Novels by Pretty Jade

The figure stepped into the street.It wore Caleb’s face, but nothing else about it belonged to him. Its eyes were empty—smooth black, without silver or reflection—and its steps were too precise, each foot placed exactly where the frozen stones seemed to expect it.A dark line circled its throat like a chain.Caleb moved in front of me. “Everyone stay back.”The echo stopped beneath a dead lantern. Its mouth curved into Caleb’s familiar smile, made cruel by the empty eyes.“You still believe the mark makes you the Keeper,” it said.Caleb’s hand tightened around his blade. “What are you?”“The shape the Gate remembers.” The echo tilted its head. “Not your twin. Not a living man. A memory given form when you touched the threshold.”My gaze snapped to Caleb’s bare hand. The blue mark glowed faintly beneath his skin.Maelin stepped between the echo and the rest of us. “It cannot cross the city’s outer boundary. If it reaches the living world, the Gate will recognize every Keeper descendan

Maelin led us through Velmora without touching anything.The city’s white streets curved between towers that should have been beautiful. Water climbed through channels beside the road, flowing upward toward a sky that did not move. Figures stood outside homes and shops, frozen inside memories of ordinary lives. A woman held bread against her chest. A man reached for a child who would never take his hand. None of them cast shadows.“Do not look at them too long,” Maelin warned. “The city will try to fill in what it thinks you should remember.”“I am done following warnings without answers,” I said.She stopped.Caleb stood beside me, his blue-marked hand wrapped in cloth. The light still leaked through the fabric, pulsing beneath his skin. Lira held my left hand. Silas held Caleb’s unmarked one. Tobin and Edda followed behind us, both watching the empty streets.“Tell me about the first Witness,” I demanded. “Tell me about the hidden name. Tell me why the city recognizes Caleb.”Maelin

The river ran uphill.It climbed the white stone terraces in a slow, impossible current, defying gravity as though the world had forgotten which way water was supposed to fall. Seven drops hung above the black ledge on the far shore. One by one, they turned black as ink, trembled in midair, and fell back into the river.The water shuddered.Then lights began appearing behind the windows of the white towers.One window.Ten.A hundred.They weren't flames. They were lamps being lit, floor by floor, in houses that had been dead for centuries.Maelin seized my sleeve."We need to move. Now."But I barely heard her.Figures were emerging from the archways and narrow streets. Hundreds of them. A woman carrying a wicker basket. An old man standing outside a bakery. A boy holding the hand of a smaller child. Some wore coarse homespun clothing, while others were dressed in embroidered silks that had gone out of fashion long before my grandmother was born.None of them cast shadows.They stood

Caleb did not sleep.He stood at the eastern window before dawn, dressed in battle leathers, one hand braced against the cold glass. Beyond him, the mountains were still black, but the first line of gray had begun to touch the horizon. Moon’s Refuge should have looked peaceful at this hour. Smoke from Nessa’s kitchen. Frost on the orchard. Children sleeping safely behind unlocked doors.Instead, every ward stone around the Refuge glowed faintly crimson.I stood in the doorway of our room, watching him carry the weight of two homes.“The Shadow Den is five days away by horse,” I said.“Four by wolf.”“You would run yourself into the ground.”“I have done worse.”That was not an answer. It was a confession.On the bed behind me, Lira slept curled around Vesper’s golden light, while Silas lay awake beside her, pretending not to listen. He had inherited Caleb’s silence too quickly.“The Eastern Conclave gave us three days,” I said. “They want proof that Moon’s Refuge is safe. If we fail,

