Dragon Shadow Publishing

A novella for fans of Castle of Dusk and Shadows... Best enjoyed after reading both Castle of Dusk and Shadows and Fortress of Blood and Power to avoid spoilers.A shy spirit. A scheming queen. And one headstrong princess willing to risk anything for a happily ever after.Months after her wedding, Elle Blackford is convinced that she and her family have a chance at a happy future, secure in their new life within Ashwood. Even if the threat of war with the summer kingdom of Ravenheart hovers over the land, it feels a long way off in the heart of winter.But then a mysterious spirit begins to haunt her, one that has refused to move on to the glade of souls. One that won't interact with anyone but Elle. One that makes Elle begin to question the history surrounding the Ashwood family.Meanwhile, Queen Griselda sets into motion a plan that could destroy Grace's happiness. Furious, Elle fights to help her sister, only to find herself at odds with both the queen...and Prince Fitz himself.As Elle searches for answers, she begins unraveling secrets that might rip away everything she loves.

She’ll do anything to save her family—even marry a fae and face the dead.Years ago, Elle Blackford’s parents made a desperate deal with the fae kingdom of Ashwood. While her mother and sisters reconciled themselves to a future among dangerous immortals, Elle and her father studied forbidden magic, hoping to find a loophole.Until Elle’s father dies, forcing Elle’s sister to marry Prince Fitz, heir of Ashwood.But Elle has a plan to change their fate. For she knows that ghosts wander Ashwood Forest until the royal family sends them into the afterlife. Ghosts that can be returned to life. And she’s determined to save her father from his premature death.All she needs is powerful magic—magic Prince Fitz possesses.Taking her sister’s place, Elle marries Prince Fitz to steal his power. But in a world of bloodthirsty fae and vengeful ghosts, being a mortal comes with constant risks. As Elle navigates a kingdom of monsters and tragic secrets, she realizes she might not survive to save her family.And the key to her salvation might be her arrogant, cold husband—the one she’d planned to rob and abandon. If only she can trust him.

Sacrificed to the fae, her only hope is to run. But the cruel royals who seek her have never lost their prey.Florentia (Ren) Cantwell has always been an outsider. The townspeople fear her and her unusual silver hair, spreading rumors that she’s not entirely human. She’s never believed those crafted lies—until a stranger causes her to manifest dangerous winter magic.Determined to be rid of her, Ren’s brother casts her beyond their town’s borders, into the fae land of Silverfrost, leaving her as an offering to the cruel royal family. Ren knows that if the royals come to fetch her, she will face unspeakable horrors.Accepting the help of Garrick Darkgrove, a handsome wolf shifter and fellow loner, she flees the royal hunters in a desperate attempt to reach safety.But all goes wrong one heartbreaking night.The sibling king and queen take Ren to their austere fortress, where she is entangled in a series of deadly trials meant to test her magic and her bloodline. She is a spectacle. A tool. A captive.Forced to navigate a world of torture, manipulation, and demons, Ren knows she can trust no one. Not even Garrick, the man she now understands is forbidden to her. The one that, against her better judgment, she’s falling for.She’s prepared to pay for her freedom—but when the cost is her heart, the price may be more than she can bear.