Laurel and Bone

-"She'll ruin you! She'll bring you to your knees."
His answer was a prayer, murmured above me. "Even better."-

~A tale of oaths, and the people who break them~

Cassia Aurelius is a thief, an orphan, and a girl who made a terrible mistake... she ate Fae food. Now she's trapped in a realm of beautiful half-truths disguised as mercy, where the price of survival is combat.

Forced into deadly trials before a crowd of merciless Fae, Cassia fights to keep her life, unaware that the game was never meant for her to win. When a dashing Fae Lord steps in to save the hapless human girl, she sees no way to live long enough to find her way home, except his unwanted offer of marriage.

This Lord had his own reasons for this chivalry, however. She was not to be a bride, but a key.

Hunted, terrified, and betrayed, Cassia finds an unlikely ally in the court of her betrothed. One with secrets that echo her own... one who leads her to a reclusive and broken Fae Lord who sees the darkness she hides.

As war brews and ancient magic stirs, love becomes a weapon. Cassia must decide who to trust before she loses more than her home and freedom.

In the Fae realm, looks can be deceiving. And after a life of hot and cold, Cassia isn't certain she can trust a "just right".

TWs:
-Physical & Emotional abuse
-Domestic Violence
-Torture and Imprisonment
-Major Character Death
-Themes of Self Harm and Suicidal Ideation (part of character arc, not glorified)
-On the page sex scenes (consent implied or explicit, but present)
Read with care!