Dark Tales

Her heart's desire would be her downfall. After spending her life in training, Esmeralda still can't believe she's been appointed to serve as the Vestal of Our Lady of Paris-the greatest temple on any planet in the Nine Circles. Her beauty and unrivaled ability to manipulate energy quickly catch the attention of Praetor Frollo, the grand magistrate of Paris, and High Seraph Phoebus, the greatest winged warrior in the solar system. But her dream of becoming the consort of one of those handsome, powerful males is forgotten the moment she lays eyes upon the hunchback secretly living in the temple.Kwazeem feels Esmeralda's power as soon as she lands in his city. She awakens the primal energy that has lain dormant within him-and a possessive hunger that demands he claim her. But he's a Fallen, a monster that would be destroyed on sight if the citizens of Paris discovered his existence. Worse still, Esmeralda's Divine Light inflicts agony upon his already tortured body if he basks in it for too long. And yet… he cannot stay away from her.With Kwazeem's mysterious condition and Esmeralda torn between her duties to the people and the sinful desires of her heart, is there any chance of them sharing a future? Regine Abel is a fantasy, paranormal and sci-fi junky. Anything with a bit of magic, a touch of the unusual and definitely a lot of romance, will have her jumping for joy. Hot alien warriors meeting no-nonsense, kick-ass heroine give her warm fuzzies. Through her Veredian Chronicles series, Regine will take you to an exciting alien world full of mystery, action, passion and new beginnings. Follow Amalia and her Veredian sisters – enslaved, exploited and hunted – as they fight for their freedom and the right to love. In her Dark Tales series, Regine will make you rediscover the fairy tales of your youth in a sexy, dark, and twisted reimagining of the classics.When not writing or reading, Regine surrenders to the other passion in her life: video games! As a professional Game Designer and Creative Director, her career has led her from her home in Canada to the US and various countries in Europe and Asia.

Following the immense success of his debut collection of horror stories, Midnight Storm, Moonless Sky, Blackfoot storyteller Alex Soop once again scares the wits out of readers while uncovering overlooked social anxieties and racism affecting Indigenous Peoples across North America. Whistle at Night and They Will Come: Indigenous Horror Stories Volume 2 delivers stories ranging from supernatural mythology and the paranormal to post-apocalyptic scenarios, and zombie lockdown-12 tales in all in short story and novella formats. Whistle at Night coincides with the launch of Durvile & UpRoute Books' new horror series, "Dark Tales." Foreword, Eugene Brave Rock Our Stories and the SupernaturalIntroduction, Alex SoopMy First Encounter with the Paranormal PART I Short StoriesIt Comes at NightRising SunHide-and-Go-Seek PART II Feature SectionCary Thomas CodySnapping Turtle PART III Three NovellasBotched LandingBlack 'N BlueWhen They Return An Exclusive Excerpt from the NovelThunder Amidst the Stars Hide and Go Seek It wasn't supposed to end the way it did. Life. It wasn't supposed to end like that. But it did. Kids. What can we really say? They have their imaginations-something we seem to lose as soon as we hit that tender age where sex becomes the only thing on the mind. But I'll never get to that age now, will I? The abrupt jangle of the house phone makes me jump; tearing me away from the gripping clutches of the book of dark tales I hold tightly gripped in my hands. The story I am immersed in is a tale of two horrors, woven with strands of malevolence that grips a poor soul. The unfortunate protagonist is a mere teenager, just two years my senior. "Holy effin' shit," I say through a tight grin, my spirit dropping just like the book I had in my hands, the thump on my leg giving me another jolt as I sit like a toddler aboard my grandparents' brand-new sofa. "Who the hell's calling me at this damn moment?" I glance at the clock and then wriggle from my comfy, balled-up posture and push aside my lucky blanket, eager to see who is calling me on this Friday night. Stepmom and dad are away at bingo for at least another three hours. I may be only 12, but I would still prefer to have a social life of some sort. The caller ID announces back to me: R. Rain Family. I know exactly who it is. Brady. My new best friend, slash cousin in-law. Also, my best new hockey and football teammate. Chance just had it that we are the exact same age too. A lucky draw of cards when I thought I would be a new and unwanted nuisance in a new land. Cree land. My new location has come as a result of my dad winning custody of me in the divorce. "Brooo," I belt into the phone receiver, waiting in guaranteed anticipation for my new cousin to give me some good news. "Sleepover," Brady asserts, his tone carrying a command that I'm reluctantly at ease with. "My dad said we can come pick you up if you want. There's lots of food left over, too. Indian tacos, bro." My mouth goes into an automatic surge of watering, my taste buds already detecting the secret spice my aunty Lorna adds to her taco seasoning. Aunt Lorna also isn't from this part of the world. She's Navajo. The originators of the famous Indian Taco. "Hell yeah, bro. You know I'm always down for that," I say in a childish voice that sounds more ecstatic than it should be. "Want us to come get you?" Brady asks. Cordless phone in hand, I glide over the linoleum floor to the kitchen's enormous picture window. It's a window to the world of the night, looking out to the sprawling expanse of Brady's family abode, nestled amidst the fields where the horses graze. It's just a stone's throw away, less than a mile, or so. The only big house in sight for miles on end surrounded by area's the thick foliage. The house stands out beneath the blanket of night like a mirage in the desert. One flickering lampp