Kaye Jewett

Please check out my books and let me know what you think of them! Thank you!

What happened to the crimson blaze books? I absolutely love them☺️

Love your stories here! I will look forward to your updates later. ^^

The first chapter of Crimson Blaze: Retribution is up! If you haven't already, go take a look! New readers, I strongly recommend reading the first book, Crimson Blaze: Redemption, before you do, as the two stories are linked. Enjoy! :D

CBR book 2 ch 6 (excerpt):

Inside the tavern, the phoenix tried to shake off the uncomfortable feeling that crept up on him. He never came in here simply because he didn't drink, so it felt like foreign territory. His unease at Alec's appearance didn't help, either.

Once they sat down, the waitress approached their table. "What'll it be, boys?"

Alec smiled. "I'll take a pint of your finest mead." He said it with a little too much enthusiasm.

She nodded and glanced at Adonai.

Here came his next reason for not coming here. Soon as the words left his mouth, he knew the reaction he'd get. "Just a cordial for me."

Alec raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Likewise, the waitress appeared surprised, but she simply shrugged and turned to leave. "I'll have 'em right out."

With the woman gone, the atmosphere became awkward. The other patrons didn't let it get too quiet, but neither man seemed to know how to proceed with this ... meeting.

Eventually, Alec began to fidget and glanced around the tavern. "Well ... I do have to say I rather like this town. It's a nice place."

Yeaaaaaahhh ... this wasn't going to work. Adonai wanted to rip the bastard's throat out on principle alone. And he didn't do well making small talk with people he hated, so he knew his own remark came out forced. "So they finally let you off on your own, huh?"

God, he hated playing nice with this son of a bitch.

If the hunter picked up on the tension, he didn't let on. "Yeah. Well, I'm on probation right now. But things have been quiet, so Eleya gave me some free time. Figured I'd put it to good use."

That didn't make sense. When things were slow, the Guild did give some hunters time off - but not the new ones, especially those on probation. Granted, he supposed it could be that slow ... but something still felt fishy.

A hint of anger slipped through his next words. "Then why are you apologizing to me? I'm not the one you tried to kill before you checked the facts."

Alec glanced down at his hands. "I intend to apologize to Lukiel, but I found you first. I've looked around for him, but I haven't had much luck."

That didn't add up, either. Pretty much everyone in town could point the hunter in the right direction. Either Alec somehow found the few who couldn't ... or he just lied through his teeth.

Thankfully, the waitress arrived with their drinks and provided a temporary relief from the uneasy conversation. At the same time, a ruckus stirred up elsewhere in the tavern. Adonai instinctively glanced around in time to see a drunk and unruly drifter escorted out. The guy proved so uncooperative that even the waitress approached him with a few choice words.

Alec shook his head and leaned back in his seat. "Man, some people don't know what to call it quits."

As much as he didn't like the guy, Adonai had to agree. He didn't say anything, though, as he sipped his drink, ignoring the mild pain it caused. It wasn't straight water, so it didn't have quite the same effect, but it was still uncomfortable.

Within a couple of minutes, he began to feel ... off. At first, it was just a headache, but then he realized he felt a bit woozy. Except he shouldn't be. His drink didn't have any alcohol. Even if it did, he wasn't that much of a lightweight.

What the hell was going on?

CBR book 2 excerpt (ch 5):

The second Lilias was out of sight, Lukiel disappeared into the office. He locked the door behind him and slid to the floor, completely in a daze. Unsure what else to do, he pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face while he tried to sort out what he just learned.

He could only guess how long he sat there. With all the thoughts racing through his mind, he completely lost track of time. So when a hand gripped his shoulder, he jolted back to reality so abruptly that he almost jumped out of his skin.

His eyes snapped shut against an unexpected brightness. Once his vision adjusted, he realized the room had become pitch dark. The light came from one of the front door lanterns, which Adonai now carried with him.

The phoenix didn't bother to hide his unease. "Jeez, I've been yelling through the door for ten minutes. Why didn't you answer?"

Lukiel didn't respond, mostly because his brain hadn't yet caught up. It seemed he'd sat here for several hours and, when he didn't return after dark, the guys went out to look for him. Adonai must have gone through the back door after he found the office one locked.

The other man glanced around the room. Noticing the mess of unorganized papers on the desk, he asked, "You should've been back hours ago. What happened? You all right?"

He could only stare ahead of him and shake his head. He was far from all right.

Even in the dim light and heavy shadows, the former hunter's concern was palpable. Adonai set the lantern aside and moved to sit next to him, wrapping an arm around him to pull him closer. "Talk to me."

Lukiel settled against his partner's shoulder, more than content to just sit here. He didn't want to repeat his conversation with Lilias, but he also knew he had to tell someone. So he launched into everything he'd just heard about his parents and his aunt. The whole thing sounded so trivial to his own ears, yet at the same time, it felt like a huge deal. He wondered if he'd taken it all the wrong way and whether he even had a right to be upset.

