Buy Cursed Song here! Cursed Song is a Dark Twisted Fairy Tale with a romantic subplot and LGBTQTIA+ main characters. It contains horror scares, fantastical elements, and characters that will haunt you.
Below is a previously unreleased cut chapter from Cursed Song that was deemed too steamy to make it into the actual book. Please enjoy!
Derry slipped through the dispersing crowd, looking to and fro, desperate to spot Shadow’s dark hair and flashy black costume through the townspeople. Always seductive and the crowd favorite of the band for that sort of entertainment, Shadow had a habit of slipping off with various people from the towns even though it was against the rules. Derry tried to still the thumping of his heart. Would it beat out of his chest? Could those around him hear it as loudly as he did in his ears?
He paused as he reached the end of the crowd and could see the rest of the Dusksingers dancing and trotting down the road toward the camp of circled wagons. He spotted Ruyne’s unmistakable blue hair, and Silver near him, but still no Shadow. Derry let out a sigh when he realized he had been holding his breath. No sign of Shadow.
“Derry,” Shadow’s deep baritone voice whispered into his ear from behind him.
Derry jumped, barely biting back a squeal, startled. He bit his lower lip and turned to see Shadow’s eyes glittering with mischief. He couldn’t find his voice at first and heat rushed to his face. Shadow’s nearness and the aura remaining from the seductive Song-magic he had unleashed in his performance sent Derry’s thoughts darting around. He couldn’t form any words, he forgot how.
“Looking for me?” Shadow asked, his head cocked to the side and a charming grin on his face.
Get a hold of yourself, Derry thought as he nodded and took a deep breath. Shadow didn’t know how crazy he drove Derry. They were just friends. Even though Derry had loved Shadow since they were young enough to know about such things. Every performance Shadow gave was maddening and drove him out of his mind with desire. No! He chased those thoughts away and realized he was staring at Shadow with a blank look. “Yes, I was looking for you. I thought you had found someone to run off with,” Derry answered, keeping his voice soft, afraid it would break.
Shadow just grinned more and trailed his fingers gently down Derry’s arm to take his hand. Derry involuntarily shivered under the touch. Did he misread it? How could he? There was fire in that touch and it made him burn from the inside. He’d never felt desire for anyone except Shadow. He’d never been with anyone that way.
“I want to show you something,” Shadow whispered to him, before looking around and tugging him off the path. “Quick, before anyone sees.”
Derry blinked and stumbled along with Shadow. Why would it matter if anyone saw them? When Shadow led him to where their horses were standing tethered he didn’t question it. He pulled his mount’s reins loose and mounted the horse, curious, but quiet. He trusted Shadow completely despite Shadow’s mischievous nature. That’s what was exciting. You couldn’t predict Shadow. He was chaos incarnate but not in an evil way.
Shadow winked at him, swinging up onto his own mount. “Quiet now. Hurry.” Then he sent his horse racing through the forest at a reckless speed, despite the quiet warning.
Derry rolled his eyes. He glanced behind them. Sure, no one would hear that. Well, the crowd was still noisy, maybe not. He started his horse after Shadow’s and could have sworn he saw Silver glance their way. That just made him duck closer to the horse’s neck. He loved Silver like any of them did, as a brother, but Silver and Ruyne didn’t approve of Shadow’s mischief most times. And Silver told Ruyne everything. Well, almost everything. Except for the same secret that Derry kept from Shadow. The brothers had no idea how desperately their best friends were in love with them.
Distracted by his thoughts, he jolted in his saddle when the horse came to a stiff-legged halt. Shadow grabbed the reins and led Derry’s horse to the tree next to his own and tied it. Derry lost his breath again when Shadow’s hand brushed his thigh before sliding to his arm to help him down. He ended up sliding down between the horse and Shadow, throwing his arms around Shadow’s neck to avoid falling back into the horse.
Shadow held him there for just a moment longer than was appropriate for two friends, then he grabbed Derry’s hand and dragged him toward the opening of a cave. “Here, it’s inside.”
“What is it?” Derry mumbled, the dark gaping maw of the cave bringing back some of his senses. What were they doing at a cave? He pulled out of Shadow’s grasp as they entered and he saw the romantic picnic laid out there with candles flickering. The air was thick with aromatic incense, one he knew was used as an aphrodisiac. He glanced around and then looked back at Shadow with wide eyes. Was Shadow trying to set him up with someone? He knew his friend had mentioned concern at Derry’s apparent disinterest in anyone that way. “Shadow? You better not have brought me here for a date with someone.”
Shadow raised a brow, a knowing smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. That ridiculous sparkle of mischief burned brightly in his eyes. “No? What if it was with me?”
Derry felt his knees get weak. Shadow grabbed him as he melted against his friend. Breathless he stared up into Shadow’s eyes. “What?”
“I’m not stupid, Derry. I know you’re in love with me,” Shadow whispered, as he slowly rubbed his cheek against Derry’s, his breath hot on Derry’s ear and full of lust now. “You do want me, don’t you?”
Derry grabbed handfuls of Shadow’s loose shirt like a drowning man grabbing anything to save him from the waves. “More than anything,” Derry admitted. Their Song-magic started to thrum together with their desire, beating a frantic pace through his veins. He felt too hot, and lightheaded. This had to be a dream. Then Shadow’s velvet lips were on his neck, kissing, sucking. Shivers racked Derry’s body. “Shadow! We can’t…it’s forbidden.”
“Like that’s ever stopped me?” Shadow murmured then picked Derry up. He carried Derry over to the blanket laid out between the candles and laid him there then climbed on top, pinning Derry down. “The plan was to be romantic and seduce you. However, your Song is driving me crazy. I should probably ask; are you hungry?”
“Only for you,” Derry managed to choke out. What was he doing? What were they doing?! This was forbidden by the rules of the camp. They couldn’t do this…
His frantic thoughts were completely disrupted by Shadow’s warm lips devouring his own. Sea be damned. He didn’t care if this was a dream. He didn’t care if it was forbidden. He’d wanted this for so long. He surrendered, completely. Shadow would never hurt him.
The Song-magic was not fooled by their desperate lust. Their songs entwined just as desperately and freely as their heated bodies. Derry felt the Song-binding so clearly, it nearly jarred him out of the euphoria of their pleasure. When Shadow didn’t seem to notice and their Songs fell back into a normal rhythm, Derry got lost in the physical again. If anything it made it so much better. Song-binding only happened if there was love on both sides freely given. This wasn’t just lusting, on either side.
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