Caleb did not sleep.He stood at the eastern window before dawn, dressed in battle leathers, one hand braced against the cold glass. Beyond him, the mountains were still black, but the first line of gray had begun to touch the horizon. Moon’s Refuge should have looked peaceful at this hour. Smoke from Nessa’s kitchen. Frost on the orchard. Children sleeping safely behind unlocked doors.Instead, every ward stone around the Refuge glowed faintly crimson.I stood in the doorway of our room, watching him carry the weight of two homes.“The Shadow Den is five days away by horse,” I said.“Four by wolf.”“You would run yourself into the ground.”“I have done worse.”That was not an answer. It was a confession.On the bed behind me, Lira slept curled around Vesper’s golden light, while Silas lay awake beside her, pretending not to listen. He had inherited Caleb’s silence too quickly.“The Eastern Conclave gave us three days,” I said. “They want proof that Moon’s Refuge is safe. If we fail,

The horn's echo had not faded before the arguing started. "You can't go." Reyna stood with her back to the council room door, arms crossed, as if she could physically block Caleb from the northern road. "Two days' hard ride to the Den, two days back, and a vote in between that's already rigged. You'll arrive exhausted, walk into a hall full of wolves Draven has spent months buying, and either lose your seat or lose your life. Possibly both." "And if I don't go, I lose four hundred wolves without a fight." Caleb hadn't sat down since the letter arrived. He stood at the window, watching the road. "Those are families, Reyna. Warriors who held the line at the temple. I don't get to abandon them because it's inconvenient." "Then let me go." "Draven wants the Alpha." "Draven gets the Alpha's Beta, the Alpha's written renunciation of the old law, and a detailed account of exactly why the Remnant Council has no jurisdiction over Shadow Pack succession." Reyna uncrossed her arms. "Ferris h

Daniel had vanished.The men who attacked the service station had escaped.And Nora Vale had returned to Blackthorn with one terrifying possibility.Her death might not have been an accident.She stood inside the security room, staring at the cracked phone Daniel had abandoned.Adrian had searched the surrounding roads for nearly an hour.Nothing.No Daniel.No suspicious vehicle.Only broken glass, two recovered bullets, and a trail of tire marks disappearing onto the highway.“He knew they were coming,” Nora said.Adrian stood beside her.“Maybe.”“He looked terrified before the first shot.”“That doesn't prove he expected an attack.”“He told me Project Dawn selected people for survival.”Adrian's expression darkened.“And then someone tried to kill him.”Nora looked at the phone.“Whatever he knows, someone wants it buried.”She had spent weeks preparing for an apocalypse she remembered.Now she was beginning to suspect that surviving it wasn't the only game being played.Someone

Someone knew how Nora Vale had died. And they wanted her to know it. Nora stared at the anonymous message. *You should ask Clara what she knows about the first bunker.* She didn't reply. Instead, she forwarded it to Elliot. Forty-seven minutes later, her phone rang. “The number's dead,” Elliot said. “Location?” “Unreliable. Disposable SIM. No subscriber information worth trusting.” “Connection to Ethan?” “Nothing I can establish.” Nora frowned. “Then we're back where we started.” “Not exactly.” His keyboard clicked. “I searched the phrase 'first bunker' through the Project Dawn records.” Nora straightened. “And?” “I found it.” A document appeared on her laptop. Most of the text had been deleted. Several facility names were missing. But two entries remained. FACILITY D-17 — STATUS: RESTRICTED. SECONDARY FACILITY — LOCATION REDACTED. Beneath them was another line. **PRIOR INCIDENT: SUBJECT PRESUMED DECEASED.** Nora stopped breathing. Subject. Deceased. Her

Ethan Cross had seven million dollars in assets and couldn't secure a single additional generator.That was the problem with preparing for the apocalypse.Money was only useful when someone was willing to sell.And lately, nobody wanted to sell to him.“Another cancellation?”His assistant stood beside the desk, looking miserable.“Yes, sir.”“Which supplier?”“Northstar Industrial.”Ethan slammed his pen down.“That's the third this week!”“They're requesting full payment before releasing the equipment.”“Then pay them!”“Sir, our available credit—”“Get out.”The assistant disappeared.Ethan stared at the financial reports.Three weeks ago, he'd controlled a thriving business.Now, his emergency preparations were falling apart.Fuel contracts delayed.Protective equipment unavailable.Medical supplies redirected.And the private shelter his family had spent months building remained unfinished.All because Nora had suddenly decided to stop being useful.He picked up his phone.Her nu

