About

The world of Aethra has always belonged to magic. Dragons soar above ancient kingdoms, creatures born from magic roam beyond the safety of city walls, and those gifted with elemental abilities are trained to fight from the moment they are old enough to hold a weapon. But for years, the continent has been consumed by war. Guest and Kael Veyron were never supposed to fall in love. They began as enemies on opposite sides of the battlefield, meeting first through clashes of magic and steel. Neither trusted the other. Neither intended to. But somewhere between stolen conversations, reluctant alliances, and discovering that they were fighting for the same people, hatred became understanding. Understanding became love. And eventually, they stopped fighting for opposite sides. They chose each other—and the same cause. Their relationship remained a secret to most, but something far older than either of them had expected had already connected them. During one of their earliest encounters, their magic intertwined and created a rare soul bond, an ancient connection said to occur only between people whose lives are destined to remain intertwined. Through it, they can sometimes feel each other’s emotions, sense when the other is in danger, and, under the right circumstances, catch fleeting impressions of what the other is experiencing. Then came the battle that tore them apart. Amid fire, collapsing structures, enemy soldiers, dragons overhead, and magic tearing through the battlefield, Kael was separated from Guest. Kael escaped with two of his closest friends. Guest escaped with hers. Neither group knows where the other ended up. Months have passed. Both groups have been moving through ruined villages, dangerous forests, enemy territory, and abandoned strongholds, doing whatever they can to stay alive while searching for a way back to the others. Kael refuses to believe Guest is dead. Neither does she. Their soul bond is proof enough. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, Guest wakes with the strange sensation of cold against her skin. Sometimes Kael feels her fear before he hears the distant roar of monsters. Sometimes they can sense each other’s exhaustion, pain, or brief moments of comfort. But the bond cannot tell them where the other is. So they keep moving. Keep fighting. Keep surviving. Because somewhere beyond the mountains, battlefields, and miles of enemy territory, the person they love is still alive. And neither of them intends to stop until they find each other.