She married a prince. She loved a soldier.Now she must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to save them all.
As the specter of war looms, Meredith Ethan, and Connor are thrust into a final, desperate struggle for freedom. With Stonefall reclaimed and the plague’s grip finally broken, they must now race to forge new alliances before Theros-the ruthless King of Talos-brings his twisted vision of an empire to life.
But Theros’s ambitions run deeper than conquest-and Meredith is at the heart of his plans.
As betrayals mount and loyalties are tested, she finds herself caught between the prince she married and the soldier she never forgot.
In a war where survival means sacrifice, the price of freedom may be everything.
The final battle is here. And only one legacy will endure.
The rain pours harder, soaking through our cloaks and clothes as Heloise draws her sword, prompting Krea to unsheathe her cutlass. Beth clutches Pip tighter on the saddle, both of them trembling as they peer at the shadowy figures across the clearing. It’s hard to tell how many there are—but they’re watching us, silent and still, and that’s enough.
“Wait,” I caution. “We don’t know if they’re dangerous.”
Hel’s eyes sharpen on the men. “They need to know we are.”
“Careful with that,” Krea says to Hel. “Might cut your pretty face.” It’s not the first time Krea has doubted Heloise’s abilities, and I doubt it will be the last.
Heloise responds with a bemused frown. “Pretty? I should be insulted. This face is ravishing.” Under different circumstances, we might be laughing, but the tension strips the mirth from her words.
An arrow lands nearby, drawing our eyes to it. It’s far enough away to be no more than a warning, but the rain makes it hard for an archer to aim accurately, so it could be a threat. Either way, I don’t want to linger to find out.
“That is why you don’t show your weapon until you’re ready to use it,” Krea says.
“We have to turn back,” I warn. “We’re not equipped to block arrows.”
Beth, clearly frightened, reminds us that she’s not ready to take off on a galloping horse again.
I quickly say, “Give Pip to Heloise, and you ride back with me. We’ll worry about your horse later. But right now, we need to leave.”
Krea stirs in her saddle. “No. The boy comes with me. Can’t trust any of you to keep him out of harm’s way.”
“You don’t have to block them up close,” Heloise comments, her sword arm still poised and ready for the charge.
Another arrow lands, this time closer. Definitely a threat. And that’s all the prompting Heloise needs. She rears her horse and charges the aggressors head-on, sword raised in a show of attack. “Come on, we take them!”
“Stop!” I scream at her galloping back, but the sound is drowned out by the rumbling thunder above us. In the heightened seconds that follow, I don’t know what else to do but join in Heloise’s recklessness. I yell at Krea to get help before I signal Daisy to sprint after Heloise, terrified that an arrow will stop either of us at any moment, and equally scared of what will happen if we make it across the clearing. However superior Heloise’s fighting prowess may be, it does not make her unstoppable. A fact she should be well aware of herself. But she must have known I would follow, just as I should have known Krea would do the same. Riding hard behind me, it only takes her seconds to catch up.
“She’s going to get you both killed!” Krea shouts angrily at me.
“I told you to get help!” I shout back over my shoulder.
“There’s no time for that. We’re on our own!”
Half of me wishes Krea would turn around. I’d rather she whisk Pip and Beth away back to safety. The last thing I want is to be responsible for any more deaths. I know there are too many skeletons in that closet of mine. But the other half knows Heloise will die if we don’t stay and fight with her.
With one hand on the reins, I use my free hand to rip my sword free from its sheath. “Then we fight like hell!”
“Only way I know how,” Krea says, giving me the smallest of smiles. She raises her cutlass, ready to cut into her first victim.
An impossible choice between love and duty.As Princess Meredith's eighteenth birthday nears, so does the fate she's dreaded her entire life: an arranged marriage to a complete stranger, the crown prince of Alder.
But the match is more than political. Without it, her kingdom of Stonefall will fall to the merciless King Theros of Talos.
When Connor, an Alderian soldier sent by the prince to protect her, arrives at court, betrayal soon follows. Meredith and Connor are drawn together in ways that defy duty, and threaten everything they've ever known.
Revenge has a price. But what if the cost is her soul?Months have passed since Meredith first arrived in Alder. No longer the innocent girl she once was, Meredith now lives at the mercy of her hatred, counting down the days until she can claim her revenge. With the help of her betrothed, she draws closer to the retribution she craves, but each step takes her deeper into darkness. Meredith must decide how far she's willing to go—and whether her vengeance is worth losing herself and becoming the very monster she's sworn to destroy.
Meanwhile, trapped in a kingdom crushed beneath Theros's oppressive rule, Connor desperately searches for the memories stolen from him. But Sunder is a dangerous place, where trust is scarce and betrayal waits at every turn. Drawn into a perilous game of deceit and shifting loyalties, Connor is forced onto a deadly path, compelled to fight for those who risked everything to save him. Can he reclaim the truth of who he is before it's too late?
Samantha Gillespie writes the kind of romantasy novels she loves to read: stories packed with forbidden love, slow-burn tension, and just enough angst to keep you up way past your bedtime.
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What a thrilling book! Great excerpt. I'd love to read more.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really good. Will have to check out the series.
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