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Everyone in the capital knows two things about Cahir Lioren: He was once destined for greatness, and no guide in their right mind will work with him now. Once the kingdom's golden Hero, Cahir is now a scandal with sunfire. Powerful, volatile, and one public mistake away from disgrace, he has become The Meridian Guild's most difficult problem. With the Crown Trials approaching, they assign their best Zero to rehabilitate him before his reputation burns beyond repair.
Ilya has spent years becoming the kind of guide no Hero can dismiss. He is calm, precise, and professionally untouchable. But Cahir is not just another assignment. He is Iilya's former best friend, first love, and first heartbreak. The boy who left, the ache that never quite faded, and now, the most infuriating man in the capital.
Their reunion is disastrous. Their chemistry is worse. Then the Concordance Rite declares them a perfect match, binding them to a partnership neither of them wants and both may need. Now Ilya has one week to steady a fallen Hero, survive every too-familiar touch, and prove destiny can be wrong, even when Cahir makes wrong feel dangerously close to wanting.