The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin

• Ceile - becomes the first huntswoman. Engaged to Jean Luc. She is determiened to prove herself, but her friends don’t believe she has what it takes.

• Jean Luc - captian of the guard, engaged to Ceile

• Michal - vampire king

This book takes place six months after the Serpent & Dove series and introduces a new threat: Les Éternels—vampires—who have found their way into Ceile’s world. Ceile is the only one who can see them, and when victims begin appearing drained of blood, with twin puncture wounds on their necks, no one suspects the truth. The mysterious murders cast doubt on Ceile’s abilities, and Jean Luc is quick to voice his frustrations.

Determined to prove herself and find the missing girls, Ceile follows a trail of clues that leads her straight into the clutches of the strikingly beautiful vampire king, Michael. However, it quickly becomes clear that she was not their target—her friend Coco was. Ceile had unknowingly drawn their attention by wearing Coco’s cloak.

What begins as a quest to defeat the vampires shifts when Ceile agrees to work with Michael to investigate the murders. She hopes to divert his suspicion away from Coco, whom he believes is responsible for his sister Mila’s death. But the truth is far more sinister: a figure known only as the Necromancer, aided by another blood witch, is behind the killings.

As Ceile and Michael uncover the mystery, their relationship deepens. Ceile wrestles with her feelings and comes to terms with the decision to call off her engagement. Along the way, she also confronts her own unique connection to death. After nearly dying in the Serpent & Dove series, Ceile has become a bride of death, granting her the ability to cross the veil and communicate with ghosts. This newfound ability proves instrumental in solving the murders and uncovering the true culprit: Frederick, a man who once loved Ceile’s sister, Philippa.

The story reaches a devastating climax when Frederick kills Michael and fatally wounds Ceile. As she crosses into the veil, Frederick uses her blood in a dark ritual to resurrect her sister. The book ends with an eerie epilogue: someone wakes up—but it’s likely Philippa, not Ceile.