent home while you were still allowed to work?”
“I didn’t get anything stuck in my hand on our last mission,”—he pointed an accusing finger at her—“but don’t think I got off easy. Ava’s had me tied to her desk all week.”
Her mind instantly sank into the gutter, conjuring up a naughty vision of Grey bound at the wrist and ankles across Ava’s mahogany desk. Ava certainly fit the dominatrix persona, but Grey as a submissive? Nope. Can’t have thoughts like those. Bad Sage! Where was the mental bleach when she needed it?
“You’re right. Administrative leave is so much better. But I’m still ready to get back to work.” A sharp shock jolted through her palm quick as a strike of lightning. She winced, hissing as she clenched her fist tight enough to send her nails into her skin. The seed never failed to make its desire known. Even the prospect of being near magic was enough to awaken its insatiable hunger.
Grey was at her side before she opened her eyes, taking her hand in his. “You’re getting worse.” Carefully, he inspected the damage. Blackening skin spread out from the center where the seed had made its home, its darkness reaching out in all directions, devouring her slowly. He tiptoed the pads of his fingers across each of the lines in her palms.
The shocking tenderness of his touch took the edge off her pain. Tickled a bit too. Sage fought against the smile it brought to her face. It wasn’t like Grey to be so… Had he numbed her mind as well? What new magic was this? His gesture was stirring something else within her.
“Fine… I’m… Good. Can I have my hand back?”
He let go as if she’d burned him. “Does it hurt?”
So much! “A little. More when I’m around magic.”
“I don’t doubt that. You’re like a lightning rod caught in a thunderstorm. All the magic around you, right there for the taking.”
“To put it mildly.” She scrubbed her hands, trying to stop the tingling left in the wake of his grip.
“You sure you’re going to be okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Good, because I don’t need my partner getting all weird on me when we’re out there dealing with whatever shitstorm Ava assigns us.”
Snarky tone. Condescension. Teasing. That she could handle. That didn’t send butterflies buzzing around her stomach. She reached for a pair of silver-lined gloves on the counter and slipped them on. Ava had suggested she wear them. She hadn’t tested whether or not it blocked the seed’s power, but better safe than sorry.
“Me, weird?” She waggled her silver-coated fingers at him. “Don’t know what you mean.”
“Maybe keep those in your pocket.”
“You think, Captain Obvious? Gloves in the desert, in the middle of summer. Might as well walk around with a neon sign on my head.” Looking weird was the least of her worries. It was the very real risk she could accidentally kill someone with a single touch that weighed heaviest on her mind.
“I know this is difficult. I’m proud of how brave you are being. You’re handling this so well.”
What the hell was that tone? He’d gone from snarking to simpering in a blink, talking to her like she was some fragile creature moments from shattering into a thousand pieces should he utter a negative word. Come to think of it, he’d been noticeably less Grey since she’d been cursed.
“Don’t talk to me like a lost cause.”
Grey stepped back as if she’d took a swing at him. “What?”
“You’re being too nice!”
His brow crinkled. Grey opened his mouth but no words came.
“You know something you’re not telling me, partner.” Sage threw her hands on her hips. He wasn’t going to weasel out of giving her an answer. He wasn’t a soft and gentle kind of guy. The new case was a charade. Sage was dying. Or worse. If there was a worse. That thought sent a whole different kind of chill slithering down her spine. 
“As long as I’ve lived, I’ve pissed off my fair share of women,” – Grey stared at her in disbelief – “but not once has any girl ever yelled at me for being nice.”
“You know what I mean.” She narrowed her eyes, daring him to blow more smoke up her ass. “You’re not being you. What world-altering devastation are you hiding from me?”
“Woah. Hold on there, Drama Queen.” Grey threw his hands up in the air, taking yet another step away from her. Any further and he’d plaster himself against the front door. “You jumped right onto the crazy train.”
“You’re an insufferable asshole, and that’s on a good day. But since this whole thing happened.” She pulled the glove off and shoved her blackening hand in his face. “You’ve been distant. And when I finally do see you, you’re speaking to me like…I’m some sort of…cancer patient who’s been given two weeks to live.”
“Put that away.” He swatted at her hand.
