Novels by Kasie

Kade’s POVThe ground split open with a sound like the world tearing itself apart.I felt it through my feet first, a violent tremor that ran straight up my spine. The forest convulsed as if something ancient had been disturbed, something that had slept beneath the soil for far too long. Trees cracked and tilted. Stones tumbled into the widening fissure that had opened beneath the shadow’s feet.The thing screamed.It was not a sound meant for human ears. It clawed into my skull and scraped against every instinct I had spent years trying to bury. The mark on my shoulder burned like a brand pressed straight into my bone. I dropped to one knee without meaning to, teeth clenched, fists buried in the earth.But I did not look away.Lena stood at the center of it all.Her body trembled with effort, but she did not break. Her eyes glowed faintly, reflecting something deeper than fear. She looked like she was standing on the edge of two worlds, holding them apart with nothing but will.I had

Lena’s POVThe forest held its breath.That was the first thing I noticed. The insects stopped chirping. The wind stilled. Even the stream beside us seemed to slow, its ripples flattening as if afraid to make a sound.The shadow between the trees shifted again.I could not see it clearly, but I did not need to. The moment my eyes touched that darkness, something inside my chest tightened painfully. My pulse quickened. My vision blurred at the edges.I knew this feeling.It was the same dread that wrapped around me in my dreams just before everything burned.“Kade,” I whispered.He was already tense beside me, his body angled slightly in front of mine without thinking about it. His shoulders rose and fell slowly, controlled, but I felt the storm under his skin.“Do not look at it too long,” he said quietly. “It looks back.”Too late.The shadow stepped forward.Moonlight brushed its surface, revealing just enough to make my stomach twist. It was tall. Much taller than any human. Its li

Kade’s POVThe back door burst open, and cold night air rushed in like a living thing. I did not hesitate as I pulled Lena with me, my grip tight around her hand, and Jamal followed a heartbeat later. The sound of boots crashing through the front of the house came almost immediately after. Wood splintered. Voices shouted orders.Too late then we ran.The yard behind the house sloped downward into the tree line and i knew the terrain well enough to move without thinking but Lena stumbled twice, still shaken from what had happened inside. Jamal stayed close behind her, watching our backs while I led us into the darkness.A shot cracked through the air and the sound cut through my nerves like glass.“Down” I shouted, yanking Lena toward the ground just as another shot tore through the branches above us. Bark exploded from a nearby tree.They were not trying to capture us anymore, they were trying to kill.We dove into the forest, weaving between trees, pushing through thick undergrowth.

Lena’s POVThe room erupted before my mind could catch up.The door slammed open with a force that rattled the windows, and cold air blasted into the house. A figure rushed inside so fast I barely saw more than a blur before Kade collided with him. The impact shook the floorboards. Jamal moved at the same time, grabbing the intruder’s arm, but another shadow appeared behind him.I pressed a hand to my mouth to hold back a scream.Everything happened so quickly it felt unreal. I stood rooted where I was, my back against the wall, as bodies moved and clashed in front of me. Kade shoved the first man into the side table, knocking over a vase that shattered onto the floor. The second man lunged toward Jamal with a knife that glinted in the dim light.“Lena, stay back,” Jamal warned, his voice strained as he blocked the attack.I could not move even if I wanted to. Fear had wrapped itself around my chest like a vice. My eyes darted across the room, trying to find an opening, a breath, some

The house was too quiet. It was the kind of silence that pressed against the walls and made every breath sound loud. Lena stood in the middle of the living room with her fingers curled slightly at her sides. She kept glancing toward the hallway as if something might step out. She knew she was alone, yet the air felt crowded with unspoken words.She had not slept. She had barely eaten. Her thoughts kept spinning and tangling like threads that refused to form a single line. Every time she tried to sit still, Kade’s voice echoed in her head. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the look he had given her before he walked away. She could not decide if it frightened her or if it made her want to run after him and demand answers.When the door suddenly opened, she jerked her head up. Her heart kicked hard against her ribs.Jamal stepped inside with the kind of caution that made her throat tighten. He looked like he had sprinted the entire way, even though she knew he had not. His chest ro

Kade’s POVThe bunker shook again as I forced the last guard to the ground. His body hit the concrete with a dull thud. He groaned but did not rise. I stepped over him without slowing. There was no time to waste. Lena was somewhere above me, drugged, restrained, and surrounded by people who would kill her if Elias gave the order.Every muscle in my body screamed to find her. Every heartbeat was a warning that I was already too late.Garrick kept pace beside me despite his heavy breathing. He wiped blood from his forehead and pointed toward a narrow access corridor branching off from the main tunnel.“This way,” he said. “It should take us closer to the control floors.”“It better,” I growled.Garrick shot me a tired look. “You are welcome, by the way.”I ignored him. The scent trail was faint after the alarms drowned everything with smoke and metal, but Lena’s presence was still there, sharp and familiar, like a blade cutting the fog.I followed it.The corridor opened into a stairwel