At 5:12 a.m., Blackthorn's northern security camera went offline.At 5:14, a second camera lost its connection.At 5:16, the perimeter alarm screamed.Nora was already awake.She grabbed her phone and hurried toward the security room.Adrian stood before six monitors, speaking into his radio.“Team Two, hold position. Nobody approaches the fence alone.”Nora entered.“How many?”“Unknown.”“Vehicles?”“None on the main road.”She examined the screens.The courtyard was empty.The farmhouse remained quiet.Beyond the northern fence, darkness swallowed the trees.Then one monitor flickered.The camera came back online.Nora stopped.A figure stood beyond the fence.Motionless.Watching the estate.“Adrian.”“I see him.”The stranger wore dark clothing and a hood.His face was hidden.He didn't approach the gate.Didn't wave.Didn't attempt to enter.He simply stood there.Then, as the camera adjusted its focus, he raised one hand.And pointed toward the underground bunker.Nora's blood

Someone had updated Nora Vale's file while she slept.She read the information again.SUBJECT: NORA VALE.STATUS: ACTIVE.PROJECT: DAWN.Beneath the final entry was a timestamp.June 17. 02:43 a.m.Last night.Nora stared at the screen.She had never joined a research project.Never participated in a classified experiment.And until recently, she'd believed nobody else knew about her rebirth.Yet somewhere, someone was maintaining a file on her.A living file.One that required updates.She opened Elliot's encrypted conversation.NORA: Where did you get this?The response came almost immediately.ELLIOT: A restricted server. Someone deleted the original record but missed a cached copy.NORA: Who owns the server?ELLIOT: That's the problem. The ownership trail ends at a company that officially dissolved six years ago.Nora sat back.Six years.Long before the apocalypse.Long before Ethan abandoned her.Long before she'd opened her eyes on June 3.Someone had been hiding Project Dawn f

At 7:16 a.m., Nora lost three shipments and a contractor.By 7:30, her entire construction schedule was falling apart.“The medical supplies were redirected,” Robert Miller reported over the phone. “The distributor claims there was an administrative error.”“What about the generators?”“Delayed indefinitely.”“And the water-system contractor?”“Not answering.”Nora stared at the plans spread across her desk.Fifteen days.That was all she had left.Fifteen days before electricity failed, hospitals collapsed, and Blackthorn became more than an expensive construction project.“Find another contractor.”“I've tried.”“Try again.”“Ms. Vale, qualified crews are booked weeks in advance.”Nora closed her eyes.Money could buy equipment.It couldn't create skilled workers out of thin air.“Send me everything you've got.”She ended the call.Then reached for her radio.“Adrian. Kai. Lucian. Conference room. Now.”* * *“We need to stop ordering from compromised suppliers,” Adrian said.Kai le

"I signed the order that was supposed to keep you alive."For several seconds, I could only stare at Silas.The document lay between us, carrying his signature and the name of a man who'd been dead long before my murder.Gideon Hale."Then explain something to me," I said. "How does an order meant to protect me end with my body lying in the middle of Silverpine Road?"Silas looked toward Rowan.I stepped between them."Don't look at him. I'm asking you."He lowered his gaze."The original operation was meant to remove you from Silverpine."My stomach tightened."Remove me?""Your wolf was beginning to awaken. The suppression had weakened, and certain Council members were becoming suspicious."I remembered my first life.Four years of believing I was powerless.Four years without hearing my wolf."She never awakened.""No," Silas admitted. "But the signs were there.""What signs?""Changes in your blood. Unusual healing. Reactions to objects connected to the Gate."I thought about the

"Then tell me who ordered my death."Silas closed his fingers around the black crescent pin."Not here."I stared at him."Excuse me?""Someone has been monitoring the manor's records. I won't assume our conversations are private."I laughed.Two lives.Two deaths, if the childhood incident counted.Years of secrets.And somehow, I was still being told to wait."Do you have any idea how tired I am of hearing that?""Mira—""No. You don't get to tell me someone arranged my murder and then decide I'm not ready for their name."Rowan moved beside me."She's right."Silas looked at him."An accusation without evidence gives the person responsible time to destroy whatever remains.""Then we find the evidence," Rowan replied.I looked between them.For once, they weren't arguing about whether I deserved the truth.Only how to get it."Fine," I said. "We start with the accident."Silas hesitated."Those records don't exist anymore.""Not in this timeline," I answered.His expression changed.

