The Deception Dance Series by Rita Stradling

We stand there, screaming into each other’s faces.How I hate him.How I’ve loved him.How I want him destroyed. After a year of preparation, eighteen year old Raven Smith has planned out every detail of her summer vacation in Europe. Yet, while still en-route to Italy, Raven finds a letter in her carry-on suitcase that tells her not to go to Europe, that an “evil agent of Hell” is looking for her and he will find her if she disregards the letter’s message... moreWe stand there, screaming into each other’s faces.How I hate him.How I’ve loved him.How I want him destroyed. After a year of preparation, eighteen year old Raven Smith has planned out every detail of her summer vacation in Europe. Yet, while still en-route to Italy, Raven finds a letter in her carry-on suitcase that tells her not to go to Europe, that an “evil agent of Hell” is looking for her and he will find her if she disregards the letter’s message.Deciding that it was a product of insanity, Raven chooses to disregard the letter's message.In her cross-Europe trip, Raven only wants to feed her love of art history and spend time with her older sister. She’s unprepared for Andras and his strange fascination with her, not to mention the all-consuming attraction she has for him. She’s definitely unprepared for Nicholas and his brothers Stephen, Albert and Tobias, diverting all of her plans and sweeping her off to a Swedish Castle. But the letter was right, the agent of Hell has found her and Raven has become a game-piece in a very dangerous game. less

Andras is coming back for me. That is pretty much the only certainty I have in this life. Andras will always come back for me...Last summer, with the help of demon-killer Stephen Tapper, Raven Smith faced Hell on Earth to stop the demon-apocalypse (or more like, put it on hold). Raven made a deal with the Grand Marquis of Hell: he would not open the gates of hell if she promised not to fall in love with anyone until he returned for her... moreAndras is coming back for me. That is pretty much the only certainty I have in this life. Andras will always come back for me...Last summer, with the help of demon-killer Stephen Tapper, Raven Smith faced Hell on Earth to stop the demon-apocalypse (or more like, put it on hold). Raven made a deal with the Grand Marquis of Hell: he would not open the gates of hell if she promised not to fall in love with anyone until he returned for her. Almost a year has passed and summer has come again…Raven is safe. Relatively. She’s protected. Doggedly. She’s away from the demons, the hell, the madness. Until she falls asleep.When the earth-witch Madeline shows up in Raven’s hometown (aka her prison), calling in Raven’s life-debt, Raven shouldn’t even listen to Madeline’s proposal. But she does.Madeline tells her that months ago, Stephen travelled to Thailand to track down a magician called The Spider; but within days of arriving, Stephen vanished. Every person (be they witch or demon-killer) Madeline sent to find Stephen was hunted down, overwhelmed and murdered by demons. The message Madeline received after all attempts failed was clear: send in Raven Smith or Stephen dies.Going to Thailand might possibly be the stupidest decision Raven could ever make… there are a thousand reasons why Raven should stay guarded, protected, safe; only one reason why she shouldn’t. Stephen. less