Roses, Runes, and Rumors

Calanthe Bloom's life is a delicate balance of grief, responsibility, and survival. Running her family's flower shop in Boston while caring for her mother, who is slipping away to Alzheimer's, Calanthe is haunted by her father's death and the slow loss of her mother's mind. When a chance encounter with the enigmatic and dangerous Tarian Hadez—scion of the powerful Atlantean family—leads to a near-accident and a mysterious magical mark, Calanthe's ordinary world is shattered. The city's undercurrent of rumors about the Hadez family's supernatural origins and their godlike powers suddenly become personal, as Calanthe is drawn into a web of secrets, power, and ancient magic that will test her heart and her courage.

The Hadez Collision

A rain-soaked evening, a flower shop, and a near-fatal car accident entwine Calanthe's fate with Tarian Hadez. Their collision is more than physical; it's the beginning of a dangerous attraction and a supernatural bond. Tarian, haunted by his own darkness and the legacy of his family, is both drawn to and wary of Calanthe. As rumors swirl about his violent past and the murder of his own father, Calanthe is forced to confront her own prejudices and fears. The city's fascination with the Hadez family's power and wealth is nothing compared to the magnetic pull between Calanthe and Tarian—a pull that will soon have deadly consequences.

Cacti, Contracts, and Curses

When Calanthe is hired to provide decorations for a Hadez engagement party, a misunderstanding leads to a confrontation with Tarian and his family. The event, meant to be a simple business transaction, becomes a crucible for Calanthe's pride and Tarian's curiosity. A magical accident brands Calanthe with a rune—a mark that binds her fate to Tarian's and sets off a chain of events neither can control. As Calanthe navigates the treacherous waters of Atlantean politics and family secrets, she discovers that the price of magic is higher than she ever imagined, and that love may be the most dangerous curse of all.

The Mark of Magic

The rune Tarian accidentally transfers to Calanthe is more than a symbol—it's a living curse, a magical tether that links their lives and destinies. As Calanthe struggles to understand the new power and peril within her, Tarian is consumed by guilt and fear. The mark makes Calanthe immune to Atlantean compulsion, but it also puts her in mortal danger from those who would exploit or destroy her. Their connection deepens through shared dreams and waking encounters, blurring the line between desire and doom. The mark is both a promise and a threat: together, they may find salvation—or destruction.

Dreamscapes and Dangers

Calanthe and Tarian's bond manifests in vivid, shared dreams that are as seductive as they are perilous. In these dreamscapes, they confront their deepest fears, desires, and memories. The dreams become a battleground for control, trust, and vulnerability, as both struggle with the trauma of their pasts and the uncertainty of their future. The line between dream and reality blurs, and the dangers they face in sleep begin to bleed into the waking world. As enemies close in and the curse tightens, Calanthe and Tarian must decide if they can trust each other—and themselves.

The Unraveling of Trust

As Calanthe is drawn deeper into the Atlantean world, old friendships are tested and new betrayals come to light. Bryn, Calanthe's best friend, is revealed to have ties to the Hadez family and a hidden agenda. The Fielding and Hadez families' tangled histories and ambitions threaten to tear Calanthe and Tarian apart. The council of Atlanteans, once protectors, are now revealed as conspirators, willing to sacrifice anyone for power. Calanthe's immunity to compulsion makes her both a target and a weapon, and Tarian's guilt over his family's sins threatens to consume him. Trust becomes a rare and precious commodity.

Bloodlines and Betrayals

The true nature of the Atlantean bloodlines is revealed: forbidden affairs, hidden siblings, and the legacy of violence that haunts both the Hadez and Fielding families. Symeon, Tarian's brother, and Yasmin, Bryn's half-sister, are unmasked as traitors, their ambitions fueled by jealousy and desperation. The council's plot to neutralize Tarian and seize control of the mine's magic comes to a head, and Calanthe is caught in the crossfire. The cost of power is paid in blood, and the line between victim and villain blurs as old wounds are reopened and new ones inflicted.

The Diamond Heart

Symeon's ultimate betrayal is revealed: he has crystallized Tarian's blood, turning his heart to diamond and trapping him in a magical coma. The process, meant to make Tarian's power accessible to others, instead threatens to destroy him forever. Calanthe, guided by dreams and the goddess Gaea, races against time to find and free Tarian. The rescue is fraught with peril, as enemies close in and the boundaries between life and death, magic and mortality, are tested. The only hope lies in the bond between Calanthe and Tarian—a bond that may be the key to breaking the curse.

