Shattered: The House of Crimson & Clover, #2

By Sarah M. Cradit

The House of Crimson & Clover continues in the second volume, Shattered.

 

Ana can't run from the darkness inside of her.

 

Ana's shattered heart is divided between the St. Andrews brothers.

 

One light. One dark.

 

Finn's kind heart offers a selfless love she doesn't deserve as Jon's embrace of darkness swiftly turns to cruelty.

 

The delicate line between love and hate casts a dark pall over their tense household, rooted in the dangerous, deadly secret that binds all three together—forever.

 

It's long been time for her to return home to New Orleans. For Finn's sake. For Jon's.

 

Even for her own.

 

But hope keeps her in the arms of one man, and the crosshairs of another.

 

And now there's nothing, nothing that can stop the catastrophic landslide her choice has put in motion.

 

The House of Crimson and Clover Series
This is the recommended reading order for the series.
Volume I: The Storm and the Darkness
Volume II: Shattered
Volume III: The Illusions of Eventide
Volume IV: Bound
Volume V: Midnight Dynasty
Volume VI: Asunder
Volume VII: Empire of Shadows
Volume VIII: Myths of Midwinter
Volume IX: The Hinterland Veil
Volume X: The Secrets Amongst the Cypress
Volume XI: Within the Garden of Twilight
Volume XII: House of Dusk, House of Dawn

The Saga of Crimson & Clover
A sprawling dynasty. An ancient bloodline. A world of magic and mayhem.

Welcome to the Saga of Crimson & Clover, where all series within are linked but can be equally enjoyed on their own.

 

For content warnings, please visit the author's website.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Storyville Press
• Release date: Dec 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393196044

Sarah M. Cradit

Sarah is the USA Today and International Bestselling Author of over forty contemporary and epic fantasy stories, and the creator of the Kingdom of the White Sea and Saga of Crimson & Clover universes.   Born a geek, Sarah spends her time crafting rich and multilayered worlds, obsessing over history, playing her retribution paladin (and sometimes destruction warlock), and settling provocative Tolkien debates, such as why the Great Eagles are not Gandalf's personal taxi service. Passionate about travel, she's been to over twenty countries collecting sparks of inspiration, and is always planning her next adventure.   Sarah and her husband live in a beautiful corner of SE Pennsylvania with their three tiny benevolent pug dictators.     Connect with Sarah:   sarahmcradit.com Instagram: @sarahmcradit Facebook: @sarahmcradit

Book preview

Shattered

SHATTERED

THE HOUSE OF CRIMSON & CLOVER VOLUME II

SARAH M. CRADIT

Copyright © 2014 Sarah M. Cradit

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All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Cover Design by Sarah M. Cradit

Editing by Shaner Media Creations

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Publisher Contact:

[e-mail]

www.sarahmcradit.com

CONTENTS

Praise for The House of Crimson & Clover

Also by Sarah M. Cradit

Playlist

Special Note

1. Ana

2. Ana

3. Finn

4. Ana

5. Finn

6. Jon

7. Ana

8. Finn

9. Jon

10. Finn

11. Ana

12. Colleen

13. Ana

14. Jon

15. Ana

The Illusions of Eventide Excerpt

Also by Sarah M. Cradit

Crimson & Clover Connections

About the Author

PRAISE FOR THE HOUSE OF CRIMSON & CLOVER

"Cradit’s words flow in prosaic candor like a melody of the ages: pronounced, patient, lingering, and beautiful.

Dionne Charlet, New Orleans Examiner

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Her (Cradit's) talent for creating atmosphere rivals Daphne du Maurier. This is modern Gothic with fierce smarts. Can't say it enough. I loved this book.

Christopher Rice, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Heavens Rise

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It takes a great writer like Cradit to weave the threads of so many characters into an enjoyable story. I have no doubt that the name Cradit will one day be associated with the echelon of gothic fiction writers, namely Radcliffe, Blackwood, and Rice.

Becket, Bestselling Author of The Blood Vicicanti and Former Assistant to Anne Rice

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Sarah Cradit's writing is tight and masterful. Her keen sense of how to pace a book and her ability to use just the right language to express the desires, fears and hopes of her characters is flawless.

Ionia Martin, Vine Top 100 Reviewer, Readful Things

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Cradit does an incredible job of building suspense. It's a slow, moody, edge of your seat suspense with a palpable sense of foreboding. This atmosphere kicks the book off and slowly escalates as you sink deeper into it.

