The Falcon Bride

The valley is dying. Crops rot in the fields. The river runs wild. And something in the land is calling Elspeth Hartley by name. Ronan, a man bound to the valley by an ancient curse, claims she has been chosen to save it. He offers her power—an intimate, dangerous connection to the land itself—and a destiny she cannot escape. But the cost is absolute: to become the valley's guardian is to surrender her life, her future, and her very self. Then Alaric arrives. A hardened soldier sent to claim the valley for his father, he expects resistance—but not Elspeth. Not her defiance, her strength, or the pull he feels toward her. As the land grows more volatile and the truth behind its magic begins to unravel, he offers her something Ronan cannot: A choice. Caught between myth and mortality, power and freedom, Elspeth must decide what she is willing to become—and what she is willing to lose. Because the valley does not ask. It takes. And this time, Elspeth may refuse. The valley has always belonged to something older than memory. Now, it is calling for a bride. As the river rises and the valley begins to tear itself apart, Elspeth must decide between becoming something eternal, or remaining herself. Because love, like power, always asks for a price. And not all sacrifices should be made, for the valley cannot survive without a living anchor.