On the coast of renaissance Italy, Soliana Morelli, a young noble, finds freedom from her parents by dressing as a man and sneaking out during the night. When a girl named Junipera comes into her life, however, and asks for her help, Soliana finds herself reluctantly drawn into a dangerous conspiracy. How far will she go for the girl that, against all odds, has captured her affections?

"but we kept secrets from time, and I saw constellations in your smile . . . " [[ a series of poems ]]

A fierce warrior seduces a mysterious rebel to protect the king. --- Epsa proudly defends the nation as a member of King Makapu's Royal Guard. When a resistance movement threatens the kingdom from within, Makapu calls on Epsa for a task requiring more than just combat skills. Epsa must seduce Izra, a mysterious and magnetic rebel leader, and extract information to help the Royal Guard smother the rebellion. As she works to gain Izra's trust, Epsa finds herself developing unsettling feelings and reassessing everything she has ever known. Embroiled in a dangerous game of politics, Epsa must decide who to trust. Who to protect. And who must die. Prequel to "The Claimed: A Clash of Copper and Gold" (also works as a stand-alone novel) |2022 Wattys Shortlist| Trigger warning: This story contains descriptions of abuse and references to sexual assault