At last, Alexa and King Damian are engaged to be married. But their lives are far from safe. The kingdom of Antion is under siege, and Rylan is a prisoner of the enemy. Even worse, Alexa remains at the mercy of the evil Dansiian Rafe, who controls her mind and can force Alexa to kill or harm Damian at any moment. Despite this, Alexa is determined to rescue Rylan, which soon leads her far from Damian and deep into enemy territory.
When she arrives, what awaits her is deadlier than anything she could have ever imagined: an army of black sorcerers, and a horrifying plot to destroy the world as Alexa knows it. Will she be able to gather the strength to free herself, protect the love of her life, and save the land? Will there ever be true peace?
Acclaimed author Sara B. Larson has woven a stunning, romantic, and evocative finale to the Defy trilogy that is sure to leave readers breathless until the very last page.
Sara B. Larson
Sara B. Larson is the author of the acclaimed young adult fantasy Defy trilogy:
Defy,
Ignite, and
Endure; and
Dark Breaks the Dawn, the first book of a duology. She can't remember a time when she didn't write books -- although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook. Sara lives in Utah with her husband and their children. When she's not mothering or writing, you can often find her at the gym repenting of her sugar addiction. You can visit her online at SaraBLarson.com.
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- From Endure
Damian's hand was clenched so tightly around the locket
that his knuckles were white. "Why do they want you? Why would Armando want your
blood?"
Something deep inside of my belly clenched, sending a rolling wave
of nausea through me. "I don't know."
Damian stared down at his fist. "Please
don't do this. Please don't go. If you do ... they'll take you from me. Forever
this time." He closed his eyes. "I can feel it. If you go, I will lose you."
I crossed to where he stood and put my hand over his. When he looked into
my face, his expression was bleak. "Together we can do anything, remember?"
"But
we aren't doing this together. You're going alone."
With my free hand,
I reached up to cup his face and gently pulled his mouth toward mine, until our
lips met. He trembled beneath my touch, threatening to break apart. He'd let me
past the careful wall he had built around himself for so many years, giving me the
power to hurt him more deeply than I could probably imagine, and that knowledge
made me want to scream and cry and never let him go. His arms came around me, his
hands clutching at my tunic as he pressed my body against his. The desperation we
battled seeped into our kiss, evidenced by the bitter taste of salt on my tongue
from tears. I wanted to lose myself in the heat of his touch, in the need that pounded
through my blood, coalescing in my limbs and belly.
But I couldn't do that
to him. I couldn't love him completely and then leave him alone.
With a
gasp, I tore myself away and he let me go.
We stood motionless, breathing
heavily, and then I said, "I'll come back. I promise."
He just stared at
me, silent and resigned.
Summoning every ounce of strength I had, I turned
and strode away, toward the curtain that hid the door to the passageway. Just when
I lifted the fabric to pull it back Damian spoke.
"I love you, Alexa."
I didn't dare turn around and look at him, afraid it would be my undoing.
"I love you, too." And then I stepped out of his sight and into the darkness.
