When Darkness Falls - Six Paranormal Novels in One Boxed Set Read online

  When Darkness Falls

  Six Paranormal Novels in One Boxed Set

  By:

  Shalini Boland

  Sarah Dalton

  Rebecca Hamilton

  Laura Howard

  Patti Roberts

  Suzy Turner

  Six paranormal novels from six bestselling authors who know how to weave a gripping fantasy tale.

  From brooding vampires, ghosts and witches, to fallen angels, shifters and fae.

  Be enchanted with dark romances and sweeping adventures to take you away from the everyday.

  When Darkness Falls bundle copyright 2014 Shalini Boland. Individual books are fully copyrighted by their respective authors, and used with permission. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual business establishments, or persons, living or dead, are coincidental.

  Cover stock image – Deposit Photos

  Cover Design – Sarah Dalton

  Interior layout – Shalini Boland

  Hidden © 2011 by Shalini Boland

  Mary Hades © 2014 by Sarah Dalton

  The Forever Girl © 2012 by Rebecca Hamilton

  The Forgotten Ones © 2014 by Laura Howard

  Paradox – The Angels Are Here © 2012 by Patti Roberts

  Raven © 2011 by Suzy Turner

  Table of Contents

  HIDDEN by Shalini Boland

  Now an international bestseller. Fans of Twilight and Interview with the Vampire will enjoy this paranormal adventure that spans the centuries. On her sixteenth birthday, Madison Greene inherits a huge mansion house… but the house hides a secret. Eighteen-year-old Alexandre lives in 19th century Paris. Spoilt and bored, he longs for adventure, but he should be careful what he wishes for. Madison and Alexandre’s lives are about to collide… Falling in love has never been so dangerous.

  Mary Hades by Sarah Dalton

  Not many seventeen year old girls have a best friend who’s a ghost, but then Mary Hades isn’t your average teenager. Scarred physically and mentally from a fire, a holiday in an idyllic village may help her recover. Little does she know, evil lurks in the campsite… Seth Lockwood—a local fairground worker with a dark secret—might be the key to uncovering the village’s murky history. But Mary is drawn to him in a way that has her questioning her judgement. A spine-tingling romantic tale, to shock and entertain in equal measure.

  The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton

  Now optioned for film, this paranormal fantasy will appeal to lovers of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and paranormal horror. At twenty-two, practicing Wiccan Sophia Parsons is a pariah in her hometown after a string of unsolved murders with only one thing in common: her. When a spell she casts to rid herself of her curse goes wrong, her personal demons get company, and the newcomers are dangerous. Charles, a man with a paranormal curse of his own, might be able to to help, but Sophia gets more than she bargains for when she finally decides to trust him.

  The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard

  Allison O'Malley's plan is to get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has even closed herself off from a relationship with Ethan, who she's been in love with forever. But then her father shows up, telling her about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan. Truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity.

  Paradox – The Angels Are Here by Patti Roberts

  Two mysterious strangers arrive just in time to help a little girl, Grace Connors, as she struggles to cope with the death of her father. But are the intentions of these strangers as innocent as they seem, or is there something else on their agenda? A story that will leave you asking... Who, When, Where? WHAT! My name is Juliette. Nine hundred years ago, I died. Today, I am alive... This is my story.

  RAVEN by Suzy Turner

  Lilly’s whole life has been based on a lie. She grew up in a loveless home with a father she barely saw and a mother who was... well, not very motherly. After her parents mysteriously disappear, Lilly is sent to Canada where she finds a new way of life filled with love and people who care for her. But that's not all she discovers. Lilly finds out she isn't who, or what, she thinks she is. For Lilly has a very special ability and it's just a matter of time before her true self starts to shine. And when it does, her life will never be the same again.

  HIDDEN

  Book One

  Marchwood Vampire Series

  ~

  Shalini Boland

  Copyright © Shalini Boland 2011

  ~

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, locales or organisations is entirely coincidental.

  ~

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the author.

  ~

  http://www.shaliniboland.co.uk

  ~

  For Pete, Dan and Billy xxx

  ~

  PREFACE

  *

  He felt the drumming of the earth, the heartbeat of all humankind in his bones and blood, in his skin and soul. It sang a song that he had known forever and in that instant everything became clear. He knew the reason for it all; the key to life and it was so obvious. How could he not have known this simple truth before now?

  And then as suddenly as it had come, it left. His beating heart slowed, the song faded and the knowledge slipped away like an elusive memory refusing to come to mind. He felt a devastating loss, worse than if his dearest love had died.

  A heavy melancholy descended, so profound he felt as though he should like to sleep for a thousand years. In the cold darkness, tears rolled down his face and stung his cheeks like acid. He closed his eyes and tried not to think. It hurt to think.

  It hurt.

  God, it hurt.

  Like the skin being stripped from his body. He could not breathe and his eyes burned white hot with a searing pain.

  He tried to speak but his throat constricted, closed shut. Was he in hell? Was this the fate he deserved? Please, God, no! Help me! he silently screamed. Save me! I promise … I promise anything. I will do anything. Just please … make … it … STOP.

