Blood Magic

Kait Disney-Leugers

Description

Blood is a powerful magic, but love is even more so.


Lily Everett comes from a long line of powerful witches. It’s her duty to continue the Everett line and pass her gifts down to future generations. But Lily has fallen in love with Albert Hsu, a vampire, and her family is less than thrilled about their relationship.


With Lily fighting against her family to defend her love, a new threat arrives in town that threatens everything Lily and Albert have built together. Thirty years after running away from his vampire family, Albert’s maker and his brood of vampires return to claim Albert once again. Can the love of a witch and vampire overcome their blood families, or will they have to sacrifice their happiness to appease old hostilities?

Sujets

• Fantastique
• Romance fantastique
• Fantasy urbaine
• Magic realism
• Urban
• Fiction
• Fantasy

Informations

• Publié par: 4 Horsemen Publications, Inc.
• Date de parution: 02 juin 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781644507988
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Table o f Contents
Acknow ledgements
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Epilogue
Book Club Questions
Author Bio





Blo od Magic
Copyright © 2023 Kait Disney-Leugers. All rights re served.


4 Horsemen Publication s, Inc.
1497 Main St. S uite 169
Dunedin, FL 34698
4horsemenpublicat ions.com
info@4horsemenpublicat ions.com
Cover by J . Kotick
Typesetting by Niki Tantillo
Edited by Kristin e Cotter
All rights to the work within are reserved to the author and publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 International Copyright Act, without prior written permission except in brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Please contact either the Publisher or Author to gain per mission.
This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used ficti tiously.
Library of Congress Control Number: 20 22951910
Paperback ISBN-13: 978-1-644 50-796-4
Hardcover ISBN-13: 978-1-644 50-797-1
Audiobook ISBN-13: 978-1-644 50-799-5
Ebook ISBN-13: 978-1-644 50-798-8



To Storm, who is not a romance reader but still demanded I write every new chapter immediately. #Sis terLeugers

