Covet the Night, page 1
COVET THE NIGHT
Ascent of the Wicked Book 1
REBECCA MAIN
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters and events in this book are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Published by Via Graphia, LLC
Copyright © 2021 by Rebecca Main
All rights reserved. Neither this book, nor any parts within it may be sold or reproduced in any form without permission.
Cover Artwork by Seventhstar Art
Line Editing and Beta Reading by Hot Tree Editing
Proofreading by Sherry Schafer Proofing, LLC
eBook ASIN: 978-1-956748-00-0
Paperback ASIN: 978-1-956748-01-7
Hardback ASIN: 978-1-956748-02-4
ALSO BY REBECCA MAIN
See all of Rebecca’s books and find where to get them on her website:
https://rebeccamain.com
ASCENT OF THE WICKED
Covet the Night
*The Ascent of the Wicked series is part of the Soulmark Series universe. More information about the Soulmark Series universe can be found at the back of the book.
A SOULMARK SERIES
Coven
Midnight Scoundrel
Wardens of Starlight
Mr. Vrana
Lycan Legacy
Lunaria
NEVER MISS A RELEASE.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Chapter XIV
Chapter XV
Chapter XVI
Chapter XVII
Chapter XVIII
Chapter XIX
Chapter XX
Chapter XXI
Chapter XXII
Chapter XXIII
Chapter XXIV
Chapter XXV
Chapter XXVI
Chapter XXVII
Chapter XXVIII
Glossary of Terms
The Roux Packet Bonus Download
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Enjoy this complimentary guide of the Roux Royal Household
The Roux Packet
Or copy and paste the following:
https://marvelous-mover-5643.ck.page/8e14ad1ff9
I
T
he room was the finest Gwen had ever seen. Bathed in hues of rose and burnished gold, the cast of incandescent light from the chandeliers above gave the room a decidedly romantic air. Or perhaps it was the women who adorned the divans and chaises. Their beauty was effortless. Breathtaking. Otherworldly. Gwen's eyes flitted across the four of them. A small smile tugged at her lips as she listed off their signature shade of red hair.
Cinnamon. Auburn. Cherry. Copper-gold.
Gwen peeked in the mirror at the fifth and final woman, who stood behind her brushing out her curls. Her gold fingers grazed Gwen's neck as they dealt with a small, knotted section of hair before continuing their pampering.
Crimson.
Gwen's eyes closed as she relaxed into the chilled touch. A tickle of excitement was growing inside her. It was a pleasant change from the discomfort she'd grown accustomed to over the past couple of months and also a fond reminder of her mother.
The brush's dense bristles swept down the curve of her skull with care and drew a contented sigh from Gwen's lips. Eyes opening, her sights were captured by the woman at her back—Laurel.
Laurel smiled at Gwen slow, like a cat stretching in an especially nice bit of sun. She boasted coffee-colored eyes bound by a striking silver ring around her irises. The sight of the mercurial ring sent a shiver up Gwen's spine.
Vampyré.
Outside of their frighteningly cold touch and pallid skin, it was this subtle flash of otherworldliness that signaled these immortal creatures possessed a bite worse than their bark. And Gwen was set to become one of them. Her heart skipped a beat. She wouldn't be just a vampyré but a vampyré of a Royal Household within the Dark Court—a place where supernaturals of all kinds lived outside the bounds of human society.
Two weeks ago, Laurel had walked into Gwen's life just as she'd begun to celebrate its end. She'd shown Gwen an entire world hiding in shadows and plain sight. It was terrifying and exhilarating… and the most fantastical two weeks of Gwen's short-slated life because Laurel had promised in honey-soaked words and silky whispers as they traveled the city of Vienna together that it never had to end.
When Laurel invited Gwen to join her family of immortals, Gwen didn't hesitate to accept. Her reasoning was simple: she was marked for death anyway. Why wait for her cancer to do her in when she could take matters into her own hands? Although acute myeloid leukemia—or AML—was treatable if caught early enough, that hadn't been the case for Gwen.
Nor had it been for her mother.
A little over a month ago, Gwen was given little less than a year to live with an aggressive treatment plan, and now? Eternity was hers—if she could pass the Roux sisterhood's initiation tests.
Laurel set aside the boar bristle brush in favor of her nimble fingers to plait Gwen's hair. Gwen watched, mesmerized by the speed and dexterity of Laurel's fingers.
When Laurel caught sight of her wonder, her smile grew.
"You're so fast," Gwen murmured.
The women of the room laughed, their supernatural hearing picking up her softly spoken admiration. Gwen blushed but chuckled along.
"The comb, please." Laurel's hand appeared over Gwen's shoulder, palm facing upward.
Gwen passed the opal comb in her lap to her sire-to-be. The delicate ornament was placed expertly to hold several braided strands together in an artful manner.
"Oh, that's just perfect, Laurel," said the woman with cherry-red hair. Her pointed canines were on full display in a wide-set smile.
Lily, thought Gwen.
"Thank you, sister," Laurel replied demurely, fingers still busy at work.
