Friday, April 8, 2016

Bad Magic by Evelyn Elliott - Blog Tour with Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway



Author Name: Evelyn Elliott

Book Name: Bad Magic
Series: Spell Slave
Book: One
Can be read as a standalone
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Christine Griffin

Release Date: October 28, 2015

Blurb:

Morality is relative. At least that’s what young sorcerer Regis Teller convinces himself. He’s done what he must to survive: working for a witch since he was nine, helping her throw the kingdom into anarchy, and taking his only comfort in her mysterious son, Crow. And soon, Regis is going to commit his first murder.

A do-gooder named Jonathan White has information the witch needs, and it’s Regis’s job to get that information and slit Jonathan’s throat. But then Regis actually meets Jonathan. And Jonathan is perfect—a hero with a passion for justice and little regard for civility.

Lucky for Regis, Jonathan has a weakness for attractive men. Lucky for Jonathan, Regis is fast developing a conscience and a heart. But for Regis, keeping both of them alive at their adventure’s end means breaking a magical oath and surviving his ruthless boss—all without telling Jonathan the truth. Falling in love is never easy, especially when everyone involved is lying through their teeth.

Pages or Words: 161 pages, 55,000 words

Categories: Bisexual, Fantasy, M/M Romance, Romance



Excerpt:

The fairy picked up a cup. When Jonathan wasn’t looking, she sprinkled powder into his drink. She knelt by Jonathan’s side and offered him the cup.
He drank most of the liquid without looking.
The fairies guided Jonathan and Regis to a small dwelling. One of them guided Regis down to a pallet in a corner. “Sleep here for the night.”
She tipped the rest of the drugged wine into his mouth. It was only a small mouthful, but it left a cloying aftertaste. Two of the fairies left, but the third knelt by his side. She whispered one last command in his ear. “Touch him. Make him yours.”
As she walked out, Regis saw her smirk.
For a while, he was content to lie there. His mind buzzed comfortably, and warmth spread from his stomach to his fingers and toes. His skin was oversensitized. The faintest breeze from the doorway made him shiver with pleasure. The fairy’s last command turned itself over in his head. For some reason, he felt compelled to obey.
Jonathan curled on his side, rigid as if in pain. “Hey,” Regis said, nudging him. “You okay?”
Jonathan didn’t respond.
So Regis nudged him again, only then Jonathan snatched out a hand and grabbed Regis’s wrist so tightly his bones ached. “Leave me alone,” Jonathan said.
“Why?”
“There’s something wrong with me.”
Regis snorted. He prodded Jonathan again with his other hand. Jonathan ignored him and let go of his wrist, rolling away. “Hey!” Regis said. He followed.
Jonathan muttered a curse, then blew out a long breath. “Okay. Listen. I need you to stay over there, away from me. Stay. All right?” He scooted over to the opposite wall and pressed himself against it, jaw muscles twitching. He closed his eyes and bowed his head.
The need to touch him was overpowering now. Regis crept closer. He couldn’t stop himself. Jonathan’s clothes were still wet, and his entire body was locked tight. He needed to relax. Regis slid a hand up Jonathan’s shirt, flattening on his back. Jonathan’s eyes flew open, and he moaned like just the pressure of Regis’s hand was ecstasy. Like he couldn’t help it. Like he was desperate.
Regis leaned in. “I think they put something in your drink.”
A shudder wracked Jonathan, almost like a convulsion. “No shit. They gave it to you, too. I saw you drink some.”
“Only a taste.”
“This—this isn’t right. You’re drugged. You’re under their spell. I’m n-not in my right mind. I could… I can’t control….” Regis explored Jonathan’s chest with inquisitive fingers. “Regis. Fuck. You have to stop.”
Jonathan’s skin was soft on his arms, warm on his chest, rough on his palms. They were both under the influence. Jonathan needed to stop fighting it. What was the harm in having a little fun?
An unsettling thought fought to surface. This felt wrong. Jonathan had told him to stop. Why wasn’t he stopping?
The fire in Regis’s body wanted to be stroked. Gods, how good it would feel to give in. The fairies wanted him to do this. They were his friends. Right? Tentatively, he moved closer, sliding his body against Jonathan’s. All he wanted to do was please Jonathan.
And then a horrible look crossed Jonathan’s face, and he seemed to break down. He shoved Regis off, flattening his back to the wall. The light drifted by, casting eerie shadows on his face, highlighting the lines around his eyes, the set of his mouth. His pupils were dilated, his face flushed. He looked—
