Chapter 1

The day Julian Thorn cast me out of Cirewen, rain poured down in sheets.

He wouldn't even spare me a carriage. All he said was, "Going to Birtande as a concubine is the best fate you'll ever get."

I crumpled in the mud, begging him to look at me one last time.

He never lifted his gaze. Turned and climbed into another woman's carriage.

Three years later, Julian came to fetch me. "Do you hate me?"

I smiled. "No, I don't hate you."

He let out a sigh of relief and reached out to take my hand. "Then come back to Cirewen with me. Let's wipe the slate clean."

I stepped back, avoiding his hand.

In that instant, all the color drained from his face.

*****

The day Julian cast me out of Cirewen, the sky opened.

Rain hammered the cobblestones, throwing up a cold mist.

Julian stood at the top of the steps beneath a black umbrella.

Water spilled from its edge like a curtain drawn between us.

I huddled in the mud, soaked through.

Rain lashed my cheeks, bone-cold.

I looked up at Julian.

His silhouette blurred in the downpour, but his indifference cut sharply and clearly.

Behind him, the great doors of the estate stood shut.

Thorn Manor. My home for five years. Now a prison I could never reenter.

"Serving as a concubine in Birtande is the best fate you can hope for." Julian's voice carried through the rain, empty of warmth.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Birtande. A frozen outpost at the edge of the realm, where disgraced officials rotted. And Julian would send me there to serve as some stranger's concubine.

"Why?" My voice trembled, nearly lost beneath the storm.

Julian didn't answer.

Then, a woman glided over, holding her own umbrella.

It was Serena Hale.

She wore pink silk, her skirts fluttering like some pristine flower untouched by dirt.

She pressed against Julian, voice soft. "Honey, the rain grows heavy. We should go."

Honey. That word was like a knife to the heart.

I was Julian's wife. His lawfully wedded wife. Yet for this woman, he cast me aside like refuse.

I crumpled in the mud, begging him to look at me one last time.

"Julian. Look at me," I shouted with every ounce of strength.

He never lifted his gaze. He turned, held the umbrella over Serena, and climbed into the waiting carriage.

The curtain fell, sealing him away.

I watched the carriage fade into the storm until nothing remained. The final light inside me died.

Servants threw my belongings onto the street. A few worn garments were scattered in the mud.

Silent mockery.

A battered cart waited before me.

Two hard-faced men drove it. They grabbed me roughly and threw me into the back. "Move out."

At the command, the cart lurched forward along the muddy ruts.

I didn't cry.

My tears had dried when my heart died.

I whispered Julian's name inside my head, again and again.

I once believed he was my savior and my redemption.

Instead, he proved to be my endless abyss.

The cart passed through the city gates. Cirewen's splendor fell behind me.

The rain fell harder.

I lay on the freezing planks, my body going numb, my mind fading.

I heard wolves howling in the distance. I saw a predatory hunger in the men's eyes.

The cart came to a halt, and the two men started closing in on me, step by step.

Predatory smirks twisted their faces. "Damn, this girl's a real beauty. Let's enjoy ourselves before she's gone."

I shut my eyes and gripped the hairpin hidden in my sleeve.

It was the first gift Julian ever gave me.

And now, it was about to become the tool I'd use to end it all.

Just as that filthy hand was about to grab me, an angry voice cut through the night. "Stop."

A horseman galloped from the blackness, armor glinting, sword drawn. One stroke. A head rolled free.

Blood sprayed my face. Warm. Metallic.

The other man panicked, dropped to the mud, and begged for his life.

The rider ignored him. He dismounted and crouched beside me, wiping the blood from my face with his sleeve.

I couldn't make out his face.

All I could hear was his deep voice, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible tremor. "Are you still alive?"

With the last bit of strength I had left, I managed a nod.

And then, I completely lost consciousness.

From that moment on, I was gone for three years.