The Psalm of Ashen Silk: A Prelude to The Hells of Notre Dame

I go for my son.

A lie, whispered to God and myself every Friday as I lead Quasimodo from the sanctuary of Notre Dame to the sin of the street faire. I go for his smile, for his enjoyment. More lies.

I go for her: The Embermage.

She is temptation. She is forbidden. She is sin—yet one I cannot resist. Her fire calls to a darkness deep within me, stirring feelings and urges that must remain buried. For months, I've watched from the safety of the crowd: to look, but to never, ever touch.

Until one night, when I get far too close. She perceives me, beckons to me... then touches me, leaving her scarf as a favor of the occasion. I should discard it, surrender it to my priest at my next confession, or Hell, even burn it. But I don't.

I allow her name to fester on my lips, a wretched, sinful psalm, and desire one thing above all else, even my God's forgiveness:

The night she'll scream my name, not His.

The Psalm of Ashen Silk is the prequel novella to a series of sapphic retellings of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Phantom of Notre Dame series: where Hunchback collides with The Phantom of the Opera in the streets of gothic Paris. These LGBT+ dark fantasy romances are as steamy as they are twisted, and are intended for a mature adult audience.

Please note: while Claude and Esmeralda remain the main characters of every book, they will add partners of various genders to their consensually polyamorous relationship over the course of the series.