The Bone Bride: A Raven King Short Story

By Merrie Destefano

Grimm's Fairytales meets Dark Epic Fantasy.

A high-born girl learns she's been sold as a bride to a dead goblin prince.

Being betrothed to a goblin prince is bad enough—they're all ugly and horrid and live in dark tunnels underground. But being betrothed to a dead goblin prince? That's an immediate death sentence!

Nineteen-year-old Rowan attempts to flee when she learns about her arranged marriage. But there's no escaping a contract signed by the dreaded Goblin King.

Now, all the dark magic in the Realm is against her. The gruesome King of Death himself will be looking for her soon.

Rowan's only hope is to convince the fair Nicholas—the boy she planned to run away with—to destroy her marriage contract. But it must be done before the sun rises.

And already, the sky is brightening with light.

Please note this 30-minute short read is a Dark Fantasy with Grimdark elements and unreliable narrators.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ruby Slippers Press
• Release date: Jul 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201946968

Book preview

THE BONE BRIDE

THE BONE BRIDE

A RAVEN KING SHORT STORY

Merrie Destefano

Ruby Slippers Press

Copyright © 2021 by Merrie Destefano

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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Cover Design by Yanie Cadwell, Real Life Design Covers.

Praise For Merrie’s Books

FAERY MAGIC

"A magical story of the power of love and its ability to endure despite time and evil."—5 stars, MapleLeafAussie

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"This was such a wonderful story! I felt as if I had been transported to another world."—5 stars, E. Lee

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"Loyalty, betrayal, combat, and magic combine to create a free- flowing tale guaranteed to capture the heart of any reader who enjoys stories of the Fair Folk."—5 stars, Molly Harbridge

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LOST GIRLS

"A concise, bold crime tale that, even in its darkest moments, shines with brilliance." ~Kirkus Reviews

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"A book that parents, teachers and law-enforcement officers should read, as well as young adults."~Anita Ojeda, Educator at Holbrook Indian School

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"This has got to be the best YA Contemporary Thriller that I have read so far this year." ~Lauren's Page Turners

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SHADE

"Uniquely haunting and dangerous—my best read of the year so far!"—Rachel Marks, best-selling author of Darkness Brutal

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"Haunting imagery, electrical tension."—Aden Polydoros, author of The City Beautiful

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VALIANT

"An imaginative, fresh take on the time travel novel."—Tosca Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Progeny 

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"Edge of Tomorrow meets Terminator in this riveting, post-apocalyptic adventure from Merrie Destefano."—Paul Regnier, author of the Space Drifter series

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FATHOM

"Gripping and romantic, Fathom is a new twist on an ancient mythology."—Kimberly Derting, author of The Body Finder series

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"Wow! Every book Merrie Destefano writes is even better than the last."—Becca from The Writer's Sword

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A PLACE OF MAGIC

"Merrie Destefano has a spider's talent for weaving words into wicked phrases. Every scene in this novel was beautiful and enticing. Part Urban Fantasy, part Horror, I fell in love with this world."—Jackie Uhrmacher, 5 stars on Goodreads

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QUEEN OF THE NIGHT

Absolutely delicious and devious.

—Rachel Marks, Author of Fire And Bone

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"The perfect balance between horror and dark fantasy. Destefano’s voice lures the reader into a world of magical realism."—Silvana, Amazon review

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AFTERLIFE

"A haunting story that seamlessly blends the hard-boiled twists of cyberpunk with the noir flavor of a Southern Gothic thriller."—Marc Giller, author of Hammerjack

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WRITING TIPS

"In this short writing guide, Merrie Destefano teaches writers how to write organically without losing the plot of your novel."—Catherine Bonham,