  Chapter One

  *

  ‘... and black denim micro skirts are certainly not part of our school uniform. Nor are those boots or that trashy black eyeliner ...’

  Madison let the Deputy Head’s sharp Scottish tones fade out as she gazed through the window onto the school playing fields. Some of the boys were out there playing a brutal game of rounders, taking it pathetically seriously. She wrinkled her nose at the stink of disinfectant and perfume in Haggis’ room. It made the already stifling air barely breathable.

  ‘Madison, are you listening to me?’ Haggis rapped her saggy knuckles on the table. ‘Or am I talking to the wall? You know, you would do well to lis
ten, girl. You need to change your ways. I’ve seen your type a hundred times before and you never amount to anything. You have all the back-chat and think you’re the queen of the world, but you’re nothing. You look a mess and you’ve absolutely no respect for tradition.’

  Something in Maddy snapped - something separate and distant from her brain. Anger spiked.

  ‘You’re talking crap. All you want is a school full of uniform-wearing Nazis, like you.’

  ‘I beg your pardon!’ Haggis’ mouth hung open for a couple of seconds and her face flushed purple. ‘How dare you talk to me like that.’

  Maddy ignored her. She knew she’d gone too far, but she was sick of people talking down to her like she was nothing, like she had no feelings. All her unsaid frustrations spewed out with no thought for any consequences.

  ‘Don’t you want us to think for ourselves? I mean, I’m not telling you how to do your job, just making a few suggestions.’ She paused. ‘Or maybe you‘re just jealous, cos you‘re an ancient old hag.’

  ‘You little …’

  Maddy suddenly felt a stinging blow on her cheek and put her hand to her face. She couldn’t believe it. Haggis had slapped her. The old cow had actually hit her. She felt anger, followed by a strange realisation that this could possibly work out in her favour.

  Haggis stared down at her trembling hand and then looked back at Maddy in fear.

  ‘You hit me,’ said Maddy.

  There was a moment’s silence.

  ‘You deserved it.’ Haggis’ fear was morphing into something else. Something harder.

  ‘You’ll get the sack for that,’ Maddy said. ‘You might even get put away.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous. Who’d believe a jumped up little trollop like you?’

  ‘I’m gonna go and see Gordon. Tell him what you’ve done.’

  ‘You tell anyone anything and I’ll make sure you and your brother are split up for good,’ Haggis said, cold flint in her voice. ‘I’ll make sure he gets sent back to that care home you hated so much.’

  ‘You can’t do that …’

  ‘Breathe a word of this and your life will be worth even less than it is now. I mean it. You don’t say anything to anybody, or that little brother of yours will be back wetting the bed for the next four years.’

  Madison wanted to punch her.

  ‘Wait here,’ Haggis said. She reappeared a few minutes later with Mr Gordon, the headmaster.

  ‘Madison Greene has just threatened to ‘smack me in the face’,’ she announced and pursed her lips, waiting.

  ‘Lying bitch. You can’t …’ But she realised she couldn’t say anything without jeopardising her life further.

  ‘Quiet, Madison,’ Mr Gordon said, a weary frown embedded in his grey forehead.

  ‘What are you going to do about it, Mr Gordon?’ Haggis put her hands on her hips. ‘I will not be spoken to like that or threatened in such a way, especially not by the likes of her.’

  ‘I’ll deal with it, Miss McKinley.’ He sighed. ‘Madison, you better come into my office.’

  Maddy shook her head slowly in disbelief whilst Haggis caught her eye and twisted her lips in a half smile. Mr Gordon opened the door and gestured to Madison to lead the way.

  Once in his office, he pointed to a chair and she dropped herself into it. A loud whump of air rushed out of the seat pad. Madison re-crossed her arms and began chewing her fingernails. Mr Gordon sat behind his desk.

  ‘She’s lying,’ Madison began. ‘I never said …’

  Mr Gordon held up his hand to silence her.

  ‘Madison, I’m sorry but you’ve been warned about this type of thing twice already this term. I’m seeing persistent disruptive behaviour from you.’ He slowly shook his head. ‘I’ve got no other option … I’m going to have to exclude you from school for one week.’

  ‘What?’ She couldn’t believe it. How had this happened? How had it gone from one of Haggis’ boring lectures, to her getting slapped and then suspended? She daren’t risk telling the truth; her brother couldn’t take going back to that place. Trevor was going to freak.

  ‘I’ll also be speaking to your foster parents.’

  ‘But I never threatened her. I just …’

  ‘Stop, Madison. You’ve been in my office too many times and I’m not putting up with it anymore. You’re lucky I don’t get the police involved. Threatening a teacher with violence is a serious offence.’

  ‘I didn’t threaten her though. She’s such a liar ... Oh what’s the point.’ She clenched her fist in frustration. ‘No one ever believes me anyway.’ Her cheek stung.

  ‘Right.’ Mr Gordon picked up a blue folder and flipped through its pages. ‘You can stay in classroom 4B until the end of school. You needn’t return until your week’s suspension is up.’

