by Susan Illene
August 22nd, 2025
Genre: Romantasy
ISBN: 979-8-9876902-3-9
ASIN: B0F6D6566B
Number of pages: 505
Word Count: 148,000
Cover Artist: Hannah Sternjakob
Darrow has so many secrets that even those closest to him don't know them all, but she's about to become his favorite. He is powerful, ruthless, and her sworn enemy. The wickedly good-looking elf is also cursed never to love.
Aella should stay far away from him, especially considering he could kill her from a distance with little effort. Except that someone close to her is dying, and he is the only person in the realm with the means to help. She has strong powers of her own to offer in exchange, but to her dismay, Darrow wants a secret marriage as part of the bargain.
Fae marriages are forever, so she'd always be his.
With other factors pushing her toward it, she agrees to a private wedding that the king himself officiates while hiding the ceremony from her disapproving family. Aella suspects there is far more to Darrow’s motives if Zadrya's monarch is involved. It isn't long before she discovers that dark forces are circling, and it’s her rare magic they want to use or eradicate by any means necessary. Her new husband has drawn her into a dangerous conflict started centuries ago that could either end in the salvation or destruction of their world. If she wants to survive, she’ll need to trust Darrow with her body, but never her heart.
Note- This novel is an enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn romantasy. It contains adult content, including violence, foul language, spicy scenes, torture, and ruthless plants and creatures. Read at your own discretion.
Excerpt:
My guard and I had reached the most ideal point to observe the battle, and my uncle’s forces had just clashed with our enemy. Swords rang as soldiers attacked each other, and flashes of magic in various forms and colors flew across the ranks. Some would blind opponents, others would cause pain, and still more would cause various injuries or afflictions. Fae battles were merciless and gruesome. We were on higher ground, which gave us a clear view of the terrible things they did to each other.
Normally, our army would have used offensive range magic first, but there was no time to prepare. Instead, it came down to a close-quarter battle in which our enemy excelled.
One man stood out on a large dapple-gray mount. His hair was a brindled mixture of brown and onyx black, sunlight glinting from the strands hanging over the sides of his face. His shoulders were broad. I knew that for certain because, unlike everyone else on the battlefield, he only wore light armor without the heavy metal plates most preferred for protection. His olive and black Veronnian army uniform was snug, molding around his muscular build. I wished I could see the details of his face, but the distance was too great for that.
He raised his arms toward the Therressian frontline, fingers outstretched. I watched in horror as six of our foot soldiers lifted into the air, kicking their feet but finding no purchase. With a twist of his hands, their heads spun clockwise until their necks cracked. They fell to the ground in a heap, dead before impact.
I gasped, realizing who he must be. “Is that Lord Gannon’s second son, Darrow?”
“It is.” My guard’s lips thinned. “It’s been years since we last faced him, and it's bad news for us that he’s here today.”
“He’ll decimate us at the rate he can kill,” I whispered, a chill running down my spine.
The soldier’s eyes reflected the same anxiety I felt. “It appears that way.”
Darrow was his father’s second son from a subsequent marriage after his first wife died in childbirth. He was known to be powerful and ruthless on the battlefield. The fact that he was half dark elf made him especially dangerous because they weren’t known for compassion or mercy. He and his twin sister had been the products of a failed peace treaty agreement between our realm, Zadrya, and Karganoth—the realm of the dark elves that lay across the sea to the west.
I recalled that he had fought in battles against us during the first few years I’d begun opening portals. The last time I could remember seeing him was over a decade ago, when I was in my early twenties. He’d been a ruthless killer even back then but couldn’t break that many men simultaneously before. Like most fae, he would continue growing stronger for a few more years until he reached fifty and peaked.
I had family and friends out there who would die if this elf targeted them. No one on our side had magic that could counteract Darrow’s without getting too close, but of course, he was surrounded by elite soldiers so that he could do his dirty work without interference.
A risky idea occurred to me. There was something I could do if I were brave enough, and right now, I needed to push past my usually passive role. Too many people would die if I didn’t.
When a high fae’s magic first appeared as an adolescent, they could only perform lesser spells that were a prelude to something bigger that would develop over the coming year. I started with wind and light power, which later combined to form portal channeling. Although I rarely had cause to use those, I did practice them since they worked well as a defense when I needed them, especially wind.
Darrow was lifting another handful of our soldiers into the air. If I didn’t hit him immediately, they’d die in the next few moments. I let go of Astra’s reins and raised my hands, focusing on the half-light/half-dark elf, and pulled the air around me. In a streamlined burst, I sent it straight at him.