"You have the most stunning set of cheekbones, Gwendolyn," Lily continued, resting her chin on a fist as she draped herself over the back of a divan. She preferred the use of Gwen's full name rather than the shortened version. Gwen didn't know why. "But you could do with a bit more meat on your bones. We might be dead, but nobody enjoys looking at a skeleton."
The women laughed again, and Gwen's hand drifted to her face as she forced herself to laugh along quietly. Her fingertips traced the sharp line of her cheekbone self-consciously. Catching Laurel's eye once more in the mirror's reflection, she watched the beautiful vampyré give a subtle shake of her head. Gwen's hand dropped back to her lap.
The other women were unaware of her illness, and Laurel was determined to keep it that way.
The Roux sisterhood desired souls who had nowhere else to turn but braved the world, nonetheless. They wanted women whose loyalty would be unquestionable while still possessing that certain je ne sais quoi that defined their revered family. They wanted women with fire, and the symbol of that fire to be their flaming red locks.
Gwen checked all the boxes, but Laurel said it didn't matter. The Roux didn't want “spoiled goods.”
A brief flare of shame tightened her chest, but Gwen shook herself of it quickly. Laurel didn't think she was spoiled, and that was what mattered. Gwen had no intention of bearing her secret to the sisterhood and ruining her second chance at life even if said life was without a heartbeat and composed of a strictly liquid diet.
"I wish a moment alone with my charge, if you please, sisters."
The lounging women rose one by one. First was Violet, the woman with long auburn hair and a square jaw. As the matriarch of their sister line, she led their numbers by default. Next was Poppy. She was just shy of 390 years old, yet eternally the sweet age of sixteen. Poppy was also Violet's sole surviving childe out of two. Bringing up the rear with arms linked were Lily and Hazel. The former’s copper-gold hair was cut in a fashion-forward asymmetrical bob and glinted in the light. Lily tossed a wink over her shoulder before closing the door behind them. And then they were alone.
"How are you feeling, pet?" Laurel asked, her hands coming to rest on Gwen's bare shoulders.
"Excited. Nervous," Gwen answered. A hasty smile rushed to her lips, followed by a minor grimace. "A bit sore and tired."
Laurel nodded. She knew in great detail Gwen's growing ailments: fatigue, achy joints, bouts of fevers, easily bruised, sometimes nosebleeds. And sometimes more.
"You've done so well keeping your composure. I can already tell the others love you very much. They absolutely adore you, pet!"
Gwen's breath hitched. "Really? You aren't just saying that? We've only had a day together—" Laurel pinned one eyebrow pointedly high at Gwen’s slip. "I mean night. We've only had one night together. Can they really love me?"
Laurel grinned and slipped around Gwen to perch atop the gilded vanity. "It’s easy to give love when trust is already earned. Our sisters entr
Gwen smiled but bit her lip as a heaviness set into her bones. "Were you able to get the medicine?" She strived for nonchalance, but desperate hope crept into her voice.
When Laurel learned of Gwen's cancer, she'd been momentarily disappointed before hardening with determination. There was no magic that could stop death or reverse her fatal diagnosis, but she'd been certain she could find something to help. She'd promised some kind of solution to delay Gwen's inevitable decline, at least until she'd completed the Roux's initiation. Gwen had wept in gratitude.
"I was able to procure a tincture for you. It won’t stop your decay—that kind of magic has long since been gone—but it will help slow it down, which is all we really need." Laurel pulled an opaque green crystal vial from a concealed pocket. It was filled with a milky iridescent substance that glowed in the room's warm light. Gwen reached for the tincture but came up short as Laurel pulled it out of reach. The vampyré clicked her tongue and stared sternly at her childe-to-be.
Gwen curbed her desperate enthusiasm and put on an air of patience. Inside, her heart hammered at the sight of the vial. It was her salvation.
"This tincture comes with certain caveats, just as we assumed it would."
Gwen nodded. The news did not subdue her hummingbird heartbeat. Laurel had warned that finding the perfect catch-all for her cancer would be impossible. As such, Gwen had kept her hopes locked away and resolved to suffer silently through the initiation if need be—anything to live. But seeing the tiny vial now made her mouth dry up. She didn't care what the caveats were. An extra leg? Purple skin? She'd gladly accept them.
"Of course," Gwen replied after wetting her lips. "Tell me."
Laurel gave an approving nod. "There are three tinctures in total. Each is strong enough to last a week, and by week's end, you'll surely feel its effects waning."
"What will it do exactly?" Gwen received a frown in return for her interruption. She whispered a quick apology, and Laurel continued.
"They'll nullify the worst of your symptoms and keep your cancer from progressing. However." The word hung heavy in the air between them as Laurel stared Gwen down, deep coffee-colored eyes meeting chocolate brown. "Once the tincture has run its course, your cancer will rebound and advance twofold."
The words sank into Gwen like an anchor, pulling her down from her short-lived high. "Rebound?"
