When his younger sister is propositioned by the Tyrant King, Aster steps in to take her place. Just when he fears he must face this fate alone, the King assigns Rowan the Black to protect him—an Enforcer Knight with a tortured past. Despite his cruel reputation, Aster can't shake the feeling that Rowan is familiar to him. Haunted by memories of his lost childhood sweetheart, Jace, Aster must now navigate a veritable political chess game he wasn't at all prepared for. 

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“Flowers like the rose are needed for so many reasons,” Aster said. “The ground needs their roots, bees need their pollen, and animals need their leaves. So they do what they can to survive, by any means necessary. Does that mean a rose is evil for growing thorns?” He looked up at Rowan.

Rowan kept his eyes on the rose. He didn’t seem convinced. “A single rose has never caused as much pain as I have, Aster.”

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Broken Vows is created by Alex Agar, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author. 

BRoken Vows

The next couple days were shrouded in a haze. Aster could barely remember them. He wasn’t sure when Kray’s men left—was it when they reached the infirmary, or was it at the gates? Eddie had shown up at some point, hadn’t he? It must have happened, but he couldn’t remember it at all.


He couldn’t even remember the faces of the Physicks, the ones that begged him to leave while they worked to remove the crossbow bolt, disinfect the wound, and stop the bleeding. But Aster refused to go. His eyes remained on Rowan’s face the entire time.


Truly, he could not feel more like a fool. How did he stay in denial for this long? How did he not recognize those eyes? How did he allow himself to believe Jace was dead, to mourn him, to plan to avenge him… when he was right in front of him this entire time? (Well, not literally in front of him this whole time, but—)


Chapter 23: Dancing Stars