Of Mercury and Mist

Crossed by Blood #2

by Larissa Vincente

“I’m going to take your breath away.”

HER

One mistake—just one—and my life stopped belonging to me.

Now it belongs to him.

The man I’ve hated for ages.
Cruelly beautiful. Impossibly calm. The kind of man disasters apologize to.

He lived in my nightmares long after a fateful meeting.
But the real version is worse—because he’s not a dream I can wake from.

No matter where I go, he’s there.
Watching.
Waiting.
Collecting pieces of my life like trophies.

He meant to destroy me.
I meant to survive him.

Ipomoea was supposed to be a job, not a cage. Yet every corridor hums with secrets, and the darkness in that building has started answering when I speak.

The more he demands, the more dangerous I become.
If he wants a war, I will give him one he will never forget.

HIM

My plan was make her pay.

Now I own her body and soul—and still I want more.

I despise dishonesty.
She is made of it.
And yet her scent lures me with its siren call.

I push her to the edge to remind myself I am in control.
Instead, she pushes back—and I imagine keeping her there for eternity.

In my world, punishment is permanent.
Termination is not a word—it is a promise etched in gold.

The correct thing would be to throw her to the wolves and listen to them feast.
But the thought of anyone touching what is mine makes the blood in me remember what it feels like to burn.

She cannot run from me.
I always get what I want.

In blood.

OF MERCURY AND MIST

Ashley stepped into Ipomoea believing she worked with ordinary monsters—ambitious executives, petty tyrants, polished liars. She was wrong. The company is a kingdom of vampires, demons, and creatures who wear human faces like borrowed masks.

Micha rules that kingdom with a patient cruelty. Accused of a crime she may not have committed, Ashley becomes his obsession, his captive, his favorite sin. Trust is a luxury neither of them can afford, and desire is a blade they keep handing to each other.

To survive, Ashley must decide what is worse—
the predators hunting her,
or the man who claims he is the only one keeping her alive.

Love, in a world like this, is simply a more intimate form of violence.

Tropes

Morally black, vengeance-driven MMC

Enemies to lovers

Captor / captive tension

Forced proximity

Touch-her-and-die

No cheating

Gothic vampire fantasy

HEA

Please read trigger warnings inside the book—your mental health matters.
A dark vampire fantasy romance. Second in interconnected standalones—Micha and Ashley’s story.

Genres: Dark Romance

407 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 18, 2025

Reviews

[Lyndi (mibookobsession) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ashley gets a crash course into the world of fantasy after she's allegedly caught stealing from the pharmaceutical company she works for. Micha, the owner and her boss, decides to punish her before turning her over to his business partner, Josiah. Termination in their company is meant literally, so Micha tries to rid himself of his secret obsession of her now that he has nothing to lose. He can't believe that she would steal from him, proving she's not the woman he thought he could make a life with and he's furious. But the more he tries to make her pay for her betrayal, the harder he falls.
Oh the angst and the pining! I think I liked Micha and Ashley even more than the first book with Josiah and Della! The pacing of the story was great, full of action and spice and kept me flipping pages. Ashley was such a strong sassy character, I just loved her!I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Good Girl Krissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am obsessed with this book. The enemies to lovers trope, the angst, the alternate realms. Chef’s kiss. Micha is my new shadow daddy. I would have devoured this book if it weren’t for obligations like work.

[Mary Haskins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this but now near as much a book one. That Micah took so much time before making a move then so much punishing without actually knowing the full story. All the vagueness at the end about his powers just did not add up for me.

[Julie Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Micha........

Just finished this book and WOW, this author is incredible, I'm so in love with this series ( Josiah is still my favourite )
If you love Vampires and Demons these are for you and i guarantee you won't be disappointed.

[Jazmine Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I loved the main character. It took me a little bit to really get into the book but don’t give up. It’s worth it.

[Jennifer Upton · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow

I couldn’t stop reading this one! I’m so glad Micha and Ashley were able to work out! I’m curious what happens now! She’s a princess after all 🤭

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark fantasy romance with vampires and unhinged MMCs? Yes please!!!

