They say he’ll ruin you for other men. And you’ll beg for more. The war-hungry empire of Sasanian Persia may be crumbling, but Mehr was always going to lose her freedom. Now, she must become someone’s lowly third wife or a concubine for the War Lord, a carnal sacrifice for the glory of the empire. She chooses the latter—but it isn’t what was promised. As for the War Lord, Kaveh has never made a choice for himself. Thrust from one responsibility to the next, his first priority is survival—not politics. But when a young woman enters his tent—and his bed—under false pretenses, Kaveh is enthralled by her fierce intensity. Relentlessly focused on her own path, Mehr’s desires start to complicate her idea of freedom. And while Kaveh wishes to keep her for himself, this is another choice that isn’t his. The empire will always take what it wants.