Cirrus@Austlit

'Adrastea, a simple country healer, is surprised to receive a marriage proposal from the Dark God Mor-Lath. As a devotee of a rival god, of course she turns him down. She was raised on chilling tales of this Chthonic being who drags the souls of the unrepentant to Dom-al-gol. Adrastea loves her simple country life of brewing medicines and saving lives. Marriage to Mor-Lath would greatly complicate things. Besides, why would the Dark God propose to her?

'Undaunted by her refusal, Mor-Lath insists on courting her. Sometimes he is charming, winning over the other villagers, but other times, she sees him for the dark god he truly is. He refuses to let anyone stand in his way. While he makes it clear he'll only have her willingly, he's making it very difficult for her to say no. She wonders, what is he really after?

'Adrastea faces a quandary: if she accepts the Dark God's marriage proposal, she'll lose her very soul. But if she rejects it, the world itself and everything in it might be at stake. Either way, the price is too high.'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

'To save everyone she knows and loves, Adrastea agreed to marry Mor-Lath, God of the Dark. But what does Mor-Lath get?

'The mystery behind his reason for the marriage deepens as he introduces her to his priestesses, his library, and even the God of the Light. The only place he didn't introduce to her was his bed.

'This baffles her. Without consummation, the marriage isn't complete in Adrastea's eyes, making her the bride, but not a wife.

'Why did he marry her? An ancient prophecy provides both the reason and the reluctance of Mor-Lath when it comes to his bride, and that which he desires most could also be the one thing that destroys them both.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'How far would you go to achieve your greatest desire?

'Disappointed in her marriage, Adrastea chooses to leave Mor-Lath. She returns to Sacred Spring with a baby nobody else wants and the secret Mor-Lath desires. In spite of being trailed by a contrite husband, Adrastea insists on returning to a normal life.

'But not everyone believes the Bride of the Dark has retired. Forces from the Cithran Empire seek her, not to destroy her, but to use her to end the Dark God. One individual, in particular, is happy to sacrifice an entire nation to gain control of the Bride.

'The one thing he did not count on was that Adrastea has plans of her own...'

(Source: publisher's blurb)