Title:
The Storm Descends: Demon Storm,Book Seven
Author
Valerie Storm
Genre
Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher
Shadow Spark Publishing
Date of Publication
12/13/2024
ISBN
978-1-956883-28-2
ASIN
B0DMTF6L5Q
Number of pages
433
Word Count
110731
Cover Artist
@Ginkahederling
Book Description:
The Catalyst is quiet.
Kari struggles with the damage she did when
she lost control. Her loved ones suffered at her hands, leaving Ari scarred in ways
she will never be able to ignore.
How he survived? Only the Seraph of Nalmi knows.
Then a request arrives, a simple task compared to everything else she has been
through: travel as Freehaven's emissary and meet with Brianna, a now-ancient half
demon who destroyed the first demon city across the sea – and who may have some
information on defeating the Catalyst for good. Kari, Ari, and Guine prepare to
cross the Demon Sea…
But the shadows await them.
Excerpt:
Kari knelt in a field of dark grass beneath a dark cloud pouring dark rain. Ari lay
limp in her arms, dead to the world. She bowed her head over his prone body, colder than
death even without the rain to drench them. It pattered, loud against her flicking
ears—the only sound all around.
“Wake up, Ari, please,” she whispered to his chest, clutching him tighter.
“Please.” Her voice broke, and a wail wrenched free.
“Love makes you weak.”
Kari’s head shot up at the whisper, but there was no one around. There was only the rain,
hissing now, each drop harder and sharper.
“You are a plague.”
The whispers came from the rain, now searing pinpricks rather than drops of
frozen water. Gritting her teeth, Kari lifted Ari, held him close to her chest, and ran.
“One day, you will wish for the power you forsake!”
Kari’s feet sloshed through thick, black puddles. She slipped and barely managed
to roll onto her back before she and Ari fell. She grunted, struggled to get back up with
his weight.
A beam of light broke the murky sky. Kari squinted at it; the sight filled her with
an unexplainable, instinctual hope. She pushed off from the muddy ground—harder now
with her and Ari both sopping wet—and ran for the light.
“PLEASE!” she screamed to the sky. “SAVE HIM!”
It was all she wanted; she would give anything—anything.
“You have a destiny.” This whisper was deeper, ancient—a voice so full of raw
power, it grabbed Kari’s spine and forced her to straighten. “Vessels do not earn worldly
attachments.”
Velthas. His pull was strong even now, even though she had not seen the Tree in
weeks—months. Forced rigid, Kari dragged her eyes to the beam of light.
“Holy light,” she managed through a jaw clenched shut. She curled her fingers
around Ari. “I forsake everything else to you.”
A ripple—the jarring snap of something breaking in her mind. Kari gasped and fell
forward, barely catching herself on one hand before she collapsed on top of Ari.
The rain slowed, she thought; at least, she felt the pattering on her back less. She
closed her eyes, hoping, wishing, praying.
Fingers touched her cheek. Her eyes flew open and found Ari’s eyes—green as the
deepest forest. He lifted one corner of his mouth tiredly.
“You’ll carry my faith, won’t you?” he whispered. “My light?”
About the Author:
Valerie Storm was raised in Tucson, Arizona. Growing up, she fell in love with
everything fantasy. When she wasn’t playing video games, she was writing. By age
ten, she began to write her own stories as a way to escape reality. When these
stories became a full-length series, she considered the path to sharing with other
children & children-at/heart looking for a place to call home.
She can be found online:
Twitter https://twitter.com/valerie_storm
Blog https://rantsofawriter.home.blog/
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/valeriestorm3135/_saved/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/valeriestorm_author/
Tumblr https://www.tumblr.com/valeriestorm