The Ember’s Crown

Elara has never been more than a seamstress scrabbling to survive in the shadow of Veyris, a city ruled by King Theron’s iron decree: magic is treason, punishable by death. But when a slip of her needle ignites a blaze she can’t explain—flames bursting from her own hands—her quiet life shatters. Branded a witch, hunted by royal guards, and haunted by a pendant that glows with secrets she doesn’t understand, Elara is thrust into a world she never knew existed. Her only lifeline is Kael, a scarred, enigmatic young man who pulls her from the chaos, his dagger stained with blood shed to save her. But his help comes with a price: he’s a defector from the Nightveil, a shadowy order sworn to Theron, trained to track and kill mages like her.