A princess on the run. A lord with a dark reputation. A masked killer who never stops. Lysandra, a powerless princess of the flame, is announced marriageable to a court of vipers. That same night, she's hit with a premonition of her own death: a masked killer is coming for her, but she doesn't know how or when. She cuts her hair and flees to the edges of the kingdom, taking refuge in the castle of Lord Alaris, descendant of the god of night. He's as dangerous as he is alluring, the kind of distraction she should stay away from, and far too perceptive. But he has something she needs to survive, if she can only get close enough to steal it. Proximity to Alaris is its own kind of risk, and the longer she stays, the less she wants to run. As Lysandra plays the thief and unravels the mystery around her future death, she discovers more is at stake than her own survival. The royal life she ran from is not what it seems...and neither is Alaris. Can she untangle the truth in time to save both herself and her kingdom from a dark fate? Shadoward is the first book of the Divinial Duology, an epic fantasy romance featuring hidden royalty, a morally gray lord of night, and forced proximity. A slow burn with spicy scenes, it contains content intended for readers 18+.