A woman forged from a tragic mistake. A warrior forged from unending grief. When a forbidden act of magic binds them soul-to-soul, the man sent to execute her becomes her only protector.

Lyra is a monster. At least, that's what she believes. As a secret Runesmith in a quiet village, her hidden power was a harmless quirk—until the night it erupted with catastrophic force. In a single, devastating moment, she unleashed a wave of despair that left her the sole survivor of a massacre, branding her the infamous "Shatter Witch." Her only future is a death sentence.

Commander Caelan is the instrument of that sentence. As a Warden of the Empire, his duty is absolute, his heart shielded by the iron will he uses to control his ancient, sorrow-fueled sword. He is the law, and the law demands her life. But when a shadowy cabal of mages known as the Ashen Veil ambushes them, their attack reveals a deeper conspiracy—and forces Lyra into a desperate choice.

To save the man sent to kill her, she performs the ultimate magical taboo: a Soul-Forge.

Now, they are bound by an unbreakable chain. He feels her crippling guilt and terror. She is drowning in the ocean of his ancient grief. They cannot separate by more than a hundred paces without agonizing pain, and his duty to execute her is now a suicide mission. Chained together, they are fugitives from the very Empire Caelan swore to protect, hunted by an enemy that wants to use Lyra's power to ignite a civil war.

He is the jailer. She is the prisoner. But in a world of lies and secrets, the greatest danger may not be the enemies hunting them, but the volatile, world-shattering power of a bond forged in fire, grief, and a connection neither of them can deny.

Fans of Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Raven Kennedy will be captivated by this epic tale of enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and a love that could either save an empire or burn it to the ground.