Bleak
()
About this ebook
A cursed castle.
A tortured Prince.
Alone in eternal cold - could a determined young witch be his salvation?
Britt DeLaney
Britt DeLaney lives and writes near Philadelphia. In her spare time she watches too much Netflix, eats too many Pop-Tarts, and is currently writing her ass off.
Read more from Britt De Laney
The Witching Hour Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sobriquet Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Captured By The Hunter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hard Labor Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Ready In Red Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBlaze Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnder The Rainbow: A St. Patrick's Day Story Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFaeted Bride Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDark Comfort Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsForce of Nature Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNaughty Or Nice Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCashing In Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFly Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAtrophy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Sacrifice Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOnce Upon An Us Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSeven Dark Treasures Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCentral Perk On 5th & OIympus Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBluster Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFiresinger Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSeasinger Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEight Nights At Sea Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSomeday In Dublin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFree Wheeling Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShall We Gather Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Merry Desert Christmas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKiss The Cook Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEarthsinger Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCotillion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Bleak
Related ebooks
Seven Dark Treasures Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEight Nights At Sea Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Daemon Of Synar: Forced To Serve, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Craven Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Damned: Book Four of the Avery Tywella Series Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Atrophy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Undercity Chronicles of Babylonia Jones, P.I.: Books 3-4: The Undercity Chronicles of Babylonia Jones, P.I. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAntique Trove Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPoseidon: Colony: Aqua, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFree Falling-Legend (book #5 Legend series) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Saving the Alien Barbarian: Warriors or Warden Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLord Weston, Vampire Slayer: a short-length romantic Regency paranormal romance novella: Dark Enchantments Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Rising Bounty Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Devoted: Book Five of the Avery Tywella Series Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Blood Secret: Blood Immortal, #4 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFated to the Beast: Steamy Shifter Romances Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSin on a Vengeful Heart Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Kiss of Darkness (Blackness Falls #3) (A Paranormal Romance Book) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGalaxy Quest: Odyssey Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVulcan: Colony: Holiday, #3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMarked: Wounded Warriors, #3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Curse Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFae Relic Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFeral Heat Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBlood Interlaced: The Laurent Blood Legacy, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRevelations: Dark Fire Trilogy, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCupid: Colony: Holiday, #4 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMissing Maren Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tin Man Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTaming Destruction: Dutiful Gods Series, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Contemporary Romance For You
Hopeless Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ugly Love: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Animal Farm Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Icebreaker: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The True Love Experiment Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5November 9: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Before We Were Strangers: A Love Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Finding Cinderella: A Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Heart Bones: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All Your Perfects: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It Starts with Us: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Confess: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It Ends with Us: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ruin Me Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Something Borrowed: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Simple Wild: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Maybe Someday Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beautiful Disaster: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe Not: A Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Slammed: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe Now: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Spanish Love Deception: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Scandalized Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Finding Perfect: A Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Twice in a Blue Moon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Without Merit: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5One Italian Summer: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beautiful Bastard Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This Girl: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Bleak
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Bleak - Britt DeLaney
Britt DeLaney
Copyright 2020 Britt DeLaney
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
gaztsp-200X200Philadelphia, PA
www.gazepublishing.com
Blaze/Britt DeLaney. —1st ed.
Bleak1THE DOOR OPENED, and Stephan braced himself against the blast of icy air. He stepped back, allowing the first four members of his household staff to enter, before shutting the door behind them.
How is he this morning?
Asked a plump woman in her fifties as she removed her scarf and gloves.
Sleeping peacefully, Madam Bloss,
Stephan answered. The doctor will be arriving after luncheon today. Should he require anything for the boy, simply have it charged to the castle account.
There’s naught wrong with the child that a week’s worth of good meals won’t cure,
said Old Erna, the boy’s nanny, who, despite her seventy-seven years, was still keen of mind and had twice his energy on any given day.
I’ll get right to work shoveling the walkway, your Highness,
said Geddard, a middle-aged man who assisted Old Erna with her coat. Just as soon as the lads from the village get here.
Join us in the kitchen for a cup of tea,
said Madam Bloss to Geddard.
Be quick about it,
grumbled the cook, a man by the name of Poke. I don’t need all of you lollygagging around while I’m trying to dress the venison. Can you spare one of those lads this afternoon, Geddard? I’ve the grain and potatoes coming from the market.
I’ll send one of them over as soon as we see to the walk,
Geddard replied.
With that, the three of them made their way toward the kitchen as Old Erna began to climb the stairs.
Erna?
She paused and looked over her shoulder. Yes, Highness?
Ask the doctor why he hasn’t spoken. Perhaps the boy has been injured.
He may just be working off a fright,
Erna said. He’s had a rough time of it. Now he’s here with us and I’m sure it’s all very strange for him. Probably more so because he can’t leave.
Stephan nodded his head, feeling more than a little uncomfortable. Yes, of course. Keep reassuring him. Make it clear that we will not hurt him.
Other than keeping him a prisoner for the rest of his natural life, he thought. The boy was young—not much more than five or six years old by his estimation, though no one really knew for sure as the child was mute. He hadn’t been able to tell them a thing, not his name, not his age, not how he came to be in the castle. He was dirty, emaciated, and terrified when Stephan found him wandering the halls of the castle six days ago.
He heard Madam Bloss laugh over something Geddard said as they all broke their fast in the kitchen. Stephan moved toward his study, when he found himself stumbling as a blur of fur darted between his legs.
What the devil!
He backed up in surprise at the sight of the white cat staring up at him, it’s stunning, crystal-blue eyes holding his with unnerving intelligence.
Where did you come from?
He asked. The creature must’ve darted in through the door when he opened it for the staff. A light dusting of snow glistened as it melted into its coat.
He wondered if the cat would claw or bite him if he tried to pick it up. He gave a quick glance over his shoulder toward the kitchen and toyed with the idea of calling Geddard or Madam Bloss to deal with the animal, but that was silly. He wasn’t some helpless royal who had to be waited on hand and foot. He could certainly see to one cat.
Here now,
he crooned in a low voice. There’s a good kitty. Let’s get you back outside.
He reached out slowly for the cat, and it was as though he’d shot at it with an arrow. His fingers came down, swiping empty air as the animal took off up the stairs, paws and claws scrabbling on the marbled tile.
Dammit!
He gave chase, pounding up the stairs after it. From somewhere behind him, he heard Madam Bloss and Geddard calling, having heard his shout.
He reached the expansive hallway at the top of the stairs and turned left, in the direction the cat had run. There was no sign of the animal. There were eleven separate rooms in this wing, and four of them were suites with multiple chambers. It would take him a long while to search every hiding place in all of them.
Stephan strode down the hallway until he reached the door on the right at the end. He knocked.
Old Erna called out from the other side, bidding him enter, and he did so quickly, shutting the door behind him.
Your pardon,
Stephan said. Somehow a cat’s gotten into the castle and it’s running around loose up here. The animal appeared to be healthy, but I cannot be sure as I was unable to catch it. Best to leave the door closed until we round it up.
A cat?
Old Erna raised her brows. "What