Darkness Rising: A Reverse Harem Series (The Severed Souls Series Book 1) Read online

  “Release the three of them,” I say on a steady breath.

  My father nods. His hand rises with power shaking through it

  “Wait.” Nollix takes a rushing step forward. The King pauses, but I know he won’t hold his power forever.

  Nollix’s deep blue eyes skim over every detail of my face.

  I try hard not to remember the gentle way he kissed me. I try hard not to think about the way he made me feel. But more than anything, I keep my thoughts off of how disconnected it all was to me.

  It meant nothing.

  Right now, it’s vital that I remind myself that it meant nothing.

  Vacant features are all I give him.

  “If you take her—” Nollix’s voice is deep and rumbling as his attention settles solely on me. “If you go with him, just know I’ll find you.” It’s a threatening promise filled with rage. It isn’t spoken the way a lover would promise the world. It’s spoken like a man who’s seen the underworld a time or two in his life. “If you leave, I’ll find you again, Violence Starling.”

  The breath in my lungs is forgotten as my heart thrums through my chest.

  He doesn’t love me. But he can’t lose me either.

  My father’s hand slams down against the arm of his chair with enough force to shake through the room.

  The image of the court flickers slightly, the illusion of our surroundings nearly slips away. When I look out at the court again—it’s empty.

  Nollix no longer stares up at me as if he regrets letting go of my hand. Link and Cameron have vanished from their deadly spot above us.

  The court is entirely empty and I feel that emptiness within myself. It settles right into my chest.

  The image of the court flickers before melting away. The brilliant lighting of the chandeliers slips down the walls. It reveals dark surfaces of metal beneath. The room is a solid structure built to last and built to imprison.

  “I’m so happy you chose to join me, Violence.”

  His words echo into the emptiness.

  Just like I always wanted, my father finally noticed me. Cameron, the book of Severed Souls, my mother’s death, my terrible choices; they all led to this.

  My father’s mysterious and dangerous intentions led to this.

  What was it all for? I’ll figure it out if it’s the last thing I do. The fastest way to do that is to remain right where I am.

  For a long time, all I hear is the severe rhythm of my heart.

  Emotion and pain and strength resound within my soul.

  It isn’t the sound of weakness.

  It is the sound of vengeance.

  The End

  Thanks for reading. I’ve always had a Fae obsession and I was dying to see how the Wild Hunt would try to handle a powerful Huntress.

  Violence’s tale is told in a trilogy. The three books will all release this summer with book two, Darkness Consuming, releasing next month!

  Preorder your copy today and turn the page for an exclusive sneak peek into book two!

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  Chapter One

  The Reveries

  Nollix

  I hate this shit.

  I hate the bullshit mystical atmosphere that comes with a visit to the Reveries. But I need them. And so, I’ll sit through demanding chants that make the heavens rumble. The smoke that makes my lungs burn, the chilling way their bodies flicker white like their spirits are trying to tear away from here.

  The three women sit on the ground. They’re slender. Long hair twirls in the wind as they recite low and ominous words I’ve never heard before. And their hands; they’re sewn together. Palm against palm they’re attached to one another by dark thread. They sway just slightly, huddled around a burning bunch of herbs that waft white through the night air.

  Dark clouds flash with a brewing storm overhead.

  The Reveries practice the Ancient Darkens. I think centuries of this smoke has made them batshit crazy. I can’t get straight sentences out of them to save my life.

  I would never have come to them. Not in a thousand years.

  But I have to find her.

  It’s been weeks and I haven’t found a single trace of Violence. The King made her disappear from society once before. I guess he’s rather good at taking her away.

  He also took away the Warlock she was tied to but that’s not really my concern. He can keep Cameron for all I care.

  I promised her I’d find her.

  It makes me angry just thinking about it.

  Link stands respectfully at my side. His pale eyes glow in the darkness as he watches their every move.

  “So you see her, yeah?” My jaw tics as their chanting grows deliberately louder over my words. “I said, you see Violence Starling, right? She’s there in the smoke? In a real place? She’s there?”

  At once, the chanting halts, the swaying becomes still. The eldest sister turns her head slowly to me. Big eyes—white eyes—stare up at me. The other two sit in the dirt with spines like steel rods.

  When she speaks, I truly wish she wouldn’t.

  “Violence is in us all, is it not?”

