KaneThe dining room feels intimate with the short table that could only accommodate a dozen people. Queen Olga tells us that they use this dining room for family and friends only. The nobles that live in the castle dine in another more spacious room. The table is made of stone and is connected to t
LydiaI watch warily as Randal comes over with a plate of food. His smile is wide and friendly like we’ve known each other for years. His overall niceness is unsettling compared to the usual treatment the feeders receive from the other Blood Takers. I don’t know what to make of this man.“Hello, Lyd
CoitI haven’t been back to Nightfall since Lydia’s abduction. I try to keep in touch with the Nightstone family, as we’re all in this crisis together, but the guilt has made it difficult. It’s easy to blame myself for what happened to Lydia, and I can imagine her family blames me too. I’m more than
LexI know Willow is around Brighthall. I’ve seen her with her daughter and Ivy on the castle grounds. They seem to take their meals at separate times than me as I’m usually dining alone with Uncle Cyrus. I know that Ivy doesn’t care for me due to my history with Willow.Ivy’s connection to Willow c
LydiaI’m falling asleep in the back of the semi-truck, being lulled by the swaying of the vehicle when it abruptly stops. Everyone jolts forward from the inertia, colliding against each other. The ones nearest to the wall have to catch themselves from hitting their faces on the metal. People rumble
Lazar is glaring at the bonfire, refusing to look at Randal who is feeding sticks into the fire. I’m guessing it’s been a couple of hours since the other half of the Blood Takers went to get a new tire. “All right. I’ll start,” Randal says. “I’m originally from Red River. My parents worked at the
RainerThe feeders stare at me like sheep, confused and scared. They don’t move. I don’t think they’re even breathing. I step around Lazar’s burning body and make a shooing motion at the feeders.“Go!” I exclaim. “What are you waiting for?”One of the female shifters is practically shaking. “We can’
EmoryIt’s nice to be back from home. Sardonia has its charms, but it’s ultimately too cold and isolated. Kane and I give ourselves a moment of reprieve before we have to go back to dealing with King Myenas. Against Queen Olga’s advice, Kane wants to try to have a talk with the other king.The old v
Fractured memories of the night I nearly drank myself to death careen to the forefront of my mind. There was a woman. I don’t remember her face or her name. I was so far gone with drink and self-loathing that I gave in to whatever kind of attention and stimulations she had to offer. It was consensua
ColeThe letter came in the dead of night, rain-soaked and smeared, but I’d know her handwriting anywhere, in any condition. She’d written that she needed to see me, urgently, that it couldn’t wait, and she couldn’t explain why, not in a letter, not at the risk of what she needed to tell me going pu
EmeldaIt’s a quiet night. A long, silent walk from the castle. I needed this quiet, this stillness in the late summer air. Ravenfell comes into view beyond the trees, twinkling in the darkness. I smile, shaking my head as I look down at my shoes. I can still feel the weight of the twins in my arms
MichaelI haven’t been to Scarlet Thunder in… years. I didn’t realize how long it’s been until I pulled up to the back of the castle, somewhat startled by how small it looks compared to my memories from my childhood. Not that it's a small castle, but I'm much bigger now. I step out of my car, my fac
Faye“Oh, Faye, this is beautiful,” Emory says as she walks around the wide room on the second floor of the newly constructed manor. She runs her fingers over the pale blue and pink floral wallpaper and white trim, her jade eyes sparkling as she takes in the lace curtains and soft cream carpet. “I l
EmeldaIn the week since the twins were born, I’ve been busy with the final touches on my cottage. I spent days this past spring digging in the front garden, planting herbs and vegetables, and fixing the front path. I hired a group of shifters to replace the roof and update the inside, installing ne
Emelda“Thank you,” I say, hurrying at a near run as a maid takes my cloak. The castle is buzzing with nervous energy but remains quiet with even the maids tiptoeing around, trying not to make a sound. I’d remained in Ravenfell for the birth. I spent all night and most of this morning at Alma’s hou
FayeSomething’s wrong. Something has to be wrong. “You’re doing great. Keep pushing, Faye. You’ve got this,” Alma says, her face glistening with sweat and determination while I roar in pain. Michael clutches my hand, his other hand bracing my inner thigh as I bear down with all the strength I hav
Michael“It could be hours–or a day,” Alma says quietly as she arranges her tonics on a table just outside the bedroom where Faye’s finally getting some rest. “It’s been hours already,” I tell her, motioning toward the window in my suite in the castle where moonlight drifts through the panes, casti