Adonai went quiet for a moment, likely milling over the situation in his own head. When he did speak up, his words were hesitant. "Well ... I don't know how much help I can be. I haven't met the woman yet."

The vampire curled in on himself. "I just don't know what to do anymore."

Another short silence. Then the phoenix spoke again, this time with more certainty. "What does your gut say?"

Lukiel's turn to hesitate. "Honestly?"

"Honestly."

He bit his lip. "It tells me not to trust her. I don't know why, but she makes me anxious. And I'm not too keen on Luc being around her."

"But?"

He sighed. The guy was too perceptive sometimes. "But I don't want to assume the worst before I really know her. I don't want to be like those people who did the same to me for so long. I know firsthand how unfair it is. But I'm just so damn torn ... "

CBR book 2 excerpt (ch 4):

Lukiel nudged the back door open to peek into the office. Once he knew no one would see him, he slipped inside and quietly pushed the latch into place. He preferred it that customers didn't see his occasional trips to the woods to "hunt," so he was grateful Adonai had thought to add the extra door as a way for him to sneak out whenever he needed to do so.

He took a moment to listen to his surroundings. The other office door was closed, but he could hear his brother in the lobby as he made various noises to keep himself occupied while he manned the front desk. In fact, a consistent squeak painted a picture of the boy spinning lazily in the chair. Poor Lucien sounded bored.

A snicker escaped him at the thought. Lukiel should probably relieve the kid of his post pretty soon, and he would after he sorted out the remaining papers on the desk.

As he worked, he heard the front door open. The sounds of boredom settled down, and Lucien politely greeted the guest as he had been taught to do.

"Good afternoon, ma'am. May I help you?"

The responding voice had a pleasant ring to it ... but the question she asked made Lukiel stop. "Are you Amelia McNallie's boy?"

What? Amelia? Why did she ask about their mother?

The next thing he knew, his brother gave the woman a polite, yet short, "Excuse me," and hurried into the office. Lucien locked the door behind him and slid to the floor, shaking and near the point of tears.

Lukiel left his desk to go to the younger sibling and pulled the boy into a tight hug. No one who knew what happened to their parents and sister ever mentioned it around Lucien because the kid hadn't yet figured out how to cope. Despite only being a few months old at the time, it still affected him severely.

The vampire did his best to calm his brother, but his attention strayed when the stranger's voice called through the door. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I didn't mean to upset you. Will you come out, please?"

Lukiel took a moment to think about how to handle this. Eventually, he motioned for Lucien to stay quiet and wriggled out of the boy's hold. As he stood to push open the door, he heard the woman shuffle back out of the way.

She looked harmless enough. A simple, yet tasteful, faded neutral-colored dress, dark blonde hair pulled back into loose braids wrapped around her head, gentle blue eyes. Nothing about her appearance would set off any alarm bells. And yet, almost immediately, Lukiel put his guard up.

This woman reeked of decay.

For now, he hovered in the doorway to block her from reaching his brother. He did his best not to sound curt and give himself away. "Sorry, ma'am, this area is for staff only."

She didn't appear bothered by the brush off, although she sighed with a sad look in Lucien's direction. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize my sister's name would have such an effect on the boy."

Lukiel tipped his head as he played dumb. "Who's your sister?"

"Amelia McNallie." Her expression shifted to a wistful grin. "We didn't get on very well, I'm afraid. I guess I shouldn't be surprised you don't know who I am."

She gave a slight bow at the waist as she added, "My name is Lilias Damahl. I apologize if my presence has opened old wounds."

She sounded sincere, and he wanted to be happy to have more family around. But then he thought back to what Cain told him. How their father messed around with another woman while absent from home. Lukiel still didn't know if he believed it, so he'd put it out of his mind for the past several months.

But he knew now that for someone to be born a vampire, at least one parent also had to be one. While he never found out the identity of Cain's mother, enough time had passed since the monster's demise. Surely the woman would be searching for her son by now.

In the back of his mind, he pondered the chances that this unassuming lady could be Cain's mother. And if so ... whether she posed any danger, as her son had done.

CBR book 2 excerpt (ch 3):

After they finished their meal and the dishes had been collected, Mr. Maison cut up the pie and offered a slice to each of his guests. And then he gave some flimsy excuse to leave the room and wandered away.



The man sure didn't try to be subtle. Just the same, she had to admit she liked the old fart. His plucky antics reminded her of her own grandfather.

She stole a quick peek at Illano. He'd long since gone quiet again and fixed his focus on his dessert. He didn't seem too intent on eating it and instead poked at it awkwardly with his fork.

Better break the silence.

