{"product_id":"magic-bleeds-isbn-9780441018529","title":"Magic Bleeds","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe fourth Kate Daniels novel from the #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author who “defines urban fantasy” (Fresh Fiction).\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKate Daniels works for the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, officially as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle—especially if they involve Atlanta’s shapeshifting community.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e When she’s called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar midway between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers there’s a new player in town. One who’s been around for thousands of years—and rode to war at the side of Kate’s father.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family...\u003cb\u003ePraise for Ilona Andrews and the #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Bestselling Kate Daniels Novels\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Ilona Andrews's books are guaranteed good reads.”—Patricia Briggs, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Kate is a great kick-ass heroine.”—\u003ci\u003eLocus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“One of the brightest voices in urban fantasy...Ilona Andrews delivers only the best.”—Jeaniene Frost, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“One of the best urban fantasy series ever written!”—\u003ci\u003eRT Book Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Andrews's edgy series stands apart.”—\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Urban fantasy absolutely does not get much better than this.”—SF Signal\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I can’t think of another series so consistent, so well written, so full of wit and action and drama that always manages to give me exactly what I’m needing.”—Fiction Vixen\u003cb\u003eIlona Andrews\u003c\/b\u003e is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team, Gordon and Ilona.  They currently reside in Texas with their two children and numerous  dogs and cats. The couple are the #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling authors  of the Kate Daniels and Kate Daniels World novels as well as The Edge  and Hidden Legacy series. They also write the Innkeeper Chronicles  series, which they post as a free weekly serial. For a complete list of  their books, fun extras, and Innkeeper installments, please visit their  website at www.ilona-andrews.com.Forty minutes later Saiman pulled into a parking lot before a large mansion. We’d climbed north, far into the affluent part of Atlanta, but this house made “affluent” sound like an insult. Too large for its lot, the building sprawled, rising two oversized stories into the night and edging its southern neighbors out of the way. When Atlanta’s rich built new houses, they typically imitated antebellum Southern style, but this monster was decidedly English: red brick, huge windows, dark ivy frosted with new snow, and a balcony. All it needed was a fresh-faced English miss in a lacy dress.\u003cp\u003e“What’s this?” I eyed the windows that spilled yellow electric light onto the snow.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Bernard’s.” Saiman sank a world of meaning into the word, which whistled happily over my head.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI glanced at him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“It’s a party house.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I hope for your sake it’s a very tame party.” If he had taken me to some sort of sex orgy, he would fly right through one of those pretty windows, headfirst.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Not that kind,” he assured me. “It’s a place where Atlanta’s rich and influential gather to be seen and to be social. Technically it’s a restaurant, but the patrons are the real draw, not the food. The atmosphere is informal and most people mingle, drink in hand.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOh boy. Rich and influential. Precisely the crowd I wanted to avoid. “And you brought me here?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I warned you that you would be on display. Please don’t grind your teeth, Kate. It makes your jaw look more square.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSaiman parked at the end of the lot.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“No valet?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“People who patronize Bernard’s rarely relinquish control of their cars.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI slid Slayer between the seats and opened my car door. Getting out without catching the heel of my shoe on my hem took a moment, and by the time I had accomplished this feat of dexterity, Saiman was there with his arm and his smile.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhy did I agree to this again? Aaah yes. Because I had no choice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI let Saiman walk me up the steps. Above us a couple on the balcony laughed at something. The woman’s laughter had a slightly hysterical pitch.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe negotiated a vestibule and a luxurious staircase, and Saiman escorted me to the second floor, where a number of small tables dotted a wide room. A smiling hostess in a tiny black dress led us to a table. I sat so I could see the door and surveyed the crowd. Expensive women and expensive men traded pleasantries. A few glanced at us. No hired help. Odd.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Where are the bodyguards?” I murmured.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Bernard’s is a sanctuary,” Saiman said. “Violence is strictly prohibited. Should someone break the rule, the entirety of Atlanta’s elite would rise to bring him down.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn my experience, when the violence broke out, the entirety of Atlanta’s elite scattered and ran for its life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSaiman ordered cognac, I ordered water. The drinks arrived almost immediately. Saiman picked up his heavy crystal glass, warming the amber liquid it held with his palm. Déjà vu. We’d done this song and dance at the Midnight Games.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Just so you know: if a rakshasa shows up, I left my sword in the car.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSaiman’s affable expression gained an edge. “It was a dreadful affair. Thankfully it’s behind us.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe drained his glass. In seconds he had another, emptied that one as well in a single swallow, and was brought a fresh one.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI leaned forward and nodded at the cognac about to chase its fellows down Saiman’s throat. “What’s the rush?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“It’s simply sugar.” He shrugged and emptied the glass. “I exerted myself earlier today and need to replenish my resources.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe waiter flittered by and deposited a huge square bottle of cognac on the table. “With our compliments, sir.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSaiman nodded and splashed cognac into his glass. His hand shook slightly. Saiman was nervous. I scrutinized the set of his jaw. Not just nervous, but angry. He was psyching himself up for something and fueling it with liquid courage. Not good.