A Thornbound Promise

Some chains are made of iron. Others are woven from magic and blood.Sera Ashborne has spent twenty-three years avoiding the fate that claimed her mother: becoming an anchor. In the Court of Whispered Vows, mortals with magic are bound to fae lords, their life force drained to stabilize volatile power. It's slavery dressed in silk and binding vows.When Countess Elara demands Sera choose a master, defiance seems impossible-until Lord Kieran makes an unprecedented offer. Bond with him willingly, and he'll treat her as partner, not property. Equal, not servant.Kieran's storm magic is legendary-and lethal. His power doesn't just command weather; it warps reality itself, trapping victims in their worst nightmares. He needs an anchor to survive, but every anchor before Sera has feared him. She sees something different: a man terrified of his own strength, desperately seeking redemption.Their bond defies every rule. Sera doesn't just contain Kieran's storms-she transforms them, channeling destruction into creation, chaos into growth. Together, their magic creates something entirely new. Something beautiful.Something the Countess will destroy.Accused of wielding illegal power, Sera must undergo a trial by ordeal to prove their bond isn't dangerous. But in a garden where death walks and roses scream warnings, she'll discover that the greatest threat isn't the Countess's schemes-it's losing herself in a connection so deep, she can no longer tell where she ends and Kieran begins.