Marcus McKinney is a trained member of the
Society and a vampire slayer. With an ancient hieroglyphic tattoo to ward off
his own personal demons, he travels to a small college town in the Midwest. It
is here that he finds The Midnight Cup. A quaint coffee house with a backroom …
filled with vampires.
The owner of this little establishment is
Serenity Baker. She is a Natural. With her long blonde hair and sparkling blue
eyes, she is a beautiful white witch that offers light magic with a simple
touch. It is this power that draws the coven of vampires to her small coffee
shop which in turn brings Marcus into her life.
The Midnight Cup tells their story amidst a
brewing war. With a circle of witches, a coven of vampires, and a league of
Society members, who knows what could happen next.
Standing in the moonlight, he watched the neon
sign blink in the window of the coffee house across the street. College kids
came and went around him. Yet none seemed to notice his presence. The stranger
had spent years learning to blend into the shadows.
The night hours slowly passed. It wasn’t until
he could feel the coming dawn that he strode across the street and walked
inside. Only a few students were left as he took a seat at a corner table. He
was keenly aware that the backroom was now empty and this fact pleased the
woman behind the counter.
Oddly though, she hadn’t stopped staring at
him since he entered. The delicate beauty could somehow see through his shades
of practiced darkness and it unnerved him. The tattoo that circled his left
bicep felt like it tightened.
They locked eyes as she approached. “What are
you?” She leaned in and pretended to wipe down his table.
“I was just wondering the same thing about
you.” She reminded him of a skittish foal.
He reached out to touch her hand and she jerked back.
“Is that why you’re here?” Looking hurt, then
angry, she motioned to the door. “Get out.”
“You’ve got this all wrong.” The stranger
shook his head in confusion and then pointed toward the red curtain. “I’m here
to help you with your little…problem.”
She froze and gave him a long, hard look.
“I’ll ask you again. What are you?”
He pulled a large wooden stake out of his
trench coat and laid it on the table. “I’m a slayer.”
She sat down at his table and spoke with soft,
hesitant words. “Are you part of the Society?”
The question hung in the air as he watched
tiny sparkles of gold dance in her light blue eyes. Unknowingly, he reached for
her again. The jolt of electricity that followed caused him to take in a quick
breath of air. The surge was sudden and left warmth. Staring down at their point
of contact, his large hand covering hers, he smiled in awe. “I’m Marcus
McKinney. And yes, I’m with the Society.”
“Then you know I’m a natural,” she paused only
a moment, “don’t you?”
The glowing warmth evaporated as quickly as it
had arrived. In one fluid motion, he disconnected from her and picked up the
stake. Damn it, Josh. This was not in
your report. He hid the weapon back in the folds of his trench coat and
questioned his next move. There wasn’t supposed to be any other paranormal
element. The Society might care, but his fight was only with the vampires. This
white witch was not his problem.
The woman across from him looked so innocent.
“Whatever it is that causes your heart to darken…”
The slayer pushed back his chair and stood.
“Let’s get this straight. I’ve no interest in your natural magic or your pity.
My assignment is only the coven of vampires you harbor. Don’t get in my
way.”
****
Serenity didn’t have to watch him leave. She
could feel it. This slayer, with his curly brown hair and eyes the color of
dark chocolate, had an aura she hadn’t experienced before. It was more complex
and torn than the simplicity of a human. Yet it didn’t have the vast emptiness
of the vampire either. His soul was different, unique, hidden in shadow. Marcus
McKinney was circled with a deep fog. There were layers to this man she just
couldn’t see and that intrigued her.
In fact, she couldn’t think of much else as
she closed up the coffee shop. Even after saying goodbye to her staff and
locking the doors, she couldn’t get him out of her mind. It was clear to her
that his fight with Ivan’s clan was personal. For he might be shaped like a
slayer, with years of physical training, but there was more to him than that.
Marcus wasn’t just another Society drone. He couldn’t be.
About the Author...
My name is Misty Burke
and I live in the Romantic Ozark Mountains with my supportive husband and our
four wonderful children. When I'm not enjoying family time, I love to write
steamy romances. Creating exciting fantasy worlds filled with dangerously
handsome heroes is one of my passions.
My favorite writing
quote is ...
The best time for planning a book is while you're doing the dishes. ~Agatha Christie
The best time for planning a book is while you're doing the dishes. ~Agatha Christie
Thank you for hosting Misty today!
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