The first book in my Blake Rossi trilogy was picked up by Scare Street. It is available in three formats: E-book, paperback, and audio book.
An exiled priest. A demonic knight. The war between heaven and hell has begun…
Once the Chief Exorcist for the Vatican, Blake Rossi was thrown out of the church when an exorcism ritual went horribly wrong. And he’s been haunted by his failure ever since. Now Blake wallows in guilt, and drinks himself to sleep every night.
But the former priest knows there are people still plagued by evil. People who need his help. When an old friend offers a chance for redemption, Blake agrees and becomes a freelance exorcist.
After traveling to California to help a reclusive old woman banish an ancient demon, Blake discovers his new career may be more dangerous than he originally thought. Years ago, this demon—a powerful knight of hell—was trapped by the woman’s father. Now it roams free, gathering an army of demonic soldiers to claim its bloody retribution.
The forces of hell have been unleashed…
And an exorcist with a tortured past is the only thing standing between them and millions of innocent souls.
From inside the flap of Demon Knight:
The sun was setting when Blake parked his car outside the hotel. They had arrived later than expected in Sacramento. The hotel had only one room open for the night; not the professional setting he had hoped for, but it was better than sleeping in the car, he supposed.
Lilith changed their meeting time with Vita so they could rest overnight and meet her fresh the next morning.
They settled into their room and sat down to eat their burgers from the hotel's restaurant. Blake had restrained himself from raiding the little fridge in the room. He had wanted whiskey shots for three long days and had denied himself even one. Not only did he want to be sober while driving and around Lilith, he needed to be sober around her. His feelings had only grown stronger for her as they got to know each other on the drive. In his heart, he still thought of himself as a man of the cloth, a priest. He supposed that nothing could ever erase that feeling.
Lilith turned on the television to a late-night sitcom with which he was unfamiliar. She plopped cross-legged on her bed and spread out the burger, chips, and onion rings. Her appetite was healthy. Where she put all the food was beyond him; her figure was unaffected by her less than dainty meals.
Done eating, Lilith slid off the bed and cleared away the wrappers from her meal. "I call dibs on the first shower. I feel like I have road grime all over me." She giggled as she took her bag toward the bathroom.
"Makes it impossible to completely relax, eh?"
"For sure." She ducked into the bathroom and shut the door.
Listening to the water run in the shower, Blake imagined seeing her naked under the steaming water. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Images of her filled his mind's eye, and he only resisted when he became aroused.
Turning his thoughts toward Furcas and the things the demon had said cured his arousal and replaced it with curiosity and anger.
Soon, his eyes drifted closed and he slept.
He was standing outside the shower curtain. The water pattered rhythmically against the vinyl. Pulling the curtain open, he stared at Lilith. She smiled and beckoned him to join her. Looking down, he saw he was naked, also. Stepping into the tub, he closed the curtain again. Lilith pressed her soft, warm body against his and he moaned, wrapping his arms around her. Dipping his head toward her, Blake kissed her. It deepened as passion filled him. She returned his kiss with equal fervor, her hands roaming his body.
Pulling back, she looked up at him with wide, terrified eyes. Then she was screaming, pulling away from him, flailing at his hands on her back as if in pain. The water at their feet turned pink then darkened to crimson. He let her go and she fell, tearing down the curtain as she landed on the tile floor of the bathroom. The lights dimmed and a terrible laugh shook the walls.
Blake hurried to help her up, but she was slick with blood and lying limply on the curtain. He rolled her onto her side and saw a short spear protruding from her lower back. He screamed and shook her. She was gone.
Furcas appeared and retrieved his spear, laughing. He pressed the tines under Blake's chin. "I warned you this would happen."
Blake hit the floor hard. The jolt startled him awake. Jumping to his feet, heart hammering in his chest, Blake took in his surroundings. No Furcas. The water still hissed and pattered in the bathroom. He had no idea how long he had been asleep and if it had been only a dream or if Furcas had visited him, pressing the vision on him.
A different show played on the television. He judged he had slept less than thirty minutes. Still, the water ran in the bathroom. There was no sound of Lilith moving about, rinsing her long hair, just the sound of the fine shower spray against the tub and curtain.
Walking to the bathroom door, he leaned his head against it and strained to hear any sound that would let him know for sure that Lilith was all right. Nothing.
He knocked lightly. No answer. He knocked again, one hand on the knob, ready to dash in if she did not answer.
"What is it?" The rings of the shower curtain zinged along the metal rod and the sound of the water ceased.
"Sorry, just checking on you. Thought I heard something." He let go of the doorknob and backed away.
"Wasn't me." The door opened and she stood there wrapped in a fluffy white hotel towel, smiling.
It covered her from underarms to just above her knees.
Blake turned quickly and went back to the table. "Good to know. Thought you might have slipped." His mind recalled in vivid detail what her body looked like, how her shampoo smelled in the shower steam, how her wet skin felt against him. He rubbed his eyes hard, hoping it would rub away the visage.
She tromped across the room and Blake forced his eyes to remain closed.
"Forgot my comb." She walked back to the bathroom.
He opened his eyes in time to see the door shut. It was a relief. He thought he could smell a hint of sulfur as he cleared the table and got his clothes together for his turn in the shower. Shaking his head, he dismissed it.
It was just a nightmare. Nothing more. He looked at his reflection in the mirror by the door and was pleased that he looked better than he had in a while. It was because of Lilith, he was sure. She made him feel like a teenager again. That or the fact that he had been sleeping better and had been carrying around less guilt.
An internal voice that he recognized as the demon's warned him. Better leave her alone or she'll die screaming and covered in blood.
In the end they'll all be dancin'--all them ones that didn't die.... Dance with me in the shadows amidst the lightning and the thunder, and all that nu-cu-lar debris. See the big bang from the other side, and then open that cellar door. Go down into
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