Beyond the Ruby Veil

Emanuela Ragno has always gotten exactly what she wanted. The privileged daughter of the House of Ragno, her daring and sharp mind has kept her from being the traditional young lady everyone wishes she would be. What other people think of her is no consequence, though--she is about to marry Ale, her best friend and heir to the first house of Occhia, despite the fact that they are both secretly gay. Through Ale, Emanuela will be able to rule the city. However, Emanuela has another, deeper secret that could shatter her plans. In Occhia, the source of all water is the watercrea, a mysterious being with blood magic who requires all Occhians to give themselves to her when their first bruise-like omen appears on their skin. Throughout history, all Occhians have obeyed this rule. Except Emanuela. She has kept the tiny omen on her hip out of sight for years. When the watercrea exposes her during her wedding ceremony, Emanuela fights back and kills her. But Occhia's water supply is dangerously low, and now they have no water source. In a race against time, Emanuela and Ale must travel through the mysterious, blood red veil that surrounds their city in order to uncover the secrets of the watercrea's magic and find a way to save Occhia--by any means necessary.