The Thorn Court

A dark fantasy romance novel
In a realm where kingdoms are held together by ancient blood pacts and magic older than the gods, the Thorn Court rots in silence. Once a radiant elven kingdom, it is now a cursed land ruled by a heartless fae king, Vaelen-a creature both beautiful and cruel, who commands shadows and wears a crown of thorns. Every hundred years, he demands a mortal bride to renew the pact that keeps his realm from collapsing into the Void. None have ever returned. This time, the bride is not chosen. She volunteers. Selene Caerwyn is a mortal healer with a terrible secret-her soul is bound to an ancient, dark spirit she cannot control. When her village is ravaged by cursed beasts, she offers herself to the Thorn King in exchange for her people's protection, hoping to barter her cursed soul for their salvation. But the court is not what it seems. Nor is the king.
As Selene navigates the haunted halls of a kingdom built on broken promises and dead queens, she finds herself drawn to the shadows Vaelen commands-and to the broken, beautiful man beneath the crown. But the spirit within her is waking. And the Void is watching.
When love begins to bloom where only death was meant to grow, Selene must choose: surrender to the monster within her, or burn the curse to the ground.
And Vaelen must decide whether he is willing to feel again-even if it kills them both.