Julie Whiteley, Clue Review

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The plot flows so quickly that you reach the end of the story well before you are ready and without realizing how much time has gone by since you were enchanted, committed and flung into the world of the Sullivans, Deschanels and their friends. You become a part of their lives as you are reading the books and think about the characters long after you have finished reading the book.

Stephenee Carsten, Nerd Girl Official

ALSO BY SARAH M. CRADIT

KINGDOM OF THE WHITE SEA

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Kingdom of the White Sea Trilogy

The Kingless Crown

The Broken Realm

The Hidden Kingdom

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The Book of All Things

The Raven and the Rush

The Sylvan and the Sand

The Altruist and the Assassin

The Melody and the Master

The Claw and the Crowned

THE SAGA OF CRIMSON & CLOVER

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The House of Crimson and Clover Series

The Storm and the Darkness

Shattered

The Illusions of Eventide

Bound

Midnight Dynasty

Asunder

Empire of Shadows

Myths of Midwinter

The Hinterland Veil

The Secrets Amongst the Cypress

Within the Garden of Twilight

House of Dusk, House of Dawn

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Midnight Dynasty Series

A Tempest of Discovery

A Storm of Revelations

A Torrent of Deceit

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The Seven Series

1970

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1980

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Vampires of the Merovingi Series

The Island

and more

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The Dusk Trilogy

St. Charles at Dusk: The Story of Oz and Adrienne

Flourish: The Story of Anne Fontaine

Banshee: The Story of Giselle Deschanel

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Crimson & Clover Stories

Surrender: The Story of Oz and Ana

Shame: The Story of Jonathan St. Andrews

Fire & Ice: The Story of Remy & Fleur

Dark Blessing: The Landry Triplets

Pandora's Box: The Story of Jasper & Pandora

The Menagerie: Oriana’s Den of Iniquities

A Band of Heather: The Story of Colleen and Noah

The Ephemeral: The Story of Autumn & Gabriel

Bayou’s Edge: The Landry Triplets

For more information, and exciting bonus material, visit www.sarahmcradit.com

PLAYLIST

Every book in the House of Crimson & Clover Series has its own Spotify playlist. They’re designed to be an accompaniment to the reading experience, but are by no means necessary. You can also follow me to get updates when I update old playlists or add new ones.

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Shattered Playlist on Spotify

You can find a complete list of content warnings on my website: sarahmcradit.com

For all those who are still searching for their light in the darkness

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.

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Edgar Allan Poe

1

ANA

Anasofiya Deschanel sat before the antique glass vanity, gazing mournfully at the contents of her cosmetic case. The notion of being on display all night was horrifying, and rather than preparing, as she should have, she pushed it out of her mind until the moment was upon her. Now, her heart and stomach were both a fluttery mess.

Ana successfully avoided the spotlight most of her life. Growing up in one of the most prominent families in New Orleans, her father Augustus graciously protected his only child, accepting her innate discomfort with society life. He wasn’t so different himself. He’d taken a backseat for years, letting his sister, Colleen, run the family when their older brother, Charles, died.

When she did need to put on a brave face, Nicolas was a comforting distraction from her unease. But this was not New Orleans. Nicolas and her father were not here.

When Ana proposed the restoration of the Casco Bay Lighthouse, she assumed it would be a simple matter, her father giving the nod to his accountant. She hadn’t foreseen the outpouring of appreciation and warm wishes from Summer Island, Maine’s two hundred residents—people who had recently been so cold and unwelcoming—nor that Mayor Cairne would join forces with the city of Portland to host a celebration aboard the Grand Atlantic.

It won’t be nearly as unpleasant as you’re expecting, her father promised, when the invitations went out. In any case, your attendance is perfunctory this time, as my schedule isn’t flexible, sweetheart.

Ana suspected he could’ve moved things around, had he truly wanted to. He was punishing her, for her decision to stay in Maine with Finn. Her father had somehow resisted being overly critical of her decision not to join the family business, but apparently drew the line at his daughter dating a lobsterman. It didn’t seem to matter that Finn had turned a hobby into a successful business venture, just like Augustus had, once upon a time.

In light of her father’s displeasure, Ana had expected him to bargain with her when she proposed the restoration; to request she come home, in exchange. But when she spoke to him on the phone about it, he hesitated for only the briefest of moments before agreeing.

If this puts the Alex Whitman issue to bed, consider it done, he’d said.

Ana didn’t think anything could do that. Alex hadn’t only terrorized her, Finn, and Jon, but his sadistic behavior had left a lingering mark on every resident on the island. No one would’ve guessed quiet, unassuming Alex Whitman was responsible for the four unsolved