Calyra Valemont's people are dying beneath a corruption that has been eating magic from the Duskmire for generations. Saving them requires an alliance with the Sunborn court, and the price is Calyra herself. She is sent across enemy lines to become the bride of King Dorian, a ruler who sees marriage as possession and a vampire queen as something to break into obedience. Calyra plans to endure long enough to protect her people. Then General Kaelor Ravenshade becomes the one man in the Sunborn kingdom who looks at her and sees a person instead of a treaty. He should be loyal to his king. She should never trust the soldier guarding her cage. Their attraction grows anyway, sharpened by every secret meeting, every dangerous kindness, and every moment Kaelor chooses her safety over the easy command. Around them, the kingdom is already splitting. Rebellion moves beneath palace rituals, ancient forces stir through corrupted magic, and Calyra's own power begins answering the darkness in ways no one expected. The marriage meant to secure peace becomes another weapon in a war over who deserves to rule, while forbidden love gives both Calyra and Kaelor something more dangerous than desire: a reason to defy the roles written for them. If Calyra chooses rebellion, she could doom the alliance keeping her people alive. If Kaelor chooses her, he becomes a traitor to the crown he swore to defend. In a realm of starlight and shadow, their vows may decide whether two kingdoms survive or burn together.
Calyra Valemont's people are dying beneath a corruption that has been eating magic from the Duskmire for generations. Saving them requires an alliance with the Sunborn court, and the price is Calyra herself. She is sent across enemy lines to become the bride of King Dorian, a ruler who sees marri...