Blood and Rubies Series by Kathryn Trattner

The death of a Saint. The birth of a monster.Visions of war have haunted the oracle Kira for weeks. Those around her have ignored each warning—even her beloved Saint Hakan—leaving Kira with an impending sense of doom.An enigmatic and charismatic leader of a growing cult, Hakan is on the verge of achieving the impossible. Monsters and men have gathered to discuss uniting the fractured kingdoms surrounding the Golden Citadel... moreThe death of a Saint. The birth of a monster.Visions of war have haunted the oracle Kira for weeks. Those around her have ignored each warning—even her beloved Saint Hakan—leaving Kira with an impending sense of doom.An enigmatic and charismatic leader of a growing cult, Hakan is on the verge of achieving the impossible. Monsters and men have gathered to discuss uniting the fractured kingdoms surrounding the Golden Citadel. But there is a dangerous faction who believe Hakan has become too powerful.In one night, Kira’s world is transformed and the love she thought would last a lifetime is reshaped.Discover the origins of the Saint in this prequel short story to the dark fantasy romance The Dead Saint - book one in the Blood and Rubies series. less

The Saint will rise.Sorcha, a priestess raised in the confines of the Golden Citadel and sheltered from the world, knows nothing beyond her small sphere. Chosen to be the vessel for the Saint, a living extension of a god now more legend than reality, she has had every desire fulfilled. No one, not even Sorcha, truly believes she will be called on to perform the ancient magic necessary to resurrect the dead god... moreThe Saint will rise.Sorcha, a priestess raised in the confines of the Golden Citadel and sheltered from the world, knows nothing beyond her small sphere. Chosen to be the vessel for the Saint, a living extension of a god now more legend than reality, she has had every desire fulfilled. No one, not even Sorcha, truly believes she will be called on to perform the ancient magic necessary to resurrect the dead god.But war is raging on the continent and a terrible horde is marching thousands of miles toward the citadel. As kingdoms fall and cities burn, a rumor spreads—the Empire is searching for the Saint.Blood will flow.Adrian, known and feared as the Wolf, has won one brutal victory after another for the Empire of the Snake. Reviled as a monster and leader of the Empire's elite killing force, he has been tasked with finding the woman capable of resurrecting a myth.He doesn't believe the legends about the Saint or in the woman's ability to usher in a new era. But there is no room for failure and time is running out as a mysterious illness strikes the court and threatens the life of the Empress he's sworn to protect.Resurrection is coming.Only Sorcha can bring together the scattered relics and perform the magic necessary to resurrect the Saint. But her value to the Empire vanishes the moment the Saint is reborn.Adrian will make every sacrifice to ensure the stability of the Empire and the continued existence of those in power. Even if that means the death of the woman who has opened his eyes to the world beyond constant war.Together they will face danger and have their loyalties tested. Choices must be made—is Sorcha the woman the temple raised her to be? Is Adrian the heartless killer the empire created?Only the Saint can decide.The Dead Saint ends on a cliffhanger which will be resolved in book two, The Living Saint. A full list of trigger warnings can be found on my site. less

A princess...When war threatens the borders of her father's kingdom Daphne's life and happiness are exchanged for weapons and soldiers. To seal the deal, she will have to travel to meet her new husband and pray that love and respect can grow out of a marriage contract signed in blood.A highwayman...Time is running out for Finian as the Empire of the White Snake approaches... moreA princess...When war threatens the borders of her father's kingdom Daphne's life and happiness are exchanged for weapons and soldiers. To seal the deal, she will have to travel to meet her new husband and pray that love and respect can grow out of a marriage contract signed in blood.A highwayman...Time is running out for Finian as the Empire of the White Snake approaches. His men know what it's like to live in the hell that is a battlefield, and they'll do whatever it takes to avoid returning to one. The only way to keep ahead of the looming army is enough money to finance escape. Ransom is the perfect solution.How much is one princess worth?How much is one man willing to change?One kiss can change it all.*this award-winning novella was previously published in A Series of Unfortunate Meet Cutes Romance Anthology less

The Saint lives and the Empire crumbles.The resurrection of the Saint brought death and destruction to the now fractured Empire of the White Snake. As cities bow and break beneath his merciless rule, people are desperate for a champion capable of reversing the terror he's unleashed.Sorcha, loyal priestess and now confidant of the Saint, has forgotten everything before his rebirth. In an instant, he wiped her memories and left her with nothing but inexplicable loneliness... moreThe Saint lives and the Empire crumbles.The resurrection of the Saint brought death and destruction to the now fractured Empire of the White Snake. As cities bow and break beneath his merciless rule, people are desperate for a champion capable of reversing the terror he's unleashed.Sorcha, loyal priestess and now confidant of the Saint, has forgotten everything before his rebirth. In an instant, he wiped her memories and left her with nothing but inexplicable loneliness. But pressure is building and fragments of her life before the Saint have begun to surface. In her nightmares a man wearing a wolf skull holds out his hand, waiting for her to take it.Adrian, once the notorious Wolf and killer of cities, is tormented by the final moments he spent with Sorcha. Now, he scours the continent for those who might help him undo the terrible mistakes of the past. But the brothers-in-arms he betrayed are close on his heels, determined to have their revenge and prove that love is no protection from death.Old scores will be settled.Sorcha and Adrian will have to find their way back to each other if there is to be any hope of defeating the immortal Saint. But her stability has been shaken and she distrusts everything, especially her memories and the man who claims to love her. Adrian must convince her that their hearts were once connected by the delicate thread of fate—and their lives depend on it.Love is worth fighting for.The future of the Empire will be decided by monsters or men—the world will end in darkness or light.The Saint is ready.This is the conclusion to The Dead Blood and Rubies Book One. The world continues with Daphne and Finian in the companion novella Steel and the Starlight. Discover the origins of the Saint in Sacrament and Smoke. less