First published 2014
Quinn Runningbrook can track, ambush, and kill with the deadly precision his father drilled into him. Every murder chips away at his soul, and he desperately wants to escape the family business of "protecting" Tree Village through violence. When Quinn shows mercy by killing trespassers quickly instead of torturing them, he defies his father's direct command. The punishment is swift and cruel. His sister Willow must complete the torture in his place, and she becomes their father's new favorite apprentice. Quinn watches helplessly as Willow follows the same dark path that has consumed him. When Jared Adams, a courier from Baalboden, is captured near their territory, Willow receives orders to extract information through torture. Quinn knows Jared is innocent and doesn't deserve such a fate. He faces an impossible choice between his own survival and protecting both his sister and an innocent man from his father's cruelty.
Genres: adventure, fantasy, action, dark-fantasy
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Baalboden, Tree Village
ebook · Balzer + Bray
Content warnings: abuse, physical-abuse, torture, violence