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Defend terminate a chunk out of Scarlett St. Clair’s hottest fantasy sequence.

Despite every part, the Hades X Persephone Saga creator is prepared to take summer by storm with Worry at the Gates, out July 8. The principle installment of her The Blood of Lilith sequence, St. Clair’s feminist retelling of the delusion of Lilith takes readers on an epic bolt of rage, romance, and resilience.

So factual who is Lilith Leviathan as depicted by St. Clair? Properly, she is a tenacious female leader searching for autonomy over her life. Estranged from her grand family she rejects societal requirements and finds refuge in Nineveh, a district in Eden dedicated to sin the attach she makes use of her magic to rob for a residing.

After Lilith encounters an uncommon blade, matters take a flip for the more serious, main her to undercover agent the support of the handiest man who can support her: Zahariev, head of the Zareth family and ruler of Nineveh. Together, they embark on a mission to undercover agent the true vitality running their world.

St. Clair skillfully weaves a web of high fantasy world-constructing parts into a beautifully crafted contemporary connected to popular day dialog. And fans can glimpse no additional than E! News' uncommon excerpt to undercover agent how.

“This used to be one amongst the first scenes I wrote for Worry at the Gates,” St. Clair explained to E! News. “The dynamic between Abram and Lilith is paying homage to a mentor, with the exception of everyone in Nineveh is out for their very have construct. This scene is the pivotal moment when Lilith’s destiny is sure.”

Attach reading for an uncommon excerpt from Worry at the Gates.

The shop title used to be displayed in a gilded arc all through a massive window, however windows were harmful in Nineveh, so it used to be barred and blacked out from the inside. His door used to be rotting, the inexperienced paint peeling, and when I opened it, a bell dinged over my head.

Abram used to be standing in the assist of a sophisticated wood counter that seemed a lot love a bar, especially for this reason of a replicate served as his backdrop, however I knew he former it to protect up an undercover agent on his shop when his assist used to be turned. Abram used to be an older man with white hair and an identical beard. He had a round face and a unparalleled physique. When I entered, he seemed up at me over his half of-moon glasses and grimaced.

“You again?”

“Don’t faux you aren’t overjoyed to undercover agent me,” I stated.

He slipped his glasses to the pause of his head. “All you manufacture is clutter my shop with junk.”

“You pay for it.”

Abram huffed and returned the coin he’d been inspecting to a tray sooner than transferring all the thing to the counter in the assist of him.

“What needless thing absorb you introduced this day?”

“What absorb I introduced you that you just haven’t been in a attach of dwelling to resell?” I requested.

He paused after which bent, heaving a massive, wood crate stout of random s–t I’d offered him over the closing two years.

“Hiya, these are in actuality nice shades,” I stated, reaching for them.

Abram moved the crate out of my reach.

I met his sour learn about. “You wish to confess, I’ve gotten better.”

Arriving in Nineveh used to be a lesson in survival, and it had taken me just a few months to fetch my toes under me. In that point, I’d had a total lot my have stuff stolen. It sounds as if every part I had screamed Hiram, and it made me a contrivance for a whereas, except Zahariev threw his credit score card at me and told me to aquire unique garments, which gave the influence counterintuitive, however in Eden, materials equaled attach of dwelling.

The clothes had helped me mix in, however nothing acclimated me love time.

I rose onto the pointers of my toes for a more in-depth glimpse at the sphere.

“I don’t undercover agent that relic I introduced you two weeks ago,” I stated. “Or the ghastly from the week sooner than.”

The relic used to be a necklace with a plait of hair encapsulated in glass. It used to be stated to belong to Saint Sebastian, a man whose life I knew nothing about, put that the church had canonized him. I doubted the hair in actuality belonged to him, however who in actuality knew. Despite every part, other folks paid simply money for a part of a saint, regardless of how little. I’d taken the ghastly from a priest. It used to be stable gold, attach of dwelling with rubies, and had dangled from his belt—a belt he’d been willing to get rid of without any encouragement from my magic.

Even supposing rather than introduction, celibate clergymen were potentially primarily the most appealing delusion in Eden.

“Lying is a sin, Abram,” I stated.

“Sin is our currency, girl,” he stated, shoving the sphere under the counter. “Properly?”

“Don’t call me girl,” I stated, drawing the blade Ephraim had given me from my pocket. I refused to inform rob. I attach of dwelling it on the counter. Below the sunshine of Abram’s antique shop, it seemed fairly much less gorgeous, however I assumed that used to be intentional. He wanted every part to most up-to-date poorly so he may well well well lowball his clients.

His expression modified, hairy brows rising as surprise flashed in his eyes, although he managed to position a cap on his passion when he spoke, no longer a whisk of wonder in his shriek.

“The attach did you obtain this?” he requested, selecting it as a lot as look it closely.

