Drifting Sands

As a bed slave to a cruel master in the Kingdom of Earth, all Kaj knows is suffering. Every day brings humiliation and pain, and a numb sense of desolate resignation. Even with the new queen’s royal agenda to finally put an end to slavery, Kaj doesn’t dare look to hope for his future. After all, if there’s one thing a slave learns fast, it’s that hope is too painful to hold. As bodyguard to the Princess of the Realm of Wind, Zephyr is a man of duty. And for years, duty has been all he’s had and all he’s needed. With no partner or family to distract him from responsibility, he’s favored by superiors. He tells himself that’s enough, enough to ease the pain of being “broken.” Enough to ignore that his lack of desire for others leaves him achingly alone in a world that expects nothing else. But a new political alliance between their kingdoms means changes for both. For the first time, Zephyr suddenly finds himself feeling things he’s never felt before when he meets the beautiful and timid Kaj. Unsure what to make of those feelings or how to handle the aggressively defensive and frightened Kaj, Zephyr struggles to walk the line between duty and honor. Meanwhile, Kaj must fight for more courage and trust than he’s ever felt in his life. Can Zephyr learn to understand his feelings and identity while also protecting everyone he cares for? Can Kaj defy his master to do the right thing and also heal from deep, indelible scars? Can earth and wind come together, or will all be lost like dust in a gale?