Ashes and silver
In a world ruled by debt, power, and bloodline, survival is never clean.
Drea is a seventeen-year-old blacksmith forged by loss. After witnessing her father’s death and her mother’s disappearance at the hands of the Syndicate, she flees the life meant to enslave her, carrying only her skills, her scars, and her younger brother Ace. Every weapon she crafts is an act of defiance; every step she takes is guided by a single vow to protect Ace at any cost. Hiding her identity, crossing cities, and constantly running from the Syndicate’s shadow, Drea learns that strength alone is not enough when the world itself demands ownership.
Her path collides with Valenford, a city divided by rings of class and power, where she is forced to choose between freedom and survival. Disguised as a boy, she enters the orbit of the Ackerman family, one of the ruling noble houses, after catching the attention of Marcus Ackerman, a seasoned political figure struggling to protect his fractured family. Marcus’s eldest son, Rovan Ackerman, is a brilliant strategist confined to a wheelchair, burdened with leadership he never sought and a brother who resents him for it.
Assigned to work under Rovan, Drea becomes both his aide and his anchor. Where others pity or underestimate him, she treats him as capable, sharp, and equal. Their partnership begins in tension and distrust, but slowly grows into understanding. Rovan sees through her silence; Drea recognizes the weight of his isolation. Between political games, refugee crises, and Syndicate influence creeping into Valenford, their bond deepens into something neither expected. Love built on mutual respect, shared secrets, and quiet defiance of the roles imposed on them.
But power always demands payment.
A payment they both need to pay.