He looked—
He looked terrified. Regis stopped, and then a realization hit him:
This was rape.
He scrambled away from Jonathan, putting several feet of space between them. The thought was almost too revolting to be taken seriously. Jonathan wanted him, didn’t he?
It was rape, he realized. Sure, a week ago Jonathan had kissed him, but just a moment ago Jonathan had withdrawn consent. He focused on the floor and counted up to a hundred. No matter what, his head refused to clear. He’d had less of the drug than Jonathan, much less, but the drug and the magic together were a heady mixture. If he couldn’t control himself, he needed to get away as quickly as possible. Before he did something awful. “I think I need to leave,” he said.
Jonathan’s voice wavered. “Don’t. The women….” Regis caught on immediately. Of course. The fairies. What if they took advantage once they saw Regis wasn’t going to? Jonathan couldn’t defend himself like this.
“Right. Okay,” Regis said. “Right.”
Jonathan lay facing the wall. Regis sat with his head in his hands.
His mind didn’t want to work. It was like fighting through sludge. He couldn’t focus on any train of thought for more than a few moments, but if he concentrated, he could hold one particular thought down.
Stay away from Jonathan.
Stay away from Jonathan.
It took all his effort. Sitting still became an exhausting task. Several times he forgot why he was doing this, but he knew Jonathan would be upset if he came near again, and somehow that was more important than the fairy’s command. “Thank you,” Jonathan said from the other side of the room.
Sometimes when Crow was upset, he sank his nails into his wrist. Regis had only caught him doing it twice, but other times he’d find crescent-shaped cuts there, places he’d hurt himself purposefully.
Regis pressed his fingernails in. The pain cleared his head.
The fairies had im… had impaired… they had done something to his head. It explained why stories of them were so mixed. Their visitors often came back smiling, but others returned unsettled, angry, and fearful. Fairies enjoyed sex with humans—everyone knew that—but he’d never thought of the humans as victims before. Those who consented had a night of fun. Those who didn’t consent were raped. No one came back with bruises, but the drugging, the magic—it wasn’t right.
What kind of sick game was this? Bespell him, drug them both, put them in a room together? He felt violated. Worse, he’d almost hurt Jonathan.
He didn’t want to hurt Jonathan at all, ever. It shocked him to realize that. Good and evil had shades of gray, sure, but he was on the evil side of the spectrum, and he knew that. Too selfish to die. Too weak to stop himself from loving Belcane’s son. His own mother had never tried to find him.
But—for the first time since he was a child—he realized he didn’t want to be a bad person. He wanted to fix this. He wanted to save Jonathan.
He never should have taken the oathspell. Anything else would have been better. He should have found a way out. He should have talked to Crow. He should have tried to stop her.
Regis took deep breaths. It didn’t matter. He had to do something. Eventually, the fairies would come back. Why had they left in the first place? Because they didn’t feel like playing with their toys yet? Because they assumed the two men would be too preoccupied with each other to think about escaping?
He needed to get Jonathan somewhere safe.
There came a shuffling noise, then a hand on his shoulder. Jonathan groped through the dark. “I, I can’t,” Jonathan said. “Can’t, I need—”
“It’s okay.”

Jonathan settled half in his lap, one arm around Regis’s waist. He buried his face in Regis’s hip. Regis was paralyzed with indecision. The drug hit him again full force. He was desperate for pleasure, and holding still took an act of sheer willpower.


Buy the book:



Meet the author:

At first glance, Evelyn Elliott seems like a perfectly normal person. Do not be deceived.
Her hobbies include watching grisly horror movies, torturing her characters, and tending to her flower garden. She enjoys long walks on the beach and collecting the souls of small children. Whenever she reads a book, she always roots for the villain. 
Avoid her at all costs. Certainly do not find her on facebook or befriend her online. You have better things to do.


Where to find the author:



Tour Dates & Stops:



12-Apr: Havan Fellows







21-Apr: Oh My Shelves

Rafflecopter Prize: eCopy of ‘Bad Magic’ by Evelyn Elliott



2 comments:

  1. Congratulations on the release of Bad Magic and looking forward to reading it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Congratulations of your new release! Best wishes for much success!

    ReplyDelete