How Does The Basilisk Kill Its Victims In Mythology?

As the son of Zephyr and Avani, Ancalagon is the last pure dragon. Because of his time in a scientist’s laboratory, he not only has the air and earth elements, but also fire and water, making him the only dragon in history to have all four elements. However, the scientist created a flaw in Ancalagon's DNA. If he isn’t claimed by his mate, he could lose his humanity. Eliane is the daughter of Oliver, the scientist who tortured Ancalagon. She, herself, was experimented on, never seeing the outdoors until the night the dragons came for Ancalagon. When Ancalagon tried to rescue her, Oliver snatched her away and for months he tortured her in the same way that he'd tortured Ancalagon. Eventually, Eliane believed that Ancalagon left her to suffer at her father's hands. When she finally escapes, Eliane runs, trying to hide from all supernaturals. She begins having blackouts, large periods of time where she has no recollection of what happens to her. It’s during one of these blackouts, that she meets Snow, another dragon. They become friends and begin helping each other, protecting each other from the bad hybrids who are hunting them. When Snow shifts, telling Elianne that his name is Iniko, he leaves a strange mark on her, his image over her heart. It forges a deeper connection between them and when the bad hybrids capture him, she runs to the elemental dragons for help. What will happen when Ancalagon realizes that his brother has been claimed by his mate? How will Eliane react when she realizes that Ancalagon has been searching for her all this time. Will she be able to heal his broken DNA and help him regain his humanity, or will she leave him, breaking what's left of Ancalagon?

Nero Vecchio was the enemy. That was what Dante had known from the moment he saw his father’s corpse in the gutter. Formerly the son of a powerful mafia Don, Dante Solace treads the edges of the life he once knew, becoming an assassin for hire. Only, a target brings him closer to the past he has nightmares about every night. And this time he cannot escape Nero. This time, Dante promises himself that he would kill the mafia Don who had taken over his mind. When secrets are revealed and the past events seem to repeat themselves, Dante is forced to work with the man he tries to hate to carve a path beyond death and dishonor. Their personalities clash against each other but the pull is magnetic. Dante is fascinated by the elusive Mafia Don but he shouldn’t be. Nero is the enemy. ...Or is he?

My wife, Cassia, was a wood nymph. A cursed one. Forbidden to love mortals. But she fell for me anyway. Every time her heart fluttered for me, the gods struck her down with agony. She willingly endured that torture ninety-nine times just for a chance to be with me. Then, demons dragged me to Tartarus. Hellfire and whips became my sun and moon. Right as I was about to break, I remembered a prayer Cassia taught me—a desperate whisper to the gods. It finally worked. But instead of help, I heard Cassia talking to her patron goddess, Hecate. "Cassia, how could you bargain with the Furies? You let them drag Aiden to Tartarus!" Cassia's voice choked with desperate tears. "Adonis was supposed to suffer this fate. But he's a fragile mortal. This would destroy his soul! I had no choice if I wanted to save him." "Aiden is a child of prophecy. His soul is strong. The Fates watch over him. He'll survive." "Once I save Adonis, I can stay in the mortal realm forever. Then, I'll use my eternal life and all my love to repay the hell he's enduring for me." My heart shattered. As the monsters closed in on me, I stopped fighting. I gave up.

I was Apollo’s most devoted follower, the lover he handpicked from a sea of worshippers. With me, he’d always shed his divine arrogance. He was so tender, so attentive. I actually thought he loved me to the bone. Until seven days before our Consort Ceremony, when I used my gift of prophecy to peek into our future together. I expected to see a lifetime of blinding love. Instead, I saw him violently tangled in the sheets with my adopted sister, Cassandra. Wrapped around him, Cassandra giggled. "You're so good to me, my Lord. Thanks to you, I'll finally get my sister's Sight and take her place as High Priestess." And Apollo—my god, my lover—smiled down at her with pure adoration. "Whatever makes you happy, little bird. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have played pretend for this long, let alone allow her to become a god's consort." In that split second, my heart turned to ash. My faith shattered into a million pieces. With seven days left until the ceremony, I didn't confront them. Instead, I fell to my knees before the altar of Hades, Lord of the Underworld. "I offer you my gift of prophecy. I will be your most loyal follower in exchange for your sanctuary." "Please. Take me away from here. Take me somewhere Apollo can never find me."

To save the merfolk from slaughter, I seduced the vampire lord himself-Lazarus. He still loved me after all. For three days and three nights, he drowned himself in my body, unwilling to let me out of his arms for even a second. I roused from the haze of fleeting bliss, only to have a searing, corrosive liquid poured mercilessly over my head. "You with eternal healing can taste the sting of agony？" "Yet your trivial suffering pales in comparison to the loss of my kin you brought upon me. It is nothing at all!" "This is merely the beginning. Refuse to reveal where my parents lie hidden, and you shall never break free from this castle." He was convinced that I alone had destroyed everything he held dear. Holding the entire merfolk’s lives hostage, he confined me within the castle. Time and again, he tore open my chest by force, wrenching out my pearl of the mer, feeding its essence to Isolde to mend her frail flesh. He condemned me to sleepless nights, forcing me to cleanse the filth he left behind. Barefoot, I was made to dance the mermaid’s lament upon razor-sharp silver blades, writhing in pain to lull Isolde into slumber. Later, Isolde feigned a pregnancy. Driven by false tenderness for her, Lazarus took to slicing chunks of my immortal mermaid flesh with cold blades, brewing them into nourishing potions for her. Hatred for me burned deep in his bones, yet whenever I was on the brink of death, he would still force his own blood down my throat to keep me alive. "You presume too much on my lingering love for you, choosing silence over the truth, do you not? Aurora… tell me, what became of my parents?" I endured in silence, bearing witness to his love torn between hatred and longing. Soon, I would no longer need to guard that fatal secret. For a mermaid who dwells on land for three years shall wither and perish, severed from the sea that gives her life. Only three days remained until my final breath.

Layla is on a college trip to Rome when she bumps into a dominating force. His name is Atreus and Layla is immediately drawn to his dangerous smile and intoxicating gaze. Little does Layla know that Atreus carries a dark secret. He is drawn to her for one reason: her blood and hers alone. His only goal is to free himself from his curse and Layla needs to be his willing sacrifice. Through this story of thirst and desire, Layla is pushed to her limit and challenged on how far she would go to satiate the man that she is falling for.Is she willing to die to break the blood curse?***He brought that beautiful mouth to her lips, but only teased her with a whisper of a kiss. He then ducked his head to the juncture of her neck. She gasped as the sharpness of his teeth grazed her throat. "I finally found you," he whispered in a hungry growl, before capturing her neck in his mouth.The Blood Curse is created by Tiffany Nyx, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.