The Soulstealer’s greatest power is that no one believes it exists…
Welcome to one of the many stops on the book blitz for Soulstealer by Shane Boulware with XPresso Book Tours. Look for others participating in this blitz across social media and on your favourite bookish blogs May 20-24, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.
About the Book
Soulstealer
Soulstealer Book Two
by Shane Boulware
Published 20 May 2022
THEORYbee
Genre: Supernatural Fiction
Page Count: 319
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
The Soulstealer’s greatest power is that no one believes it exists…
…except Steven Carpenter. One of the last remaining members of the Ordo Solis—a thousand-year-old order sworn to kill the ancient demon—even his faith has begun to wane. But when he witnesses the return of the Soulstealer with his own eyes, belief quickly turns to grim reality.
With the souls of the world at stake, Steven knows what he has to do—expose the Soulstealer. There’s just one problem, it knows it’s been discovered … and so do the nefarious cults sworn to the demon’s cause. In a race against time and evil, Steven will have to find help. But will it be enough? Or will they be too late?
Author Shane Boulware ramps up the action in his hair-raising second entry in the Soulstealer series. Burning the boundaries between urban fantasy and suspense thriller, this grim-dark stomach-churner will leave you as breathless as the characters trapped within its pages.
Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK
Excerpt
Though she didn’t believe him, Jeff promised Sara he’d read to Trista tonight, taking no more than two hours reviewing surveillance. He worked his schedule to spend the first hour watching the Gatekeeper in real-time as he arrived, and the second hour emailing and speeding through the day’s feed.
The Gatekeeper came into view as Jeff’s doorbell rang. Jeff stepped out of his office and got to the door in time to see Sara peering through the peephole. She scowled at Jeff as she opened it, revealing Steven dressed in a Star Trek t-shirt, leather jacket, steel-toed boots, jeans, and a ridiculous purple bandanna around his neck.
Steven waved. “Hi, Sara.”
“Steven.” She glared at Jeff. “Two hours, Jeff, and not one minute more.”
Steven grinned and made a whip-cracking motion with widening eyes as Sara returned to the living room.
“Yeah,” Jeff muttered, “I’m lucky I’m still in the house. Come on in. I’m watching the Gatekeeper.”
“Sweet!” Steven followed Jeff back into the office, setting his backpack down and pulling up a stool while Jeff returned to his chair. They huddled around the television. “Man, we haven’t done this in a while.”
Jeff cracked a smile. “Yeah, it’s been months since we’ve had a good ole fashioned sit-down. Aren’t you supposed to be out cruising the wild?”
Steven shrugged while glancing about the office; empty wrappers and gadgets strewn about. “I was in the neighborhood. I’m still on my vacation time though, so I’ll be headed back out for parts unknown.”
Jeff nudged him. “You were feeling guilty.”
Steven tilted his head. “Yeah, maybe a little. But I was serious when I said that I needed some time away from all this s***. The open road is the open road, and I got an urge I need to satisfy.” Steven pumped his fists and rocked his hips.
Jeff laughed while tucking away some unpaid bills on his desk.
“I decided to go south to the Carolinas,” Steven continued. “Through Tennessee and Missouri, then Ohio and back here. Tomorrow I’ll head out north, possibly all the way to Canuck-land. Who knows? I’ll figure it out when I get there.”
“Meanwhile…” Jeff began.
“Meanwhile, you’re fightin’ the good fight,” Steven added in a southern accent while eyeing the television. The Gatekeeper lounged in a brown leather chair, watching the fire as he did every day. A small table stood to his immediate right and another leather chair on the other side. His black leather fedora rested on the middle table.
Forty minutes into the video, a young man approached the Gatekeeper. Jeff leaned forward, snatched a notepad and mini pen from his back pocket, and scribbled notes on the paper.
Steven scrutinized the unfolding scene. “Easy, killer, just watch.”
The young man tried to sit before jerking still. He stood back up.
“I wish we had audio,” Jeff muttered.
“Shhh, just watch.” Steven strained to read their lips. The camera angles shot out both ways from the fireplace, giving them the perfect view. The Gatekeeper and his new friend began a conversation. Then the young man grabbed hold of the fedora and set it on his head, tapping the edge.
“Holy s***,” Jeff said. “That’s the Gatekeeper’s hat. He either knows exactly what he’s doing, or he has a death wish.”
“Mmmhm, we’ll see.”
They knew what would happen after the Gatekeeper verified the Soulstealer’s identity. They had learned about the procedure back when a much stronger Solis America infiltrated the Raptor’s former headquarters in Boston. Still, they could only guess at what words the two exchanged. The Raptors guarded the secret with a foolproof method: memorization.
