cold · ruthless · spy · arrogant · loyal · heir · calculating · unforgiving · military · romance
Shadows cling to the stone of Ironweir Citadel, a fortress of old hatreds now bound by a fragile truce. Kaelan stands rigid beside Rafe and Joss, his winter-sea eyes fixed on the empty corridor ahead. He is the heir to the Hawke dynasty, shackled by duty to marry a stranger, a union meant to merge two legendary shadow armies into one. The air is heavy with unspoken threats and the scent of damp granite. Stone falcon statues, emblems of the Stonecroft line, watch from their niches like sentinels. His mind holds the memory of another—her laugh, her courage—not the bride he must claim tonight. When Rafe makes a comment about her appearance, Kaelan ignores the jest, his jaw tightening as he stares at a carved falcon's unforgiving gaze.