title: The Wicked: A Novel
author:  Douglas Nicholas 
description: Rich in historical detail, this suspenseful coming-of-age fantasy grabs the reader with the facts of life in medieval England and the magic spells woven into its landscape.<i>Publishers Weekly</i> (starred review)<br /><br />A hauntingly affecting historical novel with a touch of magic. (<i>Kirkus Reviews (starred review)</i>)<br /><br />This darkly atmospheric debut novel is well worth its measured plot-building for its horrific, unexpected ending. (<i>Library Journal (starred review)</i>)<br /><br />Debut novelist Douglas Nicholas goes for the throat with <i>Something Red</i>. Rich in history, ankle deep in blood, and packed with brilliant writing and whip-smart plotting. (Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Assassins Code and Flesh &amp; Bone)<br /><br />Not for the faint of heart, this pulse pounding page-turner grabs you from the start and never lets you go. A wickedly clever and evocative combination of history, horror, mystery, and magic.<i>Booklist </i><br /><br />I love the writing, the vividness and poetic feel, maybe the sheer 'Irishness' of it. Beautifully observed moments abound in this: a waterfall, a snow-filled forest, a mountainscape. The sense of place is overwhelming; every stone, every flower pops out at you.Cecelia Holland, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>The King's Witch</i><br /><br />I loved <i>Something Red</i>. Douglas Nicholas conjures up the distant thirteenth century with prose as magical as that practiced by his sorceress-queen. This is a stunning debut novel of lyrical power and suspenseful drama. The hair-raising finale will keep you reading far into the night.Carol Goodman, national bestselling author of <i>The Lake of Dead Languages</i><br /><br />Ably conjuring the beauties and drawbacks of the past, and with an engaging and unusual cast-list, <i>Something Red</i> is a thoroughbred novel of nightmare terror, ruled by a force of sheer evil that seems, and may well prove, unstoppable.Tanith Lee, award-winning author of <i>The Silver Metal Lover</i><br /><br />Douglas Nicholas can artfully narrate a story. I was engaged from beginning to end . . . <i>Something Red</i> is sure to be a best seller.<i>Agenda Magazine</i><br /><br />The most stunning debut novel I have ever read. The language is beautiful and descriptive; the novel is an incredible sensory experience for the reader. (<i>Examiner.com</i>)
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  Wicked Promise  
  
  Kat Martin  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  WICKED PROMISE
  
  Copyright © 1998 by Kat Martin.
  
  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
  manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief
  quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address
  St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
  
  ISBN: 0-312-96640-7
  
  Printed in the United States of America
  
  St. Martin's Paperbacks edition / October 1998
  
  St. Martin's Paperbacks are published by St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue,
  New York, N.Y. 10010.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ONE
  
  SEVENOAKS, ENGLAND
  
  FEBRUARY 1803
  
  Nicholas trailed a long dark finger down the small in-dentations that marked
  the viscountess's spine. Absently he fondled her bottom, admiring the lus-
  cious curves, the way her glossy black hair fanned out across his pillow.
  Perhaps he should take her again, he thought as his body began to harden and
  press against the sheets.
  
  A glance at