ASCENDANCY The city woke beneath a burning orange sky, its streets alive with the pulse of commerce, whispers, and ambition. Olivia stood at the mansion’s balcony, her eyes scanning the rooftops and winding alleys below. For the first time, she felt a thrill that had nothing to do with fear—a surge of anticipation, of potential.Beside her, Ethan leaned lightly on the balcony railing, silent but present. “Morning,” he said, voice calm but edged with energy. “The city doesn’t wait, and neither should we.”Olivia’s lips curved into a faint smile. “No. Waiting is for the timid. We have opportunities now, and we need to act.”Ethan’s gaze swept the city. “Seraphine is still out there. Calculating. Watching. Testing. She’ll be back. But today, we define the terms.”Her pulse quickened. Define the terms. Not merely survive, not merely respond—but dictate, influence, and act decisively. That was a new sensation, intoxicating and dangerous.⸻By mid-morning, they set out to the city’s centra

CONFRONTATIONThe morning air in the city was sharp and brisk, carrying the scent of stone, smoke, and distant markets. Olivia awoke with a sense of anticipation, a ripple of tension threading through her chest. Yesterday had been lessons and observation. Today promised challenge, action, and perhaps danger in forms they had yet to understand.Ethan was already up, reviewing maps and notes in the study. His posture was rigid, eyes sharp, lips set in that familiar line of determination. “Morning,” he said without looking up. “We have a visitor.”Olivia’s stomach tightened. “A visitor?”“Yes. A rival,” he replied, voice low but steady. “I anticipated this. Seraphine didn’t leave the city gathering without a reason. She’s here. Testing us directly.”Olivia’s heart skipped a beat. She had sensed Seraphine’s subtle threat yesterday, but a direct encounter was different—intense, unavoidable. She squared her shoulders, letting the rising tension transform into focus. “Then we face her,” she

DOMINIONThe dawn broke over the city with a pale, determined light, spilling gold across rooftops and streets bustling with life. Olivia stood by the tall windows of the mansion’s study, the city’s pulse echoing faintly in her ears. For the first time, she did not feel trapped within these walls—she felt like a part of something larger, a world waiting to be understood and, if needed, navigated with precision.Ethan appeared quietly behind her, the faint scrape of his shoes against the marble announcing him. “Thinking already?” he asked softly, voice low enough that only she could hear.Olivia smiled faintly. “Always. I can’t stop now. The city… the gathering yesterday. Nuel’s words… they linger. Shaping our paths, not just surviving. It’s more than a lesson. It’s a call to action.”Ethan stepped closer, leaning on the windowsill beside her. “And what’s your plan?”She hesitated, letting her gaze drift over the city, then back to him. “Observation first. We can’t move without knowin

EXPANSIONThe morning after the city gathering dawned crisp and bright, the kind of clarity that made every shadow in the mansion seem smaller, less intimidating. Olivia rose early, moving through the halls with a sense of purpose that had been foreign to her just days before. The previous trials had forged her into someone alert, aware, and cautiously confident.She paused outside the study, hearing the faint rustle of papers inside. Pushing the door open, she found Ethan already at the desk, examining ledgers and documents with that same intensity she had come to admire. His gray eyes lifted as she entered. “Morning,” he said quietly, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.“Morning,” Olivia replied, stepping closer. She observed the way his fingers moved over the papers, deliberate and precise. “You’ve been up early,” she noted.Ethan gestured to the documents. “Plans. Reports. Nuel may have released us from the immediate trap, but the mansion’s operations… and the business be

Awakening The morning sun filtered through the mansion’s tall windows, golden light spilling across the marble floors. For the first time in weeks, the mansion did not feel oppressive. The shadows still lingered, but they were softer, almost like echoes of the tension that had dominated the house. Olivia moved carefully through the halls, her bare feet silent against the polished stone, her mind still replaying the previous day’s revelations.She paused outside the main hall, the space where Nuel had confronted them. The memory of his gaze, sharp and unyielding, still pressed against her chest. And yet… she felt no panic now. Only a quiet, cautious clarity. She had survived. They had survived.Ethan appeared from the library, leaning against the doorframe with a book in his hands, the corners of his mouth lifted faintly. “Morning,” he said softly. His gray eyes held that familiar intensity, a tether that kept her grounded.“Morning,” she replied, her voice tentative. She took a step

RESOLUTIONThe mansion was unusually quiet that morning, the kind of silence that presses against the skin, heavy and threatening. Olivia rose early, heart hammering in her chest, her mind spinning with the knowledge that today would change everything. The trap Nuel had meticulously constructed around her and Ethan was about to snap, and there was no room left for hesitation.Ethan was already awake, standing near the edge of the garden, his posture taut with alertness. His eyes scanned the mansion with a cautious intensity, as though expecting danger to strike at any moment. Olivia felt the familiar pull in her chest—fear, desire, and the unspoken bond they shared—all coalescing into a dangerous cocktail.“Today,” he said quietly, without looking at her, “everything changes. We need to be careful. Every word, every movement, every glance counts.”She swallowed hard, nodding. “And if he finds out everything?”Ethan’s gaze shifted toward her, gray eyes steady and unwavering. “Then we f