"Twofold," Laurel answered promptly and without sympathy. Yet, as Gwen's face fell along with her pallor, Laurel leaned forward and placed the vial in Gwen's hands. "That’s why there are three vials, Gwen. One for each initiation test. To my knowledge, they're set to be spaced roughly one week apart from each other. Should all things proceed accordingly, you'll only feel the adverse effects toward the tail end of each vial."
Gwen inhaled and gripped the small vial, running her thumb over its curved body down to its pinpoint end. "I've managed my pain so far." Gwen’s voice started soft but grew stronger with her conviction. "I'll deal with it as it comes, just as I do now."
"You haven't forgotten what I told you, have you?" Stern creases lined Laurel's forehead. "About why you must keep your health a secret?"
"I haven't forgotten," Gwen assured her. If the sisterhood found out, Gwen would be slain by Madame Roux for her deceit—and so would Laurel and the rest of her soon-to-be sister line.
Laurel's shoulders sagged in happy relief.
"Good, and there's one last thing you must know before you take your tincture," Laurel said, stopping Gwen from tipping the vial's contents into her mouth with her chilled hand upon the living girl’s wrist. "There will be many temptations for you at court, one such temptation being elixirs and tonics to enhance certain sensations or alleviate aches and pains. You are not to take any of these, my pet. They won't mix well with what you're taking, particularly the potions and salves meant to heal. You're only human, after all," she said with a sympathetic smile, fingers rubbing small circles on her fair skin. "Too much magic will cause your body more harm than good, and this—" She swept her eyes meaningfully to the vial. "—is extremely potent."
Gwen rested her hand atop Laurel's. "I won't do anything to jeopardize the tincture. Not when it's giving me a fighting chance. And Laurel." She tightened her hand around the vampyrés. A sudden lump formed in her throat. "I cannot possibly begin to repay you or thank you enough for everything you've done for me."
A sparkle lit Laurel's eyes. "Don't thank me yet," she said. "You'll have the rest of eternity to express your gratitude if you survive the initiation. Now, drink up."
The cork released with a tug of Gwen's fingers, and she tossed back the milky contents without hesitation.
She expected some kind of taste to the iridescent solution, be it bitter, sour, or sweet, not flavorless and ice-cold. Her eyes widened as the tincture coated her tongue and slid down her throat. It seeped into her system with icy tendrils, quickly soothing her bones and muscles as it raced through her body in seconds. Last to settle was an alien wellspring that generated an abundance of energy and stamina in the center of her chest. The back of Gwen's hand graced her lips as she processed the peculiar sensation, well aware that Laurel studied her reaction closely.
"Well?" Laurel prompted, cocking her head to the side. "How do you feel?"
Gwen blinked, still in shock from the numbing sensation the tincture provided and the strange warmth that had taken up residence in her chest. "Wonderful."
"Excellent!" Laurel cried, a wide smile slashing across her face to reveal lethal canines. "I'm so pleased to hear it works. I'd hate to dirty my hands and make the sorcerer's family suffer further."
The happy smile perched on Gwen's lips locked in place as her brows tilted inquisitively. "I—" An awkward laugh stumbled out her mouth. "I don't quite understand."
Laurel slipped off the vanity's edge, smoothing down the black velvet encasing her body. "I couldn't very well let the sorcerer live, pet. He knew too intimately of our predicament and had several friends in court. He had to be disposed of."
Gwen's attempt to cover her horror was unsuccessful. Laurel's lips thinned down to a line.
"Do not upset yourself over the life of one measly sorcerer," Laurel chastised with a measure of cold brevity that Gwen had yet to experience. "Rejoice," she insisted, "for the man's family will live for his work."
"Yes, of course." Gwen pasted her smile back in place.
Laurel's look softened, but a measure of sternness remained. "Death will be your constant companion—"
"It already is," Gwen mumbled.
Laurel heaved a sigh, eyes tilting upward and holding on to the coffered ceiling.
"Do learn to mind your tongue and place, pet." Laurel leveled her sights back on Gwen. "You may court death now, but soon enough, you'll be its mistress. Learn the difference, sooner preferably rather than later. Bodies will be dropping at your feet in no time at all."
"I know," Gwen whispered, her throat bobbing with uncertainty.
Laurel had made no attempt to sugarcoat the finer details of immortal life when they'd explored Vienna. She'd needed to be certain Gwen was not only a fit for the Roux but that she could handle the sacrifice required of eternal life: human blood. Homicide was a common occurrence within the court, used as leverage, revenge, or entertainment. Gwen had assured her she could adapt, but the knowledge that she cost someone their life troubled her conscience. She shoved it to the back of her mind.
"I know," Gwen repeated more confidently.
Laurel's smile was slow to come, but when it did, Gwen felt her own lips follow suit.
"It needn't all be intimidating or scary," Laurel told Gwen in a stage whisper, the smile still at large on her face. "Besides, you'll have me there to help you along every step of the way, as well as Lily and Hazel. Poppy will most certainly tease you out of any slump you fall into, and Violet will make sure no harm comes to you. Ever. You have our love and protection without question. Oh, we're so happy to have you be our sister, Gwendolyn. You'll be the perfect addition to our little family."
