Steal the Sky

Steal the Sky AN MM RAPUNZEL RETELLING BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARES BOOK TWO ANNA FURY AMY PENNZA Copyright © Anna Fury & Amy Pennza 2023 E-Book ASIN: B0BZ6BFJHG Paperback ISBN: 978-1-957873-44-2 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission. This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. If you read this book ANYWHERE other than Amazon, it is a pirated copy and we are not being reimbursed for our work. Don’t be that person. Please. Cover - Miblart Cover Photo - DepositPhotos Content Notice Steal the Sky is intended for mature audiences due to adult themes that might be triggering for sensitive readers. These include on-page murder, references to wartime, mention of and visions of parental death, murderous intent, homophobia, bondage and dubious consent. While the themes of this retelling feel dark, the deep love between our characters is a beautiful light at the end of the tunnel. This book ends with a happily ever after. Take care of yourself, and email us with any questions. [email protected] [email protected] Contents Prologue 1. Tower 2. Gothel 3. Tower 4. Gothel 5. Tower 6. Gothel 7. Tower 8. Gothel 9. Tower 10. Gothel 11. Tower 12. Gothel 13. Tower 14. Gothel 15. Tower 16. Gothel 17. Tower 18. Tower 19. Gothel 20. Tower 21. Gothel 22. Tower Epilogue An Excerpt from Sacrifice the Sea About Anna Fury Books by Anna Fury About Amy Pennza Also by Amy Pennza Prologue TOWER “Cut me, baby.” I grip my knife and trail the tip of the blade down the woman’s neck, raising a thin line of blood. Her head tips farther to the side, and she moans. The thick scent of her arousal hits my lungs, but I ignore it. I’m not interested in what’s between her legs. I want what’s in her veins. Although, it’s not really a matter of want. If I could stop wanting it, I just might. Blood has always been an inconvenience in my life. Blood. Bloodlines. Blood oaths. Yeah, blood has been a collar around my neck since I was born. Just once I’d like to breathe without feeling its weight on my skin. “Lick me,” the woman gasps. “Please, baby, I need it so bad.” “You and me both,” I mutter. Our needs couldn’t be more different, though. She’s a feeder. Some humans get off on vampires biting them. Downside? They’re usually junkies, and their blood tastes like sewage. Upside? They’ll do just about anything for a fix. Desperation is a powerful motivator. It’s one of the first things my “family” taught me. “Please,” she whines, her hand scrabbling for my dick. With a growl, I slam her harder against the brick wall. She moans, loving it, which makes anger spike in my veins. That’s a decent motivator, too. I seize it, letting my rage burn away the raw edges of my hunger. Every second I spend with her is a risk. Every moment I linger is a chance for my uncle to track me down. I’ll take just enough blood to keep me on my feet and then I’ll get the fuck out of here. As she writhes in my grip, I bare my fangs. Quick as a snake, I strike, nailing her right in the jugular. “Yes!” Her body jerks. Rich, hot blood hits my tongue. I swallow with a groan, ignoring the acidic undercurrents of drugs and alcohol. We’re in a dark alley in the Free Zone—the only place in the Hallows where the long arm of the syndicates doesn’t reach. Once upon a time, there weren’t syndicates at all. Back then, the Hallows was known as New York City and there were eight billion humans on the planet. Seriously. The history books use all kinds of descriptive language to describe what happened next, but the short version is this: One group of humans got pissed at another group; Group One fired a bunch of nukes; Group Two fired back; big boom; most of humanity dead. The blast was so powerful it ripped the Veil that separated the human world from the mythical one. And then humans discovered all the creatures they thought were make-believe were no such thing. With the Veil gone, magic flooded the world—and the creatures of the Myth took over. Humans became mostly prey, and the most powerful monsters chose the Hallows as their base. Two centuries later, that power structure still holds. The syndicates operate like an unholy trinity of government, entertainment, and organized crime. But every power structure has gaps—the nooks and crannies where the dirtiest deals happen. That’s where my people dwell. We’re beholden to no one. Loyal to no one but our family. Like the werewolves, vampires have always lived on the human side of the Veil. Not to sound crass, but this is where the food is. Right on cue, the human tenses and cries out. Her arousal drenches the air. I disengage my fangs and, grimacing, swipe my tongue over the puncture wounds so she doesn’t bleed out in the alley. She sags against the wall, her features slack and her pupils wide from her orgasm. “You wanna…?” She makes a jerking motion with her fist. “No.” I pull a cloth from the inner pocket of my jacket and wipe my mouth. “Uppity fucker, aren’t you?” She squints. “It’s weird. When you bit me, I swore you looked different. Like you had long hair.” “Your eyes played tricks on you.” Suddenly, I’ve had enough conversations with humans to last my immortal lifetime. I toss a couple crumpled bills at her feet. “Drink