Young, terrified, and bound to a vampire, Louella Eschete fled the bayou and swore off magic. Years later, she’s returned to the tiny town of Cypress, Louisiana to take her rightful place as head of her magical family, whether she likes it or not. In order to keep the tentative peace formed between the various races of powerful beings who rule side by side, she must face her own demons. Mainly one, Cristobal Cortez. Now a master vampire, and lord of the seven cities surrounding New Orleans, her former lover has moved up in the world. Their relationship gets way more complicated when his court is framed for a rash of murders they didn’t commit. Forced to play her role as his bond mate, and launch an investigation into the darkness threatening to overturn truces, she may be in over her head.

With two coronations to attend, you’d think the universe would stop piling catastrophes on top of Louella Eschete, but you’d be dead wrong. As she prepares to ascend two thrones, one as Lady of the Cortez Vampire Court and the other as Matriarch of the Eschete Witches, she must face a new evil. Just when Lou is ready to stab a seamstress with a hat pin, murder and strange occurrences begin to happen around her city. Stolen corpses in the cemetery, decapitated astronomers, and hearts taken from nursing homes is odd, even for Louisiana. There is no rhyme or reason to the carnage, but the sigil left behind at a scene points to something ancient. It’s a race against the clock for humanity. There’ll be nothing to rule if everyone’s dead.

Master vampire Cristobal Cortez broke all the rules when he made a witch his Queen. Now someone is targeting his court using Death Essence. Able to walk into the Otherworld and speak with the dead, hedge-witch Cedar Hollings is placed on the case with Cristobal’s enforcer, Arlington Bonnor. Longtime witch hater, Arlington is on his third strike. Forced to assimilate into a witch-friendly environment, he’s pushed to his limits when he’s placed with a witch to solve the recent attacks. If he can keep his prejudices to himself long enough to solve the case, he might just get back in his master’s good graces.

Sacha I’ve always believed in being the change you want to see. But I never imagined that would cause me to be dipped in gold paint, bedazzled in beads, and flaunted on a float in an outfit that would make RuPaul proud. When the party is over, there are more than stray beads left on the streets. A body has been found, and as the days pass, the killer shows no sign of stopping. I’m feeling eyes on me wherever I go, and the oversized footprints outside of my dwelling tell a story all their own. The beast tearing people apart has its sights set on me as the next victim. It’s time to swallow my pride and pull out the big guns, a member of the Cortez vampire court. Marcellus Having a witch queen makes their problems ours. Which is how I landed on this glorified babysitting duty. At least this assignment promises adventure. Somehow, the sassy-mouthed witch who co-runs the supernatural investigation company Witch For Hire has gained herself an unwanted admirer of the furry kind. Stalked and attacked, Sacha needs the type of protection that can combat the cursed man trapped in the beast’s body. If I fail to keep her safe, she may face a feat worse than death. She’ll become one of the damned.