A magic-addicted spy trapped in the queen's service must track a princess-turned-assassin in order to earn her freedom, but things get complicated when she falls for the princess she's supposed to capture. ***** Weak. Cursed. That's how seventeen-year-old Kayden Branimir, the realm's deadliest assassin, views herself. Some believe she could save the world with her rare healing magic, but she gave up on her powers long ago after failing to save her best friend. Her life changes when she receives a letter from her supposedly dead twin brother, Alaric, begging to be rescued from rival territory Leodia. For the first time since her friend's accident, Kayden is determined to be the hero, but she must learn to embrace her magic--and herself--along the way. Strange. Unnatural. Those are the words whispered about eighteen-year-old Zara Tait, a Leodian spy addicted to soul-stealing magic. Forced into the queen's service, Zara wants to escape and return home, but she has nothing to offer the queen in exchange for her freedom. When Kayden arrives in Leodia, Zara sees the quiet girl with unique magic as the bargaining chip she needs. But the more she learns of Kayden, the more her feelings grow. Now, Zara must choose between her freedom and the dangerous assassin she hadn't meant to fall for. [2020 Watty Award Winner] Content warning: This story contains mature themes of violence, addiction, abuse, self-harm, and mental illness. Cover by Faera Lane

"You took your position at your little desk reviewing your plans for that day. There were a few letters addressed to you to open later, pens and various office supplies that you never use scattered everywhere, and stray paperwork that you'd definitely be organizing later. After digging through the clutter, you finally land on your schedule. To absolutely no surprise you were on patrol duty again. You weren't upset about that, the furthest from it actually. What did make you upset, however, was the rumbling bass from outside as you The absolutely obnoxious "I AM HERE." that you simply couldn't get rid of." ★・・・・・★・・・・・★・・・・・★ listen up extras, i'm sure this is the best thing you've seen all fucking week, and i will not put up with whining in my comments. this is a big work in progress, so leave me the fuck alone, alright? i guess comments are cool though.