Evershade Valley Novels & Stories

The moon has reached its peak, its crimson glow seeped through the foggy black clouds drifting across the fiery sky bringing chaos, deceit, and blood onto the world. As hellish as it looked, it's just as beautiful. Captivating even. Like most creatures on Eldora, a young girl, Valerie Carson, watched within the darkness of her dungeon.

THE SPECTATOR {Playlist Suggestion: "Lovely" by Billie Eilish & Khalid / "In The Blood" by John Mayer} ~KADE POV~ "So, I was thinking emerald green," Valerie said, scrolling through her phone. "It matches your eyes. But then again, black is classic. And it hides the... you know... bulk of the brace." She gestured vaguely at my leg without actually looking at it. I stared at the ceiling tile with the water stain. I wondered how much trouble I would be in if I threw my water pitcher at her head.

Shadows danced on the edges, whispering her name in a dozen different tones. “Evryn... come back...” Kai stepped between her and the darkness. “Ignore it. You’re not alone anymore.” Then the wind grew violent. The illusion began to fight back. A version of Evryn appeared on the hilltop—dressed in the lab-white uniform of Project E.V.E.R., her eyes hollow, her arms soaked in blood. “No,” the projection said. “You need this place. Here, you’re whole. Here, they’re alive. Stay.”

She could only tightly hold onto Shane's neck, like a drowning person finding a piece of driftwood in the vast sea. Shane kissed fiercely, not giving her any chance to relax. "Miss Everhart, do you want to escape from me?" He asked menacingly. She had been here all afternoon, and he had been watching all afternoon. The emptiness in her eyes and the complexity of her mood infected him, making him feel like she was reminiscing about something. Valeria anxiously grabbed Shane's hand, her face turning red. She noticed that people around them were watching. Sure enough, they had caused a commotion, and quite a few people were whistling at them.

Scarlet smiled and Emerald just responded stepping onto the gas and booming into the Siesta Valley followed by Jack in another car. The valley was a beautiful place. Everywhere, the treetops, the herbs, shrubs, grasses, houses, everything covered with snow looked so white and majestic. Had it not been for the enemy, Scarlet would have loved to settle in this place for a good amount of time. This didn’t skip Emerald’s eyes when he saw Scarlet’s smile.

It showed not just geography, but spirit. The Valley of the Sunstone was a patch of vibrant green and silver threads. Oakhaven was depicted with tiny, weeping stones. The Grey Sorrow plantation was a vast, blank grey swath, but along its edges, tiny, almost invisible stitches of brown and green showed the resistant, wild land fighting back. And to the north, where the map ended, was the Core Citadel. It was represented by a knot of tangled, blackened wire, so dense it looked like a scar.

"Shots! We need shots," Alanna called out once they found a table. Adira slid into the empty chair, as did Deputy Lainie Everest and Eve Hartlow. It was ladies night at Everglades, a shifter bar in Holopaw, and Alanna was determined that Adira would have a good time, to unwind and forget men and shifters, especially coyotes. It was a dive bar, really, nothing like Shades back in Draven Falls, but it held its own, rustic charm. It was a wooden structure, appearing to be constructed of discarded planks, rather than finished wood, with scratched up wooden chairs and tables, weak mirrors and flashing beer logos on the walls. Serving girls wandered from table to table, taking orders and flirting

"We're formally welcoming you to our land, Valle de La Muerte." If she was surprised earlier, she didn't know what more adjectives she could use to express her feelings at the moment. "Valle de La Muerte..." She mumbled. The Valley of Death.

BRING THE REMAINDER IN CASH, OR THE IRON QUEEN’S HEAD STAYS ON HER SHOULDERS. The screen flashed once as the message was sent, then went entirely black. Valerie stood up, immediately stepping into Alessia’s embrace. She wrapped her arms tightly around Alessia’s waist, pulling the Queen against her chest. "Tomorrow night, we cut the final cord to my past," Valerie whispered against her hair. Alessia rested her chin on Valerie's shoulder, her eyes fixed on the dark, rainy window. "Tomorrow night, we show the underworld what happens when someone tries to touch my shadow."

Valerie could barely recognise herself anymore as she gazed into the mirror. Her reflection revealed a stranger. Her hair once black and straight, now blonde and curly, cascading down her back in bouncy waves. Her make up too had become bold and flawless. Her nails impeccably manicured. Once she favoured simple, comfortable clothing but now, she would wear designer clothes and sleek dresses. “Just one last show”, Chase would always promise, but there was always another.