The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Copyright © 2023 by Kerri Maniscalco

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Map by Virginia Allyn

Sword and snake art in Barnes & Noble exclusive edition (ISBN 9780316568920) ©Shutterstock

ISBN 978-0-316-55751-1

E3-20230814-JV-NF-ORI

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Epigraph

Prologue: House Envy

Part I: The Game Begins

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Part II: A Deal with the Devil

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-One

Twenty-Two

Twenty-Three

Twenty-Four

Twenty-Five

Twenty-Six

Twenty-Seven

Twenty-Eight

Twenty-Nine

Thirty

Thirty-One

Thirty-Two

Thirty-Three

Thirty-Four

Thirty-Five

Thirty-Six

Thirty-Seven

Part III: Seduced by Darkness

Thirty-Eight

Thirty-Nine

Forty

Forty-One

Forty-Two

Forty-Three

Forty-Four

Forty-Five

Forty-Six

Forty-Seven

Forty-Eight

Forty-Nine

Fifty

Fifty-One

Fifty-Two

Fifty-Three

Part IV: Deception is the Most Wicked Game of All.

Fifty-Four

Fifty-Five

Fifty-Six

Fifty-Seven

Fifty-Eight

Fifty-Nine

Sixty

Sixty-One

Sixty-Two

Sixty-Three

Sixty-Four

Sixty-Five

Sixty-Six

Sixty-Seven

Sixty-Eight

Sixty-Nine

Seventy

Seventy-One

Acknowledgments

Discover More

About the Author

Also by Kerri Maniscalco

For those who can’t help falling for the villain and love a sinfully wicked fairy tale, this one is for you.

Explore book giveaways, sneak peeks, deals, and more.

Tap here to learn more.

Gentlemen of virtue are not nearly as nice

As the wickedly sinful men of vice.

POEMS FOR THE WICKED, VOLUME ONE

In a small city called Waverly Green, which is somewhat similar to Regency London but not quite, a few mortals have seen strange occurrences that cannot be explained. Some with secrets of their own—like Miss Camilla Antonius—have heard whispers of a shadowy nether realm full of vice, where seven demon princes rule over seven deadly courts full of sin. Magic isn’t immediately laughed off in Waverly Green, though it’s never openly spoken about either. Unless of course one ventures into the illegal dark market, where it’s said that the stolen art and artifacts are imbued with mystical powers and the dealers might not actually be human…

Unbeknownst to Camilla, or anyone in the Green, a curse in that devious realm recently broke, setting one sinfully handsome prince free.

Unlike in a fairy tale, the prince who’s now coming for Camilla isn’t at all charming. But like all storybook villains, if Camilla isn’t careful, this dark prince just might end up capturing her heart.

Unless she succeeds in the impossible and steals his wicked one first…

PROLOGUE House Envy

SEVERAL DECADES BEFORE

GODS-DAMNED FAE BASTARD.”

The Prince of Envy stared at the emerald feather that had just fallen from the unfolded parchment in his hand, heart thundering from the taunt. The area between his shoulders suddenly burned, the need to summon his wings almost painful.