Dark Fantasy Short Stories

After Claudia and Ben stumble upon Dorian's secret, they are taken prisoner. Food and supplies are running low, and Dorian's ultimate goal is survival of the race - and the fittest.

Here there be gods and monsters—forged from flesh and stone and vengeance—emerging from the icy abyss of deep space, ascending from dark oceans, and prowling strange cities to enter worlds of chaos and wonder, where scientific rigor and human endeavor is tested to the limits. These are cosmic realms and watery domains where old offerings no longer appease the ancient Gods or the new and hungry idols. Deities and beasts. Life and death. Love and hate. Science and magic. And smiling monsters in human skin.

A mere child yet a precocious writer, young Freddie records a series of terrifying encounters with an inhuman being that haunts his life and seems to predict his death. When an award-winning horror writer on the downward slope of a long career receives an invitation to address the Essex County Science Fiction Group, he figures that he's got nothing to lose. Though she's adopted by the cool kids, the new girl at Renfield High School is most drawn to Nancy Wilhoit, who claims to be haunted.

Welcome to six of the most amazing fantasy stories you'll ever hear. This volume includes five full-length fantasy stories plus an exclusive bonus short story.

A decade of blood stained his hands. None of his victims had ever weighed down his conscience. He was merely the tool, the living weapon wielded by his employers. His victims had begged for their lives, had cursed him with their dying breath, and stared in uncomprehending disbelief. But none had ever been calm in their final moments. None had ever stared up at him with such serenity.

Heartbroken and recently divorced, Jennifer had lost her will to live. Ready to take her own life, she was visited by a strange leprechaun-looking man who offered to take her sorrow away. All she needs to do is swallow two black pills.

An incurable sickness has infected a fishing village along the coast of Ishalar. The sick do not die - they vanish, leaving behind footprints and ashen shadows. Delanis, the fourth throne of Ishalar, has already lost his wife to The Vanishing, and now his daughter is deep in the throes of the illness. More in his village are succumbing almost every day.

Book 1 - Dragon's Fake Mate, Book 2 - Dark Dragon Daddy, Book 3 - Alpha Dragon's Second Chance, and Book 4 - Hit-Man Protector Daddy. Sound interesting? The author thinks so too! Listen to Second Chance Fake Mate Protector Daddies and experience the compelling world of paranormal fantasy and romance.

New to Castle Blackbourne, a pretty young housemaid is drawn to the dark and handsome master of the house, but a dalliance with the Earl of Blackbourne would be unwise…for a reason most deadly.

Fantasy fanatics hang on because The Year's Best Fantasy, Volume 2 will take you on a fantastic journey like no other! Prepare to embark on yet another fantastic adventure with award-winning fantasy editor Paula Guran. Delve into realms that exceed the limits of your imagination and embrace the surreal! Enjoy tales ranging from wonderful to wicked. From lore and legends to myths and fables of alternative realities, you will discover bewitchment with every story.

"Everything You've Always Wanted" by Mick Garris: It was supposed to be the night of his life - a celebration of his one hit slasher flick. But the price of admission is higher than this has-been filmmaker ever could have imagined. "The Land of Sunshine" by Kealan Patrick Burke: Although she was mute long before the affair that nearly wrecked their marriage, her silence has tortured her husband ever since. Now he will seek out what he has lost or be driven mad by remorse.

The vampire empress has a harem of human men. Every night she goes to satisfy her needs. They happily use their willing mouths to satisfy her dark desires, stimulating multiple areas at once while thrusting deep inside her.

The Ultimate Gothic Horror Collection is a fully indexed collection of classic gothic stories, read by four Audie-winning narrators. Included here are stories by Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Robert Louis Stevenson, Sheridan Le Fanu, Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allan Poe.

A collection of eight horror stories created by New York Times best-selling novelist Scott Sigler, author of horror/thrillers Infected, Contagious, Ancestor, Nocturnal and the young-adult Galactic Football League series.

A secret society of immortals lives within the human world. Kane is one of them, a Sensor who experiences emotional energy through touch. But despite his good looks and easygoing personality, Kane lives a solitary life. Unlike other Sensors, he is unnaturally hypersensitive. Fate throws a curveball when a woman's life is placed in Kane's hands. He is suddenly faced with making a choice, and each comes with a consequence that will wreck him forever. Time is not on his side.

Renowned and knighted for capturing the fearsome Dark Elf of Syron, Sir Fredric has nagging doubts about his victory. His brother Malgrid's drunken remark strengthens dire suspicions. Was it all some devious scheme? Fredric has enough enemies who would want to compromise his honor, especially with the prestigious Jewel Quest coming up. It seems that there is only one person who can possibly shed some light on the situation - the Dark Elf himself. But will the captured enemy speak? Will Fredric discover the truth before a plot far more elaborate and danger much greater than he realizes take his life?

King Gelleran is facing a dilemma. The dangerous dark elf he holds captive and uses as his protection from the neighboring country of Kerbia has drawn the attention of Welmar, a kingdom even more powerful. The Welmarians have offered a generous sum for the prisoner; refusing the offer could mean war. As the king tries to find a way to handle this, he learns a devastating news: Things are not as they appeared, and the prisoner he thought securely jailed is playing a game of his own, threatening vengeance if it's not played by his rules.

From a childhood as an abandoned orphan to life as one of the city’s most skilled burglars, master thief Rafiq has long lived high off the wealth of Avanasia—its trade, its jewels, and its women. The vaults of Avanasia's merchants are as open to him as the legs of its most beautiful courtesans. For in Avanasia, there is but one paramount truth: There are those who have, and those who take. And Rafiq is one of the latter. But when he steals an ancient heirloom blade from a powerful merchant, he sets in motion a series of events that will shift the balance of power in the city.

Predatory kraken that sing with - and for - their kin; band members and betrayed friends who happen to be demonic; harpies as likely to attract as to repel. Welcome to a world where humans live side-by-side with monsters, from vampires both nostalgic and bumbling, to an eight-legged alien who makes tea. Here you'll find mercurial forms that burrow into warm fat, spectral boy toys, a Maori force of nature, a landform that claims lives, and an architect of hell on earth.

Come one, come all! The Carniepunk Midway promises you every thrill and chill a traveling carnival can provide. But fear not! Urban fantasy's biggest stars are here to guide you through this strange and dangerous world....