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe noticed me looking. Our eyes met. His lips curved in a smile. Unlike the self-satisfied smile of an expert taking pride in his accomplishment, this was the smile of a man looking at a woman and fantasizing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI gave him my flat stare. Down, boy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You look so surprisingly striking, Kate,” Saiman murmured and gulped cognac down like it was water.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Slow down.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSaiman leaned forward. “I would buy you a new dress every weekend just for the privilege of sliding it off of you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot in this lifetime. “You’re drunk.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Nonsense.” He poured more liquor. “It’s my third glass.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Fifth.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe studied the amber liquid. “Do men often tell you you’re enchanting?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“No. Men often tell me I hit very hard.” Hint, hint.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Every woman should be told she’s attractive. Men are seduced by their eyes, women by their ears. I would tell you every night and every morning.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe was just going and going. “That’s nice.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You would like it.” Half of the cognac was already gone. Even with his racehorse-on-crack metabolism, he had to be wasted. “You would like the things I would say. The things I would do.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Sure, I would.” Maybe if Mr. Casanova drank himself under the table, I’d get the waiter to help me carry him down to the parking lot and we’d call it a night.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWorry nagged at me. I’d never seen Saiman drunk. Drinking, yes, but not drunk.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI glanced behind me. At the far wall sat a large table full of hors d’oeuvres. If I couldn’t prevent him from drinking, perhaps I could distract him with food.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Would you mind if I helped myself to some?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe rose, as expected. Drunk or not, Saiman’s manners were flawless. “Allow me to escort you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe strolled to the appetizers. I positioned myself so I could have a better view of the floor. Saiman loitered next to me.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Aren’t you hungry?” I asked him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Not particularly.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“What about replenishing your resources?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Ah yes! Thank you for reminding me.” He raised his empty glass and within seconds a waiter brought him a full one.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBertram’s six, Kate zero.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI surveyed the food. Directly in front of me was a silver platter filled with tiny fried squares. Each square supported a cube of minced meat, flecked with tiny pieces of green onion, sesame seeds, and what might have been grated ginger.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Tuna tartare,” Saiman told me. “It’s delectable.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI picked up a square and popped it into my mouth. Saiman’s gaze snagged on my lips. A few more drinks and he might strip naked and offer to dance with me in the falling snow outside. How the hell did I get myself into these things?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Do you like it?” he asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“It’s go—”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJim walked through the door, wearing a black cloak and a scowl.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOh, hell.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe paused in the door, surveying the crowd and radiating menace. In the gathering of Atlanta’s glittering elite, the alpha of Clan Cat stood out like a solid block of darkness. He saw me and reeled back, wide-eyed, looking like a cat who’d been unexpectedly popped on the nose—shocked and indignant at the same time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI would never live this down.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBehind him, Daniel and Jennifer, the alpha wolf couple, strode through the door. Interesting.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJim flashed his teeth. A young man quickly detached himself from the opposite end of the room and hurried over.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA bulky form blocked the doorway next. Mahon. The Bear of Atlanta, alpha of Clan Heavy, and the Pack’s executioner. What the hell was going on?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJim drew the young man aside. Green rolled over his eyes. He said something. The man glanced at me. His eyes widened.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA tall handsome man came through the door, side by side with a leaner, darker man a few years younger and pretty enough to be stunning. Robert and Thomas Lonesco, the alpha rats. More people followed, all with the liquid grace of shapeshifters.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHouston, we have a problem. “We need to leave.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Oh no.” Saiman’s eyes flared with a crazy light. “No, we must stay.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJim continued his fierce chewing-out. It was a very one-sided conversation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA plump middle-aged woman stepped through the door next, registered me, and pursed her lips. Aunt B, the alpha of the boudas. Saiman had dragged me into a restaurant where the Pack Council apparently had dinner. Alphas from every clan were in attendance . . .\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMy ears caught a voice I knew very well. I couldn’t have possibly heard it all the way from across the room, but I sensed it all the same. My fingers turned ice-cold.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA familiar muscular figure walked through the door.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCurran.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe turned his blond head. Gray eyes looked at me.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTime stopped.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe floor dropped down from under my feet and I floated, disconnected, seeing only him. For a second he looked as if he’d been slapped.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe thought I’d rejected him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCurran’s gaze shifted to Saiman. Molten gold flooded his irises, burning off all reason and turning it into rage. Shit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJim said something at Curran’s side, then said something else.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCurran gave no indication he heard him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe wore khakis, a black turtleneck, and a leather jacket. For him, that was the equivalent of formal wear. He must’ve come here for some special occasion. Maybe he wouldn’t rip Saiman to pieces in public. Maybe pigs would fly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNext to me, Saiman smiled. “We all want what we can’t have, Kate. I want you, you want love, and he wants to break my neck.