The Ravenous Dark, page 48
Kat relaxed back in her seat as The Dark Court came into view on the horizon.
Thanks to a heavy enchantment and warding, to the human eye, the castle was nothing but a rotting corpse of towered bricks and broken glass and dissuaded from investigating.
To a supernatural, it was Mecca, resplendent even in starlight with polished glass and gleaming stones. It was a place where any supernatural could live in their true nature without fear…
A devilish smirk stole up Kat’s lips.
Until now.
Dying to know what gets said at Kat’s meeting with the Duke and Grand Duchess…
You can in the exclusive extended epilogue found only on Inkwell & Main—just click the link below!
READ ON
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
AMETHYST OF THE AZTECS
An enchanted amethyst with the power to protect vampyrés from sunlight often worn as a ring and known as a sunlight ring.
CHILDE
The direct offspring of a sire.
CHILDE-TO-BE
An individual chosen to become a childe.
DEMON
A supernatural creature with the ability to amplify and/or influence one of the following emotions: wrath, desire, or despair.
HYBRID
A supernatural crossbred between two different species, born or created through magical means.
LYCAN
A human blessed by the Moon Goddess with a wolf spirit they can shift into while maintaining their consciousness.
RABIDUS CURSE
A sinister magical possession that forces its victims into an insatiable state of ravenous hunger.
SANGUINARE
A vampyré with an unquenchable appetite that often leads to harming oneself or others in their pursuit of blood.
SHADOWMANCER
A mystical hooded figure made of shadow and night thought to be behind the rabidus curse.
SHIFTER
A human who can willingly take the form of one animal while maintaining their consciousness.
SIRE
A vampyré who has transformed another human into a vampyré.
SIRE-TO-BE
A vampyré who intends to transform another human into a vampyré.
SORCERER/SORCERESS
A practitioner of magic bestowed powers by a Godly patron.
SOULMARK
Two individuals who share a soul and bear matching symbols upon their skin. The shared soul becomes one by way of three separate incantations completed in the following order:
—SEAL
One or both soulmarks must touch the other’s matching symbol and say the words, “Let it be known that thee are found and my soul awakened. The stars incline us, my love, and so we are sealed.”
—MARK
One or both soulmarks must touch the other’s matching symbol, say the words, “And now I lay my mark for all to see, by blood be one,” and consume a drop of the other’s blood.
—BIND
One or both soulmarks must touch the other’s matching symbol and say the words, “I bind myself to you, [NAME].”
TEMPEST
A warrior sorcerer with elemental magic in the form of one of the following: lightning, water, fire, wind, or terra.
VAMPYRÉ
An immortal supernatural who survives on the blood of others. A vampyré may be killed by extended exposure to the sun, fire*, beheading, or a steak made of bone.
A vampyrés body may heal itself with enough time and blood from almost any injury. However, if a vampyrés entire body is burnt to ash it may not regenerate.
WITCH
A practitioner of magic bestowed powers inherently.
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DID YOU ENJOY THE RAVENOUS DARK?
Your words are as important to an author as their words are to you. Please leave a review and help other paranormal and fantasy romance lovers find their next read!
DISCOVER MORE OF WHAT YOU LOVE
The Ascent of the Wicked is within the Soulmark Series Universe. While readers don’t need to read A Soulmark Series to enjoy the Ascent of the Wicked series, it will absolutely boost your enjoyment of it. Discover for yourself the origins of the Vrana’s and what trouble they bring to the Soulmark Series Universe!
COVEN
A fledgling witch. A domineering alpha. A love with the power to ignite a war… or end one.
MIDNIGHT SCOUNDREL
Hearts and lives are in jeopardy when a sultry thief takes on a job issued by the mysterious Mr. Vrana.
WARDENS OF STARLIGHT
A cruel twist of fate drives two enemies together leaving them with only one choice: fight for love or fight each other.
MR. VRANA
He’s waited over a century for vengeance, and he’ll have it no matter the cost. Even her.
LYCAN LEGACY
Three packs. Two curses. One chance for love. Everything is coming to a head, but who will pay the ultimate price?
LUNARIA
Past and present collide in the dazzling series finale of A Soulmark Series when the big bad wolf sets his eyes on his fairy prize.
Acknowledgments
Wow . What a ride, right?
I knew from the moment I decided to write this series that The Ravenous Dark would be boldly stepping deeper into elements of suspense, action, and mystery. I also knew it would be the perfect chance to explore the ill effects of denying one's soulmark, unlike anything I've done before, with Ronan and Bailey's tumultuous love story. It was a challenge at times to balance the darker themes with lighthearted banter and hope, as well as knowing the scene with Raphael would probably be leaving some readers unsettled or unhappy, but each scene… each conversation… each reaction and decision made by the characters have successfully set up this series for something so much grander!
Needless to say, I'm thrilled with the end result...
And potentially even more excited to pick up right where The Ravenous Dark ends with book 3 of the Ascent of the Wicked series, Handsome Devil.
THANK YOU
To my husband, Brian, your support is endless and for that, I am eternally grateful. Our morning and afternoon walks were priceless in helping me straighten out the threads of this story's plot—even if I tended to speak in circles.
To my alpha readers, Jacqueline, Jenny, Kate, and Katina, your input was truly invaluable. Because of your feedback, both Ronan and Bailey feel more tangible and relatable with their backgrounds and feelings flushed out more. Thank you.
To my beta readers, Amanda, Brittany, Cassie, Chateal, Chelsea, Christy, Denise, Elaine, Jenna, MaryAnn, and Moranda. I didn't realize I had stacked my team with spelling and grammar super-sleuths or would be receiving such thoughtful in-chapter observations on character dynamics. My heart was so full of appreciation knowing all the work done with my editors and alpha team left you on the edge of your seats and so fully immersed in the story.
To my editor, Ali, we did some serious work together! The insights you brought to the developmental edit, and your meticulous work with the copy and line edit made the story so much stronger and more heartfelt than where it started. I cannot wait to work with you on the remainder of the books for the series. Additionally, I would like to thank Sherry who worked as my proofreader. Your final run-through of the manuscript was so helpful.
Finally, to my cover artist, Stefanie. It is so fun to collaborate with another artist and working with you on The Ravenous Dark's cover was no less exciting than working with you on Covet the Night. Thank you for your outstanding and beautiful work.
About the Author
Do you believe in magic? Rebecca Main does. Her magic wand is a well-worn pen that’s been known to weave stories that transport readers to other worlds. Other enchanting pastimes of Rebecca include traveling and showering her two cats, Dorcas and Pudge, with love.
She invites readers to get first looks, giveaways, and more by joining her newsletter at: https://tinyurl.com/bdhednhb
Rebecca Main, The Ravenous Dark
