‘You are not respectful enough to your king,’ he said hoarsely, looming over me, ‘and you deserve punishment.’ I ran away from my home to be with my lover. And he lost me at dice. This was the price I paid for my recklessness, a cruel lesson. In a world where lust and passion are the source of power, I became a bargaining chip. There is no justice here, only law, which tries to protect people from the Dark Ones—those who wield magic.