The young man sat in the chair, back erect, and continued their dialogue. He took the Gatekeeper’s hat off and returned it to the table, tapping it again. The newcomer said something else, prompting the Gatekeeper to snatch his fedora, stand, and stride toward the VIP section.
The young man made no motion to follow, which they knew wasn’t part of the procedure unless the exchange failed. When the Gatekeeper left the room, the young man exited the bar the way he came.
Steven frowned. “That’s different.”
“What just happened?” Jeff asked.
“Looks like a failed attempt.”
“Yeah, but the guy knew what to do.”
“Or he was just a dumb drunk. It’s probably the Raptors messing with us again.”
“How could they know we’re still watching them?”
Steven gave Jeff a long look. “Jeff, they’ve probably been in your house a dozen times this year alone. I’m pretty sure they know.”
Jeff drew back, his voice trembling. “That’s not funny, Steven. I have a little girl in this house.” His eyes darted around the room as paranoia enveloped him.
“C’mon Jeff, they’re the Raptors. They have dossiers on every one of us, down to what kind of ice cream we like. We’ve been playing Spy vs. Spy since we figured out they supported the Soulstealer.”
“Is that your new name for it, the Soulstealer?”
“Catchy, isn’t it? I came up with it on the ride back. Sounds a lot better than ‘Stealer of Souls,’ or ‘Dracula.’ And Satan.”
Chapter 24 – Truth in Love
“These hedges were recently trimmed,” Nythan said, smiling.
Steven ate the things he really wanted to say and instead cocked his head at Nythan. “What?”
Raeleigh spoke next. “Were you always…like this?”
Nythan drew in, one eye scrunching slightly. “I’d prefer not to answer that. I’m not offended or mad you asked. It’s just, you know, we’re not on the same side.”
They turned the corner and started down the short path to the disgusting two-headed statue of the Soulstealer. Steven found himself unable to contain his kindling rage. “Right, ‘cuz telling us might impede your quest for world domination.” The Raptor to Steven’s right took a step closer, but Steven felt undeterred.
“It’s not like that.” Nythan stopped in front of the statue.
“Oh really, what’s it like then? Because that..” Steven’s hand shot out, finger pointing at the middle statue, “shouts ‘I want to engulf the world in fire and brimstone.’”
“Steven!” Raeleigh hissed.
“No, no, it’s okay.” Nythan raised his hands. “You have a right to be angry. It’s about time we acknowledge the elephant in the room. My people hurt you.”
Steven’s fingernails cut into the palms of his shaking hands. “No,” his voice rose. “Hurting someone usually involves a small or moderate amount of pain. Hurting implies they can recover.” His chest heaved, face trembling as the rage inside fought to burst out. “Your people slaughtered us.” A single tear fought its way down the side of his face.
Nythan again waved his hand at the Raptor inching closer to Steven. “I under—”
“Women,” Steven talked louder. “Children. Old men. Entire families. You are responsible for their gruesome deaths. You could’ve stopped it.” Steven pointed straight at Nythan’s face. “That’s what you represent. Death. For God’s sake man, you people killed three families just to hide the fact that you pillaged our headquarters for that video of you and the Gatekeeper. Jeff, his wife Sara, and his daughter Trista were in that house. All of them gone. And to make things worse, you raped Sara before killing her, just to make it look like a convincing burglary!”
Steven inhaled deeply, trying to regain his breath. When he saw Raeleigh’s distraught face, the hot steam poured out of him like a release valve. His shoulders slumped and his arms fell. “But oh, I forgot, you want to take over the world…and you’ll stop at nothing to get what you want.”
“Damn it, Steven, I keep telling you it isn’t like that!”
The rage surged back before Steven even realized. “WELL, WHAT IS IT THEN?” He shook his fist at Nythan. “Cuz these Raptors sure as hell aren’t here to throw you a birthday party for world’s oldest demon!”
The Soulstealer’s attention suddenly diverted and he pointed at a Raptor behind Steven. “Don’t you dare!” Nythan bellowed, then winced. His face transitioned across a full range of emotions; confusion, anger, contempt, revulsion, and grief. He turned to Steven, holding his gaze. “Just hold on a second.”
Steven narrowed his eyes. “I’ve held on for a long time, Nythan, a long-a** time. I’ve heard the stories from other Solis members. I’ve seen the century-old still shots. I’ve held onto the hope that if you were to even return, we could do our part in putting you down like the dog you are.” Steven crossed his arms.
Nythan sniffed and continued staring at Steven. “How did you know my name?”
Raeleigh’s eyes widened in terror. Steven felt the floor disappear beneath him. Well s***, he thought. “Uh,” was all he could get out.
Chapter 26 — Do or Do Not
Steven paced his cell. He had heard of Unas’ brutality, but this brought things to a whole new level. Were these really made from our Ordo Europe brothers and sisters? His body shuddered.
