Dark Deceptions: A Regency and Medieval Collection of Dark Romances(109)

The Savage Curtain The Fallen One

Fragments of Grace Novella, Time Travel Romance: Echoes of Ancient Dreams Contemporary Romance: Kathlyn Trent/Marcus Burton Series: Valley of the Shadow The Eden Factor

Canyon of the Sphinx The American Heroes Series: Resurrection

Fires of Autumn

Evenshade

Sea of Dreams

Purgatory

Other Contemporary Romance: Lady of Heaven

Darkling, I Listen Time Travel Romance: The Crusader

Kingdom Come

Note: All Kathryn’s novels are designed to be read as stand-alones, although many have cross-over characters or cross-over family groups.

Novels that are grouped together have related characters or family groups.

Series are clearly marked. All series contain the same characters or family groups except the American Heroes Series, which is an anthology with unrelated characters.

There is NO particular chronological order for any of the novels because they can all be read as stand-alones, even the series.





Dear Reader,



This book was part of the original “The Collection of Beginnings”, which was an anthology of the first three chapters of several novels that I had started but had yet to finish. I asked readers to go to my website and vote for the novel they would like to see completed, and NETHERWORLD was the top pick for the first month of voting. Therefore, I pushed another novel that I was planning on completing aside and finished NETHERWORLD instead. It’s time for Keller de Poyer’s (a secondary character in THE WHISPERING NIGHT) story to be told, and it’s a hell of a story.

That being said, this novel is dedicated to my wonderful readers who take the time and effort to read and voice opinions about my novels. Without you, none of this would be possible. I am deeply grateful to you all!

Thank you!

Love,

Kathryn





“… but when a mountain foot I reach’d



The valley, that had pierc’d my heart with dread,

I looked aloft, and saw his shoulders broad,

And I entered into the Netherworld….”

—Excerpt from Dante’s Inferno





Prologue





October, Year of Our Lord 1197

Nether Castle, Powys, Wales

The blow to the jaw sent Gryffyn reeling.

Sprawled on the rough oak planks of the great hall, Gryffyn shook the stars from his eyes and looked up to see the big English knight moving in for another blow.

Keller had fists the size of a man’s head, but Gryffyn was fast. He managed to roll out of the way and leap to his feet although his balance was off and he ended up bashing into the corner of the hearth. But Keller was coming in for another blow and Gryffyn threw himself to his left, away from his sister’s enraged husband. He knew, by the look in the man’s eye, that he meant to kill him.

Gryffyn tried to lash out a fist at Keller, but the knight was just too fast and too strong. Keller grabbed Gryffyn’s fist, twisted, and ended up snapping his wrist. Gryffyn fell to his knees, screaming in pain as Keller stood over him in a huffing and furious stance. His dusky eyes were smoldering with fury.

“So you have been hiding here all along, waiting for the proper moment to strike,” Keller hissed. “You are a coward of a man, d’Einen – a wretched and vile coward. Now that I finally have you, I intend to do what should have been done long ago.”

Holding his wrist, Gryffyn glared at Keller with eyes as dark as obsidian. “If I am a coward, then you are a fool,” he growled. “You cannot stop me. Nether and everything in it belongs to me, including my sister!”

It was the wrong thing to say. Keller reached out and used his fist to hammer on Gryffyn’s broken wrist, sending the man into howls of pain. But Keller was immune to it. His focus was both deadly and intense as he watched Gryffyn squirm.

“She is my wife now and I swear, by all that is holy, that you shall never lay another hand on her again,” Keller rumbled. “I knew someone was beating her but she would not directly tell me who it was. For all of the pain and humiliation you have cast upon her, she still protected you. God knows why, but she did. How long was this going on before I came, d’Einen? How long have you been beating on helpless women to make you feel more like a man?”

Cradling his wrist against his chest, Gryffyn was in a world of hurt. “You bastard,” he grunted. “You come to my castle in all of your haughty, conquering glory and marry my sister because my weak and foolish father made a pact with the Devil.”

Keller’s eyes blazed. “William Marshal has nothing to do with you taking your fists to your sister.”

“You only married her to gain a castle. Do not act as if she means something to you!”

“It does not matter if she means something to me,” Keller was struggling not to wrap his hands around the man’s neck, although he knew, eventually, that it would come to that. It was just a feeling he had. “She is my wife and I will protect her. I will tell you this now, Gryffyn d’Einen, so there is no misunderstanding. If you so much as look at her in a hostile manner again, I will run you through. Make no mistake. If you touch her again, I will kill you.”

Gryffyn wasn’t used to being questioned or disciplined. He had always done as he pleased. Deep down, he was a spoiled little boy with a spoiled little mind. With a growl, he propelled himself off the floor and charged Keller with all of his furious might. Keller easily reached out a massive fist and caught Gryffyn on the side of the head, knocking the man silly. Gryffyn fell on his bad wrist, collapsed in a heap, and began to bellow.