Contents
With her arranged marriage pending, an ambivalent young Amazon embarks on a final mission to make her first kill as she attempts to reconcile herself to the cruel duties of both warrior and wife.
When Anaiti grudgingly agrees to marry the aging Skythian king to secure an alliance for her tribe, she never imagines she’ll have to bring him the scalp of an enemy as part of the bargain. Though trained since her youth in riding and archery, her education was cut short before she ever saw combat, and she harbors deep doubts about becoming a killer. But though she has no lust for war, she has even less desire to be a wife.
Her journey takes her deep into an untamed wilderness where life is more dangerous—and liberating—than she ever imagined. The merciless steppe and a battle-hardened warband test her physical and moral courage to their limits. Working to earn their respect, she forges an intimate bond with her commander, a formidable warrior who seems to recognize her strength and wisdom despite her sex. But he is not only war chief; he is also a prince—the son of her betrothed.
Torn between public duties and private desires, Anaiti embarks on a scheme that will put lives—and the fragile peace between kingdoms—in peril.
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Chapter Twenty-Nine: Sacrilege
Chapter Forty-Three: Shepherds
Chapter Forty-Eight: Sacrifice
Chapter Forty-Nine: Apprentice
Acknowledgements: to come