"You weren't supposed to find that yet."I stared at Silas.He stood in the doorway, looking at my mother's letter as though it were something dangerous.For once, he wasn't smiling.Good.I was tired of his smiles."Both lives," I said. "Explain."Silas glanced at Rowan."This isn't something we should discuss here."I moved toward the door."Then we can discuss it somewhere else. But you're not leaving until I get an answer."He sighed."You're becoming remarkably difficult.""I learned from everyone who lied to me."Adrian made a small sound behind us.Possibly a laugh.Silas didn't seem amused.I held up the letter."My mother wrote your name. She said you remember both lives.""That's not exactly what she meant.""Then tell me what she meant."He looked at the broken mirror.For several seconds, I thought he'd refuse.Then he said, "I remember events that belong to more than one version of your life."My heartbeat quickened."How?""Because I've spent years studying the Moon Gate

"The thing that came through is already inside Silverpine."I stared at the narrow opening in the stone wall."Who are you?"No answer.I moved closer and pressed my fingers against the gap.The stone was freezing."Mira, stop!"Cael grabbed my arm and pulled me backward.I stumbled into Rowan, who caught me before I fell."Don't touch that seal again," Cael snapped.I yanked my arm free."Then tell me what you're so frightened of!"Cael looked toward the wall.The opening had already begun closing."That voice might not belong to your mother.""I know what my mother sounds like.""So do I."That stopped me.Cael's expression was grim."I heard that voice thirteen years ago."My stomach tightened."After Elara disappeared?"He nodded."From this exact chamber.""What did it say?""My name."I waited."That's all?""No."He looked uncomfortable."It told me to come home."Rowan moved beside me."You never told me that.""You thought I was dead, little brother."The reminder silenced hi

The first knock came from beneath our feet.Then another.And a third.Nobody moved.The sound was too deliberate to be settling stone or old pipes.Three heavy knocks.As though someone beneath Silverpine Manor wanted us to answer.Adrian reached for his weapon."What the hell was that?"Cael's expression changed."Everyone away from the passage."Rowan looked toward the open staircase."What's down there?""Move!"The force of Cael's voice startled Lena.My wolf retreated so suddenly that I felt an awful emptiness inside my chest.Not fear exactly.Recognition.She knew that sound."What is it?" I asked her silently.Nothing."Talk to me."Still nothing.Cael was already moving toward the stairs."Seal the entrance."Rowan caught his arm."Not until you explain what we're sealing."His brother looked furious.Then I stepped forward."Enough."Both men turned."If either of you knows something useful, now would be an excellent time to share it."Rowan glanced at the floor."There's a

"They want me."Rowan was still staring at the message written in blood.BRING US THE HALE WHO LOVES HER.I looked toward the trees where Lena had disappeared."That's exactly why we're leaving."Rowan turned."Lena is missing.""And Adrian is going to find her.""Whoever took her can't have gone far.""Which is what they want you to think."His expression hardened.I stepped closer."Rowan, look at that message. They didn't ask for me. They asked for you.""So?""So if someone wants to draw the Alpha of Silverpine into the forest, perhaps we shouldn't let them choose where he goes."He glanced toward the northern path.I understood his frustration.Lena was his childhood friend.She was mine too, although that friendship had become considerably more complicated since I returned.But rushing blindly after her wouldn't help.I turned to Adrian."Take four trackers. Find Lena."He nodded."Already arranging it.""Don't follow anything that looks too convenient."Adrian gave me a tired s