![Reign of the Blood Witch [Volume I Complete! Slow Burn Gothic Horror]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.royalroadcdn.com%2Fpublic%2Fcovers-large%2F91799-reign-of-the-blood-witch-volume-i-complete.jpg%3Ftime%3D1786904721&w=640&q=75)
by Zamora de Leon
The villagers of Ecsed have long whispered that the eternal youth of Countess Elizabeth Bathory flows from the blood of the many women who have vanished under her patronage. Yet, the woman now awaiting execution is not the infamous Countess, but Edda—the imposter who, for a decade, has stood in her place. Ignorant of the dark undercurrents that led to her downfall, when Edda is given the gift—or the punishment—of reawakening ten years in the past, she must prevent history from repeating itself. To do so will mean not only uncovering the Countess’s secrets and confronting the nightmares that prowl the halls of her castle, but also overcoming the person at the center of it all—herself. Volume I is complete. Updates every Friday. What to expect ⸭ Slow-burn gothic horror and mystery: a blend of eerie atmosphere, psychological dread, and supernatural elements with a gradually unfolding mystery ⸭ Psychological and emotional tension: the narrative is centered around the main character's thoughts; shaped by fear, doubt, and the weight of her past ⸭ Traumatized to traumatizing: a gradual, inevitable, and somewhat disturbing journey out of victimhood into something...unsettling ⸭ Minimal action, maximum atmosphere: no swordfights and battles here; just flickering candles and the feeling of something waiting for you in the dark ⸭ The supernatural creeps in slowly: inspired by Eastern European folklore around witches, vampires, and ghosts ⸭ Dense, descriptive, and dramatic prose: best to sink into on a stormy night, with a cup of tea, and maybe a rosary Notes: ⸭ If you are reading this anywhere other than Royal Road or my Patreon, it has been stolen. Please support this story by heading over to https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/91799/reign-of-the-blood-witch-slow-burn-gothic-horror and reading there. Thank you! ⸭ Cover art by the amazing Maya Robertson (@mayarobertsonwrites on IG) ⸭ words are ALL mine (with the rare exception of anything suggested by my human proofreader)
| # | Title | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1. A Moment of Warmth | 0 |
| 2 | 2. The Beginning of the Tragedy | 0 |
| 3 | 3. Blood and Smoke | 0 |
| 4 | 4. A Pot of Black Pigment | 0 |
| 5 | 5. One Small Thing | 0 |
| 6 |
| 6. The First Choice |
| 0 |
| 7 | 7. Vanity | 0 |
| 8 | 8. An Irreplaceable Presence | 0 |
| 9 | 9. The Steward | 0 |
| 10 | 10. The Impassable Bridge | 0 |
| 11 | 11. A Seed of Something | 0 |
| 12 | 12. Twisted Relief | 0 |
| 13 | 13. The Witch's Messenger | 0 |
| 14 | 14. Truth and Fable | 0 |
| 15 | 15. Evil Disguised as Innocence | 0 |
| 16 | 16. Waiting | 0 |
| 17 | 17. Pretense | 0 |
| 18 | 18. To the Library | 0 |
| 19 | 19. Amongst the Travelogues | 0 |
| 20 | 20. Dumb Fortune | 0 |
| 21 | 21. Unexpectedly Useful | 0 |
| 22 | 22. A Gift or a Punishment | 0 |
| 23 | 23. A Blind Eye (Part I) | 0 |
| 24 | 24. A Blind Eye (Part II) | 0 |
| 25 | 25. The Approach of Night | 0 |
| 26 | 26. What Waits in the Dark (Part I) | 0 |
| 27 | 27. What Waits in the Dark (Part II) | 0 |
| 28 | 28. Fear and Breath | 0 |
| 29 | 29. A Memory of Hunger | 0 |
| 30 | 29.5 Interlude I: The Silent Village | 0 |
| 31 | 30. Just Out of Reach | 0 |
| 32 | 31. In the Shadow of the Castle Wall | 0 |
| 33 | 32. The Crone's Voice | 0 |
| 34 | 33. Distance | 0 |
| 35 | 34. Village of the Skinless | 0 |
| 36 | 35. Burden and Purpose | 0 |
| 37 | 36. Unpleasant Hearing | 0 |
| 38 | 37. A Creeping Wrongness | 0 |
| 39 | 38. Agneta's Answer | 0 |
| 40 | 39. The Book Merchant's Daughter | 0 |
| 41 | 39.5 Interlude II: The Watchers | 0 |
| 42 | 40. In the Aspects | 0 |
| 43 | 41. A Fragile Conclusion | 0 |
| 44 | 42. Into Her Hands | 0 |
| 45 | 43. No Other Way | 0 |
| 46 | 44. Borrowed Eyes | 0 |
| 47 | 45. What is Remembered | 0 |
| 48 | 46. Passage for Three | 0 |
| 49 | 47. Before the Chamber Door (Part I) | 0 |
| 50 | 48. Before the Chamber Door (Part II) | 0 |
| 51 | 49. A Festering Wound | 0 |
| 52 | 50. The Way Out (Part I) | 0 |
| 53 | 51. The Way Out (Part II) | 0 |
| 54 | 52. One Above, Ten Below | 0 |
| 55 | 53. A Dagger Might | 0 |
| 56 | 54. Knife in Hand | 0 |
| 57 | 55. Will and Witchery | 0 |
| 58 | 56. The Illusion of Safety | 0 |
| 59 | 57. An Unraveling | 0 |
| 60 | 58. Those Mourned | 0 |
| 61 | 59. The Final Echo of a Life | 0 |
| 62 | 60. Mother's Touch [End of Volume I] | 0 |
| 63 | 60.5 Interlude III: The Girl in the Forest (Part I) | 0 |
| 64 | 61. Something Half-Born | 0 |
| 65 | 62. What Watches | 0 |
| 66 | 63. Shackle and Shield | 0 |
| 67 | 64. Remedy of Poppy | 0 |
| 68 | 65. A Letter from Hesse | 0 |
| 69 | 66. An Uncertain Reply | 0 |
| 70 | 67. Poison | 0 |
| 71 | 68. A Cleansing | 0 |
| 72 | 69. Shared Madness | 0 |
| 73 | 70. A Layer of Secrecy | 0 |
| 74 | 70.5.1 The First Page of Fear | 0 |
| 75 | 70.5.2 The Strength of Salt and Silver | — |
| 76 | 71. Questions in the Night (Part I) | — |
| 77 | 72. Questions in the Night (Part II) | — |
| 78 | 73. Questions in the Night (Part III) | — |
| 79 | 74. What May Enter | — |
