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🌟 Please join me in welcoming author Hurri Cosmo to Stories That Make You Smile. Hurri is here today celebrating the release of their exciting new novel, Roman, the first book in the Demon’s Rising series. Hurri has brought along an excerpt, an exclusive excerpt, and a generous giveaway! 🌟
Roman by Hurri Cosmo
When you belong to a demon lord, things are gonna get weird.
Series: Demon Rising (book #1)
Publisher: Painted Hearts
Cover Artist: Edie Keith
Release Date: February 20, 2020
Length: Novel / 79,000 words / 274 pages
Pairing / Genre: M/M Paranormal Sci-Fi Romance, demons, hurt/comfort, enemy to lover, jealousy, magical ring, boyfriend from another world, different realms, powers, lost love, legions, death, horror, fated love, kidnapping, BDSM mention
Warnings: Mention of great death in the past
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Blurb
I belong to a Demon Lord. His name is Roman. He’s tall, strong, has dark hair, a deep sexy voice and, let me tell you, absolutely f-ing gorgeous. Yep. I even wear his ring. Third finger, left hand.
Except – its’s not a wedding band. Far from it, actually. It simply means I’m his submissive.
Well – it doesn’t really mean that either, although I wish it did.
No. The ring’s function is only to give me “sight”. Being human, once I had it on, I could suddenly see Roman’s stupid lost legions; very nasty scary things that would as soon kill me as look at me. And because I wear the ring, guess what? It’s now my job to recapture all those creatures for him. Yay me, right?
At least I get to be close to Roman… sometimes.
But, to tell you the truth, I was tricked into putting this damn ring on by Cathy, some random woman I met at a park, who unfortunately likes Roman, too. A whole lot. She brazenly flirts with the demon every chance she gets and right in front of me, too. Crap, it pisses me off. In fact, she brags she was the one who found me, got the ring on me and then offered me up to Roman like I was a T-bone steak or something.
Well – honestly – that part’s okay.
However, there’s something else going on. Something big. Because there’s another gorgeous Demon Lord in our little earth realm and he will stop at nothing to capture Roman’s loose legions for himself. Not only that, seems he’s out to capture me, as well. Not exactly sure why…
Anyway. My name is Micah and things just got… weird.
Excerpt
“What? You’re kidding, right?” Micah fully turned to the woman. “This took place over seventy-five years ago. How is it this guy is still alive, not to mention that no one has ever heard this story? Or seen those monsters before now? How could he not unlock the doors? Why would there be a lock on those doors in the first place? A big hall like that? Cathy, none of this is making sense.”
She laughed bitterly. “Yeah, but what you’re seeing outside is? I’m telling you the truth.”
“Okay, you have a point, but what it seems to me you’re telling me is some made up concoction that covers up the truth.” Her eyes narrow in anger. “But, let’s say I believe you. What does he have to do with this? What is this ‘passing on of the talent’ shit and that… that ring have to do with all of this?” They were interrupted again with a loud crashing sound. It was still outside but it was clear what they were trying to do. “Look, Cathy, kudos to your circle and all but I would feel a lot better if we were able to get away altogether from those… whatever they are out there. Somehow, we need to get back to my car. Any ideas?”
She glared at him, obviously hurt by, first, him not going all jelly and drama with her story and, then, with his distrust in her hastily poured salt circle. Then something clicked behind those big brown doe-like eyes. “Actually, there’s a tunnel. It goes back…” She seemed to stop to think. “Oh. To the park. It goes to the park. Well, I mean, it goes to the sewer system and you can get to the park by it.”
Micah did laugh this time. “A tunnel? For real? Dark and dank, just like in all those slasher movies? Man, I did not see that coming. Although I admit, I should have.” He laughed again.
“It’ll all make sense, I promise. There’s so much more to tell you.”
“Oh, believe me, none of this is ever going to make any sense. But don’t worry. I’ll still listen to your story as soon as we get away from here. I suppose the entrance to this tunnel is in the basement?” She sighed, then nodded. “Perfect. Just fucking perfect.” He rose to his feet just as the shuffling noises increased, this time the sounds of crackling wood joined in. He found himself questioning the intelligence of these demons. Wouldn’t it be far easier to come through a window instead of a wall? “Lead away.”
It was an old house. Old houses had scary, smelly basements. The stairs were always narrow and creaky and there was ever only that one naked light bulb hung on a thin wire that once you pulled on the chain to turn it on, it pushed out only enough light to define the deep shadows, not chase them away. It would also swing on that thin wire making those deep shadows move with a life of their own. Common sense told you it was nothing, your fiercely beating heart told you it was every ghost and goblin from your childhood come to steal your soul.
Cathy had grabbed a flashlight, an indication the basement itself was going to be their first challenge, and when they reached the bottom of the stairs, she turned it on. The shadows scattered like leaves before a storm. It felt almost powerful; like it released some kind of energy with its beam. He shook his head. The only powerful thing in this basement right now was his imagination. He stuck close behind Cathy as she moved haltingly toward a far wall. Micah gazed up at that wall trying to see a door or an opening, but he saw nothing. Possibly the tunnel was hidden and would only open to those who knew which brick to push. Maybe the wall itself was an illusion. You simply walked right through. Perhaps that wall was not where she was going.
