I defied him before the court-now he's determined to own my fate.Born without Aether in a realm carved by it, I was never meant to matter. While others rose as Hunters, binding Telmoria's Aether-born creatures to their will, I scrubbed their halls and learned that hope was its own cruelty.Until the Trial.When a royal showcase of power spirals into chaos, a beast no Hunter can command turns on the crowd-and chooses me. To survive, I do the impossible: I defy the Heir of Atlassian himself.My defiance should have ended in death. Instead, it binds me to Damien Azarios-the Realm's coldest blade, a sovereign-in-waiting who bows to no one. He should despise me. He should destroy me.But he cannot stop wanting me.As ancient beasts rise and Atlassian power trembles, our forbidden bond may become the spark that burns the world-or remakes it.If you love Carissa Broadbent's high-stakes tournaments (The Serpent and the Wings of Night), Danielle L. Jensen's ruthless royals (The Bridge Kingdom), and the lyrical magic of Margaret Rogerson (An Enchantment of Ravens), you'll be swept away by Aether & Ash, the first book in the Reigns of Telmoria series.