Bad Blood
Bad Duology, #1
by Shyla Colt
Date of Publication: September 28th 208
Cover Artist: Dreams 2 Media
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Tagline: He saved her life, and stole her Freedom
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . BAD BLOOD (Bad Duology, #1) . . . I have read Shyla Colt before. I have very much enjoyed those reads. This one good, yes. Different. Magical. Witchy. Knightly. Supernatural.
I loved getting to know Nakeeta, Crewe, their backup characters. The flavor the supernatural soup that was taking place on the pages. The author did a well balance of romance and urban fantasy. I look forward to seeing where this duology will go. The next book will show more and the discovery of the secrets will be anticipated.
BLURB
A reluctant knight
A magical descendent
A race against time
A freak accident thrusts Nakeeta Alva into a dangerous world of secrets, ancient spells, and a legacy she never wanted. The last in a magical line, she’s tasked with restoring the balance to a supernatural world poised for ruin.
Tasked with the care of their savior, Crewe’s main focus is survival. Used to giving orders, the knight isn’t prepared for the sassy witch’s mouth or her lure. The powerful woman reminded him of his humanity and challenged his beliefs.
Keeping her safe is his mission, but the real danger may be losing his heart.
Together, they will save the world … or die trying.
Amazon
Guest Post
Excerpt
“Let’s cast the
circle.” Storing her emotions away, she removed her raincoat, and shimmied out of her pack,
placing it beside the fire. Unzipping the main compartment, she started to remove the orgonite pyramids.
The resin structures had been hand made with a variety of things. The silver,
white, and gold piece she held in her hand was crafted with Fluorite Amethyst
and Onyx, specifically for protection. Kneeling she rested it on the edge of
the perimeter and moved on to the next
one.
With the circle
clearly defined, she admired her work. Firelight flickered off the colorful
pyramids. Reaching into the backpack, she
pulled out the blessed sea salt. Rolling the chunky pieces between her fingers,
she reinforced the circle with a physical layer. A low-level hum began as the
energy of the twenty people gathered in the space and began to build. Pleased
with her work, she placed her elemental items, a clay pot crafted by Lav for earth, a copper
bell for air, An ornate jade dragon for fire, and a large conch shell for
water.
Next,
she removed her wand. The crystal quartz with black tourmaline and moonstone
served as the perfect way to focus her energy. The bits of turquoise, onyx, and
copper used to help decorate all worked together. It felt like she was holding
a lightning rod. Standing straight, she
began to cast the protection. Facing North, she held the wand up, envisioning a
white thread as she moved to the east, connecting each point she drew out
Facing east, she
picked up the bell and rang it. “We honor and welcome the transitional winds.”
The wind ruffled the thick hair she’d pulled back into a braid. Goosebumps rose
on her flesh. “We call you and ask you to make our steps light as a feather and
our voices powerful shouts of conviction and intent.” The bell swung back and
forth, echoing into the night. Resting it back into its place, she moved clockwise to the South, carefully extending
the vision of the white ribbon in her mind's
eye with her wand aiming true.
Picking up the
jade dragon, she ran her fingers over its
smooth surface as she imagined the heat of fire,
flowing through her body. “We honor and welcome the burning flame. We call and
ask you to ignite the spark of life and energy behind our eyes. Enable us to
destroy and create with white-hot power.”
The fire jumped high, rising far above the cauldron before it shrank back down.
The others gasped at the physical manifestation of her will. Returning the
figure to its place of honor she slowly
turned clockwise to face West.
The shell was
smooth in her hand. Honing in on the falling rain, and the smell of the sea
salt, she imagined the waves crashing into the shore. “We honor and welcome the
tides. We call you and ask you wash away
the doubts that cloud our minds and grant us motion and purpose. Our emotions
are as powerful as our bodies.”
Resting the
shell onto the ground, she began her final rotation back North. Holding the
clay pot in her hand, she felt the energy of the makeshift family who’d adopted
her into their ranks rose up to comfort her and keep her shaking head steady.
She imagined them as an unmovable rock. A powerful natural structure tested and
weathered by the elements, but never destroyed. “We honor the earth. We call
you and ask you to remind us of our strength and how far we’ve come. Just as
you endure, let us grow and meet every obstacle that comes in our way.”
She walked to
the center of the circle in front of the fire, picturing the white ribbon
growing brighter.
“Oh, God. I see
it,” Rainer whispered. The translucent white stripe
shimmered, iridescent and breathtaking. The powers that be were here and listening.
Glancing at everyone in the circle, she envisioned their bodies feeling with
the powers of the elements.
“With fire in
our heart, air in our lungs, water in our
veins, and earth beneath our toes, we
come. Let this space strip us of all our pretenses and connected us with our
deepest hidden parts and the world around us. We give thanks to the elements
that stand guard against our enemies, the
energies that thrum at our fingertips ready to be wielded and the forces our
eyes have been opened to.” She rose her hands to the air. “We dedicate this
space to be the base where we project our power and intent. Lend us your
protection.” She cried her request. The
words seemed to echo in the night, bouncing around them.
“Goddess.”
Someone whispered as a wind tore through the circle, winding around their
waists, tugging at their clothing and hair before it moved out of the circle.
Her lips parted as a twisting wall of a whirling tornado obscured them from
view. The scent of the beach wafted through the circle. Rain pounded the
ground, forming a circle of water. The elements were forming walls between them
and danger. Her gut clenched. A flame of fire sprang from the ground, burning
bright and hot. She could smell the ash and smoke. The ground rumbled beneath
their feet, cracking. A chasm formed around them.
“T-the circle is
cast,” Keeta stuttered.
“I have never
seen a circle so powerful,” K said.
“We’ve been
feeding this ground our energy and blood in preparation. It makes sense,”
Rainer added.
“Not just our
blood,” Keeta reminded them. Is this what
happens when vampires and witches combine their will? “Now we start our spell.” Keeta removed the
vials of blood from the black backpack.
For me, the playlist is an important part of my writing process. I pick the songs I listen to while I’m writing as well as those that remind me of the story. It’s one of the things that gets a lot of careful consideration. This is the playlist I crafted for Bad Blood.
Deftones: Change
White Zombie: More Human Than Human
Rob Zombie: Dragula
Danzig: Mother
Rob Zombie: Living Dead Girl
Marilyn Manson: The Beautiful People
Shawn Mendes: In My Blood
Nirvana: You Know You’re Right
Johnny Cash: Hurt
Imagine Dragons: Whatever It Takes
TWENTY ØNE PILØTS: Lane Boy
TWENTY ØNE PILØTS: Heathens
My Chemical Romance: Famous Last Words
TWENTY ØNE PILØTS: Ride
Boy Epic: Fifty Shades
Author Info
Shyla Colt is the sassy USA Today Bestselling author of the popular series Kings of Chaos and Dueling Devils M.C. This genre-hoppers stories feature three of her favorite things: strong females, pop culture, and alternate routes to happy ever after. Listening to her Romani soul, she pens from the heart, allowing the dynamic characters, eccentric interests, and travels as a former flight attendant to take her down untraveled roads.
Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, this mid-west girl is proud of her roots. She used her hometown and the surrounding areas as a backdrop for a number of books. So, if you're a Buckeye, keep an eye out for familiar places.
As a full-time writer, stay at home mother, and wife, there's never a dull moment in her household.
She weaves her tales in spare moments and the evenings with a cup of coffee or tea at her side and the characters in her head for company.
You can interact with Shyla Colt online
Website: www.shylacolt.net
Twitter: @shylacolt
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shylacolt/
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