Sacrificial Sword

was sixteen years old when he was first killed; when he stood on Matthew's chest, his best friend, blood spurted from all over their bodies so that it was an exhausting and even battle between them until Matthew at last gave way to victory. Jaden breathed out, feeling the fires of hell all around him. His palm shook over the sheath of his sword, recalling that nightmare that steals sleep from his eyes: the moment he was kneeling on Matthew's chest, raising his rusty dagger, reluctant to take his soul, his eyeballs shaking turbulently and his chest rising and falling at an exhausting pace, and Matthew grabbed his trembling palm and led him towards his chest containing the dagger. Empty not to retreat, not to coerce and relieve him from his hell, but to kill him and prove to everyone that he will no longer be the prey. On that day, everyone around him was waiting, waiting for him to retreat in order to pounce on them, the mighty king's monsters, who made a vow to himself to turn his life into hell from the moment he was born and did the most heinous things.

“Your body belongs to me, Kitten.” He rasped out, cold index finger reaching out to trace over my fluttering pulse. I took an hesitant step backwards, but he took one forward, closing in on me even further and making my breath hitch. “Say it.” I gulped and averted my gaze instead, clutching on my towel harder. His grip on my chin was firm as he tipped my head upwards. I trembled in immense fear. “My b- body belongs to you.” I stuttered shakily, and a dark grin broke out on his face, making my blood run colder. “That’s right. Now, take this off. I don’t think we’ll be needing this tonight.” —— When an underboss’ territory gets raided and his wife and eldest son gets captured, what better way to rectify the situation than to seek help from the most popular Mafia Don in Italy and give his only daughter away in exchange for said help. Catherine has a deep rooted fear of men, and had secretly planned on eloping before she comes of age in which her hand would be given out in marriage, but when the unexpected happened and she had to be the sacrificial lamb, she knew her entire life was doomed. Damien’s was cold, ruthless and emotionless. He had no idea of what to do with his new wife who trembled around him like a lost kitten– but, he knew he could never let her go. Ever since he set his eyes on her and saw the tears running down her flushed cheeks, he knew he had to have her, protect her and keep her all to himself. That might just be hard to do, since danger was never, ever far away from him.

Esteria, the queen of the northern human kingdom, was finally getting married to the vampire prince of her dreams. What began as a treaty between their two kingdoms had blossomed into a courtship where she had truly fallen in love. Life was perfect until darkness cast its shadow over her happiness. Her beloved vampire betrayed her, delivering a fatal blow. With her last breath, she made a desperate deal with a Demon God. "You will have to become my mate to gain the power to exact your revenge," he whispered in her ear, sending a shock through her dying body. This Demon God was not only breathtakingly gorgeous and immensely powerful, but he was also dangerously seductive. Now, he was offering her a deal that promised both vengeance and peril. Esteria’s mind was a storm of grief and fury. Could she handle the Demon God’s insatiable desires and the deadly power that came with their pact? Or would she be consumed by the chaotic demands of this new, dark world? "I will kill both of them. I will draw their last breath with my sword and burn their bodies with my fury," she vowed, her determination as fierce as the hellfire she now wielded.

Adira lives in a place where there are many so-called gangsters, and she belongs there. She is an orphan with her sister, but her sister does not treat her well, so she decides to leave to go off on her own. Now she lives alone in an old warehouse ever since their parents passed away. The only thing she makes a living from is accepting missions from those who can afford her services. Adira does not accept a mission if the price is life. The king, King Stephen, has been receiving threats on his son's life. He doesn't trust his companions inside the palace except for his son and General Agustin. Even though it was against Adira's rules that she would not accept a mission similar to that of the prince, she accepted it because of the king and his love for his son, agreeing to train him with the sword and keep him safe. Now, with her rules compromised, she's committed to the family. Will she be able to keep her emotions in check? How can she explain the sudden beating of her heart every time the prince is around her? Is she prepared to risk her life for this man?

Before our marking ceremony, my fiancé, Adrian Conner, insists on bringing his childhood sweetheart along on our trip—all because Flora Wooledge says she also wants to see the northern lights. He switches my first-class ticket to Flora's name. He says, "I'll fly first class with Flora. You can take connecting flights by land. The doctor said it's not good for a pregnant woman to stay at high altitude for too long." I don't cry or argue. Instead, I calmly push him toward Flora. He snorts. "You've finally learned to behave. You're not as clingy and troublesome as before." After he leaves, I quietly sign the abortion consent form at the hospital. Then, I book a ticket to the southern hemisphere. In my past life, I begged and clung to him, hoping to keep him with our pup. But on that trip, Flora was attacked by rogue wolves and torn apart in the snow. Adrian kept a calm facade. Yet on the night I was about to give birth, he dragged me back home and cut open my belly with his own hands. He stood there and listened as our pup's cries slowly faded away. He poured all his hatred onto me. He believed I caused Flora's death and that I ruined his chance to become the Conner family's heir. To him, I was nothing more than a sacrificial pawn. In this new life, when I step off the private jet, I see Adrian standing there with his eyes bloodshot. He stares at my belly and asks, "Where's the pup?" Before I can answer, his half-brother wraps an arm around my waist. "Adrian, show some respect to your sister-in-law."

