Pact of Blood and Destiny

<p>The Valerian bloodline is not a gift; it is a curse. For centuries each heir has been bound to a ravenous ancient entity-the Ashen King-in a pact that demands a terrible sacrifice to keep the darkness at bay.</p><p>Kaelen the last of his line is destined to be the next offering. Raised on lies and groomed for his fate he chooses defiance over duty escaping his ancestral home to chase a forgotten legend: the lost monastery of Aeridor where ancient lore may hold the key to severing the pact forever.</p><p>Hunted by his own family and stalked by the King's shadowy minions Kaelen's desperate flight becomes a perilous ascent into the treacherous Silent Peaks. Here he discovers that the greatest threat is not the darkness that hunts him but the fanatical warden of the light who stands in his way. With a mysterious healer as his only guide Kaelen must learn that the only way to defeat the darkness is not to destroy it but to balance it. But in a world built on sacrifice the price of true freedom may be higher than he could ever imagine.</p>