“No.” She held it firmly in his face. “Not until you tell me why you’re acting so weird.”
“Stop this now!” He took hold of her hand with a growl that made him sound part wolf. His grip was iron, tightening when she resisted, preventing her from pulling away.
“Let me go,” she demanded.
“You can’t hurt me. I’m not afraid of you. Probably the only person in your current circle of friends that can say that right now.” His breath came slowly as he moved her hand to his chest. Grey fixed the ruin of her palm directly over his heart.
Stubbornly, she gave one final attempt to pull free before resigning herself to his will.
 His heart knocked against her wounded hand. The steady rhythm vibrated powerfully through his chest, but it was the warmth that radiated from him that worked true magic. Each pulse of his heartbeat fought against the ache, absorbing it, neutralizing it, and steadily gaining ground against her pain.
He loosened his iron grip, letting the choice to continue their physical connection fall to her. Sage found herself floating somewhere in the neutral zone between pain and something much more intense. His thumb ghosted over the back of her hand, so tender, so intimate. She sucked in a frightened breath, realizing how much his touch had kindled within her. A wonderful distraction from the pain in her hand but sure to leave lasting scars on her heart. She wasn’t ready to let him past her defenses. This wasn’t the time for those thoughts anyway.
She let her hand fall, instantly regretting the loss of his warmth, and released her breath in an attempt to force with it all the stress she could expel from her body. Their physical connection had said what words couldn’t, and that scared her more than the meeting she would soon have with Ava.
 “You paid a high price for your service to the gods.” Grey’s voice cracked. He cleared his throat to cover the sound and leaned in, their noses almost touching. The silent way his eyes had begged her to come closer could not be unseen.
“It’s only temporary.” Her legs went soft like warm jelly. She backed away awkwardly, struggling to stay upright. “I’m sure ASSET had a way to fix this.”
“One way or another, we’ll set things right.” Grey mopped his face with his hands, wiping disappointment away as he replaced it with a stony mask of indifference. She’d have much rather he kept the smile, but ultimately his game face was what she needed.
“Yeah.” She chuckled nervously. “Because I’m not wearing these gloves for the rest of my life.” She turned away, her cheeks burning with raw emotions she wasn’t ready to process. Her focus had to be on removing the stone.
“Sage,” he called to her.
“What?”
“You’re not going to die, okay? We will fix you.”
“Of course we will. I’d hate to inconvenience you with my death.” Sage found snarky comebacks flowed much more freely than heavy emotions.
“You know how much I hate paperwork,” Grey responded in kind.
“Good, because the alternative is the Luke Skywalker approach, and prosthetic hands are not that advanced yet.”
“You have a movie to reference for every situation, don’t you?”
“Pop culture is my second language.” She fit the glove back over her bad hand. “But I do draw the line at the Michael Jackson references.”  
“He only wore one glove.”
She snorted at his attempted humor. “You think I could get away with that?”
“Better safe than sorry. But if you’re itching to test the theory, I could hold Zack down for you.”
That was more like it. Grey was beginning to sound like himself. Dumb jokes and playful condescension she could deal with.
“Don’t tempt me. He’s been nearly as insufferable as you this last week.”
Grey’s lips twisted into a sneer. “Something you haven’t told me?”
Was that jealousy she detected? Sage nearly took the bait, but inciting another testosterone war wouldn’t help matters. “It’s just difficult having him live here at the apartment while he trains Matt, that’s all.”
“Better than the alternative.”
“You don’t have to listen to him. The one saving grace about my new little…affliction.” She wiggled her fingers again as if casting a magic spell. “He can’t come anywhere near me.”
“He’d only make that mistake once.”
“And I’d have more blood on my hands. First month on the job… What’s my tally?”
“You do have an impressive kill count for a newbie.” The wink he gave her held a little too much flirt in its wake.
Sage turned to the door before things got awkward again. “Let’s go see if I’m up for any awards, then.”
“Promise not to kill me?” Grey shoved her aside as he rushed to open the door. Yet another oddly un-Grey-like gesture.
“We’re meeting with Ava,” she reminded him. “Are you sure it’s not my head on the chopping block?”
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