A story about a place that neither exists in maps or history books, this place was called Athame.

•••

"The root of every fear is the unknown, yet how can one fear what they cannot grasp? Tch... how misleading." His voice, deep and rough, sent an involuntary shiver through her as he closed the distance between them with deliberate steps, his presence suffocating in its intensity.

With a slow, predatory grace, his fingers brushed along her jaw, settling on a strand of her scarlet hair, his touch deceptively tender. "Knowing me will matter little," he whispered darkly, his breath warm against her skin. "For even in the shadows of uncertainty, you will come to fear... and desire me all the same."

•••

Aricia, born with extraordinary abilities in a world that fears anything out of the ordinary, was destined for a marriage alliance to secure peace between kingdoms. 

But on the day of her engagement, her entire family is slaughtered—by the very family she was meant to marry into. 

Grief-stricken and consumed by vengeance, Aricia swore to destroy those who betrayed her. She would wield the very power they had feared against them, seeking justice with no mercy. After years on the run, she found shelter within an elemental clan, hiding her abilities and keeping to the shadows.

But her carefully constructed peace shattered in a single moment. A burning touch, a chance encounter with his haunting gray eyes—an unknown force within her stirred, threatening to unravel her carefully guarded secrets and the fragile balance of magic, madness, and vengeance she had built....

Vengeance Through Passion

"What a mean human!" Aricia spat under her breath, scrubbing the oak table harder than necessary, her frustration bubbling over as her reflection wavered in the polished surface. 


The air in the servants' quarters was thick with murmurs of preparation. Today was no ordinary day. The Emperor of the Five Kingdoms of Athame was expected. A presence so grand, it reduced everyone, noble and servant alike, to jittery shells of themselves. 


Above the din, the eunuch’s booming voice reverberated through the grand hall. “Join me as we welcome the ruler of the seventeen hundred provinces of Athame! Emperor and Conqueror of the Five Reigns of Athame! His Royal Highness, Knight and King, Lord Lucius Blackwood the Second!” 


Gasps rippled through the crowd like a stone cast into a still pond. 


Chapter 39| Tell Me Your Name!