To TiffanyDaune.

Thank you for your encouragement.

❩❨

We use people like pawns to advance
our own ambition; trampling innate sense and
empathy in the wake of broken corpses.
When the summit is reached, and you are left with
blood on your hands and no one at your feet,
do the ends justify the means?

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"Look like the innocent flower,
but be the serpent under it."
- Macbeth, William Shakespeare

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[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

[ This Is Gospel by Panic! At The Disco ]

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Kynes
'the spymaster'

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Tirdon
'the mountain king'

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Purple
'the deliverer'

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Adam
'the forbidden fruit'

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Georgia
'the little warrior'

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Copyright © 2023 Stacey Willis
[arpeggio-], Stain of Ice and Blood.

No part of this book may be reproduced,
replicated or lifted without prior permission
from the author.

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All events depicted here and the characters are entirely fictional; and any similarities to real people,
whether living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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Please note that this book is the second in a trilogy.
There is currently a plan for a sequel.

Please read Book I (Song of Mist and Storm)
before reading this book. It references events from
Book I (which will spoil things) and therefore
Book 2 cannot be read as a stand-alone.

Please note that the point of view alternates
between characters as stated at the beginning
of a chapter.

Please avoid reading without an internet
connection, as without the pictures telling
which points of view are which,
reading may get confusing.

This story takes place in a distant
post-apocalyptic future,
where magic and alternate worlds coexist.

'Wytch' is pronounced as 'Witch'.
'Tirdon' is pronounced as 'Tier-din'.
'Icen' is pronounced as 'ice'n'.
'Kynes' is pronounced as 'Canes.'
'Warlocke' is pronounced as 'War-lo-cue'.
'Wyzard' is pronounced as 'Wizard'.
'Kohl' is pronounced as 'Coal'.

'Persad' is pronounced as 'Per-sah-d'.
'Ketiwe' is pronounced as 'Ket-ee-weh'.
'Fuirus is pronounced as 'Few-rus'.
'Vassenia' is pronounced as 'Va-sen-ee-ah'.
'Pinevera' is pronounced as 'Pine-ever-ah'.
'Zainus' is pronounced as 'Z'eye-nus'.

Purple identifies as gender-fluid and
their appearance can change between genders.
applicable pronouns are she/her, he/him and
they/them, interchangeably.

All Faeries ( not all Fae ) and Shifters are
addressed with and by it/they/them pronouns
unless otherwise stated.

This story has and depicts scenes of a
potentially distressing nature; torture; sensitive
topics; strong language; and occasional
mild sexual content and references.
Therefore the rating is M VSL. This story
is for mature readers.

This story includes and explores lgbt
themes. If you are uncomfortable
with it, you don't have to read.

This story is in its second draft, but spelling and
grammatical mistakes wish to be avoided.

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Previously, in Song of Mist and Storm:

Purple has been anointed with rare abilities never before seen in a Dreamcatcher, and even after a brief trial with their sister, their threat is still unknown.

After journeying through the Planes, Adam still has no cure to his magic-given insomnia, and relies on Purple to directly counter it each night with their own magic. Georgia is still on the run from her parents, and living in the soldier's house.

Edva has reluctantly agreed to become a statesman in the Fae king Zainus' Court. And the Wytch Kynes has set out in search for a monstrous killer, but she may find more than for which she bargained.

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Enjoy the story...