aruba_sheikh

Julian Thorne arrives in the secluded town of Shadowmere, seeking to uncover its hidden history. He quickly encounters Sabrina, the enigmatic and powerful guardian of the town, who warns him against delving too deep. Despite the danger, Julian is drawn into a forbidden attraction with Sabrina as he investigates the town's secrets, including a tragic love story from the past, a dormant power, and a looming curse tied to a powerful family.

Echoes of the Shadowed Grove

Sabrina woke to the taste of soil.

The bedside lamp revealed Julian standing at the window, his bare back streaked with dirt, his fingers clawing at his own mouth. Black sap oozed between his teeth.

"Not again," Sabrina whispered, reaching for him.

Julian spun, his eyes wild, unseeing. "Have to feed her," he slurred, spitting out a baby tooth (not Lyra's—this one was decades old, yellowed with time).

Sabrina's stomach lurched. She'd found twelve teeth this month:

Six in Julian's boots

Three in the sugar jar

One nestled in her hairbrush

Two tucked under Lyra's pillow like gifts

Now Julian collapsed to his knees, his hands frantically digging at the floorboards. "Can't you hear her crying?"

Somewhere downstairs, Lyra hummed a lullaby.

The floor shivered in response.

CHAPTER 2: THE SLEEP-EATER