Blood Debts

Blood Debts

## Original Cover

Original cover

Book two of the Nate Temple Series

## Blurb

The ancient pact between mankind, Heaven, and Hell has been broken. And Nate Temple’s quest for vengeance may have just kicked off Armageddon. So, time to grab a stiff drink…or maybe four.

Already plagued with sinister night terrors that could qualify him as a card-carrying psychopathic insomniac, Nate can barely even manage to put his pants on in the morning, let alone pick teams for the Apocalypse.

But when he’s framed as a demon sympathizer, condemned by the Armies of Heaven, and hunted down by both his allies and the Four Horsemen, this wizard doesn’t think it can get any worse…

Then they take away his magic. And a wizard without magic stands no chance against the forces of Heaven and Hell…

Mardi Gras in St. Louis is really going to suck this year…

## Opening

*The gnarled oak desk quivered as a subsonic blast shook the entire room. I flinched involuntarily, my drink tinkling lightly between my long fingertips as the lights flickered. I blinked eyelids that suddenly seemed to weigh a ton. What the hell was that? Had I been asleep? I couldn’t seem to remember the last few moments. Perhaps I had been drinking more than I thought. Indie must have already abandoned me for bed by now, because she wasn’t here beside me. And where was Dean? Or Mallory, for that matter? Surely, they had heard the sound. Felt the sound. The hair on my arms was sticking straight up in response to my sudden adrenaline spike.*

*Then I heard the scream. Like someone was being skinned alive.*

## Plot

Nate is having a daymare that abruptly wakes him and he realizes that he is in a dangerous kill bar named Achilles Heel.  Nate is at the bar to meet someone who has information about his parents’ murder.  Where is his contact?  Who is his contact?

He strikes up a conversation with Hemingway, who tells him a story and they exchange philosophies. While there, an angel, Eae, makes an appearance and Nate causes a disagreement.  Nate ends up throwing Eae out of the bar on his backside.  Hemingway is amused but the bartender is not.  Tory is there and ends up fighting - and beating - an alpha werewolf.

### Pause here a moment WARNING, Possible Spoilers Ahead

The night gets worse when Nate is teleported to face the Academy of Wizards at Temple Industries.  Nate is more interested in the magic to transport than any wrongdoing he might have done.  Nate disregards their objections and rules but still ends up with a parole officer named Gavin.  They want the Armory or else.  What armory?  He only has three days before they take his power away!

Transporting back to outside of Achilles’ bar, Nate pats himself on the back for figuring out how when a demon attacks him.  Nate takes off on a horse named Xavier to get away, ignoring the fact he belongs to the mounted police.

Finally getting home, Indie is not as welcoming as usual, which freaks Nate out.   He discovers that Indie’s mom is sick and despite offering to accompany Indie to see her, Indie flatly tells Nate to straighten out or she is gone for good.

Nate makes a visit to Temple Industries, only to discover Greta’s attempt to save his soul with religious gifts.  Ignoring her, Nate figures out one mystery, how to enter the Armory, the place his parents created to gather important supernatural artifacts.  He meets the librarian, Pandora, whom he calls Hope.

Before he can leave Temple Industries, Nate is arrested and all his finances are frozen, including Temple Industries.  Nate refuses to cooperate because of his innocence.  After dealing with nightly terrors for a time, he finally gets some sleep in his cell to be awakened by another demon, this time some kind of reptilian shaped one.  Once again, Nate can’t get a break.  He finds a way to kill the demon but before he returns to his nap, Othello, a friend from college, breaks him out.  She isn’t even supernatural!  Just a genius hacker.

While Nate and Othello are on the run, they encounter another demon, this time a Greater Demon, whom Nate dubs Sir Dreadsalot, who admits to being summoned to kill Nate.  No names are revealed.  His only bit of news is the fact that a supernatural being will be killed on a regular basis until Nate gives up the Armory. Gavin catches up to Nate and Othello and informs Nate that he’s making a note of all infractions.  Nate explodes in denial and complains that the Academy is crooked and unjust. Gavin ignores him. Or so it seems.

