Dark Curse is Coming! - November 15, 2024
Dear Reader,
I'm super excited to announce the read through on Dark Curse is done. Editing has started, and the first few chapters have posted to the Valkyrie Riders Miniseries. I'm forging on in the publishing. Things are progressing faster than I expected. Even if they crawl at a snail's pace, it's at a racing snail's pace at least. There are only six tales left in this miniseries.
Which reminds me. Sorceress Valkyrie published this past week. I'm still waiting on the approval from Findaway Voices for the audiobook, but everything else is now available! It published far earlier than I expected, but I'm happy it's back out in the world.
This next announcement is even zanier. The next volume in the Lyons Gate Miniseries has formatted and by the time you read this, parts may have published to more than OpheliaKee.com. I should have it posted everywhere by the end of the weekend.
Things are rocking and rolling behind the scenes of the dream. If I can avoid any more disasters, I may get more writing done as well. If I ever ditch the day job, there's no telling what shenanigans I could get involved in.
Shameless Self Promotion
I know it isn't even Thanksgiving yet and I normally wouldn't post a Holiday themed graphic this early, but I signed on for a few promotions and decided it would be easier if I simply offered Haunted Echoes at the sale price for the next couple of months to be sure I messed nothing up.
Allow me to reveal the sales copy. I was never good at marketing. I doubt I'm getting any better with age, either.
Haunted Echoes $.99 sale.
#HappyHolidays to all the introverts who want nothing more than to curl up with a warm drink and an excellent book.
Welcome to the dream…
https://books2read.com/haunted-echoes
But I'm sure what you want is a look at Dark Curse. Hannah O'Keefe needs rescuing, but it's a dragon who finds her. So check out the legalese, and we'll get into the story.
Warning:
This is a work in progress and
is subject to change at any time.
Read at Your Own Risk!
Copyright 2024
All Rights Reserved.
A Sneak Peek at Dark Curse
Fade Away
Hannah
She was so thirsty. She’d been in the warehouse for three days. For three nights, the men tormented and used her monstrously, but she would wake up completely healed each afternoon.
It was the fourth night, and she could no longer think clearly. Hannah needed to drink. It sickened her how crazed she felt.
Confused when the pain in her rectum eased, maybe they finished torturing her.
She opened her eyes, and her fear overwhelmed her. She tried to move away from the charcoal grey gaze of the man who faced her.
He was powerful, and his aura was large and overt. He scared her more than the other three had frightened her combined.
She lay still, barely breathing, when she realized once again she lacked the strength to escape her bonds.
The man, who’d begun the assault on her, cowered at the big man’s feet. He no longer acted so powerful.
Faced with the overt alpha male, Hannah knew she'd met her death. It would finally all end.
“I wish to assist you. Will you accept my help?”
He hadn’t come to kill her, but to rescue her? His words startled her.
What choice did she have? Fighting a man like him was pointless. She had learned the hard way.
She nodded. He reached around her to cut away her restraints. She couldn’t help herself.
She breathed in his crisp, sharp scent of cognac and linen. He was like the other three, but so much richer. Her fangs descended. She needed to feed.
The man had what she needed. If she could drink from him, the thirst would fade. The thirst drove her mad. She wanted only a taste.
He studied her for a moment. Then he yanked the cowering man to his feet and sliced open his wrist. He offered it to her, and even though the cowering man struggled against it, the powerful man ignored him.
She couldn’t refuse. She needed blood. It wouldn’t stop the thirst, only keep her from dying. She drank.
Hannah hated herself. She was so disgusted with what had happened. It shouldn’t be.
She was den lasair. She still had trouble accepting that she was a vampire. Hannah certainly had never asked, nor had she wanted to be one.
Drinking the blood made her feel unclean as much as the rape made her feel dirty. Her life felt ugly and unclean. Self-preservation was all that remained, and she no longer believed that instinct held any power.
Her life had flipped upside down two weeks before. All she’d wanted was to dance.
That man should’ve burned, but her fire didn’t touch him. She blocked it from her mind as she drank. She was too weak to deal with it.
Hannah needed more blood. It gave her more strength, but the thirst still pressed her. She needed the big man’s blood.
She lay still. Even with blood, she remained too weak to move much more than her eyes.
She lifted one hand and tried to brush the loose strands of hair from her face. Hannah missed and sighed. She needed a lot more to drink if she were to heal and move.
“I’m Flame. Will you tell me your name?”
“Hannah O’Keefe,” she whispered.
She closed her eyes as fear over revealing her name gripped her. Would he use his knowledge against her? Maybe she would do better to stay silent.
He seemed excited about her name. Maybe he liked it and wouldn't mistreat her.
Had someone sent him to find her? Her aunt maybe. Where she would have gotten the money was anyone’s guess.
The man sure as hell wasn’t excited about the way she looked. She couldn’t have been less attractive.
She felt his fingers move the offending strands of hair away from her face behind her ear. He was warm, and she felt so cold.
The others had done something to her. She could no longer touch the fire she’d been born to wield. She lacked the strength to mourn it, though.
