The Kingdom of Ruin Book One of the Ruined Realms Saga For over a century, Ria has lived in the Mortal Realm-hidden from the crown that once was hers, and from the male who stole it. When a deadly encounter forces her into the hands of a silent, ink-marked warrior with a power darker than legend, everything begins to shift. Now making her way across the fractured lands of Elyndor-the land of the Fae-Ria must navigate ancient kingdoms, twisted alliances, and a world that she no longer remembers-but one that may still need her. As secrets surface and enemies draw closer, she's pulled toward a fate written in blood and flame... and toward a bond she never expected. Her heart is pulled in two directions and yet there is only one path. In a realm where trust is dangerous and power is never given freely, Ria must decide what she's willing to become to reclaim what was taken. And who she's willing to make a deal with, even if it means trusting the most feared King Elyndor has ever known. *********************** "She is the key to a forgotten throne. He is the weapon no one dares name." "In a realm of fire and lies, only the shadows remember the truth." "He isn't fire. He's something worse. And he just chose her." "She's the heir to a kingdom. He's the end of one." "Power like his was meant to be buried. But fate has other plans."

She was born with fire in her blood. He was cursed to erase everything he touched. When Cornelia's powers awaken in a blaze that destroys her home, she's taken to the reopened Academy - a place that once sealed away magic and now pretends to control it. But behind its stone walls and ancient symbols, something darker is rising. Vincent, the heir of the black flame, is everything she should fear - powerful, unreadable, and bound by a legacy that kills. From their first clash, the heat between them is undeniable... and dangerous. Thrown into a world of secrets, ancient legacies, and forbidden magic, Cornelia must choose: trust the enemy who terrifies her - or burn alone. Together, they might destroy everything. But together is the only way to survive.