Dark Occult

For years, Betsy Lupino has lived alone in a rundown apartment. Alone, except for the growing wall of darkness that slowly devours her thoughts and memories. When a mysterious stranger moves into the building, Betsy fears the worst: that all of the darkness inside her head has escaped into the real world.

Brenda Strange is back and is spooked by a fishy apparition that leaves wet footprints behind. During her most current murder investigation, she's got the living and the dead wanting a piece of the action.

Stefan Korzh continues to unleash his bloodthirsty haunted antiques onto an unsuspecting world. But as his past catches up with him, he discovers that there's a price to pay for his murderous desires. The latest item is an eerily cold, silver class ring that drives its wearer into a frenzy for human flesh. A brutal urge to plunge a knife deep into innocent bystanders is overtaking the residents of Concord, New Hampshire. An unlikely alliance is formed between Ariana Leckie and Victor Daniels on their hunt for Stefan and the collectibles.

When Del Lareaux leaves the St. Augustine orphanage, she is desperate to build a normal life for herself and Jimmy, the mentally handicapped boy she spent years protecting. But when a hellish spirit is raised from the dark swamps of Louisiana, abominations of unimaginable horror begin to prey on the lost souls of New Orleans, and Del’s soul is the most coveted.

Amber has emerged from the Cauldron of Rebirth, the first resurrection since Christ. The news of a new Dark Messiah spreads chaos and fear through the magical world, as the small harbor city of Portland prepares for doomsday to descend on the quiet harbors of Portland. With her human life dead and buried, Amber must find a new purpose in the second chance she has been given.The Heavenly Host and their army of the faithful will not rest until this dark new messiah is returned to the afterlife.

Being born into the prestigious Holward family isn't easy for Quinn. As his father's heir, much is expected of him. It seems as though Quinn's future is set in stone but when tragedy strikes he finds himself driven to darker and deeper depths than he ever knew existed.

The battle for Templar has only just begun. The city is under attack by a mysterious woman in a purple cloak who wields an extraordinary elemental power: Every few hours, a sustained lighting column strikes the city, slowly draining the lives of everyone it touches with its deadly, crackling energy bolts.

A forgotten beach town. A shocking number of suicides. And a mysterious group of beautiful young women with the darkest of secrets. Lance Brody has arrived at Sugar Beach, and within minutes he realizes there’s something terribly wrong. Strangers are saying the oddest things to him, and a sense of sadness seems to linger in the air. He learns of the town’s horrible nickname - Suicide Beach - and meets one of the many girls who spend their days selling cold sodas from coolers on the sidewalks. She doesn’t say much, but in her eyes all Lance can see is fear.

East St. Louis deputy Patrick O’Shea is tired of living in the line of fire. So when he gets a chance to transfer to his wife’s small hometown, he doesn’t hesitate to load up the moving van. But his family’s bags are barely unpacked before their newfound peace and quiet shatters in a surge of demonic voices. The deputy has faced his fair share of evil, but nothing quite like this. Normally the first into the fray, he worries they’ve unearthed a force not even his special training and inner-city experience can combat.

How could Sadie have lived so long in this town without knowing it was harboring a very old secret? The dark side of the woods was a place she walked by nearly every single day and it seemed perfectly normal. But one day, she realized that nothing that walked in there walked back out. Curses and wolves are somehow entangled in Sadie's new romance, and a gruesome transformation threatens to change everything she has ever known. She's the only one who can save her town, her love, and herself. It has to end where it started, in the center of the forest.

Everyone knows Jaxon Slater. He's the life-of-the-party guy. He's the fun guy we want to invite to our outdoor barbeques but not to marry our daughters. He is our nephew, the next-door neighbor who drinks too much, a friend of a friend that overdosed on heroin. He's the class clown in high school that was always in trouble from drinking and driving.

Ava López has never felt so betrayed. Looking for answers, she's returned to her former coven, but instead of finding the truth, she's fallen into a trap set by her own blood. The dark spell that's been cast upon her strips Ava of her vampirism, and in the days that follow the ritual, a void grows within her. She's more conflicted than ever. After all, Ava never wanted to be a vampire. This could be a second chance at life, a newfound freedom from darkness and bloodshed - so why does she feel as though she's lost the most important part of herself?

Ava López's best friend from childhood is missing, and her former coven has asked for her help to find her. Despite all the pain the witches have treated Ava to with their rejection, she is determined to find Liv - even though her new allies harbor resentment. Ava hopes finding Liv will put an end to the feud between the two groups, but she realizes that to help the witches, she must turn her back on the vampires. But this is the least of her problems.

After Ava López’s deepest secret is exposed, Sofía discovers the vampires are hiding a staggering truth: Ava is a hybrid - part witch, part vampire - a creature that should not exist. Sofía worries the repercussions of allowing such a powerful being to remain as sole protector of the amulet will have everlasting and dire effects. Even as the line between protecting the amulet and harnessing its power begins to blur, Ava assures her friends that she alone must carry this burden.

It’s been four weeks since Ava López cursed her coven, extinguishing any chance they had of restoring their magic. But as Ava and her vampire nestmates try to rebound from the chaos she caused, she discovers the war hasn’t ended. The humans of Darkhaven are suspicious of recent events, and a mysterious note etched in the ashes of tragedy shakes Ava to her core. On top of everything, she is forced to rely on information provided by a newcomer - a fire witch hot on the trail of a particularly malicious rogue vampire.

Fiona Garris never believed in ghosts or evil spirits. A loner by nature, all she wants to do is complete her latest freelance assignment and retreat to her city apartment. But when she suddenly inherits the sprawling estate of an uncle she barely knew, Fiona soon discovers that the supernatural is all too real. Deep within her uncle’s mansion, a vault has been hidden away from prying eyes, built to hold a very special collection of dolls. But these are no ordinary playthings. Each one is a vessel for a lost soul, an evil spirit.

Naked. Incoherent. Covered with blood. That's how Detective Frank Blackburn finds her - a beautiful Jane Doe brandishing a pair of scissors near the scene of a brutal murder. Is she the perpetrator? Or is she the only eyewitness to the handiwork of Vincent Van Gogh, a twisted serial killer with an "artistic" bent? To find out, Blackburn takes her to renowned psychiatrist Dr. Michael Tolan. But Tolan has problems of his own. One year ago today, his beloved wife, Abby, was savagely slaughtered by the very same serial killer.

New curses arise, along with the return of the Nine Witches. They hunt for items of the occult, items that threaten not only Camelot, but all of the surrounding lands. His coven is in trouble, his friends being targeted, and his throne threatened. If Arthur can't find a way to defeat the Nine, all he holds dear will be forfeit. But if we know anything of Arthur and his ladies, it's that they know how to bring the pain with a vengeance. And have spicy fun along the way.

The nights are dark in the Lake District. But the crimes can be even darker. A young woman is found naked, cold and alone at an ancient stone circle but refuses to tell DI Kelly Porter her identity. Before Kelly can find a lead, their Jane Doe flees the hospital and disappears. Soon after, Kelly...

The summer solstice is the longest day of the year, but even the light can't keep away all that goes bump in the night. From rituals and witches to summer slasher and sunny horror, this anthology has it all.