Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Queen and a handsome King. They had 6 children, all of which had special abilities.
Dalfon, the 1st born, could control the weather. Rhys, the 2nd born, could control fire.
Innes, the 3rd born, could control water.
Aither, the 4th born, could control air.
Yonah, the 5th born, could speak to all animals.
And lastly, Xephra, the 6th born.
Now, Xephra wasn't as special as her siblings. This angered her parents. She became very sad that she was disappointing her parents and siblings so, she ran away.
This is where I leave you to find out what happens with Xephra and her family.
Antique store owner Liz brings home a Victorian taxidermy hound from auction, unwittingly unleashing dark forces on her wife and son.
*****
Nat Loman has finally married the love of her life, Liz, and is getting used to her role as stepmother to Liz's 5-year-old son, Liam. The Loman family runs a bustling antique business so they attend a sale where a striking, black taxidermied hound is up for auction. Liz picks it up for the business, but it ends up being stored in their home, where Nat notices strange things occurring. She quickly discovers the past residents had died violently. Then she hears from a friend about the myth of "the devil's dog", a hound that perches in the shadows, tearing families apart from the inside. Soon, people around the Lomans are dying, and Liz is changing, darkening. It's up to Nat to save the woman she loves from the darkness closing in, and to save Liam from danger no matter what she has to sacrifice.
[[Winner of the 2018 Wattys "Hidden Gems" category]]
[[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]]