Hunters, Heirs, and Hostages

The Holy Hunters, a human sect bent on eradicating Atlantean influence, join forces with rogue Atlanteans and the Fielding family to capture Tarian and use his blood for their own ends. Calanthe, now a hostage and a pawn, must navigate a labyrinth of shifting loyalties and deadly traps. Old friends become enemies, and enemies become unlikely allies, as the true stakes of the Atlantean legacy are revealed. The battle for Tarian's life becomes a battle for the future of magic itself, and Calanthe must decide how much she is willing to sacrifice for love.

The Sleeping Curse

Tarian's body lies in a coffin, his heart stilled, his magic fading. Calanthe, poisoned and dying, is forced to confront her own mortality and the limits of love. In a final act of devotion, she risks everything to awaken Tarian with a kiss—a reversal of the classic fairytale. The boundaries between dream and reality, life and death, are shattered as Calanthe's love and Tarian's magic combine to break the curse. Their resurrection is both a miracle and a reckoning, as the consequences of their choices ripple through the Atlantean world.

Awakening the Beast

Tarian, restored to life and power, exacts justice on those who betrayed him. The council is purged, old scores are settled, and the Atlantean world is forever changed. Calanthe, now marked by new runes and awakened to her own magic, stands at Tarian's side as both lover and equal. The cost of vengeance is high, and the wounds of the past are slow to heal, but a new order is born from the ashes of the old. The beast is awake, and the world will never be the same.

The Price of Power

With the council dismantled and the curse broken, Calanthe and Tarian must reckon with the aftermath of their ordeal. Old friends are lost, new alliances are forged, and the future of magic hangs in the balance. Calanthe's mother is healed, but the scars of loss remain. The couple must decide what kind of life they want to build together, and what price they are willing to pay for power, love, and freedom. The lessons of the past become the foundation for a new legacy.

The Council's Reckoning

The Atlantean council, once the seat of power, is brought to justice for its crimes. Tarian, with Calanthe at his side, establishes a new order based on trust, equality, and the hard-won lessons of their journey. The survivors must learn to live with the consequences of their choices, and the world must adapt to the reality of magic in its midst. The reckoning is both an end and a beginning—a chance to build something better from the ruins of the old.

Love, Loss, and Legacy

In the aftermath of war and betrayal, Calanthe and Tarian find solace in each other and in the promise of a new life. Their love, forged in fire and tested by fate, becomes the foundation for a new legacy. The wounds of the past are not easily healed, but hope endures. As they prepare to visit the mine and embrace their shared destiny, Calanthe and Tarian look to the future—not as victims of fate, but as authors of their own story.

Atlantis Beckons

The journey ends where it began: in Atlantis, at the heart of the mine. Calanthe, now awakened and marked by Gaea, claims her place at Tarian's side. Together, they face the challenges of leadership, love, and legacy. The world is changed, and so are they. The story of the dark beast and his bloom is not a fairytale, but a testament to the power of choice, courage, and connection. As Atlantis beckons, a new era of magic—and of hope—begins.

Characters

Calanthe Bloom

Calanthe is a fiercely loyal, resilient young woman burdened by loss and responsibility. Caring for her ailing mother and running the family flower shop, she is haunted by her father's death and the slow erosion of her mother's mind. Calanthe's world is upended when she is marked by Tarian's magic, making her immune to Atlantean compulsion and binding her fate to his. Her journey is one of self-discovery, courage, and sacrifice, as she navigates love, betrayal, and the seductive dangers of power. Calanthe's psychological arc is defined by her struggle to trust, her longing for connection, and her ultimate embrace of her own strength and agency.

Tarian Hadez

Tarian is the enigmatic, tormented heir to the Atlantean legacy—a man both feared and desired, burdened by the sins of his family and the weight of his own power. Marked by tragedy and accused of patricide, Tarian is both a beast and a protector, drawn to Calanthe by a bond he cannot control. His psychological complexity lies in his struggle with guilt, his fear of hurting those he loves, and his desperate need for redemption. Tarian's development is a journey from isolation and self-loathing to vulnerability, love, and the acceptance of his own humanity.

Bryn Fielding

Bryn is Calanthe's childhood friend, a vivacious and ambitious woman whose loyalty is tested by family secrets and personal ambition. Torn between her love for Calanthe and her ties to the Fielding and Hadez families, Bryn's choices are shaped by insecurity, jealousy, and a desperate need for belonging. Her psychological arc is one of betrayal and regret, as she is forced to confront the consequences of her actions and the true cost of loyalty.

Malachi Hadez

Malachi is Tarian's cousin and closest confidant, a man of deep empathy and quiet strength. Serving as a bridge between the mortal and Atlantean worlds, Malachi is both protector and peacemaker, struggling to balance duty, love, and the burdens of leadership. His psychological complexity lies in his capacity for forgiveness, his struggle with family loyalty, and his own longing for connection and purpose.