"It's nice that you do this for him, you know. Helping him out like you do." She took a bite of pie and held back a contented sigh. The savory dessert almost melted in her mouth. "You said he used to watch you and Corie when you were kids?"

The shopkeeper nodded, his attention still on his plate. "Yeah. And after what happened to Lukiel's family, he became really protective of us. I owe him a lot."

A grin crept onto her face, but it faded again when a thought occurred to her. "Speaking of which ... what exactly did happen?"

Beyond the fact that the McNallies had been killed some years ago, she knew nothing of the situation. She didn't want to be inconsiderate and ask the vampire directly, and she hadn't been around Adonai long enough to pose the question to him. Illano seemed like a safe third party.

Technically, it wasn't her business, and normally, she wouldn't ask. But at the same time, she figured she better be in the loop. If nothing else, she didn't want to say something to accidentally trigger Lukiel or his younger brother.

The shopkeeper's expression grew dark. It was a stark contrast to his usual reserved demeanor. "The vampire that looked like Lukiel murdered his parents and sister," was all he said.

Wait. The doppelganger the guys brought to the Guild was the one responsible?

Then something clicked. She had a hunch she knew now what Mr. Maison meant about "letting her go."



She tensed. Oh, god. She shouldn't have asked Illano, either.

Completely nauseated at her own insensitivity, she stood and turned to leave the table. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

CBR book 2 excerpt (ch 2):

Satisfied that he won the argument, he said no more and lifted the flour up to where Corie could reach it. As he did, he heard voices across the street. One of them sounded like Marienne, their middle-aged neighbor with the produce stand. The other he didn't immediately recognize.

"I tried to learn to use the crossbow once," Marienne said. "It didn't go well. I can't aim to save my life."

The other voice chuckled. "Yeah, it takes some practice."

Wait. Crossbow? Didn't that elf woman carry a mini crossbow?

He turned to look, initially only to confirm that the other voice belonged to Valyrna. Turns out he was right, but ... he suddenly found himself unable to look away. He hadn't gotten a good look at her when she visited the shop. Now that he could watch from a distance, he noticed something uncanny. And now he knew why she caught his attention in the first place.

Her smile reminded him very much of Olivia.

A shout from his sister made him spin around - just in time for the flour sack to land on his head and burst open.

The impact caused him to stumble backward. After the white cloud dissipated and he could breathe again, he looked down to find himself completely covered in flour ... along with the grass, the cobblestone, the back end of the wagon ...

He tried to wipe the white stuff from his eyes. It didn't work and only made them burn worse. "Corianna, you are so dead." The threat lost its punch when he sneezed and stirred up another white puff.

"Hey, don't look at me!" she spat back, her voice entirely too loud. "Try paying attention instead of making goo-goo eyes at your girlfriend! You let go before I had a hold of the sack."

Illano heard snickers from a few people nearby. Thank the gods the flour hid the flush on his cheeks. Just the same, he didn't like to be the center of attention. It put him in a foul mood.

"Finish the damn cart yourself," he snapped. "I need to go clean up." He spun around and stormed off, unable to look if Valyrna had seen the debacle. He just wanted to disappear into a hole.

CBR book 2 excerpt (chapter 1:

Lukiel sat at the desk and sent a scowl at the paperwork for a brief moment. Eventually, he started to sort through it all and got busy enough that he lost track of time. At some point, he came across a list. Throw pillows, mirror in room 132, sheets ... It looked like Lucien's handwriting, and the boy's job included checking the rooms for anything that needed to be bought or replaced. This must have been his list for the week.

His attention drifted at the sound of a pounding noise on the opposite side of the building. Adonai must have begun repairs to the broken window soon after the woman and her boys left. He hated to interrupt the phoenix in the middle of a job, but the other man always insisted he take on errands whenever Lukiel had other things to do.

The vampire took a quick minute to somewhat organize the chaos on his desk, and then he headed outside with the list in hand. As he neared the corner of the inn, two other voices mixed with Adonai's. He paused for a moment to listen.

"Damn. We got double trouble today."

"Very funny, jackass." The female voice sounded familiar, but Lukiel couldn't place it. Whoever it was, she and the phoenix seemed to be poking fun at one another.

"I take it you two know each other?" That was Illano. Quiet and unassuming as always.

Adonai's response conveyed his smirk even though the vampire couldn't see it. "Unfortunately, yes. I used to work with her. Taught her everything she knows, so don't piss her off."

Wait. Was he talking about ... shoot, what was her name? ... Valyrna? The elf woman with the mini crossbow? Why was she here?

Suddenly on edge, Lukiel hesitated to make his presence known. Though consciously he knew better, he wondered if she intended to take him in for questioning. His gaze dropped to the protection pass on his hand, and he reminded himself that if Adonai didn't sound concerned, then he had no reason to be, either.

He took a breath to steady his nerves before he stepped around the corner.