Broken by betrayal, Larina abandoned her criminal life and now scrapes by as an impoverished maid—until an elite is murdered, and her little brother is accused of the crime. With no means to save him by herself, Larina is forced to turn to the man responsible—Mero.

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The son of a commander turned Thief King, Mero seized his throne from the vile streets with bloodied hands and fire in his veins. He had regained all that he lost, except her. She denies what they were—and still are. But Mero is determined to break through her delusions.

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For he knows the truth. She was made for this life. She was made for him. And whether or not she wants to, she will come back to it.

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Because they’re creatures born of rot, bitten by the Serpent, in an unforgiving world. They’ve only ever needed each other, and Mero would remind her of this over their journey. And no matter how much Larina fights, how much she tells herself she’s only here to save her brother, the truth will sink its fangs into her.

 

She doesn’t want to run. She never did.

 

The truth is venom that she’s tried to purge, but it always remains. And if she lets it consume her, she could lose the one person she swore to protect.