Binding the Shadows (Arcadia Bell)

Praise for Jenn Bennett and
Summoning the Night

“Bennett quickly establishes that her terrific debut was no fluke, delivering another riveting tale featuring gutsy renegade magician Cady Bell. Bennett does a stellar job blending character development with plenty of supernatural mystery and peril. A series for your keeper shelf!”

—
RT Book Reviews
(Top Pick!)

“Another fantastic novel. . . . I can’t find enough superlatives for the enjoyment each of Bennett’s books has brought. She has won a lifetime fan in me.”

—
Fresh Fiction

“Cady, Lon, and Jupe are my new favorite crime-fighting, magic-wielding Earthbound family unit. More, please.”

—
Reading the Paranormal

“Jenn Bennett has created another amazing novel filled with strong characters, magical surprises, and quirky humor.”

—
Tynga’s Reviews

“Hands down, Jenn Bennett writes some of the best characters: They’re relatable, approachable, and gosh darn it, near perfection.”

—
Heroes and Heartbreakers

“The minute I cracked it open and started reading, I was reminded why I loved this world so much the first go around. . . . If you haven’t picked up this series yet, you need to smack yourself and start it right now.”

—
Wicked Little Pixie

“Tremendous phenomenal fantastic! . . . Jenn Bennett proved that she can write with
Kindling the Moon,
and with
Summoning the Night
, she proved that she has staying power.”

—
Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks

“Well written and full of unforgettable characters. While I appreciate the cliffhanger at the end, I have to lament it with equal fervor. I (not-so) patiently await the next installment of this series.”

—
Dark Faerie Tales

Kindling the Moon

“The talent pool for the urban fantasy genre just expanded with Bennett’s arrival. This is an impressive debut, which opens the door for a series that promises to be exceedingly entertaining. . . . Plenty of emotional punch, not to mention some kick-butt action. . . . Bennett appears to have a bright future ahead!”

—
RT Book Reviews

“Without a doubt the most impressive urban fantasy debut I’ve read this year. . . . The writing is excellent, the characters are charming, and the romance is truly believable. . . . Flawlessly original!”

—
Romancing the Darkside

“For the love of things that go bump in the night, this book was FABULOUS! It was the perfect blend of action, intrigue, tension, and the supernatural.”

—
Reading the Paranormal

“I was hooked from the first page. . . . The story was fun and original. . . . The twists and turns came at every intersection. . . . I can’t think of one thing I didn’t like about the book. I didn’t want to put it down.”

—
Urban Fantasy Investigations

“I was smitten with this book right from the beginning. . . . A fantastic debut to a new series I am very excited over, and a must-read for all lovers of urban fantasy.”

—
Wicked Little Pixie

“Jenn Bennett has written a great off-beat debut novel with a likeable heroine and a fun, original storyline. . . . I thoroughly enjoyed it!”

—Karen Chance,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Hunt the Moon

“
Kindling the Moon
rocks like AC/DC on Saturday night. This book has it all: great writing, action, romance, a strong heroine, a unique hero, and the best teenager ever. I can’t wait for the next one.”

—Ann Aguirre,
USA Today
bestselling author of
Devil’s Punch

“
Kindling the Moon
engaged me from page one. I loved it! I immediately adored the heroine, Arcadia Bell. This book is packed from cover to cover with unpredictable twists, heart-pounding action, and heated sexual tension. . . . Jenn Bennett has definitely made my ‘To Buy’ list.”

—Anya Bast,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Midnight Enchantment

“Jenn Bennett takes the familiar ideas of magic, demons, and mythology, and she gives us something sexy, fun, and genuinely unique. Arcadia Bell is a sassy, whip-smart addition to the growing pantheon of urban fantasy heroines, and Bennett an author to watch!”

—Kelly Meding, author of
Changeling

“Fantastic magic, non-stop action, and hot romance make
Kindling the Moon
a not-to-be-missed debut. Arcadia Bell is a tenacious and savvy heroine who had me hooked from the start.”

