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“Madison Kate Danvers was murdered tonight.” Those words changed my life, and not for the better. They were wrong, of course. I wasn’t dead. But I was set up. After being charged with a string of offences - and made an example of by my political-minded father - I’m eventually released back into Shadow Grove with one thing on my mind. Hate. Someone is going to pay for derailing my carefully laid-out future. How very convenient that someone just moved into the bedroom down the hall from me.

“Liar, liar, pants on fire.” The words scrawled on the back of my newest stalker mail makes my blood run cold. I have no idea if it’s the lie I know or one that I don’t. Since arriving back into Shadow Grove, I’ve been stalked, tormented, chased, and almost killed. I’ve been lied to, repeatedly, by people I was growing to trust.

Riot Night changed my life. Coming back to Shadow Grove turned it on its head. I’ve been hunted, stabbed, stalked, tormented, and used. Hate fueled me, lies tore me apart, and in the end, everything I thought I knew turned out to be fake. Except...Riot Night also brought Archer, Kody, and Steele back into my life. No matter how much I’ve fought it, hated it, been lied to, or discovered the deceptions - I want them in my life.

Five years ago, I masterminded the infamous massacre of the Tri-state Timberwolves. The streets outside the Wolves HQ ran red with the blood of the old guard, and not one of those members loyal to my father were spared mercy. Not a single one. I let the media twist and distort the story. My new recruits eagerly proved themselves in spreading false news, in covering our tracks. To the general public, the Tri-State Timberwolves were extinct. But that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Every four years, the criminal underworld engages in a game. The Game. The challenges range from the impossible to the deadly to the truly insane. Things that only a crazy person would tackle. I’ve won the game five times. This time will be no different. I’m at the top of my field now, the best of the world’s thieves. There’s nothing I can’t steal, and this time, the game is all about theft, subterfuge, and sleight of hand. Starting with a legendary painting of poppy flowers.

“You’ll always be mine.” The latest taunt from my stalker reminded me I was nothing more than a possession to my father, to the Reapers, to Archer D’Ath. Even to Kody and Steele. Princess Danvers - the prize. His wife. Archer D’Ath’s wife. I hate them. They lied to me. Over and over again. I knew they were lying, and I hate myself for letting it happen. For believing in the fake relationships I want so desperately to be real.

Being in the Guild is our life…or death. Not everyone is created equal, and not everyone is truly cut out for the work we do. It’s not pretty, it’s not glamorous, and it’s sure as shit not moral or good. The weight of the sins we carry can become too much for some, and they crack. When they do, they become a threat. No one quits the Guild. Not really. Either they cut a deal to make themselves useful in another capacity, or they get eliminated. But who, you might ask, can kill a killer? Who scares the boogeyman into running and hiding? Men like me.

It’s always been about the chase. The prize. The puzzle. The Game. I became the best of the best, Hermes, because no one could catch me. No one could touch me. No one had. Until her. She’s everything I never knew I wanted. She is my life. It’s been one bad call after another in this Game. It’s cost the woman I love more than I ever wanted her to have to pay. I would give it all up for her, but the Game must be played. I started this game for my grandfather. I fought to win to claim the Valenshek Legacy. Win, lose, or draw, I’m not leaving this town without Tristian Ives.

Vault is a Madison Kate Novella but is intended to be listened to after the Hades series, as several events overlap and this story does contain multiple spoilers for the Hades series.

You envision a dream, set a goal, and formulate a plan. I had diligently pursued all of these steps. I was on my way to obtaining my degree, engaging with breathtaking works of art, and unexpectedly falling into bed with my professor. Yeah, that last bit wasn’t part of the grand scheme, but even I had to admit that it wasn’t an unwelcome deviation. Ironically, despite my meticulous planning, attention to detail, and even despite my own deceptions, I ended up being the one deceived. Being manipulated and used.

Five years ago, I made a choice that I haven’t regretted a day since. I protected the single most important person in my world, my little sister. I protected myself, and I seized control of the Tri-State Timberwolves. Since then, I’ve wielded that power with an iron fist. Done whatever it took to take care of my people. Kept us out of the public eye, and kept us safe. Now a ghost from my past is threatening my position. Challenging me. Peddling their poison and breaking my rules. Stabbing at me in the dark.

My best friend, my right hand, the man I trusted above all others. Zayden de Rosa declared his love for me and pursued me until he shattered the walls between us. Then the man who loved me proved to be a traitor. I never saw that coming.

I want vengeance so badly that I can almost taste it. It's all I've ever wanted. So, I did what anyone in my unique position would do. I slapped on a secret identity and became an internationally renowned thief, known as The Fox. Nobody knows me. Nobody can catch me. Or so I thought.... It turns out: I have what they want. Special abilities. And trust me, these abilities are coveted - and dangerous. Now, I don't know who to trust or where to go. Peril lurks on every corner as I try to uncover my past and origin. Teaming up with unlikely allies may be my only chance at survival or my biggest mistake. I'm Kit Davenport and this is only the beginning.

It should have been an easy task for a skilled mercenary like Rybet Waise. Simply break into the royal palace, and rescue her friend from the executioner’s block. But when Rybet accidentally qualifies for the Trials, she finds herself with little choice but to see them through. A thin veil of etiquette, elegance, and glamour hides the true nature of the Trials. Behind closed doors, they are brutal and bloody, and to fail means to forfeit her life. Thrust into the limelight and forced to compete with the Kingdom’s elite sweethearts, unlikely allies emerge and bonds are formed.

They rule my new town, my school, and with more money than God, there’s very little out of their reach. Four gorgeous, perfect, scary boys. There used to be five, but one of them died, leaving a fifth position that I now fill. I didn't ask for this. I didn't want to be part of this billionaire-boys-club. But no one cares about what I want. Sebastian Beckett is the worst of them. Their leader. He draws me in, and strips me of every defense I have. He calls me Butterfly, but it's not a pet name, it's a threat.

I thought I’d hit rock bottom when I turned 16. The day I broke my first love's heart, ending things before I could ruin his career as a rock star. But damn, was I wrong. Things got progressively worse from that moment on, until now. Eight years later, when I find myself homeless, jobless, covered in blood, and running from a ghost of my past.

All I’ve ever known is the Guild. They clothed me, fed me, raised me. They trained me. And in return I became their perfect weapon, their loyal soldier, their deadly asset. For as long as I can remember, the Guild has been my life. But now, it’s about to become my death. Not everyone is cut out to be a mercenary. I’ve watched countless colleagues fail in their missions and pay the ultimate price. I’ve watched peers lose their minds with the weight of the work we do, and pay with their lives to keep our secrets. I never thought I would become one of them.

Well, I just can't seem to catch a break, can I? None of us saw it coming, no matter what precautions we took or how many contingencies we put into play. What’s the point of having all this power when everyone is out to get me? They say things are darkest before the light, and that the storm gets worse before it clears. Trust me when I say platitudes don’t do a damn bit of good when you’re in the middle of it. I’m Kit Davenport, and my heart is breaking.

Destroy the Guild. Take Danny home. Live our life. That had been my goal. Now? I want her back. I want the Guild out of her life. I’ll sell my soul and work with my enemy if I have to. Whatever it takes.

A tyrant by day, a playboy by night. That's the reputation that precedes Richard VanRyan. He lives life the way he wants, no concern for the opinion of others. He cares for no one, is completely unrepentant, and has no desire to change his ways. Katharine Elliott works under Richard as his PA. She despises him and his questionable ethics, but endures all the garbage he sends her way, because she needs the job.