Just as he began to twist his hands to kill the soldiers, it struck him full in the chest. He went flying backward off his horse. The Therressian soldiers he’d targeted next dropped to the ground at the same time—shaken but alive. Darrow landed on his butt ten feet behind his mount and skidded to a stop in a plume of dust.
I grinned, pleased that years of weekly practice with my wind power had finally paid off. That was far more satisfying than directing it at leaves and other inanimate objects. I had used it in self-defense a time or two, but never at such a distance.
“Well done, my lady,” my guard said, giving me a respectful nod. “That certainly distracted him and gave our people a chance.”
“Thank you.”
We watched with rapt attention as Darrow slowly rose to his feet and dusted off his uniform. I still couldn’t make out his features, but his rigid body language told me he was not pleased with what I’d done. He ran his gaze around his surroundings until it eventually fell on me. I waved and blew him a kiss.
Darrow lifted one arm toward me, and a moment later, I rose off my horse to hover a few feet above my mount. Shock filled me. I’d never dreamed he could extend his magic so far, but I couldn’t do anything to stop him. My heart raced as he slowly brought me forward like he had strings pulling me.
My guard’s voice sounded panicked as I floated away from Astra and him. “Lady Aella? Are you alright? What can I do?”
“I…uh,” I began.
My braid lifted and wrapped around my head, gagging my mouth. The floral taste of my cleanser coated my tongue. My locks stretched taut, pulling at my scalp enough to cause discomfort but not quite pain. With all my limbs immobilized, I couldn’t free myself. Did he seriously muzzle me with my own hair? Lord Gannon’s son was toying with me in the middle of a battle like I was a toy, but I couldn’t let him get away with it without a response.
I forced myself to calm down and think. Darrow hadn’t gripped my body so tightly that I couldn’t breathe or make minute movements. Slowly spreading my fingers, I gathered the surrounding air once more. After I gained enough, I hit him with a burst of wind again. It didn’t slam into him as hard as the first time, but it did send him stumbling back. The hold on me evaporated. I dropped to the ground, knees buckling, and my breath nearly knocked from me. At least nothing was broken.
“It’s okay,” I said, hands trembling as I straightened. “He had me for a moment there.”
“Perhaps you shouldn’t draw his attention again,” my guard advised.
I cleared my throat, hoping no one else saw what happened. “Yeah. I think that was more than enough distraction.”
My guard and I had reached the most ideal point to observe the battle, and my uncle’s forces had just clashed with our enemy. Swords rang as soldiers attacked each other, and flashes of magic in various forms and colors flew across the ranks. Some would blind opponents, others would cause pain, and still more would cause various injuries or afflictions. Fae battles were merciless and gruesome. We were on higher ground, which gave us a clear view of the terrible things they did to each other.
Normally, our army would have used offensive range magic first, but there was no time to prepare. Instead, it came down to a close-quarter battle in which our enemy excelled.
One man stood out on a large dapple-gray mount. His hair was a brindled mixture of brown and onyx black, sunlight glinting from the strands hanging over the sides of his face. His shoulders were broad. I knew that for certain because, unlike everyone else on the battlefield, he only wore light armor without the heavy metal plates most preferred for protection. His olive and black Veronnian army uniform was snug, molding around his muscular build. I wished I could see the details of his face, but the distance was too great for that.
He raised his arms toward the Therressian frontline, fingers outstretched. I watched in horror as six of our foot soldiers lifted into the air, kicking their feet but finding no purchase. With a twist of his hands, their heads spun clockwise until their necks cracked. They fell to the ground in a heap, dead before impact.
I gasped, realizing who he must be. “Is that Lord Gannon’s second son, Darrow?”
“It is.” My guard’s lips thinned. “It’s been years since we last faced him, and it's bad news for us that he’s here today.”
“He’ll decimate us at the rate he can kill,” I whispered, a chill running down my spine.
The soldier’s eyes reflected the same anxiety I felt. “It appears that way.”
Darrow was his father’s second son from a subsequent marriage after his first wife died in childbirth. He was known to be powerful and ruthless on the battlefield. The fact that he was half dark elf made him especially dangerous because they weren’t known for compassion or mercy. He and his twin sister had been the products of a failed peace treaty agreement between our realm, Zadrya, and Karganoth—the realm of the dark elves that lay across the sea to the west.
