The Shadow Mare’s Oath

Racing Derby Ghosts

By: Rachelle Ayala

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Sylvie Merrick arrives at the decaying Blumont Stables with nothing but a scandalous past and a desperate need for redemption. Hired to train Nocturne—a black mare with silver eyes and an impossible speed that defies nature—Sylvie discovers the horse comes with more than just a reputation for throwing riders.

She comes with a ghost.

Gideon Blumont died in 1870, but his spirit remains bound to the estate by a blood oath and a betrayal that echoes through generations. When Sylvie finds herself drawn to the mysterious specter who appears in moonlit encounters, she uncovers a curse that has plagued both their bloodlines for decades. The pendant she’s worn since childhood isn’t just a keepsake—it’s the key to breaking chains forged in hatred and sealed in death.

But love between the living and the dead comes with a price. As Sylvie prepares Nocturne for the Kentucky Derby, she learns that winning the race of kings might cost her everything she’s come to love. With each midnight meeting, Gideon becomes more solid, more real, and more dangerous to her heart.

In a world where curses masquerade as coincidence and the past refuses to stay buried, Sylvie must choose between the safety of the known and a love that transcends death itself. Because some oaths can only be broken by the very hearts they were meant to destroy.

Welcome to Blumont Stables, where the dead don’t rest and love conquers more than just death.