“Spherical,” I stated. Step by step, I’d fetch straight to the point and seek info from a amount of cash, just a few hundred greenbacks more than I wanted in hopes that Abram would negotiate all the plot in which down to what I needed, however this time, I used to be in actuality uncommon referring to the blade. Plus, if he gave me info, per chance I could well well well fetch more than factual just a few months’ rent out of him. “So? What is it?”

“A dagger,” he answered.

I rolled my eyes. “I do know that, a–hole. It’s special, isn’t it?”

He didn’t acknowledge me however paused to commence a drawer. He pulled out a jeweler’s eyepiece, utilizing it to scan the stones.

I didn’t love his silence and crossed my arms over my chest as I waited, tapping my foot. After just a few seconds, he tossed his eyepiece into the drawer and closed it sooner than resting the blade on the counter.

“Two hundred,” he stated.

I couldn’t uncover what I felt more keenly: enrage or shock at his provide.

“F–okay you. That blade is value at the least three thousand, and likewise you comprehend it!”

Abram chuckled. “Could perhaps perhaps well be what it’s value, however I in actuality want to originate a profit.”

I glared at the earlier man. “Shapely,” I stated. “I’ll factual pay my rent with the f–king dagger.”

I went to grab it assist, however Abram grabbed it first.

I reached for my gun, angry. I had done commercial with this man since I’d moved to Nineveh, and this used to be how he treated me? F–okaying blade can also aloof be value a little fortune, however when I met the earlier man’s learn about, I iced up.

The whites of his eyes were red.

The shade drained from my face, and for a moment, I ceased to breathe.

“Abram?”

He blinked, and a path of blood raced down his cheek.

He lifted his hand, touching his face. When he pulled it away, he rubbed his fingers together, brows furrowing, as if he did no longer heed what used to be taking place.

I didn’t heed what used to be taking place.

The former man lifted his bloody learn about to mine. His face had turned a garish shade. A low, unfamiliar assert came from his mouth, love he used to be a balloon leaking air, and as he made that sound, he looked as if it would tumble in tiresome motion, hitting the ground with a hollow thud.

For just a few seconds, I stood haunted, unable to direction of what the f–okay had factual came about.

“Abram?” I known as after which jumped, resting my belly on the counter as I peered down at the ground. He lay on his assist, eyes pools of blood.

He used to be positively slow.

“What the f–okay,” I muttered under my breath.

I dropped down from the counter. My physique felt unfamiliar, love my bones were shaking, however then I observed I in actuality used to be shaking as I drew my mobile phone out of my pocket to call the handiest person I could well well well absorb—my emergency contact, Coco.

The mobile phone rang and rang.

“Attain on, near on, near on,” I murmured under my breath. When she didn’t acknowledge, I hung up and known as again. Then the bell rang, signaling any individual used to be entering the shop. I bolted for the door, shoving my weight against it. Whoever used to be on the other side shoved assist.

“We’re closed!” I shouted, fumbling for the lock. I clicked it into attach regardless of my trembling fingers and assign the mobile phone assist to my ear.

“Lilith?”

“Coco, thank f–okay!” I stated. Reduction descended through my physique love a cooling wave, even though it did nothing to ease my racing coronary heart.

Someone punched the door.

“F–okay off!” I yelled.

“Lilith, what is taking place?”

“Coco, one thing base has came about.”

“The attach are you?”

“Raphael’s Relics,” I stated. “Ogle, Abram is slow.”

“Lifeless?”

“Yes! I don’t know what to manufacture!”

I couldn’t assume. It felt unsuitable to leave him, however he also had cameras all through the attach. I observed I wasn’t precisely accountable, however I also didn’t believe the enforcers to imagine me, even with video. They worked for the church, and I used to be a girl. It used to be likely, being the daughter of Lucius Leviathan, I wouldn’t want to support time, however they’d positively use any excuse to send me assist to my father, and I’d manufacture factual about one thing else to steer obvious of that.

“Withhold on,” Coco stated.

There used to be a sound love static and the far away echo of tune. I waited, my throat feeling tighter and tighter.

“It’s Lilith,” I heard Coco impart. “She’s in misfortune.”

There used to be a pause, after which I heard Zahariev’s shriek.

I almost groaned. Pointless to claim she would hunch to him.

“Lilith.” He stated my title and nothing else.

“Abram is slow, and I don’t know what to manufacture,” I stated.

There used to be silence on the other side. I wondered what he used to be thinking, what he seemed love. Became he clenching his jaw or pursing his lips? He did both when he used to be pissed off.

“I’m coming,” he stated after which hung up.

Slowly, I let my hand drop to my side, clutching my mobile phone. It used to be the first time I observed how loud silence may well be. I seemed around, feeling crowded by every part in the cluttered shop. After just a few seconds, I crept all through the counter. Abram lay aloof, and whatever the shortage of motion, I known as his title. I don't even know why. I didn't count on him to acknowledge to.

There used to be silence.

Copyright © 2025 by Scarlett St. Clair

Worry at the Gates releases on July 8. Attach reading for more unique books to set up out this summer.