To save her mother from the wrath of the gods, Zalika must do one thing: obey. Her king. Her commander. Even when they demand unspeakable cruelty.

When Zalika is ordered to retrieve a Corpian princess serving as a sacrifice in a brutal religious scheme by the king, she crosses paths with a notorious criminal.

Castal, the Mercenary King—a Corpian exile hailing from the frozen north. He is ruthless, infamous, and utterly intolerable, and he has his own plans for the princess. And only death can stop him.

Two warring worlds collide when Castal set sail for his homeland with the princess and his new prisoner, Zalika, in tow. Death awaits Zalika before the vile queen, but she refuses to give a man like him the satisfaction of taking her down.

Yet each clash reveals a dreadful truth—beneath their defiance and fury, she and Castal are shaped by the same ruthless forces.
 
And neither of them can deny the comfort they find in their matching battle scars.

Content Warning For Mercenary

Tropes You Can Expect

Mercenary is an adult, dark romantasy. It is not for those under the age of 18. Everything is on page.

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Content includes, but not limited to, are:

• Violence

• Assault

• Torture

• Blood & gore

• Exile/abandonment

• Death & murder

• Alcohol & drug usage

• Panic attacks

• Suicidal thoughts

• Dermatillomania (skin picking)

• Religious prejudices

• Religious trauma

• Mentions of slavery

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Warning for spicy scenes include:

• General roughness

• Choking

• Binding

• Secret sex in a room with people

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Tropes included, but not limited to, are:

• Enemies to lovers

• Slow burn

• Forced proximity

• Road trip

• Grumpy x grumpy

• Top x top

• Morally grey

• Damaged/tortured protagonists

• Found family vibes

• Angsty