The Soulstealer came and took Raeleigh, Mia, and someone from Ordo Europe that the Unas captured. They were to help with some damnable Ordo Solis peace treaty. Steven felt confident the bad blood between the two sides would prove too tricky for common ground to be found. Someone would make the wrong move.
The thought produced as much fear as it did satisfaction. Raeleigh was at that meeting. He prayed she stayed out of the crossfire should things go south. The Unas cleared out as well. One thug guarded his cell, a few Unas walked the tunnels.
If ever he should devise a plan to escape, he couldn’t pick a better time. His current confinement, however, wouldn’t give him an inch to work with. No one would claim Steven to be a small man, but he made minimal impact trying to shake loose, kick open, or shoulder bash the structure. No way out.
Occasionally, some wannabe masked barbarian trotted past. One passed by when a sharp shout came from Steven’s right. His guard and the patrolling Unas turned around. They made to bring their weapons up but were riddled with bullet holes; red spattered in every direction. One fell against the wall, the other face-first into the sandy floor.
Steven blinked at their newly minted corpses. He snapped into action, rattling the bone bars and pressing his face against them to peer down the tunnel, but couldn’t see more than ten feet. He heard hushed whispers before three figures appeared. They each wore long-sleeved bodysuits and balaclavas. The first pointed its weapon at Steven; the other two switched back and forth between Steven and further down the hallway. Their twitchy movements made Steven wonder if they had ever held a weapon before.
More masks, always more masks.
“Uh, hi,” one said, looking Steven’s prison up and down.
Steven blinked, then waved. “Who’re you guys?”
“Doesn’t matter who we are, chap, who are you?”
These guys didn’t know I was here. “I’m Steven. Proud Ordo Solis, American branch.”
The men glanced at one another, then back at Steven. “We heard you were bagged,” one said.
“We don’t have time for this,” another hissed.
“And you propose to leave this chap here? He’s obviously not Unas,” the second man replied.
“There’re two Solis Americans left,” Steven said. “I’m one, and the other, Raeleigh, is currently being held by the Soulstealer as some sort of liaison for the meeting with Solis Europe.”
“J, we have to finish clearing this section before they come back,” the first man said.
Steven motioned down the hallway. “No problem, please feel free to take ‘em all out. But make sure you come back. I’d rather not continue to be a prisoner.” He pointed at the long scratch marks on his face. “Not sure how much longer they’ll restrain themselves.”
“Good idea. Alright. Let’s go,” the second man said. They hurried away.
Those buffoons have got to be Solis Europe. Steven pumped his fist. “Yessssss!”
He paced the length of his cell. At last, he heard heavy footsteps coming toward him. The gaggle of colored balaclavas found Steven smirking as they came to a stop in front of him.
“Here he is,” one of them gestured toward Steven.
A slender figure stepped forward and peered through the bone bars. “You’re Ordo Solis?” a woman’s voice demanded.
Steven winked. “Wouldn’t dream of being otherwise.”
“Who vas the first of our Order?” she questioned in a thick German accent.
“Jedidiah, the wisest of us all,” Steven recited. He imagined the many afternoons he and Jeff spent as Ordo Solis initiates in frigid New England. Their mentor made them memorize whole paragraphs of information to pass their oral examinations.
“And who is ze Lionheart?” she asked.
Steven clenched his fists, shaking them. “We’re all the Lionheart!”
The woman looked at the bolted lock. “Destroy zese doors, break him out.” Two of the men broke the bones from the rebar and pried a few of them apart. Steven wasted no time stepping through to freedom.
About the Author
Shane Boulware is an unconventional idealist from Orlando, Florida. Naturally, he commissioned as a Contracting Officer in the United States Air Force in 2012, where he promptly got tased, was hit with pepper spray, participated in a mock riot, jumped out of an airplane, and lived in a combat zone. These experiences tempered his creative instinct and led him to publish two music albums, found an innovation company, break a Guinness World Record, and learn over sixteen dance styles.
Having grown up a huge fan of Dune, Star Wars, Stargate SG-1, Warhammer 40K, Harry Potter, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and The Lord of the Rings, Shane always wanted to create and share a world of his own. His imagination set him on a path to write the supernatural thriller, Soulstealer, and its sequel, The Ordo Solis.
When he’s not negotiating contracts or salsa dancing the night away, you can find Shane taking his creative passion out on an unsuspecting keyboard. If you want to know when his next book will be available, visit his website at ShaneBoulware.com, where you can sign up to receive release updates and join a community of savants, swashbucklers, and nerds.
Website | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads
Giveaway
Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)
$30 Amazon gift card
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
How to enter?