Within His Ruin

Celeste Arden was raised to make tyranny look reasonable. When her mother offers her in a political union, Celeste arranges her own abduction and chooses the one man with enough reason to hate her family. Rail smuggler Kellan Voss needs the Meridian key Celeste carries and the truth about the sister he was told had died. He agrees to take the wrong captive for the right price. He does not agree to trust her. Across flooded stations and black rail tunnels, their bargain becomes an alliance neither can control. Celeste is still fluent in the systems that harmed them. Kellan is still capable of turning protection into another kind of cage. As the Crown closes around them, a hidden identity, a surviving sister, and the ruins of Blue Chapel force every secret into daylight. Celeste must choose whether surrender can be an act of power. Kellan must learn that love is not rescue unless the person being saved gets to name the destination.