where the thorns grow

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE IS INVITED STRAIGHT INTO THE HEART OF YOUR HOUSE?

Seven years ago, Rhysa Jiang ran. She buried her past, chose to start over from a clean slate. She became a near legend, the only female Iron Wolf, deciding to become something new. They've hunted her down ever since, and until now she'd managed to evade their search.

But now they've been invited to Sai. The Scarlet Palace. Her only home, her safe haven. And Rhysa has a suspicious feeling she's not going to be able to escape the Falcons' grasp this time. After all, she's a deserter, and those pay in blood around here.

Dominic Lang had learnt long ago that Rhysa's past was something that shouldn't be dug up. Sure, he had his suspicions, but after being partners for six years, you learnt to trust someone. And if there was one thing he knew about Rhys, it was that the girl was fearless. So her sudden terror makes no sense. Her sudden caution, her sudden reluctance to even show her face in public is completely baffling.

And he'll get to the bottom of this. Because Rhysa Jiang had been hiding the entirety of herself from him for too long, because there was nothing he loved more than a good mystery and challenge, and Rhys might just be the biggest one of all.

It was just what friends do.

(book #1 of 4 in the court of bones series, the third instalment in the silk and steel chronicles
can be read as a stand-alone)