The fall

For generations, the Dorothea family has borne what they call a "curse," though others whisper of it as a dark inheritance-a twisted irony for a name that means "Gift of God." This so-called gift was anything but divine. It was said that when the mother of a firstborn child perished, the curse passed to the child, marking them as its next vessel. On the night of the crimson moon, that child would be driven by forces beyond their control, becoming an unrelenting harbinger of death for those steeped in sin.

The curse claimed Penelope Dorothea as an infant, sealing her fate before she even had a chance to live. To save her, she was spirited away to the neighboring country of Valort and taken in by the revered General of Sylvan, a man known for his unshakable honor and strength. But Penelope grew up with no memory of the family that had forsaken her, nor of the dark legacy that coursed through her veins.

In Sylvan, she carved a life of her own, rising through the ranks to become the respected Captain of District 8. Along the way, she fell deeply in love with Blake Laurens, the General's son-a man who seemed to embody everything noble and good. But love is never simple, especially for one burdened with shadows.

As Penelope's past begins to unravel, she discovers a truth far more chilling than the curse she thought she had escaped. Blake is not the man he seemed, and the ties that bind them may be far more dangerous than she could ever imagine. With each crimson moon, the curse stirs, and Penelope is forced to confront a dark prophecy that could either consume her...or reveal who she was always meant to be.

TW: Mention of violence, abuse, adult scenes and so on

(Another connecting book with my friend @lexiwritesromance ❤️)