lanadelmoure
A stolen glance. A medal pinned too close to the heart. A story you'll finish in one sitting and think about for days.
Close to the Sun is a complete short story that serves as your first step into the world of the Soul and Wing series. In it, you'll meet Empress Maren De Valoren - a ruler of iron will and rare warmth - and her niece Lia, a young woman carrying a magical gift she barely understands. Their bond is at the quiet heart of this story. In the full-length novel Wingless in the Sky, Lia steps into the spotlight: her gift, her destiny, and a connection with the winged Highfolk that will change everything. Close to the Sun is where the world begins. Wingless in the Sky is where it opens up.
She's an empress who has learned not to want things she can't have. He's a sailor who walked into a throne room and forgot all the rules. Close to the Sun is the kind of story that sneaks up on you - quiet tension, a world that feels lived-in and real, and two people doing their very best to pretend they aren't exactly what the other needs.
Set in a richly imagined world of sea empires, winged sky-folk, and old magic, this short story is a perfect first taste of the Soul and Wing series. If you love stories where nobody says the obvious thing, where the attraction is slow and wordless and completely unavoidable - this one's for you.
Fans of romantasy, slow-burn romance, and powerful heroines tend to read it twice.
Free to read. No strings. Just a good story, a compelling world, and a Corsair sailor who really should have gone back to sea when he had the chance.