Kresley Cole - Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night

I would like to acknowledge the wonderful short poem "The Witch in the Glass" by Sarah Morgan Bryan Piatt (1836–1919), which I use within this book, and which inspired the character of Mariketa the Awaited, as well as her unique talents.

The Lore

"... and those sentient creatures that are not human shall be united in one stratum, coexisting with, yet secret from, man's."

The Lykae Clan

"A proud, strapping warrior of the Keltoi People (or Hidden People, later known as Celts) was taken in his prime by a maddened wolf. The warrior rose from the dead, now an immortal, with the spirit of the beast latent within him. He displayed the wolf's traits: the need for touch, an intense loyalty to its kind, an animal craving for the delights of the flesh. Sometimes the beast rises... "

Also called werewolves, war-wolds.

Enemies of the Vampire Horde.

The Talisman's Hie

"A treacherous and grueling scavenger's hunt for magickal talismans, amulets, and other mystical riches over the entire world."

The rules forbid killing—until the final round. Any other trickery or violence is encouraged.

Held every two hundred fifty years.

Hosted by Riora, the goddess of impossibility.

The House of Witches

"... immortal possessors of magickal talents, practitioners of good and evil."

Mystical mercenaries who sell their spells.

Separated into five castes: warrior, healer, enchantress, conjurer, and seeress.

Led by Mariketa the Awaited

The Valkyrie

"When a maiden warrior screams for courage as she dies in battle, Wóden and Freya heed her call. The two gods give up lightning to strike her, rescuing her to their hall, and preserving her courage forever in the form of the maiden's immortal Valkyrie daughter."

Take sustenance from the electrical energy of the earth, sharing it in one collective power, and give it back with their emotions in the form of lightning.

Possess preternatural strength and speed.

Without training, they can be mesmerized by shining objects and jewels.

Also called Swan Maidens, Shield Maidens.

Enemies of the Vampire Horde.

The Vampires

Two warring factions, the Horde and the Forbearer Army.

Each vampire seeks his Bride, his eternal wife, and walks as the living dead until he finds her.

A Bride will render his body fully alive, giving him breath and making his heart beat, a process known as blooding.

Tracing is teleporting, the vampires' means of travel. A vampire can only trace to destinations he's previously been.

The Horde

"In the first chaos of the Lore, a brotherhood of vampires dominated, by relying on their cold nature, worship of logic, and absence of mercy. They sprang from the harsh steppes of Dacia and migrated to Russia, though some say a secret enclave, the Daci, live in Dacia still."

Distinguished by their red eyes, a side effect of drinking victims to death.

Enemies of most factions in the Lore.

The Forbearers

"... his crown stolen, Kristoff, the rightful Horde king, stalked the battlefields of antiquity seeking the strongest, most valiant human warriors as they died, earning him the name of Gravewalker. He offered eternal life in exchange for eternal fealty to him and his growing army."

An army of vampires consisting of turned humans, who do not drink blood directly from the flesh.

Kristoff was raised as a human and then lived among them. He and his army know little of the Lore.

Enemies of the Horde.

The Demonarchies

"The demons are as varied as the bands of man... "

A collection of demon dynasties. Some kingdoms ally with the Horde.

Most demon breeds can trace like vampires.

The Furiae

"If you do evil, beg for punishment—before they come... "

Ruthless she-warriors bent on delivering justice to evil men when they escape it elsewhere.

Led by Alecta the Unyielding One.

Also called Furies, Erinyes.

Berserkers

"A berserker's lonely life is filled with naught but battle rage and bloodlust... "

A cadre of warriors who swore allegiance to Wóden, known for their merciless brutality.

Though some are immortal through resurrection, most are mortal—one of the few human orders to be recognized and accepted by the Lore.

Able to conjure the spirit of the bear, and channel its ferocity.

The Wraiths

"... their origin unknown, their presence chilling."

Spectral, howling beings. Undefeatable and, for the most part, uncontrollable.

Also called the Ancient Scourge.

The Turning

"Only through death can one become an 'other.'"

Some beings, like the Lykae, vampires, and demons, can turn a human or even other Lore creatures into their kind through differing means, but the catalyst for change is always death, and success is not guaranteed.

The Accession

"And a time shall pass that all immortal beings in the Lore, from the Valkyrie, vampire, Lykae, and demon factions, to the phantoms, shifters, fey, and sirens... must fight and destroy each other."

A kind of mystical checks-and-balances system for an ever-growing population of immortals.

Occurs every five hundred years. Or right now...

Love spells are a lot like platform diving. Once you start the process, there's no going back, and the end will be fugly if you don't know what the hell you're doing.

—Mariketa the Awaited Mercenary of the Wiccae,

Future Leader of the House of Witches

Witches are good for one thing and only one thing. Tinder.

—Bowen Graeme MacRieve

Third in line for the Lykae throne

The Forest of Three Bridges

Winter 1827

It wants to mark my flesh... The full moon beat light down on a canvas of snow and barren trees, making Mariah's hunter green dress glow as distinctly as a beacon for the beast pursuing her.

Mark me with its teeth, she thought wildly as she leapt across an icy rivulet. When the beast's frenzied roar echoed through the forest, she stumbled at the embankment. Frantically scrambling up, she continued her flight for home.

Birch branches clawed at her hair and raked her cold-numbed face. As she twisted from their grasp, snow began to fall once more, blurring her vision. Another bellow in the dark silenced night creatures; the sound of her ragged breaths became deafening.

Bowen, the man she'd loved since she was a girl, had warned her of the full moon, preparing her: "I will change, Mariah. I canna control it. And you are vulnerable to harm still... "

She'd insisted on meeting him this night, because she'd known how critical this time was for him—and because she was anxious to make up for denying his desires again and again. But then, at this last hour, her courage failed her. She'd looked upon the face of her beloved, and the moon had revealed a monster in his place.

It had known she was horrified. Its eyes, glowing ice blue, had been filled with an animal-like yearning until they narrowed with comprehension. "Run... Mariah," it had grated in an unfamiliar rasp. "Get to the... castle. Lock yourself away... from me."