—Linda Robertson, author of
Wicked Circle

“Delicious characters, fun twists, and fiendish risks. . . . This smart, stylish debut really delivers. Loved, loved, loved it!”

—Carolyn Crane, author of
Head Rush

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To the real-life Kar Yee in Hong Kong, the epitome of kindness and grace. I miss you.

I scrambled through the second-story window and balanced on a square section of slanted roofing above a portico on the first floor. Lon followed, biting out obscenities. I’d never seen him move so fast. Fire is a good motivator.

We hugged the outer wall of the house, flanking both sides of the open window. A sharp night wind whipped my hair around my face and shoulders as I butted my shoulder against the siding.

Where is Merrimoth now?
I thought.

“Left the room to search for the gun,” Lon said in a low voice.

I quickly surveyed our surroundings. A small balcony lay to our left, a couple of rooms away. I risked a glance below and got queasy watching the tide crash and foam around an outcropping of jagged rocks.

Merrimoth’s contemporary house was built on stilts over a lonely expanse of Pacific coast. The shoreline that stretched in front of us was studded with crags and driftwood and sea otters, and maybe the occasional wet-suited surfer seeking a thrill. I was neither sea otter nor surfer, and I figured I had a one percent chance of surviving a dive into the threatening waters below.

Long strands of golden brown hair fluttered around the back of Lon’s neck as he leaned against the house and listened. Light from the still-burning fire radiated from the open window, creating dancing shadows that deepened the long hollows of his cheeks.

Like Merrimoth, Lon Butler is an Earthbound: demons on the inside, humans on the outside—with the small exception of a wispy halo of light that floats around their heads, marking them as “other.” When Lon was transmutated, his demonic halo morphed from the usual nebulous gold-speckled green cloud to an eruption of flames that licked around his head and shoulders. He also sprouted a pair of spiraling ram-like horns, which were currently making a disconcerting knocking sound when he leaned his head against the house.

“He thinks he’s spotted where the gun landed,” he whispered.

Lon’s damned Lupara. He’d only managed one shot before Merrimoth took possession of the gun a couple of minutes ago. I’d shocked Merrimoth with charged Heka—natural magical energy kindled with electricity—causing the gun to fly out of his hand, and he retaliated by inexplicably creating a wall of fire across the room. Which is why we were now standing outside the window above a rocky shoreline when we should be sitting down to dinner.

Ambrose Dare, the very rich and very powerful head of the Hellfire Club, sent me here to put a metaphysical leash around Merrimoth’s neck after hearing reports that his Number Two Earthbound had gone mad. Not usually my business or concern, but Dare was busy at some holiday fundraiser, and I was getting paid to care.

“We can’t stand here forever,” Lon said in a low voice.

No, we damn well couldn’t. I longingly glanced at the nearby balcony. It was several feet away and connected to our roof by a slim ledge of cedar.

“Would it hold us?” Lon asked.

I tested it, easing the toe of my shoe on the ledge. Seemed strong enough, though it was awfully narrow. “I don’t know . . .”

“Try to bind him again.”

“You think I’m not?” I whispered hotly.

My inherited moon power was stronger than it’d ever been, now that I was using it regularly, but that didn’t mean I understood the mechanics behind it. All I knew was that it damn sure didn’t work in the daytime and—like the cable in Lon’s house up on the cliffs—went on the fritz during storms.

Lon exhaled in frustration. Clever eyes studied mine as his index finger and thumb moved in unison to smooth the thin pirate mustache that trailed around his mouth and matching triangle in the center of his chin.

“Bind Merrimoth,” he finally said, “and I’ll do that thing you like later.”

“It’s not like my power reacts to the reward system,” I said, then added, “What thing?”

The corner of his mouth quirked. “On the chair.”

“You mean that thing
you
like?”

“We
both
like,” he corrected. “Win-win.”

I snorted a soft laugh. “I don’t think you understand the concept of bargaining.”

He held up a hand to quiet me, then whispered after a few moments. “The gun fell behind his piano. He can see it from the landing.”

“Perfect. When he heads back downstairs—”