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π¨ ππππππππ πππππππ πππππ πππππ πππππππ πππππππ πππ ππππ ππ π»ππ π©πππ ππ π²ππππ ππ πππ π¨ π»ππππ ππ π«πππππππ.
Iβd never particularly liked humans, but Iβd never wanted to kill one. Until now.
Hidden in a kingdom that hates witches, Iβm forced to hide what I am. With my sister working in a secret dark magic club, and our familyβs shop gaining unwanted attention, things couldnβt be worse when the notorious witch hunter, Damian Shaw, comes to town.
When my sister shows up dead, and my familyβs name is called into question, weβre forced to adopt new aliases and leave the home we cherished. As I watch my life fall apart, I vow to destroy the hunter responsible, but his punishment would not be swift. Death was too easy.
Redforest is a quaint town, with a church, pretty shops, and like any good town, a dark past. When my family and I move in, I set my sights on the Shaw family, quickly learning everything I can about them. Damianβs son, Elijah, is the hunterβs greatest pride. His heir. His confidante. The only family he trusts.
I come up with a plan. I am going to shatter every good thing in Damianβs life, ending with his son. My goal: make Elijah Shaw fall in love with me, twist him into the very thing his father hates, then kill him.
With my heart challenged, the attraction growing, I find myself trapped in a deadly game. In a twist of fate, Elijah might just end up being the death of me.
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My dreams were like an ocean of layers. They got darker the farther I fell. Blue robes, daggers, and dead people haunted my nightmares, and in the last one before waking, shouting erupted, words pounding against my soul as I felt hands grab my arms.
My eyes fluttered open, and I jumped to my feet. I punched Cas in the arm, pushing him away from me. βWhat in the underworld are you doing?β I asked breathlessly.
Tears glossed his dark brown eyes. βI had to wake you! You were right.β
I ran cold. Iβd never heard those words leave his mouth. βCas?β I asked tentatively.
βItβs Ember. I waited up for her, but she didnβt come back, and it was almost three in the morning, so I went down to the club andβ¦β His hand shot to his mouth, and a tear escaped into the gaps between his fingers. βThe hunter attacked with his team. The whole place is torn apart, and they found dead bodies, sacrificed.β He paused for a short moment. βItβs enough to condemn everyone inside. I ran, but I couldnβt find Ember. I went to the kissing tree, but she wasnβt there. Y-you, donβt think she would have gone back to the club?β
My heart somehow felt heavier in my chest. βWhere did he take them for trial?β
βHeβs already begun theβ¦β He tugged at his collar. βPunishments.β
Bile bit up my throat. βWhere?β
βTown square. I was going there next.β
I pushed him out of the way and grabbed my boots, sharing a glance with my brother before running out the door. I prayed to deities I didnβt believe in that Ember was far away from all this. Anyone whoβd heard of Damian Shaw knew that no witches passed a trial with him. If he caught us, we were already dead.
My stomach knotted as I ran toward the town square. Stars twinkled against the matte-black night, but the first hues of blue had already faded the speckled silver in the distance. It had to be four, maybe five oβclock, based on the sky. Iβd heard he held trials at night because it was when he believed a witchβs powers were weakest. His logic was stupid, but then he was human and a priest to boot.
Please, Ember, donβt be there. Please.
If she was, then Iβd have to expose us, because there was no way I was letting her die. Iβd fight them. I should have brought weapons. I mentally kicked myself for not thinking of it back at the house. I heard footsteps behind me in the distance, but I didnβt turn to see who it was.
The town square was alight with torches and oil lamps, illuminating the freshly erected gallows and jeering crowd. My gaze climbed the wooden platform, and I found my worst nightmare come true.
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Read the First Chapter HERE!
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Rebecca lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband and son. Originally from England, you can find her drinking tea, writing new worlds, and designing covers. She writes fantasy romance. She devoured every book she was given and fell in love with magical worlds, and when she got older, her imagination grew with her.
When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, you can find her traveling, and hosting book signings with Spellbinding Events.
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