I choked back my emotion and cleared my throat. “I am honored by your allegiance and bravery. We have much to plan. I will meet with each of you to discuss what happens next. Please, help yourself to food and drink while you wait for further instructions.”
A surge of genuine love and pride coursed through my veins. These were my people, and they were willing to stand with me. To fight with me. We were the dawn of a new era, a new breed. We would triumph, or we would die, but with our hearts on our sleeves.
But something darker was coming. I could feel it in my bones, in my blood, and in every breath that quivered in my lungs. I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer to Apollo.
Open the gates or we will break them down. We are coming for you.
THE END
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Thank you for reading! Did you enjoy?
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Please Add Your Review! And don’t miss book three, GODS AND DEMONS
Don’t miss book three of the Blood and Darkness series with GODS AND DEMONS and discover more from Melissa Sercia at www.melissasercia.com
Demons have escaped the Underworld and descended upon New Orleans. Gray must invoke the Hades Protocol and turn to the gods for help. Only one thing stands in her way--Harpies. As they guard the entrance to Elysium, the price of passage will cost the life of another coven leader.
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With the Crescent Witches struggling to hold a magical protection barrier around the city, Gray tries to unite the covens as they gear up for the fight of their lives. But when a target is painted on her back, she discovers a traitor amongst them, countering every move she makes. And when one of her closest allies abandons her, Gray is forced to make a life altering choice that threatens everyone she loves.
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Unsure of who to trust, Gray will have to rely on her own power more than ever. With the clock ticking and the fate of the world hanging in the balance, she must find a way to send the demons back to the Underworld or watch her world, and everyone in it, burn to the ground.
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Acknowledgments
Getting to write this book was a dream come true. I love these characters so much and I am excited that I get to continue to share their story with you.
I first want to thank City Owl Press for believing in this series and allowing me the opportunity to continue writing it. Thank you specifically to Tina Moss and Yelena Casale for your support and kindness.
Thank you to my editor, Amanda Roberts. Your support and expertise has made all the difference and I have learned so much from you.
Thank you to the entire team at City Owl Press and to all of my fellow authors there for your friendship and support. I also want to thank the Authors 18 community. You have all been so helpful and supportive throughout this journey.
Thank you to my wonderful family. My mom, Linda Campbell, my dad, Giovanni Sercia, and my sister, Jennifer Sercia. Thanks for believing in me and encouraging me to go after my dreams.
Thank you to my best friend, Renee Infelise, for your constant support and for always telling it like it is. Thanks for always being there to lend an ear, to offer advice, and to bounce ideas off of.
Again I have to thank all of my dear friends who have stood by me and are just as excited for my books to be out in the world. Julie Brooks, Serena DeWinter, and Brennan Kennedy—thank you for listening to all of my late night ramblings and for keeping me humble.
Thank you to all of my extended family—Charlene and John Deaver, Kathleen Dunagan, Sean Dunagan, Mike Campbell, the Lyons family, the Thomas family, the Driels family, and all of my amazing cousins overseas in England and Sicily—the Sercia family, the Maiorana family, and the Lefevre family. I love each and every one of you.
I’d also really like to thank the readers. Thank you for your support, your interest, and for following me on this journey of Blood and Darkness. At the end of the day, I’m a storyteller and I write for you.
Last but certainly not least, thank you to the love of my life, Chris Driels. Thank you for being involved and interested in every step of this journey. For making me laugh when I’m stressed out and for loving me unconditionally. Your loyalty and support means everything to me.
About the Author
MELISSA SERCIA writes all things Fantasy and Science Fiction. She is the author of Blood and Magic, book one in the Blood and Darkness series. Melissa lives in California with her man and her cat. When she's not building whimsical fantasy worlds and slaying demons, you can find her in the kitchen cooking with a glass of wine in her hand.
Website: www.melissasercia.com
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Facebook: www.facebook.com/melissasercia11
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Twitter: www.twitter.com/fluidghost
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Instagram: www.instagram.com/melissaserciawrites/
About the Publisher
City Owl Press is a cutting edge indie publishing company, bringing the world of romance and speculative fiction to discerning readers.
www.cityowlpress.com
Additional Titles
BLOOD AND MAGIC
By: Melissa Sercia
Gray is a Dhampir—a woman alive, but also dead. With supernatural powers and an insatiable need for blood, her existence is cursed.
* * *
FLESH AND BONE
By: Melissa Sercia
Gray’s dark magic has grown stronger and threatens to consume her. But when her partner Aldric mysteriously disappears, she must rely on her powers to find him.
