When my alien best friend invites me to the Festival of Souls, I don’t expect for it to be a mash-up of the Day of the Dead, battle royale, and a you-know-what kind of show. Okay, that makes it sound worse than it is, but still! My introverted heart can only take so much.

And it nearly pitter-patters right out of my chest when I meet one of the champions that’s going to battle for a mate. Paladus Ferulis looks cold from afar but has a gremlin’s sense of humor. I secretly wish I could drown in his purr, even if I know he’s untouchable.

But my world is turned upside down in an instant. Thrown to the battlefield, injured and terrified, I can only hope that someone will save me. Will Paladus fight for me? Or will I fall into the hands of a true devil?

***

This is a spicy standalone Halloween novella in the Intersolar Union world set in a time after Earth has joined the Union. You do not need to be familiar with the world to enjoy this story.

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