Bird Demons

During the audition of the animal show that will be held on the National Day Gala, Yvonne Quinlan, the self-proclaimed genius animal trainer, instructs the pigeons to go into formation and soar around the skies. But the next thing everyone knows, bird poop begins raining down on everyone's heads. Awkward can't even begin to describe the situation. Having lost her composure, Yvonne blames me for copying her as a fake animal trainer. She claims that I was the one who pulled a prank on her. In my previous life, the python, which I've painstakingly nurtured with my family heirloom and my blood essence, suddenly went berserk. Just when it was about to strangle me to death and devour me whole, Yvonne, who was a low-income student I'd been sponsoring, let out a shrill whistle. The ferocious python immediately coiled around her waist, looking very docile and sweet. My boyfriend, Brandon Jenner, accused me of stealing Yvonne's python just because I had money and power on my side. He also jeered at me for shooting myself in the foot after everything I had done. Almost immediately, I became the thief everyone hated. My python went berserk once again and attempted to devour me. This time, no one tried to save me. Just like that, Yvonne gained popularity after putting on a performance with my python. Brandon even proposed to her on the spot. They became a famous couple on the Internet after that. When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the timeframe of three days before my school announces the audition of the upcoming animal show.

My name is Cassie Aster. I was born Cassandra Burton. I wasn’t born rich, or with a powerful name. But I was born smart—some would say lucky. At fifteen, I entered a contest for a scholarship to the most prestigious school in the country: Aster Academy of Excellence. Out of more than four hundred applicants, only five were chosen. By sixteen, I was walking through its gates. That’s where I met him—Jacob Aster. The son of the school’s owners. The heir to one of the wealthiest families on Earth. I fell for him immediately, but I rejected him—over a hundred times. My studies, my scholarship, my future came first. To him, that meant only one thing: he had to buy my love. Over a decade later, we’re married. And to the world, I’m the luckiest girl alive—proof that fairy tales come true. From rags to riches, just like that. But I never thought of myself as having only rags. And I didn’t marry him for his riches. Still, every time he strays, he buys my forgiveness—for $100,000. For him, I gave up my career. For him, I live like a caged bird, taken out only for display. For him, I die a little every day. Every time my card doesn’t decline, my heart does. Most of his women at least have the shame to stay out of my sight. But not her. Coral Monroue is shameless. He favors her now. And I can’t help but wonder— will she be the one who finally pushes me to leave?

Adrian has spent his entire life surrounded by death. As the human executioner of the Demon King, he is the blade that ends traitors, monsters, and enemies of the crown. Cold. Efficient. Unfeeling. At least, that’s what everyone believes. But when the ancient Demon King Vaelreth begins to take an unusual interest in the quiet man who carries out his judgments, something dangerous begins to grow between them. In a world where demons and humans were never meant to stand side by side—let alone feel something deeper—the line between loyalty, obsession, and love begins to blur. And in the Demon Kingdom… Love can be far more dangerous than death.

Teivel is a small town where nothing ever happens. But all of that changes when the Panic Room sets up shop. A place where all your nightmares come to life and your sins are awakened. Lilith is no exception to the temptations that lurk in the dark. But when she encounters the seven deadly sins and finds herself drawn to them, she finds herself willing to do anything to please them. But how far is she willing to go? Who will she destroy to get another taste of the Demons who have branded themselves on her heart? In a world not for the faint of heart, only the strong survive. But is Lilith strong enough to resist the evil within, or will her soul become as black as theirs?

When a child mysteriously disappears from a small town and even his mother seems indifferent, it’s time for the new sheriff to step in. Meet Chris Baker, the new sheriff of the quiet Adirondack town of Clifton Heights. As one inexplicable case after another forces him to confront the townsfolk in The Skylark Diner, it’s the furtive Gavin Patchett that hands Chris a collection of not-so-fictional short stories that tumbles him into a world of monsters, ageless demons, and vengeful citizens. As Chris reads through the stories the veil starts to lift, and he soon questions what is real and what’s not, and whether he really wants to know. Nothing will ever be the same again. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

When retired 80s rockstar and Casino owner, Jake, sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads in Mississipi, he didn't believe it was real. One by one he's watched hounds pick off his friends one by one. Now they've come for him. Shortly after her husband's death, Nadia discovered her husband was in the mafia and his death was not an accident. But why did they have him killed? The answer lies in a forgotten briefcase and his best friend, Jake, who happens to be her rockstar crush from back in her younger days. Now Nadia and Jake must fight the demons for their lives and the casino as they slowly fall for each other.

In the glamorous world of Chicago's elite, Ava Reed, a shy bookworm on scholarship, finds herself entangled in a dangerous game of power and desire. When she crosses paths with Max Blackwood, the city's most eligible bachelor, their worlds collide in a whirlwind of secrets and deceit. Desperate to escape her hometown and protect herself from a menacing admirer, Ava strikes a precarious deal with Max, the billionaire CEO of America's newest investment firm. But their contract marriage is just the beginning of a tumultuous journey filled with passion, jealousy, and betrayal. As they navigate the treacherous waters of high society, Ava and Max must confront their demons and face the ultimate question: is their love worth risking everything for?

Everything fell apart in her life but she still went forward. Kya knew no one would ever accept her never the less love her. As she becomes 18 things take a turn in Kya's life and she’s left with the choice…. Love? Fate? Or mate….? Could anyone love a cursed wolf? Could she make a future in another pack away from the demons she faced daily growing up under the rein of her cruel alpha? When Kya thought no one would save her from her torturous future she realizes something much deeper… it’s them who need the saving.

Her soul was meant for magic--his born of fire. Aria Blackthrone, heir of the Moonveil Coven, was raised to believe demons were monsters- creatures of temptation and ruin. But on the night of her Awakening, fate brands her with an impossible mark: the bond of a mate. Her mate is no witch. No human. No wolf. He is Kael, a demon bound in chains, feared even in the underworld for his power. To love him is to betray her sisters. To reject him is to lose her soul. But as shadows gather and enemies rise, Aria discoves the greatest danger may not be Kael's darkness... but the fire he awakens in her own heart. A fobidden bond. A dangerous desire. A love strong enough to defy hell itself.

How will you feel when you end up with the same person you were trying to find an escape from? How will you feel when you end up in a one-night stand with your Ex-husband? Her eyes fluttered as she felt the morning cool breeze brushing against her bare body, which was semi-covered with a quilt. Although her eyes felt heavy to even blink, her other senses were high alert. She could hear the bird chirping outside the windows, she could smell a familiar masculine cologne, her body covered with goosebumps with the presence of someone familiar, and her heart beats rapidly on its own accord. That's when her brain registered her surroundings and could recollect her last passionate night with someone who would be her soon-to-be ex-husband. How? When? Why? She mentally slapped herself, but then she couldn't hide the contentment. She felt as if she was complete now. She couldn't stop but feel happy again. Why? Why does she feel like falling in love again? "I see you are still the w***e you were back then," his words broke her little dream she just thought of. "A desperate woman like you, who can with her ex-husband, can no wonder w***e around any men." He said with no remorse. "I did the right thing by divorcing you. How much do you charge for a night?" he smirked, looking at her teary face. "Here! Take extra 200 bucks for the sake of our old times." She vowed never to cry in front of her husband, but what he said just now shattered her soul beyond repair. Her quivering body and hollow eyes didn't hide the agony she felt at that very moment. "Sorry for loving you."