Magic is the least of Bertram Bell’s mysteries . . . Elio Peralta is a useless magician. Every morning, he brews colors into coffee, brightening the days of his cafe’s customers. Every night, he pines after his best friend, Dutch Abel, a mechanic who’s always been by his side, and never given Elio what he desires. When Bertram Bell, a mysterious figure from his family’s past, appears to lay claim to an apprentice, Elio volunteers. Bell sweeps him into a lavish life like nothing he’s ever known, but shadows creep in the grand halls of Bellemont, and at night, ghosts whisper in his ear. Six apprentices came before Elio, and each met a gruesome end. Uncovering what befell them may cost Elio everything. But Dutch has a secret of his own, and if they hope to survive Bertram Bell, all secrets must come out. Childhood friends become lovers who must face down a festering evil in this retelling of Bluebeard. Expect the gruesome and macabre, a veritable handful of insidious rings, a powerful mage who is more than he seems, and a truly exceptional dog named Grim. The Seventh Ring of Bertram Bell was originally published in the Fables Retold Anthology. It has been expanded with a new epilogue.