A Ruin of Roses (Deliciously Dark Fairytales Book 1)

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Flashes of memory crowded my thoughts. Glittering golden scales against the blue. Buttery-yellow sunlight sparkling across golden wings. Fire belching out of a horned head.

It was hard to breathe. That strange feeling in my chest rolled outward, fire leaking out from my center and into my limbs. But even as my body burned, my blood had turned to ice. I couldn’t move from fear. Other than those main issues, this book was great. The characters were likable and facing their own woes while maintaining their own motives. The plot and actual confrontation and political intrigue are strong. The tension between the MC’s is palpable and the workings of the magical system make sense so far.I will give you that one,” he said in a voice out of a nightmare. “I am partially responsible. I didn’t control my beast as I ought to have. But you will get just the one. Try it again, and I’ll break you.” I gave the shivering birch a wider berth, thankful when it stopped moving. The night fell quiet once again, the screaming imposter taking a break for a moment. The field lay before me, coated in moonlight. Fear wound through me, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing it. That plant was clearly very important to him. This wasn’t just about stealing—it was about stealing from him. His grudge was personal, and I did not want to incriminate my village. My secrets would die with me.

I’d half expected Jedrek to be lingering around. I’d rebuffed him publicly today. He wouldn’t make the mistake of approaching me in front of an audience again, but a guy like him wouldn’t relent, either. His ego wouldn’t let him. I expected him to try to catch me alone and then scare me into acquiescing. I threw myself down and rolled onto the floor. It might be able to see in the dark, but it shouldn’t be able to see much detail through our shades, even as worn and flimsy as they were.

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Beyond a set of reaching bushes, I suddenly realized where I was. The tall birch, seemingly out of place, stood before me a ways, marking the everlass field. Even in my blind panic, I’d had enough directional sense to get there. Given that I’d been caught thieving from this very field, it was probably the worst place for me to have led the beast. Then again, where the hell else was I going to go? I could hide in here all night and return home tomorrow…only to find the beast at my house again. I couldn’t escape the village, and now I couldn’t escape the beast. After that, the survivors—desperate, enraged, and frightened—set out for the castle. They carried pitchforks and bows, spears and torches, intent on demanding their freedom.

I ripped my arm out of his grasp and continued on through the market. I didn’t for a second think it was over. Chapter 3Not exactly, but as I said, Hannon was a trusting soul. He didn’t seem to know when I was lying. If he thought I was tougher than I was, he’d worry less. Who was that hurting? I thought about staying put, but it could wait me out. Or come in after me. It had an armored face, everyone said. A few vines and thorns wouldn’t trouble it. What caught me, though, wasn’t his muscle or obvious power. It wasn’t even the aura of danger that twisted my gut and made my legs tremble. It was his scarred appearance.

Was it the beast? Something else? Maybe it didn’t matter. The sound had come from a larger animal, and anything that large in this wood was a predator of some kind. They go at high noon, I guess. The least dangerous time. They sacrifice the potency of the leaves in the elixir for the safety of the kids.”Some had attempted escape through the communal forests to the east and south of the village. That land technically belonged to the royal family, but it had been allocated for the use of the village. As a result, it had not been directly cursed, like the Forbidden Wood, and no everlass grew there.