When his finger traced the skin on her face, it felt strangely erotic. Hannah wanted to laugh at the absurdity of her thoughts. Maybe she had lost her mind.
Warm fingers equaled erotic? It was laughable.
“I need to carry you from here to get you someplace safe and comfortable. Will you permit me to lift you and move you from here?”
He asked if he could carry her away? Did he seek her permission?
He surprised her. No one had considered what she wanted for the last two weeks. For a moment, her puzzlement grew. Was it some sort of trick?
No matter. Anywhere was better than where she was. She would go with him. It wasn’t as if she could stop him if he took her.
“Please, but don’t let them find me.”
If she only had to deal with one instead of three, maybe she could get away from him. She only wanted a quiet place to rest and think. Then perhaps she could learn what to do, how to get home.
She wanted her life back. She wanted to see her aunt and dance. And never drink blood again.
“Who’s looking for you?”
He seemed not to know. Maybe she had a chance. Maybe he didn’t know the other three.
She watched his face, but it gave nothing away.
“The ones like you.”
Her energy was gone. He sensed it and asked nothing else from her. Whatever he was, the others were definitely the same.
Flame gently turned her body, wrapped the blanket around her, and lifted her into his arms.
The sight of him seeing her naked should have embarrassed Hannah, but she was too weak. He covered her, which Hannah appreciated, because it allowed her to keep at least a small portion of her dignity.
He settled her head against his chest and his biceps so she couldn't fall. Flame was all hard muscle, but he felt good, warm. He probably had a fire like the others, too.
He was careful not to jar or rattle her. Flame seemed different that way, kind.
The smell of cognac and linen returned, relaxing her.
The man she’d fed from followed them meekly.
All hope of escaping died in her when they met up with other men. Some were like Flame, a few were different, but all enormously more powerful than she was.
At least the three who had taken her weren’t among them. One man gave the orders, and they left the warehouses burning behind them. She wasn’t sad to watch them burn.
It was a quick ride to a house in the suburbs. Flame eased her into a nightgown. Taking care not to hurt her or allow anyone else to see her nudity.
It felt good to be clothed. When was the last time she’d worn clothing? Fourteen days? Sixteen days?
She didn't know. It seemed like a million-dollar luxury. One nightgown equaled a slice of her dignity. She appreciated the gesture immensely.
Flame cared for her as if she had a grand worth and deserved it. She wanted to be valuable.
He covered her in the blanket again, and she slipped away, overcome by the intensity of her emotions.
Was she asleep, or merely lost in her nightmare? She didn’t know, but awareness of the surrounding environment had faded, at least for a while.
When she had an awareness of her surroundings again, Flame carried her into a different house, with the same man still following him like a lost puppy. He gave instructions to the man, but Hannah couldn’t focus well enough to understand.
He stepped into a windowless bedroom and kicked the door closed behind him. The room smelled intensely of cognac and linen.
Flame had brought her to his personal space. She was in his bedroom. Hanna knew she should have panicked, but it took energy she didn't possess.
He laid her gently on the bed. She didn’t move. She just looked at him.
Hannah feared her torture would begin again. He had her alone.
Whoever Flame was, he had enough power to take from her whatever he wanted. She couldn’t stop him. She just hoped he would be quick and tire of her soon or help her find mercy.
“I need to hunt for you so you can feed before you sleep, so I need you to stay here and rest. I won’t be gone long. No one will disturb you.”
She nodded, still in despair. He wanted to keep her alive.
Flame seemed kind though. He hadn’t hurt her. He even understood her need for blood. Flame hunted for blood for her, but his words would keep her locked in the room until he returned.
What chance did she have against him or those others, anyway? Her fire no longer came at her command. It didn’t work against men like him. She was too weak to walk. The dawn would come soon.
She was still a prisoner at the mercy of Flame instead of the three nameless ones. She was nothing but a toy for them to amuse themselves.
Her tears fell, red blood-filled tears. They stained the bedclothes, but she didn’t have the strength to deal with that, either.
Maybe he’d kill her for it, and everything would all end. The abuse, torture, and rape had exhausted her. Death might be easier.
Hannah had never been a quitter, but in her exhaustion, her despair gripped her hard. She wanted to fade away.
This is one of my favorite stories set in the dream. Flame and Nightshade’s story is why the law must change, why Airlea’s soul returned to the dream, and why the White Buffalo Woman will hold court at Draoithe. The Druid pack knows none of that. Okay, I've got more editing to do. Have a lovely weekend. Please remember to be kind when you read and leave your reviews. Until next time, welcome to the dream...
Be Careful!
Happy reading,
Ophelia Kee
Want More?
Read:
Video Content:
Buy books:
Subscribe and Read it all as I Write:
Drop by and say, Hello!
Email the author at opheliakee69@gmail.com
Follow Ophelia Kee on Threads
Like Ophelia Kee on Facebook
Like Ophelia Kee on Instagram
Follow Ophelia Kee on X
Follow Ophelia Kee on Pinterest
Thank you for your support! Welcome to the dream… Sincerely, -OK
Comments
Post a Comment
I love comments. All comments monitored. Thank you for your kind contributions. Welcome to the dream...