C ONTENTS

Content Warnings

The Realm

Zev & Mayah

Prologue

Part I

1. Chapter One

2. Chapter Two

3. Chapter Three

4. Chapter Four

5. Chapter Five

6. Chapter Six

7. Chapter Seven

8. Chapter Eight

9. Chapter Nine

10. Chapter Ten

11. Chapter Eleven

12. Chapter Twelve

13. Chapter Thirteen

14. Chapter Fourteen

15. Chapter Fifteen

16. Chapter Sixteen

17. Chapter Seventeen

18. Chapter Eighteen

19. Chapter Nineteen

20. Chapter Twenty

21. Chapter Twenty-One

22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Part II

23. Chapter Twenty-Three

24. Chapter Twenty-Four

25. Chapter Twenty-Five

26. Chapter Twenty-Six

27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

30. Chapter Thirty

31. Chapter Thirty-One

32. Chapter Thirty-Two

33. Chapter Thirty-Three

34. Chapter Thirty-Four

35. Chapter Thirty-Five

36. Chapter Thirty-Six

37. Chapter Thirty-Seven

38. Chapter Thirty-Eight

39. Chapter Thirty-Nine

40. Chapter Forty

41. Chapter Forty-One

42. Chapter Forty-Two

43. Chapter Forty-Three

44. Chapter Forty-Four

45. Chapter Forty-Five

46. Chapter Forty-Six

47. Chapter Forty-Seven

48. Chapter Forty-Eight

49. Chapter Forty-Nine

50. Chapter Fifty

51. Chapter Fifty-One

52. Chapter Fifty-Two

53. Chapter Fifty-Three

54. Chapter Fifty-Four

55. Chapter Fifty-Five

56. Chapter Fifty-Six

57. Chapter Fifty-Seven

58. Chapter Fifty-Eight

59. Chapter Fifty-Nine

60. Chapter Sixty

61. Chapter Sixty-One

62. Chapter Sixty-Two

63. Chapter Sixty-Three

64. Chapter Sixty-Four

65. Chapter Sixty-Five

66. Chapter Sixty-Six

67. Chapter Sixty-Seven

68. Chapter Sixty-Eight

69. Chapter Sixty-Nine

70. Chapter Seventy

71. Chapter Seventy-One

72. Chapter Seventy-Two

73. Chapter Seventy-Three

74. Chapter Seventy-Four

75. Chapter Seventy-Five

76. Chapter Seventy-Six

77. Chapter Seventy-Seven

78. Chapter Seventy-Eight

79. Chapter Seventy-Nine

80. Chapter Eighty

81. Chapter Eighty-One

82. Chapter Eighty-Two

Epilogue

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Bonus Content

Acknowledgements

About Leena Kazak

More from Leena Kazak

NO BOOK IS WORTH your mental health. Below is a list of content warnings. Please note, the content warnings include spoilers.

This book contains mature themes including on-page attempted SA (the FMC) and references to past SA (not the FMC), as well as portrayals of PTSD and trauma. It also features complex arranged marriage dynamics, including two kisses outside of the primary relationship, and some readers may interpret the FMC's actions as infidelity. Other warnings include: character death, on-page torture, and injury to a child (no death).

PROLOGUE

NINETEEN YEARS AGO

RAIN SLAMS AGAINST THE windows, so loud it seems like the whole house is shaking. What if the glass breaks? Who will fix it? I don’t think Mama knows how. I curl tighter in the closet, knees locked to my chest.

Mama said not to come out. No matter what happens.

No matter what I hear.

Thunder booms again. What if the roof falls in and Mama can’t find me?

Someone’s shouting downstairs, but another crack of thunder swallows the words. The rain pounds harder, like it’s trying to get inside. If I were a baby, I’d think the storm was here for me. But I’m not a baby. I’m six. A big girl. Mama needs me to be a big girl right now.

But a whimper slips out anyway. My legs twitch to run, to find Mama, but I squeeze my arms around my knees and stay put. I promised. I have to keep my promise.

A flash of lightning fills the thin line beneath the door, white and sharp. My knees knock together. Darkness rushes back in. I clutch my carved wooden reindeer—a gift from Father—so hard, its edges bite my palms. Tears sting my eyes.

I might throw up.

I wish Mama were here. She’d rub my back, stroke my hair, let me hide my face in her soft dress until I felt brave.

Between angry thunderclaps, I hear it—boots on the stairs. Heavy. Loud. Too loud to be Mama.

I cover my eyes. My cheeks are wet.

They’re in my room now. Strangers. Bad men. That’s why Mama wanted me to stay hidden. Things crash to the floor. Where’s Mama?

I hold my breath and make myself as small as I can.

It doesn’t help.

The door flies open.

I scream and scream and scream.

CHAPTER ONE

“COME ON, PRINCESS,” A deep voice rumbles in my ear. “I’ve taught you better than that.” I struggle beneath him, the ice floor cold against my back, but his heavy weight pins me down. Dark, mischievous blue eyes—ones I know as well as my own—trace my face, settling on my lips.

I scowl and bring up my knee. Hard.

Daak narrowly shifts out of the way with a huffed laugh before jumping to his feet. I ignore his proffered hand and rise on my own.

“Again.” I drop into a defensive position, arms raised.

Amusement dances in his eyes. “If you say so.”

With a flurry of punches, he attacks.

Daak gives me no quarter, but I know his routine—he’s been training me for years. I easily deflect his blows. When his leg sweeps out in a roundhouse, I crouch just in time, his boot passing scant inches above my head.

Water burbles in the large fountain carved into the ice wall of the palace’s training room, though its sound is muffled by my own heaving breaths. From the center of the fountain, a massive polar bear—one of my least favorite ice sculptures—glares at me. He’s always glaring. I like to pretend he’ll look pleased when I finally win.

Maybe it’ll be today.

I attack with flying fists and well-aimed kicks, my grunts echoing through the vast, cold room. Daak blocks every single strike, eyes glinting in the sunlight filtering from the large, arched windows. Just when I’m about to land a solid blow, a large wave of clear, cold water surges from the fountain. It flows toward us in a rushing torrent, wrapping around my legs.

It freezes.

Before I can blink, another icy wave crashes into me, covering my hips in thick ribbons, before they also freeze.

“Cheater!” I snap, glaring at him. “We said no wielding.”

Daak is a skilled waterwielder—the best in all of Tundrayn—and captain of my father’s guard. It’s the only reason Father never sent him into battle.

“I changed my mind.” He smirks at me, palms angled to cheat some more. I lift my hands up, when—

Rap. Rap. Rap.

Three sharp knocks echo through the training room.

I drop my hands. The door flings open, and a servant barges in, panting. “Princess Mayah! The Healing Chambers. Come quickly.”