Symeon Hadez

Symeon is Tarian's younger brother, driven by envy, insecurity, and a desperate need for recognition. His betrayal is rooted in a lifetime of feeling overshadowed and unloved, leading him to make choices that have catastrophic consequences for himself and his family. Symeon's psychological arc is one of self-destruction, regret, and the tragic cost of ambition.

Yasmin Fablez

Yasmin is a complex figure—Bryn's half-sister, Malachi's kin, and a key player in the plot to capture Tarian. Driven by a sense of exclusion and a hunger for power, Yasmin's actions are both calculated and desperate. Her psychological arc is defined by her struggle for identity, her willingness to cross moral lines, and her ultimate downfall.

Lisa Bloom

Lisa is Calanthe's mother, a once-vibrant woman fading into the fog of Alzheimer's. Her decline is both a source of pain and a catalyst for Calanthe's growth. Lisa's moments of lucidity and love are poignant reminders of what is at stake, and her eventual healing is a testament to the power of hope and magic.

Ines

Ines is a formidable Atlantean, fiercely loyal to Malachi and the Hadez family. Her pragmatism, dry wit, and willingness to do what must be done make her both a protector and a potential threat. Ines's psychological complexity lies in her ability to navigate shifting allegiances, her capacity for violence, and her underlying sense of duty.

Electra Serran

Electra is a prodigy—young, powerful, and fiercely protective of those she loves. Her relationship with Dorian and Malachi is marked by both affection and rivalry. Electra's psychological arc is one of coming of age, learning to trust, and finding her place in a world that is both wondrous and dangerous.

Saul Hadez

Saul is the cunning, manipulative head of the Hadez family, a man whose ambition and pragmatism have shaped the fate of his kin. His willingness to sacrifice others for power, his complicated relationship with his sons, and his ultimate reckoning make him a figure of both fear and pity. Saul's psychological arc is one of hubris, regret, and the high cost of secrets.

Plot Devices

Magical Runes and Dream-Bonding

The central plot device is the magical rune Tarian accidentally brands onto Calanthe, which binds their fates and makes her immune to Atlantean compulsion. This mark is both a curse and a conduit, allowing them to share dreams that reveal hidden truths, foreshadow future events, and deepen their emotional connection. The dream-bonding blurs the line between reality and fantasy, serving as both a narrative structure and a metaphor for intimacy, vulnerability, and the power of choice. The runes also function as a mechanism for both empowerment and peril, as their transfer can heal, kill, or transform, depending on intent and circumstance.

Family Secrets and Betrayals

The story is driven by the revelation of hidden bloodlines, forbidden affairs, and the legacy of violence that haunts the Hadez and Fielding families. Betrayals—both personal and political—are foreshadowed through subtle clues, shifting alliances, and the gradual unmasking of true motives. The council's duplicity, Symeon's jealousy, and Yasmin's ambition are all seeded early and pay off in dramatic confrontations and reversals. The narrative structure uses alternating perspectives, flashbacks, and dream sequences to layer the mystery and heighten the emotional stakes.

The Sleeping Curse and Resurrection

The classic fairytale motif of the sleeping curse is reimagined as a magical coma, with Tarian's heart turned to diamond and Calanthe's love as the key to his resurrection. The story uses foreshadowing—through dreams, omens, and the gradual hardening of Tarian's heart—to build tension and anticipation. The reversal of the traditional "true love's kiss" trope, with Calanthe as the savior, subverts expectations and deepens the emotional arc. The resurrection is both a literal and symbolic rebirth, marking the end of an old order and the beginning of a new legacy.

Council Reckoning and New Order

The climax is structured as a reckoning, with Tarian and Calanthe confronting the council, exacting justice, and establishing a new order. The narrative uses parallelism—between past betrayals and present choices, between dream and reality—to underscore the themes of power, responsibility, and redemption. The denouement is both a resolution and a new beginning, as the couple prepares to visit Atlantis and embrace their shared destiny.

Analysis

In My Dark Beast, Olivia Wildenstein crafts a lush, emotionally charged retelling of Sleeping Beauty, blending urban fantasy, romance, and psychological drama. The novel interrogates the nature of power—magical, familial, and emotional—and the ways in which love can both heal and harm. Through the intertwined journeys of Calanthe and Tarian, the story explores themes of trauma, trust, and the longing for connection in a world defined by secrets and betrayal. The use of magical runes and dream-bonding as central plot devices allows for a nuanced exploration of intimacy, vulnerability, and the boundaries between self and other. The narrative's subversion of fairytale tropes—casting the heroine as both victim and savior, and the hero as both beast and beloved—offers a modern meditation on agency, consent, and the redemptive power of choice. Ultimately, the novel suggests that true magic lies not in supernatural abilities, but in the courage to face the past, forgive the unforgivable, and build a future rooted in love, hope, and hard-won trust.

Last updated: September 26, 2025