He thought I was dead—that's what he believed all these years. He thought that because our families were at war, we were lost to each other forever. But I ran away from that life for a reason. Little did I know, he would find me. And he wasn’t going to let go. Count Morin sold me to save his own skin, and now I’m trapped in Malik’s world. Torn between my past and my present, I have to survive the dangerous game between the Finis and the Penum Enclave. Everyone wants to use me as a pawn. I assumed Malik was no different. But Malik doesn’t want to control me—he just wants me. In a world where love is weakness, he selfishly craves what we once had. He wants my love, and I want my freedom. Caught between love and loyalty, I must decide where my true allegiance lies. Reader Each book in the "Enchanted Elemental Empires" series is a standalone and can be read independently for a satisfying experience. However, to capture the full narrative and richness of this shared world, we highly recommend reading all the books within the series. This story is the prelude/prequel to Whispers of the Past, The Spectral Syndicate book 1 of the Enchanted Elemental Empires.