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The Story

Red didn't wander into the woods by mistake. She broke in—and now the Wolf won't let her go.

Red didn't wander into the woods by mistake. She broke in—and now the Wolf won't let her go.
Raven “Red” Bordeaux is a thief with one rule: never touch the dark power running through her veins. But when a heist takes her across the Veil into the neon-gothic Otherworld of Reliquary City, she’s forced to break it the moment she touches the crown of a dead god. Now she’s cornered by Luka Velthar—the Wolf, a lethal underworld king who collects drowned souls. His terms are simple: return the crown, or take its place in his hoard of the dead.

Except the relic has already fused to her bones, and the god inside it is waking up.

Trapped in the Wolf’s drowned court, Raven has no choice but to agree to his dangerous bargain. But Luka doesn’t just want a pretty trophy. He isn’t content with obedience. He sees through every lie and corners her at every turn, and the closer he gets, the harder it is to resist her own darkness—or the dangerous pull of the Wolf himself.

Devour the Dark is a dark urban fantasy romance and Red Riding Hood retelling filled with gothic atmosphere, dangerous bargains, cursed power, steamy romance, and a guaranteed HEA. It is a standalone novella in the Romance Fairytale Retellings series.

The Tropes

The Setting

Velmourne is a crossroads between realms, a bridge city built upon the ruins of the ancient faerie empire who once ruled here. Today it is a dying realm in a dying Otherworld, and like the last brilliant bloom on a rose vine starved of nutrients, it's slowly fading as the bottomless chasm below, known as The Witch’s Mouth, devours it.

Velmourne's bridge city is actually two cities - an uppercity known as the Night Market, built on top of the bridge itself, and an undercity known as Reliquary City. The mortal world bleeds through in places, and the faerie Otherworld seems to straddle a strange universe, with one foot planted squarely in a dark fairytale and the other in sleek, modern, neon-lit streets.

Velmourne’s uppercity, built on top of the bridge itself, is an airy place of black spires, turrets and winding, crooked streets. Known as the Night Market, it is ruled by the Witch of Secrets. It is a thriving marketplace for the arcane.

Reliquary City, the "undercity", lies in the shadows below the bridge. The Reliquary has always been a dark and dangerous place, home to the castoffs, misfits, criminals, forgotten gods and other dark spirits who don’t fit neatly into a world of rules - mortal or supernatural. Once ruled by the vampire-led Bone Court and their god Morroc, Reliquary City has fallen into ruin, and is now a lawless territory of districts and warring street gangs. Only Luka Velthar - the Wolf - offers order in the midst of chaos; he presides over the Drowned Court, where he grants favors...for a price.

The Drowned Court is a subterranean faerie nightclub in Reliquary City, owned by Luka Velthar. It's frequented by faeries and humans alike, as well as other supernatural creatures. Many dark delights can be found here, but the primary entertainment is the club's virtual experience parlors - places to lose yourself to whatever dreams or vices you wish to explore.

The Mere is both temple and throne room. Situated deep in the earth, far below the surface levels of the club, it's a solemn, sacred place. It was once a vaulted cistern used to collect rainwater in ancient days, but now, the souls of Luka's drowned sleep in its immortal lake. Petitioners may seek a favor of the Wolf here, but only if they are willing to pay his heavy price.