About The Bound
Cyrene Strohm is a Queen’s Affiliate, a high-ranking official of the court of Byern, with power and privilege to spare. But she’s also a keeper of dangerous secrets: like the fact that she holds the heart of the King, and that she possesses magic in a world where magic no longer exists.
Determined to discover what this means and how to use her newfound abilities, Cyrene sets off for the distant land of Eleysia. An island nation where Affiliates are strictly forbidden from entering.
But the journey is perilous, and the destination may mean utter ruin, as Cyrene comes to learn that everything she’s been told her whole life – about her court, her homeland, and even herself—are bound in a beautiful lie.
EXCERPT
Staggering down the hallway, she didn’t even look up
when she heard her name.
“Hmm?” she asked.
“Cyrene, there you are!”
Someone grabbed her shoulders, and she tipped her head
to look up into the most beautiful face. She smiled and felt a renewed burst of
energy flow through her.
“Hey,” she whispered.
“Hey,” he said, threading his fingers through hers. A
shiver ran up her back. He glanced around the empty hallway and then tugged her
away from the main corridors. She turned a corner, and he pressed her back into
a darkened alcove. His mouth was only inches from hers.
Her exhaustion was wearing off from the excitement of
being with him.
“I was really worried about you,” he breathed.
“You don’t have to worry about me,” she said, trapped
in his gaze. She teetered on her tiptoes and nearly brushed their lips
together. Her heart was racing ahead of her. This felt almost better than
reaching for her magic. Definitely better than moving one drop of water at a
time all day.
“You’re wrong.” Then, he softly dropped his mouth down
on hers. His lips were tender and slow as they caressed hers. “I will always
worry for your safety.”
Cyrene’s cheeks heated, and she sighed, leaning back
against the hard stone of the alcove. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”
His hands pushed up through her hair and tilted her
head back up to look at him. She closed her eyes and sighed. She was so tired,
and just the feel of his fingers was lulling her to sleep.
“That feels good.”
His mouth found hers, and despite her exhaustion, she
pushed back against his lips with more force. She refused to let the fact that
she was tired get in the way of her time with him.
“Whoa,” he said, pulling back from her. He rested his
forehead against hers, and she could tell he was breathing heavily. “As much as
I want this, and I do, I want to make sure you’re okay. This didn’t scare you
away?”
She shook her head. “This, most certainly, does not
scare me.” Then, she kissed him again for good measure.
He laughed. “Good. Because I’ve been wanting to kiss
you since I first met you.”
“You have not!” she insisted.
“Are you kidding? A gorgeous, feisty woman who wasn’t
afraid to put me in my place the first time she met me? I mostly certainly
have.”
Books in the Series
The Affiliate: Bk 1
"With rich romance and twisty political intrigue, THE AFFILIATE is a breakneck fantasy ride that's perfect for fans of THE SELECTION or THRONE OF GLASS." --Susan Dennard, NYT bestselling author of TRUTHWITCH
On the day of her Presenting, in front of the entire Byern Court, seventeen-year-old Cyrene Strohm's lifelong plans come to fruition when she's chosen for one of the most prestigious positions in her homeland--an Affiliate to the Queen.
Or so she thinks.
When Cyrene receives a mysterious letter and an unreadable book, she finds nothing is as it seems. Thrust into a world of dangerous political intrigue and deadly magic, Cyrene's position only grows more treacherous when she finds herself drawn to the one man she can never have...
King Edric himself.
Cyrene must decide if love is truly worth the price of freedom. Find out in this first book in USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde's new Ascension series. Great for fans of Game of Thrones, Tudors, and Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series.
About the Author
K.A. Linde is the USA Today bestselling author of the Avoiding series and the All That Glitters series as well as seven additional novels. She get up as a military brat traveling the United States and even landing for a brief stint in Australia. She has a Masters degree in political science from the University of Georgia and is the current head coach of the Duke University dance team.
An avid traveler, reader, and bargain hunter, K.A. Linde currently lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her husband and two super adorable puppies.
