by Chani Feener
Part of her had always known that Mavek Midnight was using her. He hadn’t kept the importance of the Tithe, or what he’d get out of it, from her after all. In that sense he’d always been straightforward. She’d known all along that he’d needed her, and that was the reason he’d sought her out in the first place. Now, she was the one who needed him.
“It’s my turn to use you,” she said, her words leaving no room for argument or bargaining. She wasn’t asking him. Her sister and Eskel were missing, presumably taken by that psycho Finch, and she wasn’t going to risk their safety making deals. They deserved better than that.
Is this what Mavek had felt when he’d tricked her into agreeing to participate in the Tithe? It’d been close to the deadline, and he’d been struggling to find a Heartless to contend for him. Had he been desperate, like she was now? Driven by fear for his people? If the Tithe wasn’t completed, they’d all be dragged back to the Underground with many of them, she’d been told, killed for treason for failing to make the sacrifice.
There’d been other options, as both the Erlking and Titania had found Heartless to stand for them. But Mavek’s position would surely have been compromised, his fae put in jeopardy, if he’d been unable to find one himself.
Right now, Arden would do anything for Ainsley and Eskel. Anything. Was that how Mavek had felt in the beginning?
“It’s my turn to use you,” she repeated, even though he hadn’t so much as twitched since she’d announced it a moment ago.
“Do so however you wish, heart.” He bowed his head slightly, and then grew silent once more, clearly awaiting further instructions.
She’d ponder over his actions later, how easily he’d given in, but not now. Now, all she could focus on was the seed of anger bursting to full bloom in her chest.
“We’re going to get my people back,” she said darkly.
Fire licked through her veins like lit kerosene.
“And we’re going to murder ex-Crown Prince Finch.”
She was done being manipulated. From here on out, the only games being played were the ones she set into motion. He thought he could get away with messing with her family? He thought that it’d be fun jerking her around?
She was very sure of one thing, one fact that rang through her head like a mantra.
She was going to make Finch regret ever turning her fae. Since he’d doomed her to being a monster for the rest of eternity, she was going to oblige.
Arden Rose Archer was going to be the monster that all other monsters feared.
Acknowledgments
Book two is here! This trilogy has been a long time in the making and part of me still can’t wrap my head around the fact book two (and soon three) are going to be out there in the world. I want to thank everyone who had a hand in bringing this book to fruition, especially Rianna and the rest of the team at Aionios Books!
Thanks to my mom for reading this series and giving me feedback, and thanks to my dad for all of the support! Thanks to my siblings, Kim and Daniel—especially the latter, who spends more time with me and has to deal with me when I’m in the writing zone. Congrats to my sister on getting engaged!
I want to thank my friends, Josie, Jon, Whitney, Vicky, Kat, Mary Ellen, and Marissa, for putting up with me and always being excited when I have a new release!
To my aunts, Aunt Grace and Aunt Irene: being able to send you guys my books and knowing I have your full support always gives me a burst of inspiration. Thank you for taking an interest in my career, and for making me want to work harder and improve my writing skills to make you proud!
Thanks to Lisa and Matt.
Finally, thanks to all the readers who helped with promotions, and cover reveals, and everything! Thank you to all who took the time to post a review! I hope you stick with me for the rest of this trilogy, and future works.
About the Author
Chani Lynn Feener has wanted to be a writer since the age of ten during fifth grade storytime. She majored in creative writing at Johnson State College in Vermont. To pay her bills, she has worked many odd jobs, including, but not limited to, telemarketing, order picking in a warehouse, and filling ink cartridges. When she isn't writing, she's binging TV shows, drawing, or frequenting zoos/aquariums. Chani is also the author of the teen paranormal series, The Underworld Saga, originally written under the pen name Tempest C. Avery. She currently resides in Connecticut, but lives on Goodreads.com.
To learn more about Chani, visit her website and her Amazon author page. Connect with her on Instagram and Twitter (@TempestChani).
Books by Chani Lynn Feener
Series
ROSES RED
Tithe (Book 1)
Revelry (Book 2)
THE XENITH TRILOGY
Amid Stars and Darkness (Book 1)
Between Frost and Fury (Book 2)
Within Ash and Stardust (Book 3)
THE UNDERWORLD SAGA
Unhinged (Book 1)
Unleashed (Book 2)
Unbound (Book 3)
THE SEVEN DEADLIES
Bad Things Play Here (Book 1)
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
Aionios Books, LLC, thanks the graduates of the Poetry International publishing internship program at San Diego State University.
This work would not have been possible without the creative efforts of these talented and dedicated individuals. A grateful shout-out from all of us to:
Rianna Last, for line and copy editing
Rianna is a recent graduate from SDSU with a B.A. in English and a B.A. in French. She has been obsessed with books since she could talk, and over the years, language and its many forms have become her passion. Well-traveled, Rianna enjoys encountering cultures different from her own and believes that travel fosters compassion and creativity, and allows for the sharing of experiences. A strong believer in the power of stories, Rianna dreams of working in the publishing industry to help spread impactful stories to the world.
Audrina Nguyen, for proofreading
Audrina is a Vietnamese-American aspiring writer. She likes to write anything out of the ordinary and is ready to read anyone’s wild imagination. Her hobbies are drawing, editing videos, and watching anime. She also loves to watch YouTube videos about cooking, video games, and political comedy such as Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, and Seth Meyers. She is currently an undergraduate at San Diego State University finishing her English major.
Jenny Minniti-Shippey, professor, for spearheading this internship program
Jennifer is the Managing Editor of Poetry International literary journal, Director of Poetic Youth programs, and a professor at San Diego State University. She is the author of Done Dating DJs, winner of the 2009 Fool for Poetry Chapbook Competition, presented by the Munster Literature Centre; Earth’s Horses & Boys, from Finishing Line Press; and After the Tour, from Calypso Editions. Her writing has appeared in Salamander, Spillway, Cider Press Review, Tar River Poetry, and others.
Revelry
(Book 2 of the Roses Red Series)
Copyright © 2020 by Chani Lynn Feener.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
For information, please address:
Aionios Books, LLC
P.O. Box 1010, Carlsbad, CA, 92018, USA.
AioniosBooks.com
This book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is coincidental.
Cover Images:
Fantasy woman portrait image by Helen Lansky, ©[Helen Lansky]/Adobe Stock
Blossoms photo by Kazuend on Unsplash
Editors:
Rianna Last, line editing
Audrina Nguyen, proofreading
Published 2020, by Aionios Books, LLC, Carlsbad, California, US
A
Printed in the United States of America.
ISBN-13: 978-1-949428-04-9
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020933428
AioniosBooks.com
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