Most people in Ios know better than to challenge Vivarre and its powerful navy. Queen Thea, however, is not afraid to challenge anyone who gets in her way. For years, her kingdom has been supported by pirates. They sail the Iosian sea and raid any ship they come across for resources.<br><br>When Thea takes the throne she is challenged by enemies and allies alike. Though women can be warriors, they can never be true rulers. She hopes to change that belief, but she cannot do it alone. Driada is the only female pirate enlisted in Ios. She has served her kingdom faithfully for years, her dedication inspired by her father’s work on the royal ships. When she sees injustices being done against innocent people, she cannot simply sit idle while they suffer.<br><br>When these two bold, powerful women meet, it is obvious that they must form an alliance to keep Ios safe. But this alliance quickly shifts from being solely a political move, to one of the heart. Thea is forced to decide which path will lead to victory -- fighting Vivarre without divine help or betraying her promise to never bow down to the gods ever again.

Thea

“We must decide what we will do with them.”


“Do?” Demetrius repeated. “What we will do is welcome them into the palace and speak with them like civilized people.”


“There is nothing left to say to them.”


“If we kill Vivarrian diplomats, then we will face the full power of Vivarre’s fury!”


Thea crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I have seen Vivarre’s tyrannical power. They are calling upon the dark forces of the Underworld and using them against us. You were not in that cavern, Demetrius. You did not see what I have seen. Marcus was not a simple merchant, as I believed. He was a spy for Vivarre, conspiring against me with the former queen. I will not invite those Vivarrian traitors into my home.”


Herkuan leaned forward, his brows knit together with concern. “Then what do you propose?”


“We should make an example of them,” she replied. “If we kill one and send the other back, they will understand that we are finished being toyed with.”


Chapter 59