The Hacker's Ransom

The last thing Isolde felt was the cold steel of the guillotine, and the last thing she heard was the righteous applause of the man she had sacrificed everything for: her fiancé, Valerius. He had preached mercy while he bled her kingdom dry, and he had promised her eternity while he signed her death warrant. She died a saint in the eyes of the public, and a fool in the eyes of the gods. When she wakes up on the eve of their engagement, the girl who believed in love is dead. In her place is a woman who has tasted the blade, learned the taste of her own betrayal, and returned to ensure that Valerius feels every ounce of the agony he once dealt her. To tear down a kingdom, Isolde needs a monster. She turns to Sebastian, the Regent whose cruelty is the only thing keeping the empire from total collapse. He is not a man to be tamed; he is a predator who has been waiting for someone like Isolde to finally give him a reason to burn it all down. They are a union of ruin. He provides the power; she provides the plan. And as they drag the Church, the crown, and the nobility into the fire, they discover that the most dangerous thing in the world isn't a heart of gold—it’s a heart made of ash. “You wanted a martyr, Valerius? I’m here to show you what happens when the ashes start to breathe.”