For three years, I’ve watched her. Studied her. Obsessed over her. Waited for the right moment to take her away from her sheltered life. I’ve restrained my destructive urges, but Kora’s facade moves Virtue. Innocence. Perfection. But nothing is perfect. Without her mother’s approval, Kora never sees the daylight. I won’t expose Kora to the sun, but I will watch her burn. In the end, I’m saving her. So I will force her down into my world of darkness. Because even a cruel gravedigger like me deserves his inspiration, his ashen queen. Living or dead, Kora will be mine. Author’s Cruelty & Fire is the first book in The Art of Ruin Duet . It features dark and uncomfortable themes. If you are easily disturbed, do not read this book. It is not standalone.