Crucible

After leaving Elissa behind in Treiaul, Hayward returns home, determined to stop a war before it begins. Afraid diplomacy will inevitably fail, he gathers his closest friends and races back to the elven kingdom to prepare its woefully untrained people for battle.

The elves are outnumbered. Outmatched. And running out of time.

As tensions rise within the royal court, old wounds begin to reopen-especially when Elissa's former lover joins their ranks, igniting a jealousy neither she nor Hayward can ignore. Surrounded by political pressure, buried secrets, and the growing expectation of an arranged marriage meant to unite their kingdoms, the bond between prince and princess is tested at every turn.

The king and queen demand a wedding before war arrives at their doorstep. Hayward and Elissa want something far more dangerous: the chance to truly know one another before surrendering themselves to forever.

But fate may already have made the choice for them.

Meanwhile, Aeris-the proper, bookish second princess-is assigned the impossible task of teaching Elvish to Deker, Hayward's infuriatingly charming best friend. What begins as a reluctant partnership quickly blossoms into friendship and more?

As war closes in, loyalties fracture, secrets surface, and love becomes both a weapon and a weakness in this second installment of The Kanraadi Saga.