Octavia. That's the name the world knows her by. One word. One name. At seventeen, she was a girl who had her spotlight when she was whisked away to co-star in what would be an award-winning movie. From that moment on, she had never strayed away. Now, at 24, Octavia is a star and has found herself in multiple productions. As she finds herself in Milan, Italy for a new and upcoming movie she is cast in, she crosses paths with Caleb Henderson, the famous writer known to the world as Romero Henderson. However, as the production of the movie begins, Octavia immediately decides her opinion of Caleb. She doesn't like him. She borderline hates him. She hates how annoying he is. She hates the stupid, random topics he always brings up. She hates how he almost always cuts her off whenever she's speaking. She hates how attracted she is to him. I exhaled, trying to rub the tiredness off my face with my hands. I looked down at his shadow on the ground to him. His face looked as if it was glowing from the sun, his eyes narrowing from the brightness. I let my gaze trail from the exposed tattoos on his arms to the stupid smile that was still on his face. "Why are you like this?" For a moment he didn't answer me. He simply glanced at me, knowing that I meant more in the five words. The smile on his face went from pure amusement to bitterness. It was something I had never seen before and I didn't think I wanted to see him smile like that ever again. He pivoted his head towards the sun once again and in a serious tone asked, "Would you have me any other way?" Cover: @EmSlough_

"Light up my darkness," he murmured against her bare flesh. His fingers trailed up her arm, leaving a blazing fire beneath them. His lips pressed softly against her shoulder and her eyes fluttered closed, accepting his touch. "Let go and I'll take away all of the pain." She desperately wanted to free herself from the torture of the heat, of the shift, of the sadness, but she pushed his firm chest away from her. She yearned to finally fulfill her place among the divine. She desired to guide and protect the species. She wished to eliminate the Challengers. The longer she endured the pain, the more power she would attain to help her fulfill her responsibilities. To the men who watched her ascend, it looked as if she was interacting with thin air, but she knew he was there with her. She smiled softly at him, caressing his cheek. "My Darkness, let the pain fester within me. I crave it." * The Betrayal is a part of The Marking Trilogy and cannot be read as a stand-alone book. The Marking must be read first.* Cover by @Finding_Bria