Ruin of the Cinder City

In the City of Cinders, fires still erupt without warning and a living wall of shadow seals the streets from the world beyond.

Ellaryn, the immortal assassin known as Ruin, is the King of Darkness's deadliest weapon, bound by stolen magic that makes disobedience unbearable and escape impossible.

She has accepted that fate, even as he rules through fear and soul magic and turns those who defy him into Defiers, hollow shadows bound to his will.

Then Xander, a rogue sorcerer, breaks into the city instead of fleeing it, certain the tyrant's power leaves a trace and that Ellaryn may be the key to finding it.

As she hides him among the ever-burning streets, shared pain and fragile trust draw them into a dangerous bond neither can afford.

When their plan to destroy the king begins to come apart, victory may demand a sacrifice Ellaryn will not survive, and she must decide whether to rise against him or remain the city's Ruin.