Embers and Oaths

The forge is silent, its songstone shattered, and the warmth of its fire fading into memory. Rose has watched her father, once the most respected songsmith in the Spirelands, wither under the weight of a curse no mage can name, let alone break. Every lead she's chased has ended in disappointment, deceit, or danger. Now, out of time and options, she must do the unthinkable. Strike a bargain with a demon.Her search leads her into the heart of the Shadowglade, where an exiled fox lord offers her a deal. Cure her father's curse, restore her family's legacy all in exchange for playing the role of his chosen mate, one she must play before the Draconic Court during the high-stakes Winter Festival. It's a performance laced with politics, power games, and perilous magical trials where failure could mean death.Forced into the glittering, treacherous world of demon nobility, Rose must master court etiquette, survive volcanic arenas, illusion-woven trials, and the scheming eyes of dragons who can smell weakness in your blood. But as the false bond between her and Lucanis begins to feel dangerously real she realises her greatest challenge may not be the curse at all but the risk of losing her heart to the one creature she should never trust.