Rourke, Lord Avenage, is also the Ravenmaster for the Shadow Guards, He is attending the Queen's tea party for one purpose; to get permission to have the sleeping Shadow Guard, Countess Selene, removed from his tower. His excuse to the Queen is that his Raven Warriors are spread too thin, watching over her is becoming difficult to pull off with the threat of Tantalus still being on the loose. What Rourke is keeping to himself is he has been dreaming of Countess Selene since the Battle at Hastings; her presence alone is shattering his resolve. His past transgressions, his promises to himself are on the verge of falling into a black abyss. Now that Lady Black is going to wake up Countess Selene, both the Queen and the council feel leaving her in Rourke's care is the safest route; he is not so sure.

Countess Selene, daughter of Cleopatra and a fierce Shadow Guard, was put to sleep to keep from losing her sanity after her last battle. Her friend, Lady Black, has finally come up with a vaccine that will wake her up so that the evil lurking in her body does not destroy her. Unfortunately, Countess Selene awakens in a dark alley with a knife in her hand, kneeling next to a dead woman and her Shadow Guard powers are completely gone. She begins to panic until the one man she trusts, Lord Avenage, shows up to take her to the council to face an inquiry regarding her state of mind and the murder charges she is now facing. They decide to leave Countess Selene in Rourke's hands by taking her to his ancestral home, but one look at him tells her he wants nothing to do with her; until sparks fly when they touch. Interesting...

DARKER THAN NIGHT is rich with tension, desire, betrayal and a strong sense of friendship. Definitely a pleasurable read!