Bound Beneath Roots and Soul

Merikh, a whimsical girl with a heart still stinging from fresh heartbreak from her best friend and boyfriend, stumbles drunkenly into a shimmering portal and falls into another world.‎‎

To her astonishment, the strange folk of this realm welcome her with open arms. Their joy, their music, their warmth it all settles into the cracks of her aching soul. And as days pass, Merikh feels a strange transformation: her usually sickly body grows stronger and her spirit steadier‎‎ but wonder quickly sours into dread.‎ Because their acceptance was not of kindness. Every three years, the townsfolk offer up a human sacrifice to the Dragon, a vengeful beast still grieving the mate they had killed.‎

Now Merikh must choose between running, fighting, or surrendering to the strange ache in her chest the one tied to the town she has come to love… and the unexpected pull she feels toward a mysterious, handsome outcast only she can see. Merikh faces a choice that would change *her* world forever, and redefine her own existence.‎‎