Seraphine survives the brutal hierarchy of Aurethia by healing people the powerful would rather ignore. Born between castes and treated as less than the nobles whose wounds she repairs, she has learned to keep her head down, hide the full extent of her gifts, and never expect mercy from men like Lord Lucien Veyr. Then she meets the lord's bondsman. Known as Riven, Darian Veyr is scarred, collared, and feared by everyone who sees him. He is also the true firstborn heir of the Veyr lands, stripped of his place and bound to serve the brother who inherited everything. Years of punishment have convinced Darian that suffering is what he deserves. Seraphine sees something else. Their attraction begins in a world of brothels, caste cruelty, dangerous magic, and political power where neither of them is free to choose openly. As Seraphine learns the man beneath the scars, Darian begins to remember the person he was before obedience became his identity. Escaping Lucien's control will take more than running. Darian's collar suppresses his power, his family name still carries dangerous weight, and challenging the order that enslaved him could put Seraphine directly in the path of people who consider compassion a weakness. Seraphine has spent her life healing wounds caused by powerful men. Darian may be the first person who makes her believe some scars can become the beginning of a different life. But freedom in Aurethia is never given without a price, and reclaiming a name may ignite a conflict neither of them can survive unchanged.
Seraphine survives the brutal hierarchy of Aurethia by healing people the powerful would rather ignore. Born between castes and treated as less than the nobles whose wounds she repairs, she has learned to keep her head down, hide the full extent of her gifts, and never expect mercy from men like ...