When Ixiana is kidnapped from her family's fortress by a brutal warlord, she fears physical harm of the worst kind. But the warlord is after a ransom, something to change the fate of his people. Ixiana is simply a means to an end--an annoying captive whose weakness frustrates him. When he starts teaching her to fight, it's painful for both of them--until their mutual anger and frustration ignites a new kind of fire. This adult romance has mild-to-medium heat and spice, with dark themes. Trigger warnings and content warnings can be found on the author's website or in the front matter of the book.