A king who's made a deadly deal with a powerful Dark Spirit to save the life of his son. An outcast healer who wants nothing more than to be left alone in peace after having her future destroyed and her heart shattered by the man she once called husband. A loyal warrior who is sent to find a dangerous woman and return her to his king, at any cost. When Torin is sent to hunt down a powerful healer, his task is fraught with peril. The healer he's forced to seek out is rumored to have been cursed by Pysgod, one of the Dark Spirits of the island of Pern Coen. But little does Torin know that his king, Geraint, has already made a deadly deal with Pysgod that could destroy the entire clan.Briallen was once Geraint's wife, until he betrayed her and forced her to carve out a lonely existence on Ceffyl's rugged coastline. When a warrior arrives and demands she return to Afton under orders from the king, she refuses, but when that same warrior is attacked by a monster from the deep, she feels duty bound to help him with her gift of healing. But the more time she spends in Torin's presence, the more she finds herself drawn to him in ways she never imagined. She swore to never risk her heart again, but Torin might change that vow.As Pysgod continues to strengthen its hold, the clan is plunged further into darkness with an endless winter, barren seas, and failing harvests. Geraint's fate is already sealed, and his bargain is not one he can easily walk away from. But as Briallen and Torin find themselves face to face with the encroaching darkness, Briallen discovers that she might have power to put an end to it. Will Psygod be driven out of the clan, or will Geraint's bargain cost him not only his soul, but the very lives of the people of Ceffyl as well?This Celtic inspired epic romantic fantasy features strong world building, a healer heroine, a warrior hero, found family, forced proximity, a touch of magic, and a low spice romance.
