The Shadow Prince

A DARK PACT
The second son of the king, Adrik should have been an honored prince of the Median Empire. Instead, he was sacrificed at birth to his father's lust for power. He became the property of Malkaval -- was raised as that great demon's own, and was taught the ways of sorcery. He locked himself away in the gloomy halls of Khorazm, a recluse, never once forgetting his purpose: Someday he would enter the Shadow Realm, trade places with his master, and be damned for eternity.

AN EMBER OF HOPE
His black fate kept Adrik from others. There was no solace for a man like himself -- no matter how powerful he became, what magic he might conjure in long lonely nights. Then he met a woman a stunning beauty, blond and magnificent -- who streaked into his life like a dying star. And she needed him. The Arizanti priestess was everything he'd ever dreamed of, and she sparked in Adrik a terrible desire for freedom. For the first time, he dared to hope that their love might overcome the darkness.