Domenico Pietro de Cerintti, in the eyes of everyone was the good boy, the sacrificial lamb, the one who attended all the classes and obeyed all the rules, the one who would not let a puppy get run over by a car, the one who didn't have a girl in his bed every Friday night, the one who didn't smirk, the one who girls liked but never wanted, the one who girls used and dumped, the one who wasn't badass. He lived with that image, was content with it even with the bullying until a certain day when they crossed the line, the one line they were never to cross. He disappeared. And appeared months later, in college; the college that had a good percent of his highschool student in attendance; changed, for the worse. Rosetta D'armani, one of his mates in highschool and now his mate in college, who never bullied him but who also never saved him from the bullies. She was, as defined by the male folk, hot, sexy, drool worthy. She saw him on his first day back and lusted after him. She followed him, sought after him, chased after him with every breath in her. He made her lick his heels. After all he was badass now. He smirked now, he had girls in his bed not only every Friday night but every night, the girls wanted him, he used and dumped them now, he was badass. But oh...those bullies didn't know his definition of badass. Badass for him meant revenge. He would revenge on each one of them including his beloved girlfriend. He'd show them just how hot badass burned. One mysterious girl, one desperate girl, one perfect girl and one revengeful boy. ???

Seven years ago, my husband, the King of the Humans, banished me to the Everfrost Plains, where my life came to a tragic end. Seven years later, a grave illness befalls the Queen of the Humans, and blood spills endlessly from her lips. The clerics claim that I have cursed her. Only the blood taken from my heart can cure her fully. Gareth Lancaster, my former husband, comforts his new wife, the queen, and says, "You have nothing to fear. To think she's still trying to harm you, her older sister, even when she has been exiled! "I'll march to the Everfrost Plains right away and carve her heart out to use as your cure. Then, I'll have her soul sent to hell to suffer in torment for all eternity." Sword in hand, Gareth heads to the Everfrost Plains. He finds a Serpentkin, one who should've died in the Great War of the Beasts and Men seven years ago. The Serpentkin has frozen solid, standing before my grave with his hands clasped together as if in prayer. In front of my grave sits a young girl. She says, "You won't be able to take my mother's heart. She died many years ago. I stayed here to let the truth be known to all…"

"Brother, please spare my life!" Sera cried out. She kneeled and bowed down to show sincerity but her brother's eyes did not show any emotion. "There is no mercy for traitors, Sera. That's the family motto, remember?" Xander's voice was stern and filled with contempt. "I didn't do it! I don't even know what the Duchess looked like!" She was desperate but none of her family members even tried to listen to her. "We shouldn't have accepted you. The prophecy was true when it said that you will only bring tragedy to this family!" Her father's voice was filled with rage. All her life, all she asked was to be acknowledged. All she wanted was to feel the warmth of a family. Was it too much to ask for? "I wish I was never born," she mumbled. "Prepare to die, Seraphina. This is the punishment for taking my mother's life." Xander lifted his sword and drops of blood splattered when the blade cut through Sera's head. "Sera!" Seraphina jolted when she heard her mother's voice. Her eyes grew wide when she saw the familiar small room and she immediately touched her neck to confirm that her head was not severed. What happened? Why am I back to my ten-year-old self?

“Stay with me this time. Forever!"She is breathtaking. She is his fated mate. He adores her, craves her, desperately wants to keep her with him.But for some reason, she remains mysterious and elusive.Alpha King Enrick has asked her this question several times over the past five years. But every time he woke up after a blissful night together, he was alone in bed.He never knows in advance the time and day when she returns. His beautiful goddess, she suddenly appears before him, more often at night. Then her intoxicating scent fades all his worries and those lonely nights without her.She is his, given to him by the Moon Goddess.“One day we will be together for the rest of our lives. I swear!" she promised once. Just that one time. But he's still eagerly awaiting the fulfillment of her promise.And then one day, when he faces the most critical battle in his life, she shows up in broad daylight, supreme and confident, with her sword aloft. She publicly claims her position as the Luna Queen next to him. But when he catches sight of her, the surprise is too extensive for him to comprehend.

* The fourth book in the Love and Other Sorcery Series - Book One, The Mage's Heart, Book Two, The Golden Dragon's Princess, Book Three, Akyran's Folly * Love's Sacrifice Will Make You Stronger Tarragon, the first-born child of Queen Diandreliera of Uyan Taesil and her dragon husband, Aurien, is the child of prophecy in every way. She is beautiful, talented, well-learned, and a master of the sword she was born to wield. She is also as magnificent a golden dragon as her father when in dragon-form. Daethie loves and adores her older sister and envies her for all that Tarragon is and Daethie isn't. Short, small, dark haired, and unable to shift into a dragon, Daethie is fondly known as "the runt of the dragon litter." Whilst her siblings excel at Prince Akyran and Princess Ecaeris' Monster Hunting training, Daethie is a disaster more likely to harm herself than any monster that she encounters. When Prince Akyran brings Aien, the son of a local warlock who is well known for his villainy, to the castle as his hostage, Aien singles out Daethie to befriend, and Daethie falls hard and fast for the enigmatic warlock's son. With the increasing danger of monsters roaming their land, Tarragon leads an expedition to locate the portal that is allowing the creatures to cross from their world, but it is a dangerous, testing journey and one that not all will complete alive. What sacrifice will be made for love and the rescue of their world?