Five: Out of the Dark (Five #1) by Holli Anderson
Publication Date: August 20th 2013
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Urban Fantasy
~Summary~
Five teenagers who’ve recently discovered they have magical powers and are living in the Seattle underground feel it’s their responsibility to protect unsuspecting humans from otherworldly foes. Things are going well until Johnathan, their unofficial leader and the boy sixteen year old Paige is in love with, is bitten by a changeling – the venomous saliva causing him to metamorphose into a ravening beast with each full moon. Paige vows that, no matter the cost, she will find a way to cure Johnathan of the evil that has embedded itself in his soul.
Johnathan’s monthly transformation and daily personality roller coaster isn’t the only problem they have to deal with. The Five are also gearing up to face their toughest and most dangerous enemy yet—a powerful and ruthless Warlock who will go to any means, including high school, to build his Dark Army.
Johnathan’s monthly transformation and daily personality roller coaster isn’t the only problem they have to deal with. The Five are also gearing up to face their toughest and most dangerous enemy yet—a powerful and ruthless Warlock who will go to any means, including high school, to build his Dark Army.
~Excerpt~
Not long after Alec joined us, we had
our first run-in with a Demon—and that was when I decided having Alec around
wasn’t such a bad thing. If he hadn’t been there, Johnathan and I would likely
be dead. Or worse. The thought of being possessed by a Demon—having no control
over my own actions, carrying out its devastating orders—that was one of the
scariest things I could think of.
Demons were a mystery to me. I’d read
that they were fallen angels. Malevolent spirits. They were definitely
malevolent. Whatever they were, their main goal seemed to be to possess or just
plain kill humans. From what I’d read in the white book, Demons weren’t
supposed to be roaming around our realm, outside of the Netherworld. The reason
there were some running around, it stated, was this: there were sorcerers and
others who dabbled in the Dark Arts but few were strong enough to summon a
Demon. Even fewer were strong enough to hold that Demon captive once summoned.
Those people all thought they were strong enough, though. These dabblers in the
Dark Arts would call up a Demon, thinking to force it to carry out some
unsavory deed for them, and they’d end up being too weak to hold the thing
inside their pentacle. Demons didn’t really like to be called up or summoned.
Forced to adhere to another’s will. So, they broke out and killed whoever
called them. And then they were free to roam in our realm until someone sent
them back to the Netherworld. I know my dad believed in Demons, they’re even
mentioned in the Bible, but he refused to talk about them, afraid just doing so
would evoke one’s wrath or bring its evil upon us. Just the thought of them
scared the crap out of me.
We sat in the lobby of an old hotel
Underground. Johnathan and Alec were trying to convince me that Pentacles
weren’t dark magic. Alec drew an almost perfect circle. As he added the five
point star to the middle, its points touching the circle, he said, “Pentacles
aren’t evil, Paige. They’re just a tool that can be used for either good or
evil purposes. We’ll only be using them for good so relax and start
practicing.”
I reluctantly picked up a piece of
chalk and touched it to the ground. I blew out an anxious breath. “I can’t do
it.”
Jonathan dropped his chalk to the
ground and scooted over next to me. I forgot to breathe when he put his hand
over mine and started drawing the symbol with my chalk. The warmth of his
strong but tender hand made me forget all about thoughts of evil. All I could
think about was how good his touch felt. And, as he leaned over, his leg touching
mine, I breathed in his smell.
“There,” he said. He finished the
pentacle but still rested his hand over mine. He raised his eyebrows and smiled
a stunning half-smile. “Nothing bad happened. In fact, I’d say that felt pretty
good.” He squeezed my hand.
I nodded and Alec rolled his eyes.
“Now, draw one of your own.” He slowly
withdrew his hand from mine as he continued to hold my gaze.
I could feel the heat rising in my
cheeks. I looked down and started drawing.
The circle drawn, I started on the star
and then stopped and held the chalk up off the ground. “Shh. Be quiet for a
second. I hear something.”
The boys held still. Alec cocked his
head like a dog, listening.
“London
Bridge is falling down . . .” the British accent sang, louder as it drew
closer.
A white ghost-shaped blob flew through
our door. It stopped short when it saw us. The big nerd glasses it wore on its
sheet-like face didn’t even budge in spite of the fact that it had no ears or
nose to hold them in place.
I glanced up at the books it carried.
Physics, Human Biology, and
Psychology.
Valedictorian
wannabee. The laugh that was forming in my throat at that thought was
stopped short as a million tiny spiders of terror crept up my spine.
“There you are,” the Demon said with a
slight British accent. “I knew I smelled something interesting.” The thing
dropped its books and opened its mouth w-i-d-e. Johnathan dove out of the way
just as its protruding jaws and rows of terrifying shark-like teeth clamped
shut with a loud chomp right where his head had just been.
~About The Author~
Holli Anderson has a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing—which has nothing to do with writing, except maybe by adding some pretty descriptive injury and vomit scenes to her books. She discovered her joy of writing during a very trying period in her life when escaping into make-believe saved her. She enjoys reading any book she gets her hands on, but has a particular love for anything fantasy.
Along with her husband, Steve, and their four sons, she lives in Grantsville, Utah—the same small town in which she grew up.
Along with her husband, Steve, and their four sons, she lives in Grantsville, Utah—the same small town in which she grew up.
~Giveaway~
Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for being on the tour, Ashley!
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