Dark Heart of Magic (Black Blade #2)
by Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Kensington
Release Date: October 27th 2015
Synopsis:
Something Wicked This Way Comes...
As a thief, I stick to the shadows as much as possible. But when the head of the Sinclair Family picks me to compete in the Tournament of Blades, there's no escaping the spotlight—or the danger.
Even though he's my competition, Devon Sinclair thinks I have the best shot at winning what's supposed to be a friendly contest. But when the competitors start having mysterious "accidents," it looks like someone will do anything to win—no matter who they hurt.
As if I didn't have enough to worry about, mobster Victor Draconi is plotting against Devon and the rest of my friends, and someone's going around Cloudburst Falls murdering monsters. One thing's for sure. Sometimes, humans can be more monstrous than anything else...
Careful of the falling persimmons, Devon Sinclair stepped up beside
me and craned his neck back. His black T-shirt and khaki cargo pants
were splattered with even more persimmon pulp than mine, making it look
as though he’d been caught in a red rainstorm. Just about the only part
of him that wasn’t covered in fruit was the silver cuff that glimmered
on his right wrist, one stamped with a distinctive design—a hand holding
a sword aloft. The symbol of the Sinclair Family.
“He’s not a
very happy fellow, is he?” Devon murmured in his deep, rumbling voice.
“No wonder the tourists are complaining about him.”
Cloudburst
Falls was known far and wide as “the most magical place in America,” a
place where “fairy tales are real,” so tourism was the name of the game
around here. People came from all over the country and the world to see
the magnificent views from Cloudburst Mountain, the rugged, fog-covered
peak that loomed over the city, as well as spend their money in all the
shops, casinos, restaurants, hotels, and other attractions that ringed
the Midway, the main tourist drag in the center of town.
But
monsters were also drawn to the area because of all the bloodiron, a
magical metal, that had been mined out of Cloudburst Mountain over the
years. At least, that’s what the local legends and tall tales claimed.
Tourist rubes might like to ooh and aah at the monsters in the various
zoos in the Midway and photograph the creatures in their natural
habitats during tours and expeditions up the mountain, but the
out-of-towners didn’t appreciate tree trolls throwing persimmons at them
as they walked down the sidewalk. And the tourists especially didn’t
like to get attacked and eaten by some of the more dangerous monsters
that lurked in the dark alleys and shadowy spots in and around town. So
it was the job of the Families, or mobs, to make sure that the monsters
stayed in their designated areas. Or at least didn’t snack on too many
tourists at one time.
This particular troll had taken up
residence in a tall blood persimmon tree that sat at the edge of one of
the shopping squares off the Midway. Since this particular square was
part of the Sinclair Family territory, we were the ones who’d been
called in to deal with the creature. For the last three days, the troll
had been fruit bombing everyone who dared walk by its tree, causing
several tourists to drop and break their expensive phones and cameras.
Nothing pissed off a tourist more than losing their fancy new phone. I
knew, since I’d spent the last few years swiping phones out of the
pockets, purses, and fanny packs of every out-of-towner who looked like
an easy mark.
Beside me, Devon shifted on his feet, moving out of
the bright, direct sun into a pool of dappled shadows closer to the
tree. The warm rays filtered down through the branches and danced across
his muscled body, showing off his intense green eyes, rugged features,
and the honey highlights in his dark chocolate brown hair. I breathed
in, catching a whiff of his crisp pine scent, mixed in with the sticky
sweetness of the splattered persimmons. Just standing near Devon made my
heart do a funny little pitter-patter in my chest, but I ignored the
sensation, just as I’d been doing for weeks now.
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Jennifer Estep is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance.
Her Elemental Assassin series follows the life and times of Gin “the Spider” Blanco, a barbecue restaurant owner who also happens to be an assassin with magical control over the elements of Ice and Stone.
The Mythos Academy series focuses on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. She studies at Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors.
Her Bigtime paranormal romance books feature sexy superheroes, evil ubervillains, and smart, sassy gals looking for love.
Estep’s new Black Blade series is about 17-year-old thief Lila Merriweather, who has a Talent for sight, along with the ability to take magic others used against her to boost her own powers. She tries not to get involved with the Families who control much of the town, but ends up in the middle of a potential turf war.
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