Acknow ledgements
B ook two, here we go! When I started writing Antique Magic , I wasn’t planning on making it a series. But then Lily and Albert just wouldn’t leave me alone, and I knew I needed to tell their story. Once again, Linda Stewart was there telling me to write more, that she needed more about my witch and vampire. So here you go, my friend.
Much love and many thanks to my editor, Kris Cotter, who believed in my characters and set me straight when I messed up on my pagan representation. Big thanks to everyone at 4 Horsemen Publications for being writers working for writers. You are such a kickass group of people, and it is an honor and a pleasure being a Horseman.
A special shout out to my Twitter writer friends, especially L.B. Black, who is the best source of all things vampire. I think that Albert and Lawrence would be besties and be awkward vampire nerds, totally crushing on their witchy ladies together.
To Greg, listen, I’m a peacock; you gotta let me fly! And to my kids, Artemis and Orion, I love you both to the moon and back, but man, you two made sure I didn’t write when you were awake. It was worth it for all the hugs and cuddles , though.
I forgot to include Jordan Bunnell last time, so I’m doing it now. Thank you, friend, for all the dumb TikTok you sent that got me out of my own head for a while. I needed them, and I didn’t eve n know it.
Finally, thank you always to my parents. Mom has told everyone she’s ever met that I wrote a book, and I love her for it. Dad, I’m not dedicating a romance book with spicy scenes to you. It’s weird enough when you force me to flirt with your dwarf characters in D&D whenever I DM; don’t make this weird. You throw off my groove (but I still love you).
Chapter 1
T he lamp clicked on with a gentle snick, illuminating the bedroom in a soft glow. Dawn was still about an hour away, but it was time to get up and out the door. Lily Everett placed her feet on the floor, burrowing her toes in the plush carpet below the bed for a moment before pushing herself up into a standing position.
She would much rather stay in bed, but that wasn’t an option. At least the air in the house was warm, unlike the bed, which was always a little chilled.
“Leaving already, darling?” a husky voice asked from the bed. Lily smiled as she turned and bent over to kiss her boyfriend, Albert Hsu. She intended for it to be a short and sweet kiss, but good intentions never stood a chance against Albert’s kisses. He pulled her toward him, and she fell forward onto the bed, catching herself on her hands over his body.
She didn’t try to pull away as he deepened the kiss and delighted in the shivers that ran through her body as his hands reached up to touch her. The coolness of his fingers did wonderful things against the flushed heat of her body. But then, Albert was always cold, one of the side effects of being a vampire. Lily was used to it by now, but the sensation of his cold against her heat was still w onderful.
Finally, he let her pull back just enough to answer the question she barely remembered him asking. “Yes, love, I have to. You need your beauty sleep, and it’s almost sun-up, and I have a load of work in the garden before it gets too warm out.” She slowly stood from the bed again, incredibly reluctant to go. She would stay in bed with Albert all day if she could, but he was at his most vulnerable during the day, so she opted to leave him be while he slept or hid out somewhere in his house.
She dressed quickly and kissed Albert again, reluctantly pulling away, and then headed for home.
The Everett family farm was already bustling in the pale dawn light. Her eldest sister, Rose, sat on the porch drinking coffee as Lily walked up the path to t he house.
“Don’t think getting home late from that vampire’s place means you’re getting out of dawn harvest. Mom wants us all in the morning glory plot in thirty,” she said cuttingly. Rose had the ability to be a sharp-tongued bitch even at six in the morning.
“Fine.” Lily smiled. Not even her sister’s grumpiness could tarnish her good mood after a night with Albert. Besides, she was used to early morning harvests after a long night since she switched her focus to night-blooming plants to spend time with her vampire.
So far, her family had not been particularly supportive of the change. But then again, they weren’t particularly supportive of her relationship with Albert. Lily came from a long line of witches, and in her family’s opinion, witches, especially from such an esteemed line as the Everetts, simply did not date vampires. Or any other magical beings that weren’t other witches.
Lily walked through the house and into the crowded kitchen. Her father stood at the stove watching over a batch of eggs, while the rest of her family—her mother, her other older sister Ivy and her fiancé Jamie, Rose’s wife Manu, her granny, and papaw—sat at the table. There was never a time when the Everett table wasn’t full of people. It had been that way forever; there were always aunties, uncles, and cousins around being as loud as possible. And that happened still, since all the Everetts lived around the farm, one house at each cardinal point, completing their famil y circle.
But there was one person who never got to sit around the family table. Not once had her family invited Albert to dine with them. Other than the Samhain party, Albert had not set foot in her family home, and that was almost a year ago. The two of them spent all their time out of the house or at his place. It wasn’t lost on Lily that even though her family was welcoming to everyone, including her siblings’ partners, they were not as welcoming t o her own.
True, witches and vampires didn’t mingle much, even if they were all part of the same magical community. But Lily never thought her family would harbor such prejudice against a vampire, especially since they hosted the Samhain event for the local magical community every year, and Albert had been coming to that for m any years.
Lily took a seat at the table just as her father slid a plate of eggs and plant-based sausage in front of her, followed by an empty mug. As her father turned away, the carafe of coffee in the center of the table lifted and poured the steaming brew into the mug. A sugar canister floated to the mug and spooned out two spoonfuls on its own before replacing itself back across the table. Around her, the table was loud with chatter, and Lily focused on her food, letting the voices swirl a round her.
“Out all night again with that vampire, Lily?” her mother asked, and there was an accusation hidden in her tone, which was unusual for Hyacinth Everett. Her mother was even more cheerful than Lily, which was a feat unto itself, as Lily had a reputation for being the most cheerful, easygoing person in the room.
Lily set down her fork and pulled her coffee close. “His name is Albert, Mom. And yes, we had a date last night, so I stay ed over.”
“You know, you could have dates in the daytime if you just dated someone normal. Then you could spend evenings with your family again. Besides, it’s not like he can offer you any kind of future, except for when he finally snaps and drinks your blood,” Rose jeered as she walked into the kitchen. She sat down next to her wife, who gave her a long glare. Manu didn’t necessarily agree with Rose, but she never said anything in defense of Lil y, either.
Arguing with her family left her without an appetite, which was a shame, since her dad was an excellent cook. “It’s really none of your business, Rose. And I don’t appreciate your insinuation. Albert isn’t like that; he only drinks from willing people. Which I’ve told you enough times. I don’t understand what you have against him.” She tried to keep her tone even and tried to stay calm. If Rose detected any trace that her words were getting an emotional rise out of Lily, she would poun ce on it.
“You can’t be serious? You’re not that obtuse, Lily. He’s a vampire; that’s