  Fuck, not this babbling again.

  “Yeah, most definitely. But Violence Starling specifically, where’s she at?”

  “Violence is within you, my child.”

  My nails sink into my palm as I snap my mouth tightly closed to prevent myself from spewing profanities at this insane woman.

  A strong hand settles on my shoulder. It’s as if my friend is attempting to hold down the anger that’s rising within me.

  “I think we should just go. I know this was a last resort but I don’t think this is what we need right now.” Link’s voice is so quiet. A tired sound clings to his words.

  We failed.

  Again.

  My head shakes slowly back and forth. I shove my hand roughly through my hair as frustration builds higher within me.

  The dirt billows around my feet as I turn abruptly to leave.

  “Have you looked within yourself?” Her voice is the sound of innocence. It sounds sweet but dangerous.

  It reminds me so much of Violence that I give the Reverie a second glance.

  The eldest sister looks to the woman at her left. Her back is to me, the smooth curve of her spine is all I see. A tattered white dress covers her for the most part. She doesn’t turn to me. Doesn’t face me at all. She asked the same asinine question as her sister and yet, the way she spoke, it sunk right into me as if it’s the first time I’ve considered the words.

  The beating of my heart is the only thing that fills the silence for a while. The moon is heavy in the sky, a full beam of white light beacons down on the three women. It’s as if the stars only shine on this deserted field. Miles and miles outside of the city is where they stay. The Reveries are always here. Always seated just like this.

  And anyone who dares disrupt their tributes to the goddess, will not find answers but only more questions.

  “Take an offering and find what you’re looking for within yourself.” Her quiet voice spirals confusion and hope all through me.

  I look to the mound of bundled herbs piled neatly against the dusty ground.

  Her movements startle us all. She stands slowly, stiff limbs bring her to a slight height. Her hands hang low, still attached to the other two women. With one hard pull she disconnects her hand from the elder sister. Another hard pull and she’s free from the both of them.

  The elder sister’s lips part in an unpleasant gasp. Deep red blood runs down her hands. Pieces of flesh hang from her fingertips. She doesn’t look at the mess once. Oblivious to her own odd behavior, she carries on.

  On hobbling steps, she makes her way to the pile of herbs. Her back arches like an old woman prepared for death. The beautiful woman is a strange sight t
o see.

  Her bloody hand picks up an offering and she presents it to me in her open palm like a gift. The vacant, white emptiness of her eyes is even eerier up close. The moonlight strikes across her gaze, sinking right into the depths of them. She stares up at me expectantly.

  Hesitation tics through my veins as my fingers wrap around the coarse, dry herbs. They’re tied together with thin twine. A bit of the sister’s flesh hangs from the end of it. The rope wraps all around the center of its width. I stare at the little offering for several moments.

  I thought coming to the Reveries was the last resort.

  Taking an offering and considering their fucking words of how to find answers somewhere within me is the real last resort. There are no answers within me. I’m no one. I was sent to the Wild Hunt because I was too dangerous to live in society. That was almost a century ago. I can’t find her because I don’t know the first thing about this world.

  Will I be as crazy as these three after smoking this ancient offering?

  Am I really willing to find out?

  Yes. I’d risk my sanity in a heartbeat if it meant I’d find her.

  Deep down, I know Violence can be found within myself.

  Goddess knows she’s been on my mind since the first time I laid eyes on her.

  Preorder Darkness Consuming Today!

  Also by A.K. Koonce

  The Mortals and Mystics Series

  Fate of the Hybrid, Prequel

  When Fate Aligns, Book one

  When Fate Unravels, Book two

  When Fate Prevails, Book three

  The Resurrection Series

  Resurrection Island, Book one

  The Royal Harem Series

  The Hundred Year Curse

  The Curse of the Sea

  The Legend of the Cursed Princess

  The Hopeless Series

  Hopeless Magic

  Hopeless Kingdom

  Hopeless Realm

  Hopeless Sacrifice

  The Harem of Misery Series

  Pandora’s Pain

  About A.K. Koonce

  A.K. Koonce is a USA Today bestselling author. She’s mom by day and a fantasy and paranormal romance writer by night. She keeps her fantastical stories in her mind on an endless loop while she tries her best to focus on her actual life and not that of the spectacular, but demanding, fictional characters who always fill her thoughts.