Steel and Silence

When an assassination attempt strikes within the walls of the Citadel, ruler Roman Thorne is forced to trust the one person least impressed by power: Jayl, a lethal protector forged by loss, discipline, and survival.Jayl was not hired to care. She was hired to keep him alive.But the threat against Roman is not the work of a single enemy. Beneath the city's polished stone and careful politics, something darker is moving-something patient, ancient, and close enough to reach into the heart of his court. As suspicion tightens and betrayal spreads through the halls, Jayl finds herself fighting not only hidden blades, but the dangerous pull of a man she cannot afford to matter to her.Roman is steady, guarded, and carrying grief like armor. Jayl is sharp, watchful, and built to endure. Trust does not come easily to either of them. But in a city where silence hides ambition and loyalty can turn without warning, the bond forming between them may be the most dangerous thing of all.