Dark Creation

By Kelsey Ketch

Long before Charissa began her murderous rampage through history, she was a young woman living in ancient Alexandria.

Oppressed by society and cursed by the color of her hair, Charissa had hardly seen the world beyond the four walls of her home. So, when her husband leaves for extended military duty, she takes the opportunity to tour the city her brother once loved. Little does she know the Fates have other plans in store for her when she runs into an exotic woman in the Rhakotis District. The encounter will change her life forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kelsey Ketch
• Release date: Apr 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005110901

Kelsey Ketch

Kelsey Ketch is a young-adult/new-adult author, who works as a Wildlife Biologist and Data Analyst. During her free time, she can often be found working on her latest work in progress. She also enjoys history, mythology, traveling, and reading.For more information, please visit her site at kelseyketch.com.

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Dark CreationTitle Page

Copyright © 2020 by Kelsey Ketch.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information, contact the author.

This book is a work of fiction.

Though research into settings, styles, mythology, and events were used, this is not meant as a reference text. Names, characters, organizations, places, and events are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Cover Designed and Interior Design by Lee Ching at Under Cover Designs

Edited by Marcie Turner at Looking Glass Editing

First Edition: 2021

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Epilogue

Other Books by Kelsey Ketch

Author Notes

Acknowledgments

About the Author

To Valerie Beveridge, my high school

English teacher, mentor, and friend.

1

Alexandria, Egypt ~290 B.C.E

Hesitantly, I took one step from the enclosed courtyard onto the dirt road. My heart pounded, my chest constricted, and my limbs trembled. I scanned the few people walking along the street. No one took notice. They were too engrossed in their daily chores. My eyes then darted to the second stories of the neighboring pastas-style houses. I spied a few wary, narrowed glances in my direction from the Grecian slaves, who were apparent by their exomis tunics. But none of them seemed to pay much heed to my presence outside my husband’s house. Nor did I believe they would alert my husband of my absence. After all, on any normal day, I was as much a prisoner as they were.

Despite the lovely fillets and diadem Rhoda set in my vile red hair, I wrapped my sea-blue himation tightly over my head and even covered my lower face. I didn’t want anyone to see my hair, but more important, I didn’t want anyone to recognize me. Even in the populous city of Alexandria, not too many women had my color hair. And if my husband learned I stepped one foot outside on my own . . . I winced, already anticipating his balky hand crossing my cheek. As it was, no matter how hard I tried, my husband belittled me and my attempts to please him on a daily basis.

To him, I was nothing but a curse. My shoulders dropped as if I were carrying bails of water. His harsh words must’ve been true. I had prayed and prayed to the household gods, yet they had not granted me a single child during our five years of marriage. Fortunately, with my husband and many of our neighbors away on extended military