The Dark Earth (Manga) - La série

Aidan has always dreamed of a different life, one that was somehow more than what he knew. Desperate times force him and his adoptive family to move to Grandfather Patrick’s house on Devil’s Ridge, a tiny, rural town, that is far more than what it seems. On the Ridge, Aidan finds a world filled with magic, monsters and terrifying beauty. He has discovered his “different life” but it isn’t at all what he expected, and not all of it is good. With most of the townspeople involved in the Clan, a dark cult, and Grandfather Patrick as the Clan’s head, Aidan knows he isn’t just imagining that the whole town is out to get him. When Aidan is lured by an ancient force literally in his own backyard, he is rescued by the mysterious and handsome Asher Vane, who his grandfather calls a “demon”. Is Asher something terrible? More importantly, is Aidan?

Aidan's life with his grandfather in Devil's Ridge worsens. Though his mother puts on a brave face for the sake of her children, she and Aidan are both aware of Grandfather Patrick's intimate connection with a dark force -- one that the whole town seems to worship. Aidan's new Sidhe acquaintance, Asher Vane, is a compelling figure, but meeting Asher only ignites his grandfather's fury... and worse. Unable to escape the old man's attention and not even able to leave the house, how will Aidan protect his family? And can he even trust Asher, who wants to take him away from everything Aidan's ever loved?

Aidan hopes to escape the oppression of Grandfather Patrick's house by going into town, but instead he discovers that the Clan's taint is everywhere. A quick trip to the one grocery store and a shocking encounter with one of the Clan's children have him running for his life. Aidan finds an unexpected haven in an old apothecary owned by Soo, a mysterious elderly woman that seems to loathe the Clan as much as he does. Soo knows the Dark Prince Asher Vane and many secrets about the Sidhe. She might even know some secrets about Aidan, too ...

Aidan is torn in two directions -- yearning for the mysterious Asher Vane, or his desire to protect his mother and sister from Grandfather Patrick's sinister hold. When his mother finally reveals Aidan's origin, Aidan finally starts to believe that he lives in a world of magic, beauty, and monsters. Short story: "Two Paths In The Wood" Asher must choose between family and love when his cousin Zarakiel confronts him about his interest in Aidan. When the Sidhe Prince finds darkness lurking on Grandfather Patrick's property, he vows to protect Aidan, even if it's from his own dark destiny. 112 Pages of Manga Two Paths in the Wood - Approx. 4500 word extra story

With true eyes, Aidan can see the rotten darkness that pervades life on Devil’s Ridge, contaminating the food, the property, and especially the well. However, his mother and little sister seem blind to the taint as they struggle to keep their chins up in Grandfather Patrick’s house. Though Aidan is a prisoner in Grandfather Patrick’s house, he schemes to get a job with one of the only businesses in town not associated with The Clan. The other bright spot is Asher Vane himself, who appears at Aidan’s window at night. Both Aidan and the Dark Prince are irresistibly drawn to the other. Though Asher tries to restrain his feelings for the adopted boy, Aidan allows himself to dream of what could happen.. especially as Asher leads him into the woods. Volume 5 contains the extra short story "Under a Boundless Sky." Asher remembers how he and Kyranna, Aidan's Sidhe father, first started to become friends in the very same campsite he brings Aidan. Vol. 1 - Devil's Ridge: ASIN: B006NSWC6I Vol. 2 - Hidden Past: ASIN: B00AGLOFJU Vol. 3 - Dark Prince: ASIN: B00B274HPE Vol. 4 - Legacy: ASIN: B00G4DN3IS Vol. 5 - The Gathering Dark: ASIN: B00JB109BY Vol. 6 – A Memory Darkly: Too hot for Amazon’s TOS for Kindle on Amazon itself, but available at the Raythe Reign shop EXCLUSIVELY. Extra Volume - Dream: Too hot for Amazon's TOS for Kindle on Amazon itself, but available at the Raythe Reign Shop!

Dark Prince Asher Vane brings Aidan to the woods for a romantic night in a luxurious tent. Though Aidan is sure of their mutual attraction, Asher is conflicted. The Dark Prince reveals that his heart was broken by another Sidhe Mage, one that Aidan closely resembles. They sleep chastely next to each other, but Aidan’s mind is not nearly so restrained. He dreams of making love with the Dark Prince, of seeing Asher’s face flushed with passion and experiencing the Sidhe totally unbound. As Aidan straddles a naked and spent Asher in his dream, he sees his reflection in a mirror, but it is not his face in the glass. It is the face of Kyranna Astrian... ---- Volume 6 contains the extra short story “Mage.” An enigmatic, ancient mage enters money-loving troll Soo’s shop with a deal that involves Aidan Walsh. Though Soo is uneasy about getting involved in the affairs of mages, she finds herself unable to refuse Lord Sevra Kos.

After his dreamlike night with Asher... and Kyranna, Aidan’s life becomes even more entangled with the Sidhe when he wakes up. His hunt for a job in town takes him further into the Elves’ domain when he discovers that Soo’s herb shop is a door into the Dark Earth itself! But it is who will take him to visit that magical realm that undoes all of Aidan’s defenses against believing himself only human. Sidhe Mage Lord Sevra has plans for Aidan, plans perhaps millennia in the making. In the short story "The Last Mage of Liend'r”, powerful Sidhe Mage Danya Astrian laments the loss of her infant son and wonders if she made the right choice in marrying Zarakiel Vane instead of her one true love and twin brother Kyranna. Though she believes Kyranna to be long dead, she can't help but feel a tense hope in the Troll Market as she senses his familiar energy.

Mages are to be feared. Mage Kyranna Astrian made that statement all too true. But his reign of terror was ended when the Dark Prince Asher Vane’s blade sank into his heart ... or was it? Aidan gets drawn farther into the magic and mystery of the Dark Earth when he accompanies Sidhe Mage Sevra Kos into the Troll Market. As Sevra teaches him his very first spell, the last thing on Aidan’s mind is the Sidhe that appeared in his dreams the night before and proclaimed himself Aidan’s father … But when Aidan spots Danya Astrian in the market, the unexpected happens: he discovers that Kyranna is not just in his dreams, but also in his body. Two souls. One body. Kyranna takes control of Aidan’s form and goes after his twin sister. When the Dark Prince Asher Vane learns that Aidan has been taken into the Dark Earth by an unknown Mage, he races after the young man, convinced he is in peril. When he finds Aidan, he comes to find that the young man is in far more danger than he ever imagined.

The soul of feared Elven Mage Kyranna Astrian has been sharing Aidan’s body for Aidan’s entire life… only now, Kyranna has taken that body over for his own purposes. But regaining control of his own form is the least of Aidan's troubles as he finds himself in the midst of a love triangle eons in the making. Sevra reveals to him that Aidan is the reincarnation of the Blood King Magnus Kos, the most powerful Mage the Elves have ever known, the founder of the fabulous Elven city of Liend'r, the king who went mad ... and Sevra's lover. Though Aidan is attracted to Asher, the Dark Prince has a deep distrust of Mages. Aidan can’t deny that he is also drawn to Sevra, who encourages his magic. But is Sevra attracted to him or who he used to be?

Aidan, Kyranna and Soo trek to the tomb of the Queen of the Dead in search of money for Aidan's family to escape Devil's Ridge, and a new body for his father. With the rewards so high, the risks are even higher...