Finding themselves outside Achilles’ bar again, Nate and Othello have an encounter with the werewolf pack.  They are not pleased that one of Nate’s friends, Tory, got the best of their alpha.  Nate and Othello get away and end up at Temple Industries, to discover the employees are not getting paid due to the frozen assets.  Quieting a frantic Greta down, he is able to straighten out the payroll by using personal funds that he keeps in a safe.

While at Temple Industries, Nate makes a visit to the Armory and speaks to Pandora.  He’s propelled out of the Armory before he can finish, and all he gets is a vision about Achilles from the past.  What good does that do now? Nate is frustrated and after a stop at the cemetery, they return to Plato’s Cave where they encounter a Nephilim, the son of the angel Eae that Nate drop-kicked out of Achilles Heel.  They fight over Eae’s grace, a feather that could kill Eae if broken.  Not to mention, it could kick off Armageddon. A demon arrives and kills Jonathan, the Nephilim.  Of course, Eae then arrives and discovers his son is dead and blames Nate.  No one believes Nate and before he finds a way out, Plato’s Cave is blown up.

Nate and Othello escape again but end up meeting another demon at a Girl Scout location.  Nate is sure the two are related.  Another fight with a little-girl demons; Gavin shows up in time to save them. Nate is more confused than ever.  You can’t even trust a girl scout?

Another trip to the armory, where Pandora tells Nate that death is the only solution. He is again booted from the Armory and a pattern is forming - 17 minutes? Nate realizes all his friends, except Othello, were conveniently out of town.  Nate refused to take any weapons out of the armory, not knowing how dangerous that would be.  Before leaving Temple Industries, the company becomes another crime scene.  A vampire has been crucified there.  Frustrated that he is unable to stop the slaughter, Nate goes to see Asterion.

Othello is impressed with Asterion and they instantly become friends, despite Nate’s increased anxiety over events. Asterion drops unexpected news, Nate is a Maker.  Stronger than a wizard, but Asterion doesn’t have any other helpful information on Makers.  Asterion thinks Nate is screwed.  The big G won’t help, will just send in the four horsemen to sort it all out.  Once again, Nate is stunned.

Back at a hideout apartment, Nate is faced with another Demon who controls his baser instincts.  With no control over his actions, Nate begins to blow up everything around them, with no regard for life. Othello, recognizing the control, throws herself over Nate to change his desire to passion instead.  The shock of the passion between the two breaks Nate’s loss of control to the Demon. Worse, Nate realizes that Othello’s instinct comes from deeper feelings for him that began in college.  Nate tells Othello of his love for Indie. Othello is stunned.

The next morning, Nate realizes that his magic is gone and decides to go out for breakfast.  Enjoying a deli sandwich, he is attacked again by a Nephilim.  This leads to a final encounter with Eae and his displeasure over events.  Beaten and hungry, Nate is helped by two church employees.  In the confessional, Nate prays for help and seeks Death.  Instead he gets Hemingway.

On Hemingway’s instructions, who is actually the Horseman of Death, Nate takes on the mantle of Death.  With the mask in place, he encounters ghosts as well as sees Eae and a few academy wizards.  They can’t see him as Death!

As Death, he is able to witness his parents’ death and visit a White Room, which only creates more questions than answers.  Nate discovers that Gavin is behind the demon summonings, and his parents’ death.  Arriving at a scrap yard, Nate encounters the Sir Dreadsalot and Gavin, and witnesses Gavin killing Othello.  Death gives Nate a choice; Othello’s life or to get his magic returned.  Nate chooses Othello’s life.  Then, Nate finally gets revenge on Gavin in a delicious (and pretty hideous) way.

The Four Horsemen gather all parties involved: Nate, Othello, Academy of Wizards,  Demons and Angels.  While enjoying pancakes from IHOP, they make decisions on everyone.  Nate returns from death and is able to attend a death party where he gets to spend time with his parents.

Apparently, Gavin was behind having his friends mysteriously gone so they couldn’t help him. Nate realizes how fortunate he was to have Othello on his side, despite her being only a regular.