[Jacqueline Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the characters

This book had me on edge and wondering why Ashley had to be so stubborn but saying that so was her love.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not going to lie... I almost DNF’ed this book, but I’m really glad I pushed through. The first 100 pages were rough for me, since the pacing felt disjointed, with chapter endings leaving me with questions that weren’t answered, and the story often came across as jumping ahead without explanation. It made it hard to stay invested at first.

But once the main character got fired and started a new job, the plot took a turn for the better, and I found myself getting pulled back in. What really grabbed me was the twist where he lies to her and claims her as someone else—a messy, dramatic hook that kept me turning the pages.

Like, who would have thought that our might be savior Samuel kidnaps her. What really made me mad was Jossia though. How could he, as his best friend, not give Micha the same loyalty and support Micha gave him? That just felt wrong. Micha had his back, accepted everything about him, and still Jossia refused to return the favor. That part really soured me. Now everyone almost died because of that.

What I loved was that our main character saved him—not just once, but twice, while he was trying to save her.

Overall, it was a bumpy ride that turned into something worth finishing.

Fave quote: "Even if you killed me, I'd still come for you. My soul would find yours."

[Rachell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. There were parts that were terrible, but Ashley is one of my favorite strong female characters so far.

When Micha finally couldn't stay away from Ashley anymore, that was when I knew things were getting good. Little did I know the struggles still ahead.

It always makes me so mad when these strong female characters make the stupidest decisions and get themselves into even more dire situations, but it is the nature of these books, I suppose.

This is a great series so far if you like vampire/human bonding with a little demon and angel mixed in. There is drugging and kidnapping, forced sexual situations, and lies, but if you don't get triggered by that stuff, this is the series for you.

[Kirstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Dark & delicious! I just finished Of Mercury & Mist. This story had me hooked from the very first page. A true page-turner, it delivers the perfect blend of tension, romance and just the right amount of spice. Think enemies-to-lovers meets modern day gothic romantasy, and you've got a book you won't want to put down.

I especially loved the dark academia vibes of the book's 2nd Realm-moody, mysterious and totally immersive.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is the 2nd book in the Crossed by Blood series. It reads as a stand-alone - a major win for me.

[Little Blue Butterfly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hot 🔥 It’s such a delicious mixture of darkness, tension, betrayal, romance and just plain spicy 🌶️ The cat and mouse game between Ashley and Micha…..Yes Please 😍 Such great chemistry ♥️🖤 I really enjoyed this story!! A human unbeknowingly navigating through a supernatural world. Ashley works for a pharmaceutical company, which is more than meets the eye, and is accused of stealing. After that, she’s at the mercy of one of the most powerful vampires, who definitely develops an unhealthy obsession with her. Ashley finds herself doing exactly what Micha wants as her punishment. I really enjoyed reading this dark and exciting story 🖤🩷
I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK 💙🦋🩵

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like this book. I kept waiting for it to get better and it never did. It seemed very repetitive and predictable in certain situations. This book is part of a series but each book can be read as a standalone. I don’t feel like this book ended well. It seemed rushed and unfinished. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Definitely read the trigger warnings, it was a bit more gory than what I like. That did not affect my rating just personal opinion. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[stephanie cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book grabbed me from the first line—seriously, “I’m going to take your breath away” sets the tone perfectly. If you’re into enemies-to-lovers, gothic vibes, and a dark fantasy world where vampires, demons, and angels collide, you’re going to love this.

It’s got tension, emotion, romance, and just enough spice to keep things addictive. The pacing is great, and the chemistry between characters crackles. The series is shaping up to be a must-read for fans of dark romantasy with real bite.

[Sally Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book a solid 4.5. The characters are interesting and you feel like you know them be the end of the book. However I felt it was a bit long in some places along the way. I look forward to the authors next book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Cottage_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst this is book 2 in the series, it is a standalone.

I enjoyed the writing and tension and would recommend this book to anyone who likes
🥀 dark romance
🥀 vampires
🥀 enemies to lovers

Thank you Booksprout for the ARC.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost didn’t pick this up because I was not a fan of book 1…more so of Della. This was miles better than book 1 for me!

[J* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started out good, but lost steam towards the end. Plot errors involving character mix-ups