I recalled that he had fought in battles against us during the first few years I’d begun opening portals. The last time I could remember seeing him was over a decade ago, when I was in my early twenties. He’d been a ruthless killer even back then but couldn’t break that many men simultaneously before. Like most fae, he would continue growing stronger for a few more years until he reached fifty and peaked.
I had family and friends out there who would die if this elf targeted them. No one on our side had magic that could counteract Darrow’s without getting too close, but of course, he was surrounded by elite soldiers so that he could do his dirty work without interference.
A risky idea occurred to me. There was something I could do if I were brave enough, and right now, I needed to push past my usually passive role. Too many people would die if I didn’t.
When a high fae’s magic first appeared as an adolescent, they could only perform lesser spells that were a prelude to something bigger that would develop over the coming year. I started with wind and light power, which later combined to form portal channeling. Although I rarely had cause to use those, I did practice them since they worked well as a defense when I needed them, especially wind.
Darrow was lifting another handful of our soldiers into the air. If I didn’t hit him immediately, they’d die in the next few moments. I let go of Astra’s reins and raised my hands, focusing on the half-light/half-dark elf, and pulled the air around me. In a streamlined burst, I sent it straight at him.
Just as he began to twist his hands to kill the soldiers, it struck him full in the chest. He went flying backward off his horse. The Therressian soldiers he’d targeted next dropped to the ground at the same time—shaken but alive. Darrow landed on his butt ten feet behind his mount and skidded to a stop in a plume of dust.
I grinned, pleased that years of weekly practice with my wind power had finally paid off. That was far more satisfying than directing it at leaves and other inanimate objects. I had used it in self-defense a time or two, but never at such a distance.
“Well done, my lady,” my guard said, giving me a respectful nod. “That certainly distracted him and gave our people a chance.”
“Thank you.”
We watched with rapt attention as Darrow slowly rose to his feet and dusted off his uniform. I still couldn’t make out his features, but his rigid body language told me he was not pleased with what I’d done. He ran his gaze around his surroundings until it eventually fell on me. I waved and blew him a kiss.
Darrow lifted one arm toward me, and a moment later, I rose off my horse to hover a few feet above my mount. Shock filled me. I’d never dreamed he could extend his magic so far, but I couldn’t do anything to stop him. My heart raced as he slowly brought me forward like he had strings pulling me.
My guard’s voice sounded panicked as I floated away from Astra and him. “Lady Aella? Are you alright? What can I do?”
“I…uh,” I began.
My braid lifted and wrapped around my head, gagging my mouth. The floral taste of my cleanser coated my tongue. My locks stretched taut, pulling at my scalp enough to cause discomfort but not quite pain. With all my limbs immobilized, I couldn’t free myself. Did he seriously muzzle me with my own hair? Lord Gannon’s son was toying with me in the middle of a battle like I was a toy, but I couldn’t let him get away with it without a response.
I forced myself to calm down and think. Darrow hadn’t gripped my body so tightly that I couldn’t breathe or make minute movements. Slowly spreading my fingers, I gathered the surrounding air once more. After I gained enough, I hit him with a burst of wind again. It didn’t slam into him as hard as the first time, but it did send him stumbling back. The hold on me evaporated. I dropped to the ground, knees buckling, and my breath nearly knocked from me. At least nothing was broken.
“It’s okay,” I said, hands trembling as I straightened. “He had me for a moment there.”
“Perhaps you shouldn’t draw his attention again,” my guard advised.
I cleared my throat, hoping no one else saw what happened. “Yeah. I think that was more than enough distraction.”
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Susan Illene served in the U.S. Army for eleven years, working first as a human resources specialist and later as an Arabic linguist. She served primarily in Airborne units and did two deployments to Iraq. After leaving the army, she studied history at the University of Oklahoma. She currently lives with her husband and two sons.
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Their lands have fought for centuries, but now Aella needs a favor from her enemy. Darrow is a powerful and ruthless elf who could break her with a thought. What is she to do when he insists on a secret marriage as part of the bargain? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F6D6566B
#romantasy #enemiestolovers #slowburn #spicy
Their lands have fought for centuries, but now Aella needs a favor from her enemy. Darrow is a powerful and ruthless elf who could break her with a thought. What is she to do when he insists on a secret marriage as part of the bargain? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F6D6566B
#romantasy #enemiestolovers #slowburn #spicy
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$20 Amazon gift card
$20 Amazon gift card
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