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDear God. The fool had actually orchestrated the whole thing. I was on display for Curran’s benefit. I opened my mouth but words failed to come out.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“He can do nothing here.” Saiman sipped from his glass. “After the Red Stalker affair, the People and the Pack instituted a monthly rendezvous held here in neutral territory, to keep the lines of communication open and discuss business. Any deviation from the protocol would mean war. He can’t move a finger out of line.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJim was still talking, but Curran wasn’t listening. He was looking at us with that unblinking focused stare.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI finally forced my voice to work. “You brought me here to humiliate the Beast Lord? Are you out of your mind?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn ugly grimace skewed Saiman’s features. The civilized mask slid off his face. His voice was a rough snarl. “Would you like to know what humiliation is? Humiliation is being forced to sit quietly and mind your manners sandwiched between two brutish animals at your own venue. Humiliation is being told when to leave and when to arrive, to be confined to your quarters, and to have claws on your neck at the slightest deviation from your orders. That’s what he did to me at the Midnight Games.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSaiman had spent the tournament sitting between Aunt B and Mahon. So that’s what this was all about. His towering arrogance couldn’t take it. He must’ve seethed for weeks, and I had played right into it. That’s why he’d drunk his weight in booze. Curran was pressurized violence and Saiman had expected a confrontation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Of course, you know that he wants you.” Saiman grinned, a savage bearing of teeth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“He can hear you.” Shapeshifter hearing surpassed human, and Curran had to be straining every nerve to catch our voices.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I want him to hear. I’m an expert at lust and he lusts after you. He’s possessive. He would’ve tried to claim you and you must’ve rejected him the way you had rejected me; otherwise you wouldn’t be available to join me here. I wanted him to see it. To drink it in. I have you and he doesn’t.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIdiot. “Saiman, be quiet.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCurran’s face was unreadable.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSaiman bent toward me. “Let me tell you about love. I once seduced a bride and a groom on their wedding night. I had him before the reception and her afterward. I did it solely for fun, to see if I could do it. Two people at the start of their new life together, having just promised to forsake all others. If that’s not proof of the impermanence of love, what is?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCurran graduated to a full alpha stare. It was the primeval, merciless glare of a predator sighting his prey. It slammed my senses. I stared right back into the golden irises. Bring it. I have a lot of pent-up aggression I saved just for you.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAunt B turned to the two rats, said something with a smile, and together they walked into the side room marked PRIVATE PARTY. One by one the alphas followed her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSaiman laughed softly. “We aren’t without similarities, Curran and I. We both fall prey to lust. We both guard our pride and suffer from jealousy. We both employ our resources to get what we want: I use my wealth and my body and he uses his position of power. You say I want you only because you refused me. He wants you for the same reason. I remember when he became Beast Lord. The boy king, the perpetual adolescent, suddenly at the head of the food chain, granted access to hundreds of women who can’t say no. Do you think he forces them into his bed? He had to have done it at least a few times.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA muscle jerked in Curran’s face.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the corner Jim nodded, and a couple on our left and the recipient of Jim’s chewing-out followed the Pack Council. Jim had pulled his people in. They were giving Curran a clean playing field. No Pack witnesses, so no shapeshifter could be forced to testify against the Beast Lord. Nice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCurran’s eyes promised murder. I could practically see the headline: ORDER’S CONSULTANT TORN APART BY BEAST LORD IN EXCLUSIVE NORTHSIDE RESTAURANT. I had to keep Saiman alive. I needed him to help me with my petition, and I had extended the Order’s protection to him when I agreed to this idiotic date.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI had no sword, no needles, nothing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSaiman signaled for a new drink. “There is only one difference between us. The Beast Lord will lie to you. He’ll tell you he loves you, that you’ll always be the only one, that he’ll sacrifice everything to be with you and keep you safe. I won’t lie to you. I won’t make promises I can’t keep. Honesty, Kate. I offer honesty.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow could a man so smart be so stupid? It was like he couldn’t stop himself. He’d gone beyond the point of reason. “Saiman, shut the hell up.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You’re all mine tonight. Kiss me, Kate. Let me nuzzle your neck. I bet it would send him over the edge.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSaiman reached for me. I sidestepped.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSomething snapped in Curran’s eyes. He started toward us, moving in an unhurried, deliberate fashion, his gaze fixed on Saiman.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf Curran got his hands on him, he’d kill him. I had seconds to prevent it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI stepped in front of Saiman. “Stay behind me.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“He won’t hurt me. Not here. It would mean repercussions.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“He doesn’t care.” Saiman knew that society operated by certain rules, and as long as he stuck to those rules, he would be safe and respected. No emotion ever touched him deep enough to contemplate breaking those rules. He couldn’t fathom the fact that Curran could throw everything out the window just for the chance to grip Saiman’s throat.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCurran wove his way between the tables. I started toward him. Weapon. I needed a weapon. On my right a couple was laughing at the table, a mostly empty bottle of wine sitting on the white tablecloth next to them. I swiped the bottle and kept moving.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCurran’s eyes shone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI showed him the bottle. \u003ci\u003eYou can’t have Saiman. I’m guarding him.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe picked up speed. \u003ci\u003eI don’t care.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI hefted the bottle and picked a spot between two tables. \u003ci\u003eFine. Keep coming. You wanted to talk. We’ll talk\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ace","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46304168083685,"sku":"NP9780441018529","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780441018529.jpg?v=1767732076","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/magic-bleeds-isbn-9780441018529","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}