Novels by Cynthia Anyanwu

Seraphine stood half-hidden behind a stone pillar on the upper terrace, the cool night breeze brushing against her skin. From her point of view, she had a perfect, unobstructed view of the garden below.Kaelan had Celeste pressed against the wall.The kiss was raw, hungry, and unmistakably passionate. His large hand gripped her hip, pulling her flush against him while his mouth devoured hers. Celeste’s soft moan carried faintly on the wind as she arched into him, fingers clutching his tunic like she was drowning and he was air.Seraphine’s chest tightened with a strange, unfamiliar pang.Not jealousy. She had never wanted Kaelan romantically. Their betrothal had always been a political tool, nothing more

Kaelan didn’t think.The moment Celeste turned away from him in the garden, something primal and desperate snapped inside his chest. The bond still blooming warmly from their previous kiss flared with sharp urgency, demanding he not let her run again.He moved before conscious thought caught up.“Celeste.”His voice came out rough, almost a growl. She didn’t stop. Her small frame hurried down the moonlit path, shawl clutched tight around her shoulders like armor. The sight of her retreating from him again after she had just held him so sweetly ignited something fierce and possessive in his blood.He caught up in three long stri

The wine burned a slow, familiar path down Kaelan’s throat.He stood alone on the shadowed terrace overlooking the eastern gardens, a half-empty cup dangling from his fingers. The night air was crisp and cold, carrying the sharp scent of pine and distant snow from the mountains. Below, the garden lay bathed in moonlight, silver-tipped roses glowing faintly, the fountain trickling softly like a forgotten lullaby.And there she was.Celeste.She walked slowly along the stone path, wrapped in a simple shawl, her hair swaying with each step. She didn’t know he was watching. Or perhaps she did. The bond between them had grown too strong to hide anything completely.

Sleep had become a dangerous thing.Celeste lay curled on the narrow cot in her mother’s room, the faint scent of healing herbs and old wool blankets wrapping around her like a fragile shield. She had come here after the garden incident, unable to face her own empty room and the ghost of Kaelan’s almost-kiss still lingering on her lips. Maera had said nothing when Celeste slipped into bed beside her. She had simply pulled the blanket higher and held her daughter’s hand until they both fell asleep.But sleep was never kind anymore nor was it an escape.The dream, or vision pulled her under like deep, dark water.She stood in the deepest part of a dense, thick forest. The trees were impossibly tall,

The night air was sharp with pine and the metallic smell of blood.Thorne crouched behind a cluster of boulders overlooking the narrow mountain pass, his breath fogging in the cold. The scar along his forearm throbbed in time with his racing heart. Below them, the Ravencrest supply carriage rumbled along the dirt road. It was heavily guarded, but not heavily enough. Six armed escorts on horseback flanked the wagon, their black armor gleaming under the moonlight.This was the fourth raid.This time, they would make it count.“Steady,” Thorne whispered to the twenty men and women crouched around him. Their faces were painted with streaks of ash and mud for camouflage. Many were the same survivors he had trained in the cave. Young warriors with fire in their eyes, elders who refused to be left behind, women who had lost everything and now carried blades instead of babies.Garrick was at his right, Lira at his left. His father, Cael, had stayed behind to guard the main camp. This raid was

The private study on the upper floor was one of the few places in Ravencrest where Kaelan felt he could breathe without the weight of expectation crushing him. Dark wood panels lined the walls, ancient maps hung in heavy frames, and a large window overlooked the jagged mountain peaks. Tonight, the room felt smaller than usual.Seraphine Vael sat across from him at the wide oak table, composed as always. Her short cropped hair caught the lantern light, and her sharp eyes studied him with that unnerving true sight she rarely revealed fully. A cup of untouched tea sat between them.“You asked to speak privately,” Kaelan said, leaning back in his chair. “So speak.”Seraphine tilted her head slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Your father c