Novels by Tobi Bash

LyraThe world stopped. The music, the whispers, the clinking of glasses all died the moment Zade hit the floor.The silver bolt was buried deep in his chest, right where his heart should be. Black smoke hissed from the wound. Zade’s eyes, usually so bright and dangerous, were turning a dull, flat gray. He reached for my hand, his fingers trembling, but his shadows were gone. He was vulnerable. He was dying."Zade! Stay with me!" I screamed. I pulled his head into my lap, ignoring the blood staining my obsidian gown. "Don't you dare leave me here!"Robbie, Caleb’s Beta, stepped out of the crowd. He was still smiling that sick, oily smile. He raised a second crossbow, the silver tip aimed directly at my forehead."Don't worry, Lyra," Robbie said, his voice loud enough for the entire Gala to hear. "You won't be alone for long. Caleb wants you back, but he said a dead maid is better than a traitorous one."I looked around the room. The powerful Alphas and Elders were just watching. They

LyraThe shadows wrapped around my throat like cold, iron fingers. I couldn't breathe. My feet left the floor as the man who looked like a nightmare version of Zade lifted me into the air with a flick of his wrist."Father, stop!" Zade’s voice was a roar. He lunged forward, but the older man simply raised his other hand, and a wall of black spikes erupted from the ground, pinning Zade against the stone wall."You’ve grown weak, Zade," the man hissed. His eyes were leaking black ink that stained his face. "You brought a human-scented stray into our sacred halls. You think she is your cure? She is a parasite."I gasped for air, my vision starting to blur. Not like this, I thought. I didn't survive the kitchen just to die in a castle. I reached for my Void power. I didn't try to fight the shadows; I tried to delete them. I imagined the darkness around my neck simply ceasing to exist.Gone, I whispered in my mind.The pressure vanished instantly. I hit the floor, coughing and gasping. The

LyraThe creature was a blur of black fur and teeth. I didn’t have time to think. I didn't have time to be the "Ghost Maid" who hid in the shadows.As his claws swung toward my throat, I threw the heavy glass vase with everything I had. It shattered against his head, but he didn't even flinch. He pinned me against the wall, his breath smelling like rotting meat."You smell like him," the creature hissed, his claws digging into my shoulders. "The King thinks he found a cure. But you’re just a snack."I felt a surge of cold anger. Not fear anger. I was tired of being hunted. I was tired of being a victim.Stop, I thought, reaching deep inside for that "Void" Zade had mentioned. Just stop.Suddenly, the room went silent. The air around us turned heavy and gray. The creature’s eyes went wide. The glow in his pupils flickered and died. He gasped, his claws falling away from my skin as if his strength had been sucked out of him. He looked at his hands, confused."What... what did you do?" h

LyraThe three red-eyed wolves lunged at once. They weren't just hungry; they were rabid. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the feel of teeth on my throat.But the attack never came.Instead, a sound like a whip cracking filled the air. I opened my eyes to see a wall of solid shadows standing between me and the wolves. The shadows didn't just block them, they swallowed them. One second the wolves were snarling, and the next, they were gone. No blood. No bodies. Just silence.Zade Valerius stood over me, his hand still extended. He didn't look like a hero. He looked like the monster that lived under the hero’s bed."Get up," he commanded. His voice was deep and rattled in my chest. "Unless you want to wait for the next pack to finish what Caleb started."The mention of Caleb’s name felt like a fresh wound. I forced myself to stand, even though my legs felt like water. I wiped the mud from my face and looked at him. "Why did you save me? Nobody helps a rankless girl for free."Zade s

LyraMy life is measured by the tick of a clock I cannot see.One. Scrub the floors until your hands bleed.Two. Keep your eyes on the ground so the Alpha’s daughter doesn’t see you crying.Three. Pray that tonight is the night everything changes.Tonight was the Moon-Binding Ceremony. In our world, this was the night your soul finally found its match. For ten years, I had lived as a "Rankless" servant in the Crescent Moon Pack. I was an orphan, a girl with no wolf and no power. My only hope was Caleb, the future Alpha.We had grown up in the shadows together. He used to sneak me bread from the high table. He used to whisper that when he became Alpha, I wouldn't have to clean floors anymore. He was my secret, and I was his.I stood in the corner of the Great Hall, holding a heavy silver tray. My legs ached from standing for six hours. Sasha, the Alpha’s daughter, walked past me. She purposely tipped her glass, spilling sticky red wine all over my only clean uniform."Clean it up, Ghos