Blood of a Queen — Stephen Zimmer

Traveling farther east, Rayden Valkyrie comes upon a city shrouded in fear and anger. A devastating drought has been followed by a nightmarish rash of brutal murders and disappearances that only occur after the sun goes down. A few witnesses speak of terrifying, monstrous wraiths prowling the streets at night. The ruler of Terith-Ka, Queen Annukeyen, claims that the demonic entities have been summoned through dark magic wielded by sorcerers in the rival city of Rastapur. A war looms and the people clamor for vengeance against the city they believe has caused their suffering. Rayden suspects something much darker at work underneath the simmering atmosphere of Terith-Ka. When all others have gone inside with the fall of night, Rayden heads into the empty streets of the city to find answers and confront the evil plaguing a frightened populace. Blood of a Queen is a stand-alone novella that is part of the Rayden Valkyrie Tales.