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Chapter Eighteen: Dark Magic
Tamsin Eventide
If he’d been able to control himself, he’d have stalked through the trees silently. He could have gotten the jump on the Dain. He knew, even as it happened, that charging the monstrous son of the Witch Queen was a bad idea. It was foolish. But his Beast was hell-bent on destruction and had no fear, no strategy, just terrible, hungry animal instinct.
The Dain was in no better shape, he noted as he charged towards him. The monster towered over him, over some of the trees. His body was bare bone and hanging, fetid, rotten flesh. His face was a skull, likely a bear’s with glowing blue witch lights for eyes. Antlers, uneven and broken protruded from the skull.
Tamsin had long wondered what had happened to create such a foul thing. Had he ever been as Tamsin was? A Fae cursed and twisted by dark magic? There was no way to know. Carmun used her sons as a means of control over the Realm.
The Dain howled in rage,
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House Eventide Chapter Twenty: Light in the Dark
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House Eventide Chapter Twenty One: Marked
River BlackBefore she could render any aid at all, the Dain roared viciously, so loud and horrible it hurt her ears. As River looked up, a great, stinking appendage swung at her. There was no time to dodge or get away. Pain expolded in her midsection as she was sent careening through the air. She landed in the brush, at least ten feet away from where she had been.It knocked all the air out of her and she lay on the ground, dazed. Pain, like fire, spread all over her abdomen. River wasn’t sure if she was seriously hurt or not. She lay still, hoping the Dain would forget about her. She only raised her head a little, vision blurry, head spinning, hoping to spot Tamsin.She couldn’t see him. All she could see is Cinder holding aloft his flaming dagger, shouting at the Dain. He flared brightly until she couldn’t see him at all. He was a pillar of flame, an inferno. For a moment, she could feel a wash of heat.Then, the Dain
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River BlackIt wasn’t like the movies or books she’d read about vampires. Everyone had that phase in high school. She’d read a lot of vampire romance novels. No, it wasn’t like that at all.Aelnith’s teeth sinking into her skin hurt. It burned. It was more than just breaking the skin. That pain only lasted a moment. It was something else. Similar to a scorpion sting she’d gotten once as a child, playing in her backyard by a rock pile. It felt like fire in her veins.The pain tore screams from her, but this didn’t slow or stop Aelnith. He drank form her like a man dying of thirst. She could feel the pull, feel her blood leave her body. His hands were rough, fingers biting into her hip before they trailed up her torso. He made animalistic noises, growling.For a brief moment, River worried he wouldn’t be able to stop. She even raised her hands to his chest to push him back. But that moment was
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