* * *
GODS AND DEMONS
By: Melissa Sercia
Will Gray send the demons back to the Underworld or watch her world burn to the ground?
* * *
A TOUCH OF DARKNESS
By: Yelena Casale & Tina Moss
USA Today Bestselling Authors
Cassie Durrett dreams of the darkness. And lives the nightmare.
Award Winning Urban Fantasy
* * *
EMBRACING DARKNESS
By: Yelena Casale & Tina Moss,
USA Today Bestselling Authors
After a hellish ordeal suffered at the hands of evil, demons haunt Zoey’s every step.
FREE Short Story Sequel to A TOUCH OF DARKNESS.
* * *
BLACKBIRD SUMMER
By: Em Shotwell
When the world fears you, being Gifted is a curse.
* * *
CODE BLACK
By: Tina Moss
USA Today Bestselling Author
Gossip mag reporter Sera Benenati knows a thing or two about unearthing secrets...and burying them.
* * *
FROSTBITE
By: Joshua Bader
Getting hired to be a personal wizard for a billionaire may just become a death sentence.
* * *
TWO WIZARD ROULETTE
By: Joshua Bader
While working as a personal wizard for a billionaire, the stakes have never been higher.
* * *
FACELESS
By: Joshua Bader
The Race is on to Save Colin and Bring Him Back from the Beyond.
* * *
HEART OF MALICE
By: Lisa Edmonds
The first time Moses Murphy’s granddaughter killed on his orders, she was six years old.
* * *
HEART OF FIRE
By: Lisa Edmonds
When tragedy strikes home and a friend�
�s life hangs in the balance, Alice must face a powerful adversary.
* * *
MAD GOD WALKING
By: Connor Drexler
A stranger on earth and a refugee from a twisted Sideways world, can Damon save his friends before he turns into the Mad God the Inquisition believes him to be?
* * *
MUD
By: E. J. Wenstrom
Torn apart by war and abandoned by the gods, only one hope remains to save humanity. But the savior isn’t human at all.
Royal Palm Literary Award for Book of the Year and First Place for Fantasy.
* * *
RAIN
By: E. J. Wenstrom
After Nia’s father dies from a mysterious illness, she grows in isolation amidst the fear and suspicion from her village.
Prequel novella of Chronicles of the Third Realm War.
* * *
TIDES
By: E. J. Wenstrom
Rona didn't ask to be brought back from the Underworld, and now that she is alive again, she’s angry enough to raise hell.
* * *
PURGATORY’S ANGEL
By: B. Hughes-Millman
We all have a dark side where inner demons roam. When devils of our nightmares murder in their sleep, only she can stop them.
* * *
SORROW’S POINT
By: Danielle DeVor
Not All Exorcists are Equal....One is Marked
* * *
SORROW’S EDGE
By: Danielle DeVor
Uncovering The Truth…Will Take An Exorcist
* * *
SORROW’S TURN
By: Danielle DeVor
Some Things Are Worse Than Demons
* * *
SORROW’S LIE
By: Danielle DeVor
Only an Exorcist Can Confront His Demons
* * *
THE MARKER CHRONICLES: THE FIRST TRILOGY
By: Danielle DeVor
From Examiner’s Recommended Women in Horror comes the First Trilogy containing books 1 – 3.
* * *
SOUL OF THE UNBORN
By: Natalia Brothers
Can you call yourself human if supernatural forces control your every breath, every emotion, every desire?
* * *
THE LAIRD OF DUNCAIRN
By: Craig Comer
The year is 1882 Scotland, and the auld alliance betwixt king and fey has long been forgotten.
* * *
OAK SEER
By: Craig Comer
With heinous cults and unruly mobs all around, Effie must become more lest Scotland fall into devastation.
* * *
TRUTHSIGHT
By: Miriam Greystone
Rowan and Amy must join forces with the creatures who were once her patients and fight to uncover the one secret that may be powerful enough to save them all.
* * *
WINTER’S MAGE
By: Miriam Greystone
A strange new danger is stirring in the forest . . .
* * *
UNAFRAID
By: Megan Lynch
When Freedom Has a Price, Who Will Stand Unafraid?
* * *
UNREGISTERED
By: Megan Lynch
Living the ideal life is a human right, unless you’re unregistered.
* * *
WAKING THE DEAD
By: D. B. Sieders
The road to hell begins when the reaper darkens her door.
* * *
RAISING THE DEAD
By: D. B. Sieders
Afterlife management is a tricky business, especially for a living soul broker.
Flesh and Bone (Blood and Darkness Book 2) Page 18
