Bound
Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor
(A Magnus Blackwell Novel #2)
Published by: Vesuvian Books
Publication date: April 17th 2018
Genres: Adult, Supernatural
Magnus Blackwell’s past is about to catch up with him.
An evil force has seized New Orleans. Pestilence, suffering, and darkness cloak the city. The citizens are scared and need their mambo to guide them, but Lexie Arden can’t help anyone. A diabolical presence has taken Lexie’s power and severed her ties with the other side.
Magnus Blackwell is fighting demons of his own. Torn between his devotion to Lexie and a spirit from his past, Magnus’s loyalty is put to the test. He must revisit his sins to uncover the key to the hatred ripping the city apart. If he doesn’t, Lexie’s reign as mambo will end.
Their search for answers leads them deep into the darker realms of voodoo—until a desperate Lexie does the unthinkable, and Magnus can do nothing to spare her from her fate.
Excerpt:
“Ms. Carol from the candy store two doors down ran out of her shop shrieking. I went outside to see what was up, and that’s when I saw them—coming out of the drains,” Nina motioned.
Magnus cringed as several rats ran by the door. “All this rain must be overwhelming the system.”
Nina turned away. “Yes, it has.”
Lexie stared at her assistant’s back, not sure what to make of her comment. “What has?”
Nina paused at a selection of smudge sticks of sage, basil, thyme, and rosemary. “The rain? You said it’s overwhelming the system.” She selected a short wand of sage.
Magnus held up a finger to his lips, urging Lexie not to say anything.
Nina sniffed the air. “There’s bad juju all around. The universe is out of balance. You can feel it. So can the rats. We need to cleanse the store with sage.”
Nina went to the burning white candles set up on a display alter. She lit the sage, allowing the fire to singe the tip, and then blew the flame out.
Magnus hovered close to Lexie. “I concur with your girl. I’ve been sensing unease but could not make sense of it until now.”
Crestfallen from being cut off from her sixth sense, Lexie cast her eyes to the ground. “I can’t feel anything.”
“But you’re our Mambo.” Nina went to the front door. “You should be tapped into all the energy around us.”
Lexie silently berated her slip. She needed to tell Nina something, anything to keep her problem hidden a little longer. She couldn’t afford to let her secret get out. It would cost her the credibility she’d worked so hard to establish.
“I meant something has been off with me, too. How did you know the balance of the universe is out of line?”
Nina fanned the tendril of smoke all around the doorway. Once she’d completed her task, she faced Lexie.
“My grandmother taught me everything in the universe is about good and evil and the continued struggle between the two forces. When either force pulls ahead, life is out of balance. When a never-ending rain falls, pestilence rises, and people become angry, the dark side has taken over.”
Lexie considered the smoking sage in her hand. “In other words, there will be more ahead for us than rain and rats.”
Nina glided up to her, catlike in her movements. “Evil is fighting for control, and you’re the only one who can stop it from taking over. Evil will bow only to a mambo.”
Her anxiety churned. But how can I stop it without my powers?
“Steady there,” Magnus whispered in her ear. “You can handle this.”
“I don’t know what to do.” Her voice sounded more strained than she’d expected.
Nina smiled and waved her wand of sage from Lexie’s shoulder to her ankles. “The spirits will guide you. They will show you the way.”
Author Bio:
Lucas Astor is from New York, has resided in Central America and the Middle East, and traveled through Europe. He lives a very private, virtually reclusive lifestyle, preferring to spend time with a close-knit group of friends than be in the spotlight.
He is an author and poet with a penchant for telling stories that delve into the dark side of the human psyche. He likes to explore the evil that exists, not just in the world, but right next door behind a smiling face.
Photography, making wine, and helping endangered species are just some of his interests. Lucas is an expert archer and enjoys jazz, blues, and classical music.
One of his favorite quotes is: “It’s better to be silent than be a fool.” ~Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird)
Alexandrea Weis is an advanced practice registered nurse who was born and raised in New Orleans. Having been brought up in the motion picture industry, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her award-winning novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story memorable. A permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured wildlife. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans.
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