It might even be she brought me down here to murder me and eat my beating heart.
Crap. Get a hold of yourself, you idiot.
She stopped in the middle of the floor and swung the light around as if looking for something.
Are you kidding me?
“You… you do know where this tunnel is, don’t you?”
“Well, not really. I’ve never used it. I only know it exists.” She swung the light back fast, again making the shadows dance. Micah had a feeling the shadows did not like to dance.
“Give me that thing.” He grabbed the flashlight from her and stepped in front, moving the beam of light slowly this time along the walls. There. Right there. Micah spotted an indent in the wall. He walked quickly over to it, trying hard to ignore the fact that several small, and maybe some not so small, animals skittered across the floor at his approach, the light and his eye just catching the movement, not the actual sight of any of them.
Oh man. This was sooo not good.
But the light did illuminate that indent in the wall and, hallelujah, yes indeed, this was a door. He handed the flashlight to Cathy and reached out to the recessed handle, sticking his hand into the ugly hole, feeling ancient spider webs bar his way. He swallowed hard but pushed through, grabbing the cold metal of the handle and twisted it. It screamed, metal against metal, but it turned, and he felt it release the door as the plunger inched back. Keeping a hold on the handle he pulled, but the door didn’t move. “Shit.” He knew on some level that was what would happen. He absolutely knew the door would be stuck and they would be trapped down here, like rats. The flesh-hungry zombies, dressed like school children, would lumber down the stairs and…
Just as he was about to finish that gruesome and bloody fantasy in his head, there was a crash upstairs.
Demons were in the house.
☆ Exclusive Excerpt ☆
Somehow, Micah was able to walk into the office, thanking God the pain subsided once he quit pulling on the ring. He would go to a jewelry smith or whatever the hell they were called and get it cut off. He would then take great pleasure in pitching the thing into the river right at Black Sands. The fast under lying currents would take it far away and no one would ever find it again.
Not even that asshole Roman.
“Micah!” Cathy had evidently had enough, too.
He turned. “What?”
“What’s the matter?” She shrieked at him. “Why are you ignoring me? You’re the one who ran into me. Did you somehow get hurt or something? You’re really acting like a total – well – to be honest – you’re acting like Roman.”
Micah smirked. Not possible. But he wasn’t going to argue. “Just like Roman, huh? You’re the one hiding something from me just like Roman is. How about you tell me who the hell Tim is, huh?”
“Tim? I don’t know a Tim.”
“No? Well, he certainly knows you. Seems the two of you have been talking about me and Roman and this.” He held up his hand with the ring. “You both think this is so fucking easy to do, so freaking simple to go round up legions? It’s not. And it’s certainly not okay you keep vital information – no – any information from me. I don’t know what your game is, but I quit. I’m not playing anymore. I’m taking my marbles,” Oh lord, how ironic is that statement? “what’s left of them, anyway, and going home.” He walked back out of the room and headed to the door to the outside.
It was simple. It made all the sense in the world. Since when did he have to do anyone’s bidding? Yeah, he could see fucking legions. Too bad they couldn’t all be beautiful men. But if he continued to see them once he got the ring off, it didn’t matter. Even if, like ‘Tim’ said, he was able to go out and round up all of Roman’s legions or trolls or leprechauns or whatever, and be done with all of that, the man made it fucking clear his weren’t the only ones out there. It seemed ‘Tim’ proved it. So, what would be the difference of leaving then or leaving now? Besides, soon he would get the damn ring off anyway and that would be that. No more Roman, no more Cathy, no more problems. He would go to work on Monday, when is that anyway, and things would return to normal. They would go back to uneventful, and monotonous, and boring which really, really looked very good to him right now.
Cathy was pulling on his arm. Christ, he wished she would quit doing that. “No. Micah. Where are you going? I’m not hiding anything from you. Please talk to me. I swear I’m not hiding anything.”
He turned to face her. “Oh no? Really? Then what was that back there, huh? That comment? Suddenly I don’t recognize you and that’s not going to work for me. I know I could simply take it as one more stupid crazy-ass thing going haywire in my life, but you know what? I’m not. It’s over. I’m not doing this anymore. Not without all the fucking cards on the table, you get me? Both you and Roman, wherever the hell he is, both of you come clean.”
He stood there glaring at her with her gawking at him, opening her mouth to speak but closing it again just as fast. She glanced around, shuffled her feet then gazed back up at Micah. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I am not hiding anything, and I have no clue if Roman is or not. But I will tell you one thing. The ring will never come off. If you go to someone who you think can cut it off, they won’t be able to do it. If they try, you will most likely die. The pain you feel when you pull on it is minor compared to what you’ll feel if you try to cut it off.”
“Oh yeah? That’s not what Tim said. He was missing one of his fingers. Seems he got his ring off just fine.” Fuck it all, if that ring was the same one Micah wore. It just couldn’t be.
But wait. That was only if Tim were human. Christ, this was hard to keep straight.
Meet the Author
Giveaway
Hurri is giving away a $20 Amazon gift certificate with this tour.
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