  ‘Great,’ she replied, standing up, raising her middle finger and slamming out of his office.

  Madison didn’t bother going into classroom 4B and she couldn‘t face going home yet. Leaving the school grounds, she strode across to the nearby park and sat on the only non-vandalised swing. Over by the hedge, a small cluster of Year Nines were bunking off and sharing a bottle of cider.

  She swung her bare legs backwards and forwards on the swing, its rusty chain, thirsty for a few squirts of oil. As she swung higher and higher, anger took hold. She gritted her teeth at the injustice of it all, thoughts flying through her head, things she should have said, should’ve done, an acidic feeling rising.

  Not a breath of wind stirred, only the stale breeze she generated on the swing. After a while, her thoughts blurred and she tried to shake off a feeling of dread. Putting her feet down on the concrete to slow herself, she pulled out her mobile phone to check the time. Ten past three, school would be finishing soon.

  She’d been at Collingstone Comprehensive for the past three years and had settled in pretty well, managing to hover somewhere between the cool kids and the troublemakers. Now, as she headed back to the school, she glared at its green iron gates and faded red bricks, as if it was somehow the building’s fault she was in trouble.

  The bell shrilled, making her jump, and there was a minute of silence before doors banged open and hundreds of pupils spilled out in a mess of movement and noise. As she waited, Maddy felt distanced from it all, cut off, adrift.

  *

  ‘Ugghhh! I could scream.’ It was a relief to finally talk to Keisha and Lois. ‘Haggis lied to Mr Gordon’s face. She actually lied.’

  ‘Oh, Mads, I’d have gone mental.’ Lois scowled.

  ‘What did you do?’ Keisha asked.

  ‘Nothing I could do. Just gave him the finger and walked out of his office.’

  ‘Good. That’s all they deserve. You should’ve texted us, we’d have bunked Geography.’

  ‘Thanks, but I was so wound up, I wasn’t thinking right.’

  ‘One whole week though, Mads,’ Lois said. ‘At least it’s summer, you can get yourself a good tan, girl.’

  ‘Yeah right, Lois. You know our Maddy girl don’t tan, she just gets a million freckles and burns up like a red hot chilli pepper.’

  ‘Thanks for that, Keisha. You’re supposed to be cheering me up, not taking the piss.’

  ‘Sorry, babe, just trying to take your mind off it, you know.’

  ‘Yeah, I know.’ Maddy smiled at her friends. She’d told her friends some of what happened, but hadn’t dared tell them about Haggis hitting her. If any gossip reached the staffroom, Haggis could make trouble for her and Ben. She couldn’t risk it. Then she spotted him up ahead. ‘Hey, Ben! Wait up!’

  She jogged down the road after a group of gangly Year Sevens. Ben was among them. She‘d missed him at the gates. Putting her arm around his neck, she pulled him into a bear hug, ruffling his dark brown hair and kissing the top of his head. His school uniform was about two sizes too big and swamped his narrow frame.

  ‘Get off,’ he grinned.

  ‘Hey, Ben, your sister’s well fit,’ said one of his friends. ‘Can
you give me some of that good loving too, Madison?’

  ‘Yeah, Maddy, you know we want some.’

  Maddy smiled and pulled her brother to one side, letting them all walk on ahead, still shouting and catcalling back to her. She told him a watered-down version of what had happened.

  ‘Oh no, Mads. Trevor’s gonna go mad.’ Ben frowned and chewed on the corner of his thumb.

  ‘Don’t worry about him, Ben. I’m not.’

  Maddy wasn’t looking forward to telling their foster father about her suspension from school and realised she didn’t want Ben to be around when she broke the news in case there was a scene.

  ‘Here’s a couple of quid, why don’t you go to the park with your mates for a bit. Come back around half five.’ She shook out the meagre contents of her purse and gave it to her brother.

  ‘But I’ve got a project to finish for tomorrow ...’

  ‘I’ll help you with it after tea. We’ll get it done no problem. Go on, I’ll see you later.’

  ‘Okay then.’ He said and shouted after his mates, ‘Oi, wait a minute.’

  Madison watched as he ran after them, trailing his schoolbag along the pavement. Her friends finally caught her up.

  ‘Ben’s such a sweetheart,’ Keisha said. ‘I wish my brother was more like that.’

  Maddy tried to kid herself nothing bad would happen. Here she was walking normally with her friends. Things would be fine. She tried to banish her foster parents from her mind. Tried to stop worrying about the power they had over her and Ben’s lives.

  ‘I gotta tell Trevor about my suspension before Gordon calls him,’ Maddy said, her low, husky voice even quieter than normal. She kicked a Coke can and sent it reeling into the road.

  ‘Come to my house tonight, then you won’t have to tell him nothing,’ Lois offered.

  ‘Yeah, but then I’d still have to see him tomorrow.’ She sat on a wall and the others stopped walking.

  ‘Just tell him yeah? He’ll shout at you and then it’ll be fine.’