He has spent his entire existence fighting the seduction of the Darkness, but it is nothing compared to what he feels when he looks at her. A woman who defies all limits... Ilsa Steele, taken captive by pirates at a young age, has grown to become one of the most infamous smugglers and thieves in all of Varalad, a woman whose reputation grows by the day, buoyed equally by both her ruthlessness and her charm. When she signs on for what she expects to be a rewarding smuggling job from a former associate, she knows it's the kind of job that will increase both her reputation and her fortune. Of course money isn’t her only concern. After a brutal attack nearly claims her life, a mysterious voice begins whispering to her, claiming impossible things. She’s either going mad, or her life is about to get much more complicated. A man at war with himself... Sebastian Orlov is a high priest of the Reverent, an army of warrior-priests who fight a never-ending battle to protect Valarad from the looming destruction of the Adversary, a hungry, evil presence that has already devoured countless worlds before theirs. Sebastian's faith, purity, and skill in battle, along with that of his Reverent Brothers and Sisters, are all that stand between life and Varalad's annihilation. But deep inside, Sebastian fears he is not the man he needs to be, that the darkness within him will prove to be not just his downfall, but the downfall of his entire world as well. Besieged on all sides, the Reverent decide that Sebastian needs protection. And when a ruthless thief and alleged murderess finds herself in trouble, they believe they may just have the solution to their someone just as twisted and violent as Sebastian's potential assassins. They have no idea just how important Ilsa will become, not just to Sebastian, but to their world as a whole. ( Faithless is a side story set in the Hidden universe. It technically takes place during and after the events of Godkiller. However, it can also be read as a standalone for those not familiar with the overall Hidden storyline.)
