What could be more intimate than a tattoo?  There are, after all, many levels of intimacy; sometimes these levels become deadly.

Dark Lotus, the tattoo that Kyoto Hajime created on Tia Morse’s body, branded her in more ways than one.  Anyone given a special tattoo compliment of Jim’s ink is automatically marked by Magik.  If they chose to use the Magik for evil purposes, it’s his duty as an immortal assassin to sentence them to death before his brother, Shino, can make his move.

Shino hunts those with Magik and drains them to gain more dark power.  Tia is his next victim.  Jim’s heart, soul, and body have been warmed by this special woman.  There is no way he will let Shino have her.   In all the hundreds of years he’s lived, no one has made him burn, melting away the cold surrounding his entire being.  When the time comes, will he have the strength to end her life?  

Fiona Jayde is gifted at combining action and romance.  By adding interesting, complex characters in an urban setting, brimming with danger and paranormal elements, Dark Lotus lives up to the unique style I’ve come to associate with her stories.  The rich language she uses is vivid and pulses.  I appreciate the way she jumps right into the thick of the story.   She keeps right on stripping away Tia and Jim’s defenses until a connection is made through the challenges they face along with the steamy sex.  I was immediately drawn in from start to finish, and the cherry on top is that her heroines pull their own weight without crowding the hero to the outskirts of the story.   If you’re looking for a something with just the right amount of everything, then you’ve come to the right place by reading this author’s work.