Firebird (The Fire That Binds, 1)

In a reimagined Rome where dragon-riding conquerors hold absolute power, Julian Dakkia serves as the Empire’s most lethal general. Bound by duty and his own devastating dragon form, Julian has spent years suppressing his instincts—until he encounters Malina, a Dacian dancer whose life he once secretly spared. When Malina is captured on a scarred battlefield, Julian risks treason and execution to claim her, shattering the rigid divide between conqueror and slave.

Malina is a survivor, hardened by the loss of her family and fueled by a desperate need for vengeance against the regime that destroyed her world. Though she recognizes the man who once offered her mercy, she struggles to reconcile the legendary brute with the man who now shields her. As their paths collide, a primal, inexplicable bond pulls them toward one another, transcending the laws of their brutal empire.

Together, they navigate a treacherous landscape of political intrigue and aerial warfare, plotting to dismantle the mad emperor’s reign from within. Caught between an unforgiving world and a destiny that demands everything, Julian and Malina ignite a dangerous firestorm where the cost of their freedom may be their own undoing.